A senior Architecture student from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) has secured 4th place in the prestigious 13th Asian Contest of Architectural Rookie’s Award (Acara) held at Danang Architecture University in Vietnam.
Kristian Rome Tacbian stood out among 20 participants representing 13 countries, where each student was paired with local Vietnamese counterparts to redesign key areas on both ends of the Trang Thi Ly Bridge spanning the Han River. The collaborative workshop culminated in a presentation before a distinguished panel of Asian architects, professors, and members of the Asia United Architecture Association (AUA), which has spearheaded the competition for over a decade.
His entry, titled Oddities, not only earned him top recognition but also an internship offer from Taiwan-based Bio-architecture Formosana—an opportunity that underscores the international acclaim the young Filipino designer is beginning to attract.
This marks the second year in a row that the UST College of Architecture has joined the competition, reflecting the university’s growing presence in the Asian architectural education scene.
The multi-day event included an opening ceremony, a site visit that informed the students’ designs, and the final contest day. Next year’s Acara is set to take place in China.
