16 September 2026
Architect and Benilde Bachelor of Science in Architecture faculty member Jim Caumeron is bringing his latest work to the international design stage as Exalt advances to the Final Selection of the 2026 Golden Pin Design Award in Taiwan.
Designed by Jim Caumeron Design, Exalt received the Golden Pin Design Mark under the Spatial Design category with Registration No. GPD-2026-0226. It now joins the works competing for Best Design of the Year, one of the highest recognitions of the Golden Pin Design Award.
Exalt is a family mausoleum located in a memorial park south of Metro Manila. The 88-square-meter structure uses a simple geometric form with a raised section that allows light to enter the space below. Its burial chamber sits three meters underground, while skylights bring natural light into the interior. The design uses this movement between earth and light to create a space for remembrance and reflection.
Kanto Creative Corners featured Exalt in its July 2026 article, Let There Be Light: Exalt by Jim Caumeron Design. The feature describes how the project uses light, materials, geometry, and changes in elevation to shape the experience of the space. Caumeron also shared that the project grew from a desire to create a place where families could pause, remember loved ones, and appreciate life.
Caumeron’s work in practice also connects closely with his role as a mentor at Benilde. He joined the Architecture program during its maiden years and has since brought his experience as a practicing architect into the classroom. In 2015, he served as the program’s Design Track Head, when the program was already using student portfolio reviews to examine design work and encourage students to develop their own architectural ideas.
This practitioner-educator role supports the way Benilde approaches architecture education. The Bachelor of Science in Architecture program trains students to think critically, respond to environmental and social concerns, and explore new ideas through research. It also gives students opportunities to work with mentors from different areas of practice and to engage with national and international design communities.
Caumeron’s work with Benilde students has included mentorship for projects that explore architecture beyond conventional building proposals. In 2024, he mentored Architecture students who developed new structures inspired by the work of National Artist Leandro Locsin for the Center for Campus Art exhibition The Poet of Concrete. His students also explored speculative architectural ideas in earlier Benilde projects, including proposals that considered sustainable structures and new ways of responding to the country’s environment.
These experiences connect with one of the program’s learning outcomes, which asks students to generate new architectural knowledge through innovative and exploratory research. Caumeron’s own practice provides students with an active example of how architectural ideas can move from research and experimentation into built work and professional practice.
The program’s professional outcomes can also be seen in the achievements of its graduates. In the January 2025 Architecture Licensure Examination, three Benildeans placed among the country’s top examinees. Sam Tyra Co ranked Top 3 with an 82.30% rating, John Gabriel Espiritu ranked Top 4 with 82.20%, and Dante Victorino Jr. ranked Top 5 with 82.00%. Benilde recorded an 80.56% overall passing rate, including an 84% passing rate among first-time takers, compared with the national average of 58.71%. These achievements were recognized during Benilde’s annual At the Lines and Layers recognition event for Architecture and Interior Design board passers.
For Caumeron, Exalt‘s advancement places his architectural practice alongside other international works in the running for the Golden Pin’s Best Design of the Year. For Benilde Architecture students, it also offers a view of what purposeful design, continued exploration, and professional practice can look like beyond the classroom.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
