Valenzuela is a growing city under  increasing stress due to environmental conditions causing economic and social  strains. From the Ground up utilizes systems thinking to maintain and grow  resilience for the site in Valenzuela. Our approach recognizes that having a  strong network on an urban and community scale allows resilience to grow. The  three major systems within this network are called connect, elevate, and  convert.

CONNECT recognizes the dynamic  relationship between water and the people who live along our site. Water is  necessary for life to exist. However, it is a powerful natural force that has  the potential to damage the community. Implementing a series of canals to  divert water away from densely populated areas is one strategy in this system  that fosters resilience.

ELEVATE proposes a solution to the  problem of waste management, sea level rise due to climate change, and  flooding from typhoons by building up the land to provide security.

CONVERT uses innovative thinking to transform what many people think of as “trash” into architecture and soil instead of sending it off into the surrounding landfills that pose problems to inhabitants as well as the environment.