Architectural Activism and the Philippines: On the Self-Built and Self-Published

Resistance to colonialism by architects has included attempts to define a national architectural identity countering western hegemony, but often panders to bourgeois interests. A more transformative resistance is achieved by centering architectural culture and practice in the day-to-day struggles of oppressed communities. This thesis questions the agency of the architect in these revolutionary movements and explores how to apply the tools of architecture to activism in the context of informal settlements in the Philippines The study of the zine as a tool of communication and activation is carried out at two scales, maintaining continual dialogue between medium and message. First, as a form of self-publication, the zine is used to expose and educate on injustice, making the conversation on politics and architecture more accessible to the public. Then, as an architectural investigation, the zine becomes a design tool in itself, influencing a more ephemeral and radical architecture.