Making Stories Visible

“It all starts with a story, a perspective of reality that we decide to act on. How we choose to act on this reality is a form of design. In my work, it’s important that what we create belongs to those who will use and maintain the building over time. My role as an architect is to make those stories visible, to question them, and eventually give form to them by making something together.”

Alexander Furunes’ description of his design approach is the story of how Streetlight Tagpuro, an orphanage and community center in Tacloban, Philippines, was designed and built after the original facility was swept away by Typhoon Haiyan’s 300-kilometer winds. The story captivated the judges and those listening to the presentation of Norwegian architect Furunes and his co-lead architect, Sudarshan Khadka, then representing Filipino firm, Leandro V. Locsin Partners, at the World Architecture Festival 2017. Furunes recounts:

How the collaboration began

“Streetlight was