Future interior designers from across the Philippines gathered for SIKLAB 2025, a weeklong event promoting sustainability, design thinking, and business awareness as part of the Philippine Interior Design Celebration (PIDC).
Organized by the Guild of Rising Interior Designers (GRID), the official organization of the Interior Design Program at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), SIKLAB 2025 brought together students from various academic institutions to foster collaboration, innovation, and industry engagement.
Held at the Benilde Design + Arts Campus, this year’s event carried the theme “Minding the Gap – Closing the Space Between Creativity and Business,” urging students to explore interior design beyond aesthetics by incorporating business strategies into their creative process.
The event opened with a curated exhibition that showcased both physical and digital works. These included manual renderings, best thesis boards, and virtual walkthroughs of innovative design projects. A series of floral installations added visual flair, while a WORLDBEX-inspired display introduced attendees to sustainable solutions, advanced materials, and the latest in design technologies.
An interactive roundtable discussion guided attendees through the interior design licensure process and career pathways after graduation. Among the speakers were IDr. Hanna Chua, who shared practical survival tips based on her own experience in the field, and IDr. Mike Suqui, who emphasized the importance of professional longevity and a commitment to sustainable design.
Industry professionals Abigail Tan of Decoliving and Melvin Austria of lighting company Landlite discussed the value of collaboration between suppliers and designers. They also introduced their latest products and offered insights into the realities of working with design professionals.
Shell Pilipinas Corp., represented by energy transition lead Stanley Jordan Siahetiong and sustainability lead Fred Telarma, presented the company’s Likas-Kaya campaign and smart design initiatives. They also led a rapid prototyping workshop that served as the kickoff for the Balik-Likha Smart Design Competition, challenging students to develop practical and inventive design solutions.
SIKLAB 2025 was mounted under the mentorship of IDr. Candice Arboleda, with the exhibit team headed by IDr. Kathrina Germino.
Participating student organizations included the Advanced Auxiliary of Interior Studies from Enderun Colleges, Mapua Mide Coterie from Mapua University, Society of Interior Design Students from Philippine Women’s University, UP Design Core from the University of the Philippines, Interior Design Innovators from the University of Santo Tomas, and the Integrated Students of Interior Design Education from the University of San Carlos Cebu.
The event was also attended by students from the University of San Agustin Iloilo, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, SoFA Design Institute, Batangas State University, and Technological Institute of the Philippines.
