2023 Interior Design Portfolio - Ralph Ledesma

RALPH LEDESMA

SKETCHUP & VRAY

AUTOCAD

LUMION

MICROSOFT OFFICE

ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE

RALPH IS AN INTERIOR DESIGN GRADUATE WHO BELIEVES IN THE PHILOSOPHY, TO QUOTE ALBERT HADLEY, “THE ESSENCE OF INTERIOR DESIGN WILL ALWAYS BE ABOUT PEOPLE AND HOW THEY LIVE. IT IS ABOUT THE REALITIES OF WHAT MAKES FOR AN ATTRACTIVE, CIVILIZED, MEANINGFUL ENVIRONMENT, NOT ABOUT FASHION OR WHAT’S IN OR WHAT’S OUT.”. THE DESIGNER TRIES TO APPLY THIS IN EVERYDAY LIFE, HENCE, THE REASON BEHIND HOW EVERY PROJECT HE’S DONE IS A REFLECTION OF THIS PHILOSOPHY.

PROFESSIONAL WORKS

KUCHO IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT BETWEEN THE LAHUBRE DESIGN TEAM AND THE OWNER. THE OWNER’S LOVE FOR THE ANTIQUE FUELED THIS AMBITIOUS DESIGN, SITUATED INSIDE A MALL IN THE CITY OF ILOILO. THE IDEA FOR THE DESIGN IS TO MAKE USE OF KEY PIECES FROM THE OWNER’S EXISTING FURNITURE.

I AS ONE OF THE DESIGNERS, ASSISTED WITH CONCEPTUALIZING AND DESIGNING THE INTERIORS OF THE CAFE AS WELL AS SOURCING OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE BOUGHT IN THE BOQ.

I HAVE ALSO FACILITATED WITH SUPPLIERS REGARDING DESIGN DETAILS, DATES FOR DELIVERIES, AND QUOTATIONS.

BREAD BASKET

BREAD BASKET IS A GROWING COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT IN REGION IV OF THE PHILIPPINES. THEY HAVE MULTIPLE BRANCHES THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND I HAD THE PRIVELEGE TO WORK WITH THE LAHUBRE TEAM IN THIS PROJECT SITUATED IN THE HEART OF ILOILO CITY.

I HAVE FACILITATED WITH SUPPLIER COORDINATION REGARDING DESIGN DETAILS, QUOTATIONS, AND DATES FOR DELIVERIES. I TAKE PRIDE IN SOURCING OUT AND DESIGNING LAMPS WITH ZACARIAS1925, AN ACCLAIMED TRADITIONAL CRAFTSPEOPLE

IN THE PHILIPPINES WHICH IS NOW AN EMERGING BRAND. RITA, THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR, AND I HAD DISCUSSED THE IDEA AND COLOR COMBINATIONS FOR THE LAMPS USED THROUGH THE APPROVALS OF THE LAHUBRE HEAD DESIGNERS, IDR. JOAN AND IDR. PAM.

JH PROJECT

JH PROJECT IS A CURRENTLY ONGOING PROJECT THAT HANDLED IN NAD AL SHEBA. HAVE BEEN ACTIVE SINCE THE PROCUREMENT STAGE - CREATING DETAILED WORKING DRAWINGS, MATERIAL BOARDS, SUPPLIER COORDINATION, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

THE MAIN AREAS I’VE WORKED ON WERE THE ENTIRE GROUND FLOOR SCOPE - THE FORMAL ENTRANCE, FORMAL MAJLIS, FORMAL DINING, FAMILY LIVING, AND THE 3 BEDROOMS. SOFT AND FEMININE TOUCHES WERE PRIORITIZED ON FURNITURE SELECTIONS BUT WERE JUXTAPOSED WITH STRONG AND BOLD FABRIC CHOICES TO CREATE A DYNAMIC INTERIOR SPACE.

RC HOUSE

THIS PROJECT IS MY FIRST PROJECT WITH LIDU. THE CLIENTS DECIDED TO CHANGE THE INTERIOR DESIGN OF THEIR HOME BECAUSE TERMITES WERE INFESTING THEIR WOOD WORKS, ESPECIALLY THEIR BASEBOARD WHICH SURROUNDS THE ENTIRETY OF THE HOUSE FROM BEFORE. THIS HAS ALSO BEEN A CHALLENGE TO US, THE DESIGNERS, SINCE THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THEY WOULD STILL BE WANTING WOOD AS THEIR MAIN MATERIAL IN THE HOUSE.

THE SOLUTION WAS THE USE OF TREATED SOLIDWOOD AND ALSO INVESTING IN GOOD QUALITY FURNITURE. WE RETAINED SOME OF THE FURNITURE THAT THEY HAD LIKE THE DINING TABLE AND SECTIONAL SOFA BUT WE HAD IT REFINISHED AND/OR REUPHOLSTERED.

WAS HEAVILY ACTIVE IN THIS PROJECT SINCE I WAS TASKED TO BE IMMERSED IN THE DESIGN AND THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE. WAS THE ONE WHO MADE SOME OF THE MOODBOARDS, PLANS, AND THE DESIGN ITSELF, COORDINATED WITH THE CONTRACTOR ON SITE WITH THE HELP OF LIDU’S PRINCIPAL DESIGNER, CONTACTING AND COORDINATING WITH SUPPLIERS, AND COORDINATING WITH THE CLIENTS.

THROUGH THIS PROJECT, HAVE LEARNED TO COMPROMISE WITH ALL PARTIES INVOLVED IN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT - FROM THE DESIGNERS, TO THE CONTRACTORS, TO THE SUPPLIERS AND MOST ESPECIALLY, WITH THE CLIENTS.

BEFORE SITE PHOTOS

ACTUAL SITE PHOTOS

ACADEMIC WORKS

GINHAWA

AN INPATIENT DEPRESSION RECOVERY FACILITY –REIMAGINED AS A LIVING AND BREATHING ECOTOPIA

GINHAWA LOBBY

MORE THAN 3.29 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE PHILIPPINES ARE LIVING WITH DEPRESSION IN A 2017 STATISTICS DONE BY DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION–PHILIPPINES. THEY HAVE ALSO CONCLUDED THAT DEPRESSION IS ONE OF THE LEADING FACTORS IN SUICIDEIN THE PHILIPPINES. HENCE, THE INCESSANT NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES.

THE PRIMARY DESIGN PHILOSOPHY OF THIS UNDERGRADUATE THESIS IS BIOPHILIA, MARRIED TO THE MULTIPLE HEALING CONCEPTS OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS WHICH INCLUDE ART,NATURE, AND EVEN ARCHITECTURE. THUS, WHEN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HOLISTIC BODY-MIND PHILOSOPHY OF THE GREEKS WOULD BE INTEGRATED IN THE INTERIORS OF A HEALTHCARE FACILITY, NOT ONLY WILL THE MEDICAL-BASED THERAPIES AND REHABILITATION SERVICES BE A BASIS ON HOW THE FACILITY WOULD BE DEEMED AS EFFECTIVE BUT ALSO AS TO HOW THE MENTAL HEALTHCARE FACILITY IS LIVABLE AND BREATHABLE PARTICULARLY TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER.

MAJOR CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE SUITE ROOM ARE THE VENTILATION, NATURAL SUNLIGHT, AND THE MATERIALITY. AS FOR THE SOLUTIONS, THE VENTILATION OF THE SPACE HAS BEEN MAXIMIZED THROUGH THE USE OF LOUVERED WINDOWS, OPERABLE ONLY ON A CERTYAIN ANGLE FOR NATURAL AIR CIRCULATION AROUND THE SPACE IF THE USER OPTS FOR NATURAL AIR THAN AIRCONDITION. FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF NATURAL SUNLIGHT, THE USE OF THE SUNROOF SEATING AREA WAS PROVIDED FOR THE USER TO FEEL THE NATURAL AMBIENCE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE USER’S SAFETY. AS FOR THE MATERIALITY, FURNITURE ARE MOSTLY BUILT INS AND EDGES ARE SOFTENED/CURVED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE USERS.

GINHAWA SUITE ROOM

GINHAWA RESTAURANT

ART WAS ONE OF GREEKS’PRIDE. THIS IS HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH THIS SPACE SINCE THE AREA IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE AND VARIOUS STUDIES SHOW THAT ART EXPOSURE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED TO HAVE A RANGE OF POSITIVE OUTCOMES EXPERIENCED BY PARTICIPANTS.

DURING PEOPLE’S ENGAGEMENT WITH MUSEUM OBJECTS, THE SENSIBLE, PHYSICAL, MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OBJECTS TRIGGER AND THUS CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIEWER’S SENSORY PERCEPTIONS, WHICH IN TURN TRIGGER EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE ASSOCIATIONS, RECOLLECTIONS AND PROJECTIONS IN A PROCESS OF SYMBOLIZATION” (DUDLEY, 2010; CARNEGIE, 2006; KAVANAGH, 2000)

THE PLAY OF PATTERNS AND TEXTURES WERE NOT ONLY APPLIED TOWARDS THE FLOOR PATTERN BUT ALSO THE FURNITURE LAYOUT AND FURNITURE DESIGN. THE DESIGNER AIMS FOR A MAXIMALIST YET COHESIVE INTERIOR DESIGN TO GIVE EMPHASIS TO THE HOLISTIC AND HEALING EFFECTS OF ART THROUGH GREEK ART AND ARCHITECTURE

GINHAWA RESTAURANT

THE OVERALL CONCEPT FOR THE RESTAURANT IS THE ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE, THE PARTHENON. LIKE THE PARTHENON, THERE IS A SUNROOF WHICH LETS THE LIGHT IN AND HIGHLIGHTS AN ELEVATED SPACE FOR GUESTS. THE WHOLE FEEL OF THE SPACE IS HIGHLIGHTED THROUGH VARIOUS USES OF THE ARCH - FROM WALL TREATMENTS TO SPACE ORIENTATIONS.

THE MAIN CONSIDERATION FOR THE SPACE IS HOW IT WOULD CATER TO VARIOUS AGE GROUPS AND THE SOLUTION FOR THIS IS TO BRING IN NATURAL LIGHT, MAKING THE SPACE WARM AND WELCOMING, AND THE PLAYFUL USE OF INTERESTING PATTERNS FOR THE SPACE. THOUGH MAXIMALIST IN NATURE, THE SPACE WAS METHODOGICALLY STUDIED TO GIVE CONSIDERATIONS NOT ONLY TO THE USERS OF THE SPACE BUT TO THE BRANDING OF THE SPACE.

PARADIGMA

PARA SA DIGMAAN - FURNITURE

PARADIGMA IS A LARGE BOWL-SHAPED DAYBED, MADE OF HANDWOVEN NYLON ROPE, ADJUSTED TO AN INCLINATION FITTING FOR A RELAXING SIESTA OR AFTERNOON NAP. THE DAYBED IS INSPIRED BY A SPIDER WEB - A SPIDER’S HOME AND THE FRUIT OF IT’S OWN LABOR. IT IS LIKENED TO THE DESIGNERS’ HARDWORK TOWARDS CONCEPTUALIZING AND PERSONALLY WEAVING THE CHAIR TO ITS BEST QUALITY.

PARADIGMA IS A WORD PLAY WITH THE FILIPINO WORDS “PARA” WHICH TRANSLATES TO “FOR”AND “DIGMAAN” WHICH MEANS “WAR”. TOGETHER, THE TERMS WOULD CREATE A WORD WHICH IS PARADIGMA THAT COULD ALSO BE TRANSLATED TO THE ENGLISH WORD, “PARADIGM” MEANING “PATTERN”. THESE WORD PLAYS WOULD FORM THE CONCEPT OF THIS FURNITURE - A WOVEN RATTAN DAYBED, IN A SPIDER WEB’S PATTERN.

THE DAYBED IS PATERNED TO GREEK MYTHOLOGY, SPECIFICALLY TO THE WAR OF ARACHNE AND ATHENA WHEREAS ARACHNE, A TALENTED MORTAL WEAVER, CHALLENGED ATHENA, GODDESS OF WAR AND CRAFTS, TO A WEAVING CONTEST WHICH RESULTED TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF ARACHNE INTO A SPIDER.

THE CONCEPT OF WAR WOULD, THEN, TRANSLATE TO THE VERY CORE OF THIS FURNITURE WHICH IS TO PROVIDE A SHELTER FOR TIRED AND LONESOME MORTAL SOULS.

TOP VIEW - WITH UPHOLSTERY

TOP VIEW - WITH UPHOLSTERY

MATERIALS: SCRAP BOWL-SHAPED METAL | RATTAN ROPE OLD DUVET