To Build A Dream

More than just providing shelter, architect Albert Zambrano’s affordable housing gives homeowners a sense of confidence they never thought was possible.

- Joy Rojas

With his degree in architecture from the University of Santo Tomas and a diploma in urban and regional planning from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, architect Albert Zambrano could have applied his expertise abroad or in the high-profile properties of a prestigious architectural firm. Instead, this son of retired teachers (his father taught drafting, while his mother humanities) and eldest of eight children has not only chosen to stay in the country, he’s carved his career around designing homes and other edifices for the metro’s urban poor.

NAGGING THOUGHT

It’s not the easiest or most glamorous job in the world, but when you come from a humble background that includes the daily sight of informal settlers and their makeshift homes, you either learn to live with it—or initiate change.

Albert did the latter. “I had a nagging thought,” says the architect who is also a teacher at Mapua University. “I wanted to find a solution to the housing problems in the Philippines.”

OPLAN LIKAS

This earnest desire would lead him to various communities of disadvantaged folks, like the 94 families who live in absolute squalor in Legarda Street, Manila. Bereft of natural light, fresh air, and space, their maze-like setup crosses over an Estero clogged with human and household debris. Erlinda Velasquez and Beatriz Fellizar, sisters who have lived there since birth, recall experiencing waist-high floods during typhoon season and a fire that quickly razed their homes.