Experiential design can invite people to slow down, pause, and breathe — that was the idea behind interior designer Cecil P. Ravelas' concept for a healing space unveiled at WorldBex, the Philippines' long-running construction and design trade exhibition, earlier this year.

This August, Ms. Ravelas has mounted "pause.", an exhibit that aims to address the growing need for spaces that allow quiet, stillness, reflection, and restoration. Located at the 12th floor gallery of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde's Design + Arts Campus, it will cater to the university's students, teachers, staff, and even visitors who may be seeking a safe space to rest a while.

"It's open to whoever. They can come in anytime. It's just open so they can sit. They can meditate there," Ms. Ravelas told BusinessWorld during the exhibit opening on Aug. 24.

After WorldBex in March, where the installation was titled HINGA (which means rest or breathe), she recounted how multiple institutions reached out, expressing interest in the modular, dome-like sanctuary.

"It became clear very quickly that people resonated with it. There is a real, felt need to slow down and pause. Recognizing that moved it from a single installation into something larger. HINGA began as a single structure. It has now evolved into pause., which is less an object and more an invitation," she said.

Crafted using raw and simple materials, mainly plywood, the space will host a scheduled series of programs, such as sound baths, meditations, and breathwork. It is all part of DLS-CSB's campaign for student well-being — an institutional focus that aligns with a broader conversation in Philippine higher education about mental health and the need for restorative spaces on campuses.

"I have always been interested in how spaces influence how we feel, think, and move through the world," Ms. Ravelas said. "I believe spaces carry energy, and they shape our inner state in ways we often do not immediately recognize."

During the opening of "pause.", Ces Drilon gave a short talk on scents as a means for bringing in stillness. This was followed by a sound bath session led by Lei Sta. Maria, and breathwork led by Malou Araneta.

For Ms. Ravelas, it was important to open the space with a session built around exactly what it was meant for.

"The school calendar is only just beginning, so students are still finding it. I'm curious to see what they make of it," she said.

Beyond the physical structure or exhibition, the hope is to advance the idea of designing spaces — especially in offices, institutions, hospitals, and schools — that support well-being. The concept also reflects a wider shift in the design industry, where wellness-oriented and biophilic approaches have increasingly shaped how workplaces, hospitals, and schools are planned.

"It's a campaign, really — to educate, and to remind everyone to take care of ourselves," she explained. "Part of that is advocacy, through the lectures and the PIID (Philippine Institute of Interior Designers), so that the conversation on wellbeing becomes part of how designers are trained and how the profession thinks about space." The PIID is the accredited professional organization of interior designers in the Philippines, making it a natural channel for embedding well-being principles in design education and practice.

The aim is for "pause." to be the beginning of modular safe spaces in offices, schools, hospitality, and even homes. Ms. Ravelas said that the idea is to "create a safe space where people can quiet down and simply pause, which can translate differently depending on where you are."

"I would rather let it evolve than decide on a new shape or form," she told BusinessWorld, when asked where she would like to take the sanctuary next. "It evolved organically, because of how people responded to it. I would like to keep on listening that way."

The exhibit can be found at the 12th floor gallery of the Design + Arts Campus, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. No end date for the exhibit has been announced yet. — Brontë H. Lacsamana