5 Aesthetically Pleasing Movies for the Design and Architecture Professional

For design professionals, turning off your brain from work can be hard to do especially on the weekend. One of the things you can do to be able to relax but also be inspired is to watch movies that can be a source of inspiration as well. We have come up with a list of 5 aesthetically pleasing movies you can watch this weekend:

#1 The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Without a question, American filmmaker Wes Anderson's "Grand Budapest Hotel" is the most artistically appealing film ever shot in the last five years. Pastel colors, a refined visual style, symmetrical shots, and academic directing all contribute to the feel of a vintage film, which is consistent with Wes Anderson's aesthetics.

This film serves as an excellent example for designers and photographers of how to use composition and visual effects to create an entirely other universe.

#2 Ex Machina (2015)

This sci-fi thriller stars Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson and follows a young programmer named Caleb (Gleeson) who is invited to take part in a pioneering experiment. Caleb has the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet the world's first true form of artificial intelligence, which is housed in the body of a lovely woman.

The inherent beauty of Ava (Vikander) contributes to the film's visual appeal, but it is the film's technology that truly distinguishes it. Makeup, special effects, and cinematography all come together to create a film that is really magnificent in every way.

#3 Your Name (2016)

Hands down, we never expected a beautifully made anime film other than that of Makoto Shinkai. His ability to recreate a surreal and mind-blowing cityscape of Tokyo and Japan's rural area just blows us away. We would rewatch it over and over just to look at how the light just falls just right over Shibuya.

#4 Inception (2010)

Since the film's premiere in 2010, the bending city scene has influenced designers and a wide range of other moviegoers. Architecture, according to BIG's Bjarke Ingels, "should be like the documentary version of Inception." What is it about this scene that attracts so many designers? Architects are always coming up with fresh ideas for how to shape the city and the world around them. As a result, a scene in which space is entirely unlimited and can be manipulated in any way you can imagine—and a film that can portray that move—is bound to elicit creative thinking.

#5 Black Panther (2018)

This is a visually stunning film that contains a completely developed environment. Wakanda has deservedly earned a position on this list. It is frequently touted as an inspiration for futuristic African cities in the works, such as Akon City. It's also relevant to architects because of the film's technological innovation, which is largely enabled by the mythical metal vibranium, which arrived in Wakanda via a meteorite that landed long before the city was built. Wakanda may provide inspiration for building with new resources as we reach a new era of material innovation.

Design and Architecture professionals can find inspiration anywhere- even from movies!

Watching something visually stunning or following a good story can be a source of inspiration for great designs. So go ahead, relax and pop out a good movie to watch this weekend!

Executives in Action: The Industry Veteran, and JCVA co-founder - Engr. Reynaldo M. Dela Cruz

Industry veteran and JCVA co-founder and advisor, Engineer Reynaldo Dela Cruz, reminds us that ambition and dreams don’t mean anything without integrity.

Meet the ambitious man yet remarkably genuine mentor who co-founded JCVA and how his over 50 years of experience guides us to achieving success.

A Dream that Built the Man

Rey realized that he was meant to follow his father’s footsteps after being inspired by his projects.

Rey obtained his degree from Mapua Institute of Technology, where he moved forward with the drive and determination to achieve his dream. His early career, as he recalls, was one he considers himself fortunate to be able to attain at a young age. One of his first projects was The Philippine International Convention Center and The Secretariat Building located at the Cultural Center Complex (CCP) under a prominent construction company, David M. Consunji Inc (DMCI). "This greatly increased my knowledge in the construction Industry because DMCI uses the modern method in the construction industry," Rey recalls.

"After this project, I was hired as a Project Manager for the Construction of the NIAA Passenger Terminal Building. I was then the youngest Project Manager at age 27 years old, and most of the Project managers of CDCP were 45 and above."

Achieving new heights

Although many opportunities opened up for Rey after his time with the firm, he pursued new endeavors by expanding his skills and knowledge overseas.

"I worked on many overseas projects [in] Saudi Arabia, USA, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Sudan. I saw that their construction industry is more modernized ," he shares.

The executive may have pursued taking his career elsewhere for the time being but maintains deep connections to the Philippines.

On his return, he lead and executed many projects we see today:

• Icon Plaza Building in BGC, Taguig City

• Eton Centris BPO Building 1 in Quezon City

• Eton Greenbelt Residences in Makati City

• Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City

• EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City

• Rufino Pacific Tower in Ayala Ave., Makati City

• Wack Wack Residences Building in Mandaluyong City

• Richmonde Hotel in Mandaluyong City

• Philippine International Convention Center in Roxas Boulevard, Manila

• Robinsons Place Manila in Ermita, Manila

• SM Southmall in Las Pinas City

• TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong City

• Laguna International Industrial Park in Laguna

• Montevista Subdivision in Tagaytay City

In 2011, Rey took on a multi-billion peso project for a local conglomerate where he met Engr. Jason C. Valderrama. Their similar vision towards building better businesses brought both men closer together, and in 2014, JCVA was established.

To this day, Engr. Dela Cruz is a significant member of the company and remains as JCVA’s strategic advisor focused on ground-up projects.

Engr. Dela Cruz’s legacy as a leader

His experience in his youth allowed him to put his acquired knowledge into practice and apply it to his leadership. "To encourage collective thinking, I let my engineers do the planning, organizing, and control of the project by group discussions." He continues, "My belief was that they should experience in actual situation their jobs to learn the trick of the trade by themselves."

Engr. Dela Cruz knew he had to lead by example, which navigated his choices in the profession.: "To be a real leader, it meant allowing others to lead as well."

Another belief that guided Engr. Dela Cruz after being almost 50 years in the industry was the need for preparedness. We can harken his attitude towards his career back to his father's determination to put up a business that he knows can not only support his children's education but provide for their future families as well. Indeed, luck favors the prepared.

Rey believes that 90% planning and 10% implementation were behind his success.

At the core of his planning were the 5 Ms: Manpower, Materials, Machines, Methods, and Money. These tools became the key to determining efficiency, profitability, and quality in every project, whether it is a project that is residential, commercial, institutional, or industrial.

The foundation that Eng. Rey was built on

"The way I see it now, the construction industry is now becoming similar to the political industry. The politicians are now controlling the construction industry, especially government construction projects," Rey claims.

"There is [also] corruption in the construction industry because of the greed for money and power. That is why I emphasize that a leader should be honest and trustworthy."

Due to the pandemic, many aspiring professionals and their families grow frustrated with two years of postponing examinations, we urged Engr. Dela Cruz to leave us with some words of wisdom.

"I believe that life has to be a balance of ambition and compassion––do big things but never forget to live with integrity," Engr. Dela Cruz says.

Learn more about the people that helped build JCVA into the industry marvel it is today:

https://www.jcvassociates.ph/about-jcva

Site Safety 101: Essential New Normal Reminders On-site

Last January 2022, the Philippines faced another surge of infections driven by a highly transmissible mutation of COVID-19, the Omicron variant. We were reminded that while we may see dips in the infection rate, a resurgence can happen and it’s crucial to continue safety procedures on-site.

With 4.2 million workers in the Philippine construction industry, what would this mean for employees and employers?

For industry leaders, the idea of a single worker contracting the virus is not only damaging but costly. Worksites must remain controlled, and prevention of the spread of the virus must be dealt with the highest of priority as this might lead to interruptions and a total work stoppage.

While employees in some industries can work from home, ours can’t as we have to be on-site and by following health standards, we can ensure a safe working environment for everyone. After all, the success of our projects depend on people, so we need to take care of them with our utmost capabilities.

Here are industry standards and CDC recommendations to avoid spreading the virus in worksites:

Raise awareness and communication.

Active communication in the workplace is critical. The person in charge must be able to relay daily updates, safety protocols, and development in the workers' native language or dialect. Needless to say, workers needed to be provided with basic facts and the reason behind protective measures. For example, workers must feel compelled to be transparent and to communicate their status to project managers to protect everyone on-site.

Maintain a healthy work environment

Aside from preventing the transmission of the virus, some employees may be at higher risk due to specific comorbidities or age. Provide training to employees on specific policies to minimize face-to-face contact or assign work tasks that may allow them to maintain a safe 6-feet distance from other workers or visitors.

Here are some practices that can be implemented on-site that follow the current DOH guidelines:

1. Encourage frequent handwashing and provide access to soap, clean running water, and materials for drying hands.

If the previously mentioned items are not available, hand sanitizers with 60% alcohol stationed around the worksite or establishment would be helpful.

1. Modify work schedules with alternating workdays or extra shifts to help reduce workers on a job site.

2. Ensure that potentially populated workstations and areas are disinfected, such as break or lunchrooms. Possibly between each group using the space.

Maintain healthy business operations

Like other corporate establishments, it is critical to have a designated safety and health officer available on-site. Workers should be aware that there is a go-to person who will be able to respond to their safety and health needs.

Suppose this is not something your company can have at the moment, provide them access to a list of reliable contacts for assistance. Reach out to local public health officials.

DOH has launched a COVID-19 hotlines: 1555 or 02-894-COVID.

Site safety has always been essential to our industry, so protocols are not new to us. With the challenges of the pandemic, we needed to add a new layer of caution not only to safeguard the health of our people but to ensure business continuity as well.

Sources:

Construction Workers guidelines to Covid-19 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Construction Guidelines for Project Implementation during the period of Public Health Emergency - Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines