Architecture as a Symbol for Science: Elevating Science and Technology Infrastructure Through Symbolic Interactionism

Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in the Philippines remains underdeveloped, with infrastructure that is fragmented, limited, and primarily concentrated within higher education institutions. This has contributed to a lack of public visibility, uneven regional development, and a disconnect between science institutions and the communities they serve. In response, this study proposes the application of Symbolic Interactionism as a design approach to reimagine STI infrastructure not just as functional spaces, but as symbols of science; structures that embody meaning, identity, and public recognition. Central to this approach is the belief that public perception should inform how science institutions are designed. Through expert interviews, participant-led photo elicitation, and visual preference surveys distributed to the general public, the study collected insights on how science and technology should be spatially and symbolically represented. These findings informed a design framework that identifies key architectural elements essential for science infrastructure to be legible, inspiring, and visually identifiable as scientific spaces. By establishing this symbolic framework, the study offers a new direction for STI infrastructure design in the Philippines; one that elevates science by making it visibly present and intuitively understood by the public, thus encourages investment in scientific research and technological development aligning with one of the key aspects of UN SDG 9.