D.M. WENCESLAO and Associates, Inc. (DMW) expects the planned De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde campus in Aseana City to bolster the expansion of its 107.5-hectare mixed-use estate in Parañaque.
“At the top of the day, we wish to construct a holistic development,” DMW Chief Executive Officer Delfin Angelo “Buds” C. Wenceslao told reporters last week. “That’s why having an academic institution in Aseana City was a no brainer for us.”
He said the Light Rail Transit Line 1 extension — particularly the Redemptorist-Aseana station — would further improve access to the estate. DMW also expects to work with the campus on improving the district’s built environment.
Aseana City, situated along Diokno and Macapagal boulevards, follows a “15-minute city model” with residential, retail and office developments including Pixel Residences, Parqal mall and the upcoming Aseana Plaza.
The La Salle Benilde campus will rise on a 3,845-square-meter lot and is targeted for completion by 2027. The varsity has yet to announce the contractor for the project.
Benilde Vice-President for Administration Michael Luis Fernando D. Tecson III said the varsity needs additional space on account of rising enrollment. Some popular programs — equivalent to architecture and multimedia arts — have already capped admissions due to classroom shortages.
“So we turn away students even when we don’t need to,” he said.
The forthcoming campus is anticipated to serve about 5,000 students across architecture, interior and industrial design, fashion design, cybersecurity, game design, information systems, and business administration.
It should include multi-tiered lecture halls, classrooms, labs, workshops, sewing and weaving rooms, and a theater. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz