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Design For Tomorrow Launches Barchan Architecture’s First Monograph, Shifting Sands 

Both Barchan’s brand identity and Shifting Sands were designed over a three-year period.

Design For Tomorrow celebrated a progressive architectural firm’s milestone project with the launch of Shifting Sands – Visions, Propositions, and Imaginations. This monograph marks the transformation of Buensalido Architects into their new name, Barchan Architecture. 

At the launch event at Manila House, BGC, this past April 25, 2024, Jason Buensalido and his team acknowledged our Manila-based creative agency’s work in orchestrating all the elements of this 400-page mammoth. 

Both Barchan’s brand identity and Shifting Sands were designed by Design For Tomorrow’s Mikaela Torres, with grid, typesetting and technical direction by Senior Designer Israel Contreras. The book project was managed by Michelle Longronio, with overall creative direction from Ric Gindap, Rashina Tuazon and Bonnapart Galeng. A project spanning nearly three years – from branding to book design –  this weighty monograph highlights Barchan’s “innovative, original, and forward-thinking design solutions” across disciplines.

At the launch event, founder Jason Bunesalido thanked the Design For Tomorrow team “for [their] creative direction and putting together all of our thoughts and visuals into this wonderful piece of art that allows our ideas to be shared to the world.” 

Design For Tomorrow has long been a partner of the Buensalido team, having also helmed the design of their 2014 book, Random Responses: A Crusade to Contemporize Philippine Architecture. Jason Buensalido once remarked, “There are a lot of branding agencies out there, but if you want a group that really listens to you in an empathetic way, really tries to extract what you mean and what your objectives are beyond what you are saying; Design For Tomorrow […] is the perfect match for you.”

This is only one of Design For Tomorrow’s branding and design work for homegrown brands that have been making an impact throughout the Philippines and beyond. Most recently, DFT rebranded the heritage shoe and bag brand Mendrez, which has since had its first store re-opening in SM City Cebu. Design For Tomorrow are also behind the branding of two local start-ups in Cocopan, a neighborhood bakery, and Reseta, a community pharmacy which has just opened in Malolos, Bulacan. Elsewhere, the newly Singapore-registered company has made a global impact in cities such as Tokyo, Munich, Vienna, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Pretoria. 

Design For Tomorrow’s signature style is marked by timeless sophistication and branding co-crafted in collaboration with their clients. Moving forward, Design For Tomorrow continues to pursue projects underpinned by their work as Vision Articulators®. Design For Tomorrow has established prominence in Placemaking, or the delicate art of crafting spaces into living narratives. Recently completed luxury property development projects include Eluria (Arthaland), The Observatory (FNG / Federal Land + Nomura Real Estate) and Velaris Residences (RHK / Robinsons Land + Hong Kong Land). 

Design For Tomorrow’s sibling is Spruce Gallery, an independent magazine store and art gallery in Ortigas that recently celebrated its opening salvo this past March 9 with the launch of Boys! Boys! Boys! The Book. Both companies act as creative outlets for its shared team on their mutual quest for expression. 

Shifting Sands is now available on the Barchan Architecture website and you may order here.


Design For Tomorrow is always on the lookout for potential partners and projects. You can express your interest at designfortomorrow.co or via email at nb@designfortomorrow.co.

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