Filipina graduate Kathleen Prado is on the team behind Arquitectonica's Dubai Design Week installation

Filipina architecture graduate Kathleen Rose Q. Prado was part of the project team behind Peek, Pivot, Play!, a kinetic installation by design firm Arquitectonica shown at the 12th edition of Dubai Design Week from 3 to 8 November, The Global Filipino Magazine reported.

A Filipina fresh graduate was part of the project team behind Peek, Pivot, Play!, a kinetic installation by the international design firm Arquitectonica shown at the 12th edition of Dubai Design Week, The Global Filipino Magazine (TGFM) reported on 9 November.

Kathleen Rose Q. Prado recently earned a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with first-class honours from Heriot-Watt University Dubai, according to TGFM. The festival ran from 3 to 8 November 2026 at Dubai Design District (d3), under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

Panels that change with every visitor

The Dubai Design Week programme describes Peek, Pivot, Play! as an interactive installation of rotating agamograph panels. Each vertical panel rotates independently around a custom-designed 3D-printed pivot hinge joint, and as visitors rotate the panels, hidden images, colours and patterns emerge. The graphics are built around three central themes: childhood maps, Miami summers and play.

The programme credits Syed Arshad and Kathleen Prado as project team members. Arquitectonica is headquartered in Miami with 11 offices worldwide, according to the festival listing.

Her part in the project

Prado worked on both the artistic and the engineering sides of the installation, TGFM reported. She told the magazine:

“I handled both the creative and technical sides of the project – creating the original artwork and panel illustrations, translating them into layout grids, and coordinating the technical detailing and safety clearances for Dubai Design Week,”

Of the three themes, play is the one she connects with most. “Play speaks to me the most because architecture should invite human interaction and joy. Pouring that into my illustrations reminds me of growing up in the Philippines, where community life is vibrant, outdoor-focused, and full of color,” she said.

During the festival, families and children at d3 turned the panels and reshaped the artwork, according to TGFM. “It’s been surreal and fulfilling. After months of drawing and looking at CAD files, watching families and children physically interact with my illustrations, change the geometry, and complete the story brings the whole concept to life,” Prado said.

“Be curious, stay adaptable, and lean into your unique design voice. Dubai is an incredible hub for experimentation, and as Filipino designers, we naturally bring a strong sense of community and narrative to our work,” Prado said, in advice for other young Filipinos hoping to build a design career in the emirate.

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