Jan Louise Balbaligo is an Architect and bamboo builder. She was born in London, England with Filipino heritage and has spent over 15 years building with natural materials such bamboo, wood, cane and willow.
Since 2006, she has lived and travelled internationally working for the entertainment industry designing and building large scale pavilions, structures, stages and installations, working independently or collaborating with other artists. She has been able to explore the world through art using her creativity, on a mission to promote natural materials to the architectural industry and a wider audience. She is a lecturer for the Environmental Technical Studies department led by Dr. Will McLean and co-module leader at the University of Westminster for the 'Applied Technology in Architecture' Masters Course with Pete Silver. She is a critic at various academic institutions and is the content creator and leader of her 'Bamboo-101' building course.
She has worked for indigenous women’s communities in Latin America, supporting NGOs in Guatemala and Panama since 2015. In the UK, her mission is to open up the creative industries for women of colour and through leadership and mentorship, promoting diversity and creating work opportunities in architectural practice.
Jan has worked in Europe, across Latin and South America, the USA and Asia. She is currently based in the UK working as an Architect at Hazle McCormack Young LLP in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Experience
ARCHITECTURAL WORK at the following UK Practices:
Architect at Hazle McCormack Young Architects LLP
April 2023 – Present Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Site Manager at Facit Homes UK LTD
December 2021 – March 2022 London, UK
Architectural Designer (Freelance) at Ruimte Design LTD
July 2020 – November 2022 London, UK
Sustainable Materials Consultant at Atelier One, Structural Engineers
February 2020 – June 2020 London, UK
Architectural Assistant (Part-time and Full-time) at Knox Bhavan Architects LLP
2008 – 2013 London, UK
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS at the following locations:
Lead Builder and Principal Stage Designer at Cosmic Convergence Festival
2019 (3 months) Santiago, Guatemala
Lead Builder and Principal Stage Designer at Boom Festival
2018 (2 months) Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal
Constructor at Lighting in a Bottle/Okeechobee/EDC/Global Eclipse
2017 (7 months) Touring in 4 states in the USA
www.libfestival.org/
https://lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com/
https://symbiosisgathering.com/
www.okeechobeefest.com/
Lead Designer and Project Co-ordinator at Boom Festival
2016 (3 months) Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal
Architectural Designer at Universo Paralello Festival
2016 (3 months) Bahia, Brazil
Constructor at Freqs of Nature Festival
June 2015 Juteborg, Germany
Lead Designer and Project Co-ordinator at Tribal Gathering
2015 (3 months) Palenque, Panama
Constructor at Boom Festival
July 2014 Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal
Constructor at Symbiosis Gathering
August 2013 California, USA
Volunteer Constructor at Boom Festival
2012 (3 months) Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal
Volunteer Constructor at Five Elements Festival
2012 Oerias, Portugal
Education
Part III - Diploma in Professional Practice in Architecture (ARB) at University of Westminster
London, UK
Part II – Diploma in Architecture (DipArch) at London Metropolitan University
London, UK
Part I – Architecture (BA Hons) at London Metropolitan University
London, UK
Architectural Studies (BSc) at Bartlett School of Architecture
London, UK
Foundation in Art and Design at University of the Arts, Camberwell College of Arts
London, UK
Exhibitions
Desert Sunrise Solo Photographic Exhibition
Gorilla Gallery San Marcos, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Desert Sunrise Group Photography Exhibition
ADAO – Associação Desenvolvimento Artes e Oficios Barreiro, Portugal
Urban DECAY Collective Art Exhibition
ADAO – Associação Desenvolvimento Artes e Oficios Barreiro, Portugal
RIBA Architecture Open Group showcase
POP Brixton London, UK
Showcasing entry for “The Process of the Architect – a sketchbook: ‘Work in Panama’
Awards
Los 500 Mejores Proyectos sociales y ambientales de América Latin, Premios Latin Américano Verde
For the Multi-Functional Eco Salon, San Pablo La Laguna. Category: Human Development, Social inclusion reduction of inequality
Los 500 Mejores Proyectos sociales y ambientales de América Latin, Premios Latin Américano Verde
For the Multi-Functional Eco Salon, San Pablo La Laguna. Category: Sustainable Cities