DLS-CSB artists design HSSE offices for Shell

SHELL, the global group in refining oil and natural gas, invited young artists to develop sustainable and innovative proposals on fashion, furniture and workspace based on recycled materials.

It partnered with the Guild of Rising Interior Designers (GRID), the official organization of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Interior Design Program. Both organizations challenged students to produce prototypes that optimized health, safety, security and environment (HSSE), whether face-to-face or in work-from-home arrangements.

Under the mentorship of educator IDr. Candice Arboleda, the trailblazers derived ideas from Filipino heritage, tradition and culture to ease waste emissions and the labor force's ergonomic challenges.

Mari Abad and Pauline Paluero, grand prize winners for their entry entitled Mutualism, received a P10,000 cash prize. Inspired by the Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea, the duo explored the symbiotic interaction between employers and employees to build a productive and vigorous landscape.

They crafted the operational stations with curved denim partitions and adjustable chairs, providing privacy and an eco-friendly atmosphere. The lobby, telecommunication booths, and meeting rooms were curated for comfort and effective utilization of equipment and resources.

These spaces were patterned on the color psychology of the professional setting: orange stimulated creativity, yellow sparked productivity, and blue stood for competence.

Shell handed out plaques of recognition to the seven finalists.

Moth Scale, formed by Kristine Andres and Alexandra Fajardo, was based on the insect's overall shape, texture and shade. To honor the country's all-time public transportation, they adapted the jeepney theme as a form of banquette sitting to represent the community's resilience and ingenuity in the common area.

They likewise integrated cotton for knitted sofa covers, rattan and water lily for desk dividers, and high LED hexagon lights to reduce energy costs.

For her framework Solace in Filipino Sensibilities, Lucia Baltazar was motivated by the classic advertisements of local brands to establish native roots and maintain office operational efficiency.

She