In December 2021, Typhoon Odette struck the Philippines, causing destruction across the country and surrounding areas. The "TABO" community center in Siargao was destroyed, necessitating the construction of a new one that would operate as previously planned and be more resilient to future natural disasters. The context was the first starting point for the design. Siargao has a tropical climate and vegetation, so palm forests predominate in the area, featuring landscapes of slender trunks topped with coconut trees.

TABO for us, is that feeling of security we experience when we get home.
This project begins and ends with PEOPLE. So, in this Tabo, the furniture goes beyond simple activities and becomes the structural foundation of a community center. The basic needs spaces (core building) are solid and represent immutable values (what matters to people). Around those basic values, "who we are" and "what we need," people can eventually begin to build this wooden structure. We recognize the important role that local labor will play in this project, so the building is intended to be constructed in an easy and logical way, reinforcing regional construction techniques with minor additions that decrease its vulnerability to natural disasters, such as double beams, iron bolts, and simple iron reinforcements.
The building's structure responds to a phased construction process within the allotted budget, using local coconut palm wood for all carpentry except for the structural columns (hardwood) and recycling discarded materials (in masonry walls and tables). This two-story building of approximately 120 m2 needs to go beyond closed spaces so that the furnishings physically connect what is outside (community garden, seed library, rain collector, or palm plantations) with the interior and give all facades a distinctive character through openness (community kitchen, open market, main hall, and office). Resilience is not about putting up resistance or reaching a specific end. Because each of these stages is a complete Taboo, meaningful and purposeful for its people every step of the way.
People make architecture. And people gather, disperse, and gather again.
So, we can leave a solid piece of OUR TABO on purpose to help us get back up.
Faster, more connected, and more resourceful.
Maybe to… regain that sense of security.
When we smell the scent of something familiar. Asking family members how their day was. Immersing ourselves back in our routines and being with those we love.