SM City Baguio — Outdoor Patio Design
- Location
- Baguio, Philippines
- Period
- circa 2010
- Firm
- MESA Design Group
- My role
- Project Manager, outdoor patio design
- Disciplines
- Elevated Landscape, Retail Public Realm, Design Development
A MESA Design Group project for SM, developed with the shopping-center architecture and consultant team. Work completed with MESA Design Group as part of multidisciplinary project teams.
Project imagery and photography courtesy of MESA Design Group.
Context
The outdoor patio design (the “Sky Garden” in the original drawing sets) explored how a large commercial destination could create a public elevated landscape responsive to Baguio’s mountain setting, views, climate, circulation, and high visitor volume.
MESA Design Group's role
Landscape architect for the mall’s outdoor patio environment, developed with the shopping-center architecture and consultant team.
My role
As project manager for MESA Design Group’s landscape scope, I led the design of the mall’s outdoor patio environment at SM City Baguio. The work included concept and design development, team coordination, revisions, material selections, renderings and presentation graphics, design guidelines, specifications, and the final design-development package.
Design challenge
The landscape had to work as public space, retail amenity, roof system, circulation route, and viewing platform. Materials and planting also had to respond to an exposed elevated condition and intensive use.
Approach
The design developed a long sky-garden sequence with distinct nodes, seating, planting, paths, and overlook moments. Iterative plans tested geometry and program before the concept moved into guidelines and design development.
Result
The team delivered concept plans, a sky-garden master plan, streetscape studies, design guidelines, specifications, and a final design-development package. Archive photographs provide contextual views of the Baguio setting.
Looking back
SM City shows the continuity between place design and product design: organize a long journey, create meaningful pauses, and make the system understandable through use.