Header: Studio Synthesis
The lighting design of Kaway’an EcoPark transforms the site after dark, subtly highlighting the bamboo pavilion, bridge, and pathways. Warm illumination enhances form and texture, allowing the architecture and surrounding landscape to shine in harmony.
Bamboo as a structural material
Located in Sabella Village, near General Trias City in Cavite Province, Philippines, the park is a cutting-edge bamboo architectural site. Opened in 2025, the venue caters to both the needs of people and the natural landscape. Made of bamboo pavilions, gardens, and a man-made lagoon, the pathways lead visitors on an immersive journey through the finest Kaway’an Eco Park vegetation, architecture and lighting design. The Marilag Grand Pavilion, made from treated bamboo, produces a strong climate-responsive structure while also being airy and visually captivating.
VIM Lighting Solutions’ design
Lighting developed by VIM Lighting Solutions is an integral part of the structure. An examination of the form, materiality and rhythm has led to the lighting design that reveals the essence of the architecture without burdening it. The clustered bamboo columns are illuminated with uplighting at the base to highlight the vertical cadence. The established visual rhythm can be appreciated both up close and from afar. The hand-crafted texture of the roof is enhanced by discreet ceiling fixtures.
The lighting along the bridge traces the path and canopy. Recessed floor lights and secluded grazers create a warm gradient that is mirrored in the water, allowing light, architecture, and landscape to blend into a cohesive composition. Lighting supports the unique visual language of the Kaway’an, guiding flow, enhancing structure and intensifying material honesty. Seen as a whole, the lighting design in its entirety shapes the pavilion geometry at night, anchoring it in its setting. Instead of a spectacle, the lighting reveals and refines the architectural composition through quiet precision.
Energy-efficient circular design
VIM Lighting Solutions’ lighting strategy was led by efficiency rather than intensity, highlighting how people feel and interpret space. By focusing on vertical elements such as bamboo columns, the designers created a high luminosity while minimising energy use. Through careful positioning of lighting points, the designers supported rhythm and atmosphere, while reducing the number of lighting fixtures to avoid unnecessary general illumination.
Low-wattage high-efficiency LEDs with integrated dimming capabilities allow adaptive control and optimisation of energy use depending on the usage and light conditions. The selection of luminaires was done with sustainability in mind; replaceable LED engines and modular designs reduce waste while extending the life of a product.
From the clustered bamboo columns to the sweeping thatched roof, the illumination of Kaway’an Eco Park highlights the architectural geometry of the bamboo, pavilion, bridge and the connecting pathways. Kaway’an Ecopark was named among The World’s Greatest Places of 2026 by Time magazine, while the lighting design of the park won the LIT Lighting Design Award in the Community Building Lighting / Exterior Architectural Illumination category.
