Plontur Group Wins at World Architecture Festival 2025 for Letting the Land Lead

Aerial view of Luana Farms in Calaca, Batangas, showing the landscape-led masterplan recognized at the World Architecture Festival 2025.

Elevated walkways at Luana Farms allow visitors to move through restored ecological zones without disrupting natural systems.

Community spaces at Luana Farms integrate productive landscapes with residential clusters, reinforcing a nature-led approach to leisure development.

Philippine's nature-led design firm recognized globally for nature-driven masterplanning at Luana Farms, redefining sustainable leisure development.

MANILA, METRO MANILA, PHILIPPINES, February 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Architecture Authored by Nature
Plontur Group Wins at World Architecture Festival 2025 for Letting the Land Lead

Filipino design studio Plontur Group takes the global stage, winning the Leisure-Led Development category at the World Architecture Festival 2025 for Luana Farms in Calaca, Batangas. One of only two Philippines-based firms recognized this year, Plontur’s win affirms the potential of local designers to shape international design discourse.

Land as a design intelligence.
In a global competition dominated by renowned names and monumental architecture, Plontur’s landscape-led project from the Philippines stood out by holding firm to the studio’s belief in attuning to the landscape rather than imposing on it. Luana Farms demonstrates that land can be a form of design intelligence, not a limitation, exemplifying a nature-led philosophy where the land itself shapes circulation, spatial organization, building orientation, and program—all resulting in a beauty that emerges organically from how the landscape is understood, respected, and integrated into the design.

The land itself became Luana farms’ strongest feature. By letting landscape systems guide every decision, the project showcases a method rooted in landscape intelligence. An approach that is globally relevant and can be applied anywhere, far beyond its initial Philippine context.

Global credibility, local significance.
Plontur’s approach challenges conventional development in a rapidly urbanizing country, where land is often cleared, flattened, and overwritten. Luana Farms offers a counterpoint. At Luana, farming is sustained rather than displaced; and open landscapes are treated as primary areas, not leftover space. Design restraint becomes deliberate strength, amplifying what already exists and allowing productivity, ecology, and daily life to coexist and serve as active contributors to the project’s identity.

The project began with a simple question: what if nature invites people in before architecture ever has to? This mindset shapes a design where buildings emerge gently from the terrain, where thresholds replace gates, and where paths, terraces, and open spaces follow land logic instead of overriding it. At its core is a radical yet simple philosophy: let the land lead. Beyond its aesthetic achievement, Luana Farms exemplifies Plontur’s approach of respecting, integrating, and activating the natural environment—raising a broader question about how designers should choose shape land moving forward.

Beyond one firm.
This WAF recognition shines a light on a quiet but critical discipline. Landscape architecture is frequently perceived as supportive or secondary, yet at Luana Farms, it was the primary force that shaped the project. The win underscores how landscape can lead architecture, not merely frame it.

At the same time, this recognition extends beyond a single studio. This win belongs not just to Plontur but to a growing ecosystem of local practitioners and Philippine designers, signaling a maturing design culture that thrives on collaboration across disciplines.

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About Plontur
Plontur Group is a multidisciplinary design practice in the Philippines, combining expertise in placemaking, landscape architecture, masterplanning, and environmental design. Guided by the philosophy “Nature Is Our Blueprint,” the firm places landscape and ecological systems at the heart of every project, unlocking land’s potential through sustainable, context-responsive design. Plontur designs environments that support communities, culture, and the natural world.

For inquiries, contact hello@plontur.com or visit www.plontur.com.

Erick Yambao
Plontur
erick@plontur.com
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