What happens when a place grows beyond its original purpose? For Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala, creative director of Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), the answer begins with the people who use it.
Co-founding Kalye Artisano in El Nido, Palawan, in 2015 gave her a firsthand view of how a space can evolve in response to the needs and ideas of the community around it. The experience helped shape her people-centered approach to design: create the conditions for a place to thrive, then remain open to how its community makes it its own. Today, she is exploring how those lessons can inform the design and development of places on a much larger scale.
Paloma shared this perspective during a Design Week Philippines panel discussion themed “Neighbors by Design,” which explored how design can help places become communities. Held at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls in Pasay City and moderated by Dan Matutina, the panel also featured Maya Colayco of Comuna, Karla Maria Ana Batiquin of the Holistic Coalition of the Willing (HoliCOW) and Atuá Midtown, and Robby Sylianteng, First United Building Corporation managing director.
Established in 2015, Kalye Artisano brought Filipino artists, artisans, and local businesses in El Nido together, creating a platform to showcase local creativity and connect Filipino-made products with a wider audience. Over time, the hub developed in ways its founders had not fully anticipated.
During the pandemic, David Esteban established The Earth School on the grounds. The international school focuses on sustainability and innovation through project-based learning in nature. Kalye Artisano provided space and support, helping the school grow from 20 students to more than 80, with a waiting list.
“What Kalye Artisano taught me is that creating a place is only the beginning. You can set the vision and create the conditions for a community to thrive, but its real character comes from the people who make it their own. The important lesson is knowing when to lead, when to listen, and being agile enough to evolve alongside them.”
At Ayala Land, Paloma is exploring how these lessons can translate to a much larger setting. The scale, complexity, and responsibilities are different, requiring coordination among multiple stakeholders while remaining attentive to the needs and character of each location. The challenge is to plan with intention while staying open to how people might use and shape a development over time.
That balance is visible at Circuit Makati, where the Kontempo Community Studio has become a space for residents and local creatives to gather, exhibit, and exchange ideas. The studio brings the area’s history and culture into the present, interpreting them in ways that respond to current needs while allowing room for what the place might become in the future.
For Paloma, it offers a working example of how a large-scale development can give communities room to influence how a place is used, rather than prescribe exactly what belongs there. The same principle will guide Kontempo, Ayala Foundation’s upcoming Center for Contemporary Arts Philippines, which is still in development.
“The work I do now brings together many of the same values, but on a much bigger canvas,” Paloma said. “The question is how we apply them responsibly. Every place has its own context, and we can learn so much from the communities around us. That means remaining porous and accessible, finding ways to collaborate, and being willing to listen and adapt rather than assume that what works in one place will work in another. We should always be learning from the people who give a place its life.”
For Paloma, the lesson holds at every scale: designing well begins with learning from the people a place is built for.
The discussion formed part of the 15th year of Design Week Philippines, themed “Sama All,” which brings people across disciplines together to explore the possibilities of design through shared experiences.
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