The University of Santo Tomas College of Architecture is the architectural school of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest and the largest Catholic university in Manila, Philippines. Established in 1930, the college is one of the first architectural schools in the Philippines. It is also one of the only 2 to be proclaimed as a Center of Excellence in Architecture by the Commission on Higher Education and a consistent Top Performing Architecture School in the Philippine Architecture Licensure Examination.
Brief history
Established in 1930, it is one of the first architectural schools in the Philippines. It was renamed College of Architecture and Fine Arts in 1946 following the integration of Fine Arts degrees. The college was split in 2000, thus forming the College of Fine Arts and Design, separating the College of Architecture. The college was housed in the Roque Ruaño building which it shared with the Faculty of Engineering. It later moved in the new Beato Angelico building, together with the College of Fine Arts and Design.
Degree Program
Bachelor of Science in Architecture- The 5-year program consists of 10 consecutive semesters of design subjects that focus on fundamental design knowledge where students design buildings from simple residential projects to complex multi-family dwelling structures, multi-storey buildings of residential or commercial complexes, institutional buildings like schools, civic centers, religious structures, health facilities, etc. Urban planning and design, environmental concern, building technology, and professional practice are among other subjects. At the end of their third year, students will choose their specialization track from the three that are currently offered by the college, namely, Heritage Conservation, Environmental Management Planning, and Landscape Architecture.
Aida-Cruz Del Rosario - The first female graduate of the college, and the first female architect in the Philippines. While some sources credit Eulie Chowdhury as the first woman architect in Asia, others including Aida-Cruz Del Rosario were working at similar dates, and women like Perin Jamsetjee Mistri and Dora Gad preceded them.
Carmelo Casas - FounderRecio+Casas Architectural firm. Designed The Shang Grand Tower, G.T. International Tower, LKG Tower, Pacific Plaza Towers in Fort Bonifacio, the UST Sports Complex, UST Multi-deck Carpark, etc.
Felino Palafox - FounderPalafox Associates, ranked 94th, is the only Southeast Asian Architectural firm to be included in the BD World Architecture. Designed the Rockwell Center in Makati, La Mesa Watershed, Ortigas Center, Makati Streetscape, Hidalgo Place, Jeddah Riviera Center, Saudi Arabia, Jumeirah Beach Residences, Dubai, Rabat Waterfront Development, Morocco, Rizal Tower, etc.
