De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) will open its new campus in Aseana City, Parañaque, marking a significant expansion for the private Catholic institution. The 3,845-square-meter site represents a deliberate shift toward embedding architecture and design directly into the student experience, with the campus itself becoming a teaching tool.
A Living Campus Designed for Creativity
The campus will be named after the late Delfin J. Wenceslao Jr., a real estate developer and former president of D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Incorporated, the firm that helped shape Aseana City’s reclaimed environment.
“As the developer of Aseana City, we are so focused on hard infrastructure buildings, churches, parks, and walkways,” Wenceslao said, “and for a great city to be alive, it needs more than just buildings—it needs people who question, who innovate.”
Designed by Ar. Ed Calma of Lor Calma and Partners, the campus features layered terraces, multiple green spaces, and a façade of clean lines and contemporary materials. The design emphasizes horizontal and vertical connectivity through open-air lounges, collaborative zones, multi-tiered lecture halls, and light-filled studios.
Academic spaces include laboratories, workshops, sewing and weaving rooms, and a theater, supporting both formal instruction and extracurricular activities. The campus will house the School of Environment and Design (SED), which includes Architecture, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Interior Design, and Industrial Design programs. It will also host the School of Management and Information Technology (SMIT), covering Cybersecurity, Game Design and Development, Information Systems, and business analytics programs.
Beyond education, the campus plans to support Aseana City’s sustainability goals through future installations of wind turbines and solar panels. This aligns with Benilde’s commitment to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, emphasizing energy efficiency, sustainability, and healthier indoor environments.
DLS-CSB President Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC described the new campus as “a living, breathing hub of creativity and connection.” He added, “The new structure will articulate what Benilde stands for: boldness, imagination, and a commitment to nurturing talent, design, and innovation. It will give us an opportunity to reimagine how we deliver learning experiences in both new and familiar environments—offering even more opportunities for creativity, inclusion, and excellence.”
Benilde’s existing Design + Arts Campus in Malate, Manila, also designed by Calma, set a precedent for the college’s architectural identity. The Aseana campus builds on that foundation, extending the institution’s reach into southern Metro Manila while maintaining its focus on industry-based learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Community Integration and Urban Role
The campus is envisioned as a gathering place for students, artists, professionals, and the wider community, where ideas can be exchanged freely. This approach aligns with the developer’s belief that cities are cultivated through human activity, not just built through infrastructure.
By situating the campus within Aseana City, Benilde extends its influence into southern Metro Manila, reaching new audiences while maintaining its core mission. The location bridges academic inquiry with real-world urban development, allowing students to engage directly with ongoing city-building efforts.
Sustainability as Core Practice
The commitment to green building practices also focuses on healthier indoor environments, ensuring that light-filled studios and collaborative zones meet rigorous air quality benchmarks. This integration of environmental stewardship into daily operations reinforces the campus’s role as a model for sustainable education.
Wendel Holdings Co., Inc., under Buds Wenceslao’s leadership, continues the urban development vision established by D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Incorporated since its founding in 1965. The company’s role in shaping the 204-hectare Aseana City reclamation project connects the new campus to decades of careful land development, creating a contextual relationship between Benilde’s educational mission and the district’s evolution.
The campus theater provides a dedicated venue for performances, presentations, and cultural events, reinforcing Benilde’s commitment to the arts as a vital component of holistic education. Sewing and weaving rooms preserve traditional craftsmanship while adopting modern design methodologies, bridging heritage techniques with contemporary creative practices.
The Anthology ASEAN Architecture Festival, which brought together over 4,000 delegates from across the Philippines and Southeast Asia, demonstrates the regional impact of architectural discourse. This gathering reinforces the importance of cross-border collaboration in advancing design education and urban planning initiatives throughout the ASEAN community.
