Escuela Taller Magazine - Issue 1

In Action
In Action
JEFFREY COBILLA
Arch. Jeffrey Cobilla is the
Head of the Technical Team
and Academics and Workshop
Coordinator of Escuela Taller de
Filipinas Foundation, Inc.. As a
conservation architect, he has
participated in a wide range of
projects involving documentation
and architectural mapping,
the conduct of studies about
the spirit of place of heritage
sites, towns and communities,
the conduct of surveys and
studies to determine cultural
significance, the preparation of
conservation management plans,
as well as the preparation of
intervention master plans for
monuments and sites. He earned
his Bachelor of Science degree
in Architecture at the College of
Architecture, University of the
Philippines in Diliman and is
currently pursuing his Masters
degree in Architecture at the
same institution, specialising in
the conservation of architectural
heritage.
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Early in 2011, 5 graduates
of Escuela Taller
Intramuros started
working on the exterior
north wall of the church.
The initial preventive
maintenance works
done to the adobe wall
revealed more conditions
that needed attention
and intervention. Since
similar manifestations of
damage were observed all
throughout the exterior
walls, conservation
architects recommended
that same action be
applied to the walls.
Later that year, trainees
of Escuela Taller were
deployed to the project
as part of the learningby-doing
program of the
school. One of the first
tasks of the strengthened
workforce was to remove
the cement plaster that
trap water within the
walls which damage
the sensitive adobe
stones. This was done
by carefully chipping
the cement plaster from
the adobe wall using
chisels crafted by the
students themselves,
customized according
to the work needed. As
expected, the underlying
building fabric exposed
serious conditions similar
to what were initially
discovered—softened
and disintegrating
stones. These conditions
were meticulously
documented.
Main facade
before conservation.