25 Tropical Houses

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25 TROPICAL HOUSES
in the Philippines
ELIZABETH V. REYES
introduction by PAULO ALCAZAREN
photographs by A. CHESTER ONG

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Published by Periplus Editions, with

editorial offices at 61 Tai Seng Avenue,
#02-12, Singapore 534167.
Text © 2005 Elizabeth V. Reyes

Photographs © 2005 A. Chester Ong
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10 09 08
6 5 4 3 2
Page 1 Atrium house, Valle Verde, Pasig,

Metro Manila (page 82), architect
Eduardo Calma.
Page 2 Tengco townhouse, Forbes Park,

Makati City, Metro Manila (page 66),
designers Budji Layug and Royal Pineda.
Pages 4-5 Montinola pavilions, Forbes

Park, Makati City, Metro Manila (page 72),
architects Romeo Delfinado and
Andy Locsin.
Pages 6–7 Leviste lanai, Ayala Alabang,

Muntinlupa, Metro Manila (page 152),
architect Emmanuel Miñana; Escher
mansion, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa,
Metro Manila (page 136), architect Jorge
B. Yulo; Ngo house, Ayala Heights, Quezon
City, Metro Manila (page 56), architect
Joey Yupangco.
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contents
the philippine house goes tropical modern 8 Paulo Alcazaren
dee residence 18 Corinthian Gardens, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Architect Conrad Onglao
roque residence 26 Batasan Hills, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Designers Budji Layug & Royal Pineda
sy house 36 Dasmariñas Village, Makati City, Metro Manila

Architect Joey Yupangco
knox house 44 Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

Architect Eduardo Calma
ngo house 56 Ayala Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Architect Joey Yupangco
tengco townhouse 66 Forbes Park, Makati City, Metro Manila

Designers Budji Layug & Royal Pineda
montinola pavilions 72 Forbes Park, Makati City, Metro Manila

Architects Romeo Delfinado & Andy Locsin
atrium house 82 Valle Verde, Pasig, Metro Manila

isidro-sandejas house 92 Alabang Hills, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

Architect Jeff Isidro
pedrosa courtyard house 98 Hillsborough Alabang Village, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

Architect Marta Pedrosa
verandah house 104 Makati City, Metro Manila

Architect Milo Vazquez
zobel rest house 110 Calatagan, Batangas

Architect Noel M. Saratan
zobel hacienda 120 Calatagan, Batangas

Architects Ed Ledesma & Andy Locsin
wright redux 128 Loyola Grand Villas, Marikina, Metro Manila
Architect Joseph AdG Javier
escheresque mansion 136 Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

Architect Jorge B. Yulo
luz stud io home 146 Valle Verde, Pasig, Metro Manila

leviste lanai 152 Ayala Alabang. Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

Architect Emmanuel Minana
pasola-gonza les house 162 Southbay Gardens, Paranaque, Metro Manila

Designer Budji Layug
hilado house 168 Alabang Hills. Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

Architect Dominic Galicia
cheng residence 174 Forbes Park, Makati City, Metro Manila

Architects Raul Locsin & Andy Locsin
double house 182 Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

Architects Anna Maria Sy e J ason Chai
lopez p avilions 190 Ayala Height s, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Architect Francisco Manosa
ma r tinez- m ira nda house 198 Dasmarinas Village, Makati City, Metro Manila
Architects Anna Maria Sy e Jason Chai
glass residence 204 Magallanes Village, Makoti City, Metro Manila
Architect Ramon Antonio
atelier extension 212 La Vi sta, Quezon City, Metro Manila

Designer Bef1ji Reyes
218 The Architects 6 Designers
223 Acknowledgments
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the philippine house

goes tropical modern
Modern residential architecture in tropical Asia generally and in the Philippines in particular
is going through a fascinating phase of architectural evolution. Stylish new homes in Metro-
politan Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and sultry waterside locations scattered around
the archipelago’s 7000 tropical islands, are providing plush living spaces for increasingly
affluent Filipinos.These new houses have sparked a renaissance in residential architecture
that is not only changing the Philippine suburban landscape but is also providing fodder
for the imagination in international publications, pointing to a nascent design trend:
“Tropical modern” is becoming the new modern.
Philippine “tropical modern” is characterized by residential designs that are distinc-
tive in their use of mutable space, sensual local materials, and functional accommodation of
hybrid East–West lifestyles. Echoing a pan-Asian trend and a larger trajectory for architec-
tural development in tropical-belt countries, spaces in these homes show creative configu-
rations of often-minimal spaces. Filipino architects and designers are also offering fresh
approaches in the use of materials and architectural elements that cater to both the chang-
ing cosmopolitan tastes of an ever more discerning Filipino élite and the aspirations of a
progressive, budget-conscious middle class.Tropical modern design is affordably “cool.”
“Cool” means more than fashionable façades and hip interiors. It includes environ-
mental friendliness. In their search for this, Filipino architects are constantly experimenting
with new materials and techniques or rediscovering almost-forgotten materials and tradi-
tional arts and crafts expertise. Cross-ventilation, sun screens, wide eaves, raised floors, and
sensitive solar orientation—devices long used in local vernacular architecture, perhaps un-
Right “Bellavista,” the modernist
knowingly—are now given a contemporary twist with the use of steel instead of bamboo, house of Eirvin and Josephine Knox
concrete and fiberboard instead of woven mats, glass and plastics instead of capiz shells.These (page 44), casts long afternoon
shadows and a trajectory for de-
older vernacular materials are not being discarded but are instead being processed in new sign development. Architect Ed
ways with lamination, machine weaving, heat tempering and shaping to produce attractive Calma offers creative configura-
building materials. Passive cooling, solar power, recycled gray water, and ventilated roofs tions of minimalist spaces, using
cubist elements that cater to the
are being rationally employed in house designs.Tropical modern is not only architecturally changing cosmopolitan tastes of
“modern” and affordably “cool,” it is also “green.” a discerning Filipino élite.
8 PAULO ALCAZAREN
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Above neg a'YIOI':)"'; residen~e
:-.f (';u1n r~n~ Crip, Fn~I.F. (p'l:JP. )>(·)j
is c:h,ri'lc:tP.rizP.rl by fluin 1n~s <;nc

.A.r-: Deco noti:ln:;, piL.a the unifying
2 E 'Tient :-f \·vide nurr·c. a-:~· rs cos-
:.;udin~J ike ri1..x; ter-ruce~ dcv~~·r
Lhr':)J~! t· Lhe h:)c se. JesiQ ··,er Buqji

I nvuo ciP.mnnP:trn::F.~~ h:=:"P. hiP:
.. -ro:.i::nl Moc:::··-rt philosc.:.~}~.
J0 PALLO ALCAZARCN
Cultural color is anotluT big factor in rhe designs of tl1<·se tropical mcxkrn honl<'S.
Th.:- interiors and exterior~ address, both spatially and ~ocially, the lit;:-sryles that rilipinos
(as well as many other Asians elsewhere), have gmwn m know and enjoy. Modern foilipinos
adopt Western lit;,., work, and leisure styles to fit cultw·;.d nonr1s and social nuances. The
demands of the extended f;unily. the need to fi·equently entertain during the Philippines'
m1merous tcstive occasions, rhe projection of social standing and roles in rhe community.
and the concept of hiya (fac.:-) arc intcrt\vincd wirh Wesr.:-rn or modern practicalities ~uch
as the acceptance of horne/ office setups, a reduced dependence on dornestic hdp, and the
;ldvent of two-cueer households, rnultiple-vehic:le garage~. ;UJd rnodern conununications
tedmology. Tropical modern merges tyberspace;- with tra.ditional cultural ~pace;-, at the same
time retaining the best of both.
The single most important factor, however, that differentiates one tropical modern
Philippine home from another relates to site-and the Filipino architects' response to this.
Whether the site is a sprawling suburban lm, a srnall urban C<Wc, or an idyllic •·c-sort locale
wt"ll away ti·om Mt"tropolitan Manila with a romantic name like i>unta Fuego or Calatagan.
the final design of a house is influenced by the site: its size, the limitations imposed by irs
shape and topography. irs location in relation to neighboring site~, it~ sobr and wind oricn-
t<Hion, its exposure LO sc-asmul rains, the ease of its access, its potencial fi)r views, ,md iL~
over;lll visual irnpaet.
Kegardless of variations in ~ite. the thrust of this new archite;-nural moverne;-nt is largely
expres;;ed in the styles and themes that consistently recur in Philippine interio1· desi~n.
In contrast to the traditional modernist absenc(' of edge tre<ltmcnt~, a leitmotif common
to many of the house~ ~how11 in this book, nocahly those designed by Ramon Antonio.
han cisco Mafiosa, ,md Andy Locsin, is lhe usc- of stained wood frarnes lor openings, Llu·c-sh-
old.~. windows, and cabinetwork. Mostly nude of i>hilippine h:m.lwood.~ such as nc1rra, molat•e,
and tm~l!uile. the~e frames provide a welcome contrast to <:lassie moden1ist white or light-
colored interiors. At1othn constant is the usc of bright colors a~ accents or overall trC<lt-
menrs in large area~ (in the nunner of modernist Nlcxican architect Luis Barragan) withouc
diluting the essence and lines of the architectural design. Houses designed by tvlilo Vasquez,
Joey Yupangco, Henji Reyes, and tv\arta J>edrosa exhibit this chrornatic tendency, albeit in
ditferent color choices and combinations-leaning toward warmer but still <:okll"fl.ll tones.
Within these homes and their fran1ed spaces, the ren<lissance that has occmred in
Philippine fttrniturc design is showca~ed. A new generation of mulcitalcntcd filipino
furniLUre and industri,ll designers, as well as de~igner-archilecLs, is producing cuLLing-edge
products that rework f:nnili;u, ~ornetime~ modernist, silhouettes in traditio1ul rnaterials
~m:h as rattan, bamboo, nber, and W<.>Od. Notable among the trendse;-tte;-rs featured in this
book arc Uudji Layug, one oi the follndcrs of designer group Mowmenr 8, and Uenji
Reyes, known for his skill with large wooden pieces and the detail of hi~ joinery. Groups
like Movernenl 8 have handed together to expose this new W<\Ve Lo <l glolnl nurket, and
with so rnuch succes~ that Western publicatiom now regularly feature their piece~. These
~malle;-r-~caled products of Filipin(l cre;-ativity and tht"ir acceptance is a pre;-lude to the entry
of Philippine tropical modernism into Western and the wider global desiJ.,'ll discourse.
Right Fe·•r)!Or>do <Vrd :alher·i··re
7t."lbel'c e e{;3"lt rect. hour.;.e i"
t:RIRt.llgRn, l:ll'lt.RnQRS (pFi;:~ 120:.
rese-nbles a Japs1ese terr:·l~ in
s field. na 1ouse ambodies t1e
rr Jch-vuuntall Abiun \1ulll!rr :.~:.~k
pr'CC JCed by lh~ Leandroc v. Lo::Jin
fl-rr · e t.leek vernacular ·ooflirs,
"' rf!r:ti MRr llvina s::Rce. Rrd
sere 1e pavilions for-ned b)" plaroes
of stone, glass. and water.
The innovative ada pt<~tion of materi<~ls as \veil as modern fi.1rni tme and tlxrure design
is carried through to the d(~cor, embellishments, bathroom fixtures, water tcaturcs, and
land~cape treatrnems in a horne. This reflens a Filipino (and A~ian) h eritage of building that
has :~!ways been semitive to and respectful of nature. Traditional koi ponds, c:~sc:~de~, refl ect-
ing pools, and f(.nmtains are n~caJ;t in modern shape~ and used to add texture, rri<.JVernent.
and sound, to complement volnmes and mirror fa~·ades, or simply to pwvid.,· kinetic relief
Nature and the landscape arc brought .into .interior spaces via water play .in toilets and baths,
where rnany innovative permutations of washbasins in srone, gla~~. or m etal, some oversized,
~orn e in $Culp tural mas.~es or assemblages, are a radical depanw·e from Lradi~i onal bathroom
fittings. Eduardo Calma, R oyal Pin eda, :md Jorge Yulo, among the designers t'C:o atured in this
book, have prodtKed degant. sometimes qu irki ly humorous exampk~ of the~e.
Ethnic decor in £1.bric, m etal, and wood are reworked in (again) modern .fi:am<".s or in-
serted as accents or h1yc rs in furniture, p<u tition p<mds, room dividers, or scrC('ns. Fra ncisco
,\ll.aiiosa, Noel Saratan, <lnd Ramon Antonio have a t<llcm for mixing and matching. pucting
together '' hrir.ola,~e th<lt completes the tmpical modern mist: 01 st:t:ne.
Tropical rnodern d~1e~ not e~dle\v all things We~tern and, in f:tct, pn.>vides settings that
embrace We::stern fiJrniture, architectural dements, or decor. The interiors <.Jf <.:onternp<.Jrary
Phil.ippin~.· houses arc ottm accented \vith selected \Vestern fimlishing and " branded "" set
pieces by the likes of l'v1ichacl Graws or Philippe Starck. [t is the h(•terotop.ic nature of
modern Hlipino design that actually provides a rnore layered reading and enjoyment of the
space~ pmvided--cm npared to singular then1e~ in Western interiors. The overall look and
rnood, despite these irnports, is unrn1stakably tropical rnodern , pointing to another distim:-
tive feature <.lf Philippine houses: an eclectic design fle::xibility that a.llows references to
Western art and obj('Cts withont losing local stylistic idemity.
As with design in most post-col01lial countries, tllis identity has been O'llcr half a
century in the making. fur 300 years, the Philippines was under Spanish r ule, iollmved by
close to anmher fifty under the Americans. HotL~e design dut·ing this time was largely in
the vtrnacu la,· tradition, !;ave f<.Jr the rel>idences of aristm:r.tn; in the cines. The Spansish
house 'vas adapted a~ the baluw till bato (literally "h<.Jme of stone." but in reality stone o n the
ground lloor and timber abov~o·). a vcrnact1lar house with Wcstcrn-influ,·nced ardlitcctm al
dress made more penm~ablc to cooling ''vinds and protected from the sun and rain. With
the Americans came reinforced concrete and mulriscory apartments, m ainly constructed in
the Art Deco style, and bungalows in a gamut of revivalist styles, among them ltalianate,
S'viss Chalet, and M i~~i<.m. A t~"" ~chooled local ;m:hitects, like Ju;m Arellan<.> and Juan
Nakpil , pi<.:ked up where the Americans lefi: <.>ff and carried residen ti;~.l design into the new
urban morpho:.)logical t<.)rm ofth~o· suburb and residential subdivisio n or gated commtmity.
As the 1950s brought independence to many A~ian countries, each soug:ht to strcngtl1cn
its nation al identity in various ways, including through architecture. Modern architecture
had, however, already establi~hed a finn t(>othoiJ through the influence of local arc hitects
tJ·a1ned. ahro:H.l. Fr:mk Lloyd Wright. Le Corhusier, and the Hauhaus School influenced
postwar architt:<:ts to adopt f1 ;1t roofs. bands of windows. a.nd pi loti (stilts) for buildings.
Residential arcl.litecturc in the Philippines took the form of Califonlia. ranch home5 and
I2 "t.ll !lAICl\71\~FN
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Japanese and Hawaiian themed bungalows. It was only in the 1960s, when nationalism
reared its head, that architects such as the Mañosa brothers, Felipe Mendoza, and Otilio
Arellano sought to rediscover both their cultural roots and the tenets of vernacular design.
These architects mined traditional roof shapes and embellishment patterns, mainly from the
southern islands of the Philippines with strong Islamic influences.
Styles then swung from Spanish colonial housing models to American- and European-
influenced geometric blocks predating the post-modern style. Synthetic adobe formed
dark, heavy lower floors of suburban houses.Wide overhangs and eaves were used in pre-
dominantly horizontal compositions that mimicked Prairie-style architecture, with ornate
Philippine mahogany and arcaded partitions. Many designers had difficulty reconciling
tradition with modernity. Nonetheless, this era produced notable work by Andy Locsin
and Gabriel Formoso,William Coscolluela and Ben Bautista, amongst others. In the 1990s,
houses became brighter, lighter, and more practical in terms of energy use and function.
Architectural education also improved, with students now more exposed to trends in the
West, to growing research in Philippine architectural history, and to regional variations.
These conditions as well as the emergence of a new generation of Filipino designers
have produced modern tropical residential architecture probably in the widest range of
housing types to be found anywhere in Asia, among them urban bungalows, modern atria
and courtyard houses, pavilion houses, townhouses, and minimalist tropical structures.
Within established central city districts or their immediate periphery in the Philippines
can be found urban bungalows that cleverly generate space from lots limited to between
300 and 500 square meters because of high real estate values. Most of the ground floor
of these bungalows is taken up by two-car garages, servants’ quarters, and laundry areas,
reducing the living areas at this level. Nevertheless, a feeling of spaciousness is achieved by
generous glazing on two or more sides, bringing in light and melding the outside space
with the indoors.This is seen in the Pasola-Gonzalez house by Budji Layug (page 162) and
is used to great effect in the Glass residence by Ramon Antonio (page 204).
More usable space in this tropical typology is achieved by stacking space in mezzanines
and lofts. In the classic modernist manner, the lack of outdoor space and gardens is com-
pensated by locating them up high, on decks.With improved construction and waterproof-
ing technology, these elevated terraces and gardens replace what would normally be pitched
Left The modernist white abode roofs.The Luz Studio home by Eduardo Calma (page 146) and the Ngo house by Joey
of designers Tes Pasola and Tony
Yupangco (page 56) are good examples of this strategy.
Gonzales (page 162) was shaped
by their Movement 8 leader Budji In older suburban districts as well as in the more exclusive residential gated enclaves,
Layug. He wrapped the functions larger plots spawn modern courtyard configurations derived from Asian vernacular prece-
of the house in a transparent
“skin” of glass, affording it extra dents, or large atrium-centered and inward-looking spaces that emulate palatial architecture.
dimension, creative openness, and The courtyards in these houses serve as settings for ground-floor entertainment or as the
stimulation for artists. The sala
focus of upper-floor viewing. Outdoor spaces are defined by variations in the way houses
is a gallery for art by Impy Pilapil
(marble sculpture), Ann Pamintuan are massed into L, C, or U shapes.Their borders are delineated by vegetation or perimeter
(wire seat), Ingo Maure (paper fencing, oftentimes taking advantage of neighboring landscapes to extend the space visually
chandelier), and Milo Naval (abaca-
weave coffee table). The abstract beyond the boundaries of the property.This strategy has been employed to perfection in
painting is by Tony Gonzales. the Martinez-Miranda house designed by Anna Maria Sy and Jason Chai (page 198).
the philippine house goes tropical modern 15

1st 9 9
Right This experimental glass and

concrete mansion (page 56) was
built for Edwin and Alice Ngo by
cerebral designer Joey Yupangco,
who has always favored the new
European modernism. The rear
elevation comprises a fully glazed
sculptural steel grid, interplaying
translucent and clear panels. The
house of raised ramps and bridges
hangs over a lucky koi pond visible
through the dining room floor.
Full courtyards have also come back into vogue. A number of these new houses, like
the Dee residence by Conrad Onglao (page 18), are so expansive that their atria form just
one part of a series of spaces. Such volumetric expressions have antecedents in communal
vernacular houses in Southeast Asia. Since these dwellings usually house more than one
family, it is possible to think of them as a modern revival, fulfilling the need to define and
confirm kinship by sharing space.
An abundance of space provides opportunities for large landscaped gardens to enhance
the modern tropical dwellings set within them as well as appropriate settings for freestand-
ing pavilions.The Montinola house designed by Romeo Delfinado and Andy Locsin (page
72) showcases such pavilions, here used for entertaining, dining, or simply reading.The
pavilions are linked to the main house by covered walkways with large overhangs, produc-
ing, in effect, one continuous verandah.
The designs of these resort-like pavilion homes are undoubtedly influenced by the
numerous resorts that have sprung up in Southeast Asia, the now almost generic Amans and
Hyatts in Bali, Bangkok, and even Borobodur, that have become favorite destinations for
both local and foreign holiday-makers. Images of pampered hospitality and sun-dappled
splendor have become stock features of design magazines and coffee-table books worldwide.
Pavilion homes carry the same amenities as their larger cousins—spas, pools, sunning decks,
and outdoor baths—but on a smaller scale.The resort-style Verandah house by Milo Vazquez
(page 104) and the Zobel hacienda by Ed Ledesma and Andy Locsin (page 120) project an
ambience well suited to such publications.
Another design direction under the rubric of tropical modern—minimalist modernism,
albeit a seemingly revivalist strain—is also gaining ground. Stark, all-white modernist boxes,
design allusions to Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Richard Meier, are being intro-
duced in the suburbs and outskirts of tropical Metropolitan Manila, signaling an alternative
path taken by a growing number of Asian clients whose lifestyles are defined by “less is
more” and the projection of restrained, moneyed elegance. Minimalist interiors, a limited
number of materials (usually only glass, stone, and metal), and expanses of glass define these
houses.The seacoast setting of the Knox house by Eduardo Calma (page 44) maximizes
its minimalist modern mien.
The materials, embellishments, and furniture used in these minimalist homes come from
the same palette, leading one to believe that further evolution will take place as experimen-
tation with this style continues. Already adaptations can be seen in response to the problem
of preventing white surfaces from staining, minimizing the glare from white surfaces, select-
ing garden designs that complement rather than conflict with modern geometries, and
finding solutions to the same problems with flat roofs that beset the first introduction of
modernist styles in the 1960s.This experimentation has also seen adaptations from architec-
tural solutions used in other tropical regions, including hot dry desert climates, and using
simplified forms, as evident in the Pedrosa courtyard house (page 98). As the examples of
these experiments multiply, so too will post-occupancy evaluations that will provide feed-
back to the designers on the possible approaches to this trajectory’s functional and aesthetic
evolution.This will eventually lead to greater public acceptance.
16 PAULO ALCAZAREN
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dee residence
"Think of an architect as a medium, not a signature. My designs are driven by a sense of scale and
proportion, not style. We do what the client is comfortable living with. We interpret, not impose. We
are flexible and versatile depending on a client's interaction and trust." CONRAD ONGLAO
BAng a Rikki OP.e In reccm years, new residential projects have heen t(m:cd
CORINTHIAN GARDENS.
by lad of space to move n-om the tradition;tl elite haven
QlJF70N C:ITY, MFTRO MANII A of Mabti Ciry to the upcoming entreprt·neurs' communi-
tic~ of Ortiga~ ,md Quezon Cicy. Wdl-rravckd restaurateur~
ARCHITECT CDNRA.O 0\JGLAO
tleng and Rikki Uee had seen the homes of fellow emre-
CT ONGLAD ARCHITECTS
preneurs in Makati, and decided to huild their home in the
~ame genre. They eagerly gave ti-ee rein to archite<:t Conrad
Onglao to design a modernist structure in Quezon Ciry,
which combined comfort with dramatic impact. 'l'he re~ult
Left The ~;r·an::leJ" of Lhe t·cuse is a bold cornplex of concrete, gbss, and marble cubist
derivec frc11 the .1r.e of ·white
'Tl<ll':) 2 cor1binP.rJ with ~.0 irl bl<~r.k
hoxes with a classical configuration but on a scale that
fr;mes, as i1 theae Mondr so- make~ the house:.- ideal fiJ•- entertaining.
iofluerced sliding dcc"s-rep":l
Their big white house, on a prime 1500-square meter
art usiro£ di~le"ert textured
g <JS~-Ie~cin;J tc the l1ininy ureu. corner lot, comprise~ <l classical central mass flanked by two
Above A glacr. bridoe &erose t.he sirnilar bur smaller nusses. A stylized white picker fence
ntrilJm-thP. ~N0111P.::ric.nl r.:=:1t2'"' provides a t:Jnciful domestic ret~•-ence to the sculptural hut
cf the inter :1r archit:ccre-
forms a drarratic passageway,
neutral geometry (lf the arthitectl..tre. Horizontal s1..mshadcs
cunn~·ctin;;J tt-e t•NU side m~~!:;es. and concrete balconies add a modern touch.
des residence I 9
Above right/·, ~0 :-1 111<~r.< r.<~nt.i
le,.:er~c sta1rcsse, V•11t1ou-: raili1gs,

s:"outs from ths white wall. He
sc i::l plank stsps in o r1:>tt2 bl:>:k
fi ·1i~h <J::;c:.: ·HJ Lu Lh:.: :.i:.:c ruu1 ·1~
011 Ll·e uJ)~er J'lcu--.
Below right I hP. r2st.nurnt.2.1'

c~J:)I!? 21t!?"ta1r in this for1ral
dining r:J:Jfr reple~e wit 1 mubple
fror1ej mirrors. o s sek ts"-S~ilt~r
Uinin!-J s~L. c1·U := flll:l:~r·ni~L L"l;'jrl-
delier overl·ead.
Above A :.:leaf' view rum; Lhruu~~h

t..he 'Nhite rrarble int.eri:)r un:je,~
t.hP. gl<~ss hrirlgP-w'>y-f"om t.1P.

front. R"try <1-:: rig1t. -::<: t.hP. f.:-r1;;l
sittir£ rcc-n at left.
Right -he lluulJie-heiyht utr·J'II

fl'f:lkes a ~erfecL .,;eLLifi!J f:.>f' Lhl:'
claot.ic baby o···anc a Pd a ··ni ·1i '"nal
ist pnin::in;~ hv _;::o Linn 8F.n. I "P.
repet tive ,,:ertica lines in th: \•'.'S I
divider replay ~hs cubist theme.
20 CCNRAJ 0\JGLAO
I
I
des residence 2I
1-rom the fi-ont entrance, the house soars to a douhle-
he1ght ;1trium-fi)yer, a pt"rfen ~t"tting fi.>r a baby grand. A
dramatic ~lass-lined bridgeway crosses the foyer overhead,
connecting the two ~ide ma~se~- Straight ahead, a dear view
runs through the gla~s-wallcd rnamion to a strip lawn on
the north, revealing a separate Japanese-therned pavilion
that appears w tloat on a long; lap pool.
The atrium is the symmetrical center of the interior
architecture. To one side, the formal salrr is furnished along
da~sic modernist lines (by che house-proud owner~ thern-
~elves) with the t:lr w;lll forrning a wide picture window
fi·aming: the garden. Ti> the right, within the oppo~ite mas~.
a staircase made of matte black planks, cantilevered fi-om a
white wall, ascends to the upper tloor. From there, a duster
of bedrooms connects with the large master suite via the
glass-bottmned hridgeway over the central foyer.
Th~ archit~ct us~s contemporary materials-nmcrete,
glass, and ;;tone-in a bold but neutl'al palette, while man-
ipulating their scale, proportion, and synunl'try. Part of
the grandeur of the house derive~ trom the use of white
marble combined with solid black frarnes. which define
___)
Above Oy night the artfclly lit

t-:;rslucent gloss bric;;~~woy ploys
u :Jif'"'e··:.:·rl L~.on.: us iL cr:.>::;ses
Lo·,•v·arc V1e 1'19G ...er ::;uile. Tt'e
•/br;:.nt. pa·,-uno ;:.~ t.:1e end of
t.1P. p<l~.S'l<; ~ IS ty lmp'o{ P l'lpil.
Above right Se:c1d floor plan.
des residence 23
l eft rhf> patic IF.FJds t.n FJ gFJrdf>n
laods~a pe d by Ponce Veridiano.
The whit eo picket fence provides
u dvrncstic rcft:·:-cnco for tt.o
nculr-ol f.!CIJUlClry cf lllC' Or'Ch.lcC··
ture, while horizonta l sunshades
udd a -nodcrr tuuc,.
Below The classic modem m;ulSI011

by night. I hreF. mo..-!ulf>S- 8 central
mass flanked by t.vo s1mllsr but
smalleor nas~s- a ·e combined
or. un impressive scale to ilokc-
Lhc bi(! wt:i l c h::Jusc an idt•a scl.-
t ing fl)r entert.8inir·g.
Above r ight Th: rnformal side of

the Dee li festyle is rase--ved fc-
the p<:~vilion "flootirg" behind t~.e
nrain huusc. This Japancs:::-style

Qazebo ~:;e··vec a~> a lounoe for the
Is fl [lrl!ll which is wrFlpj1P.d FJr c und
:t, as a casual luncheon haII, and
as s home spa.
Below r ight F;·unt elevotiun uf

Lhe Dee r·e~;idence.
the exp,msive spaces. Onglao Ius made a design ~ignature The inf(mnal side of the Dee life~tyle takes places in
of the venical scale of pa~sages in his project~: all sliding a separate entertainrnent pavilion "flouing" behind, and to
door~ ~tretch fi·orn fi(H.>r to ceiling, allowing tl1e visual ~pace one side. <Jf the main house. This Japanese-~tyk glass and
ro flow unencumbered. Anorhcr hallmark is his use of iron gazebo, with its quirky hipp,·d bamboo rooC acrs as a
cubisr themes: rhe repetitive vertical lines on the outer lounge for the pool wrapped around ir as well as a caSU<ll
fence reappear inside, in ~latced wall dividers.' I' he multi- dining hall or garnes roorn tor rhe whole t~unily. Upstair~,
mirrored dining morn beyond the ~tair~ is fi·arned by two there is a private spa for horne mas~;lges. The gaLebo is
tall black sliding door pands, designed after Pit"t Mondrian thus a po;-1fect vo;-nue t(>r tho;- Dee f:tmily\ lifestyle:.- of t(>(>d,
paintings, but here "colored" with different textured glass. fitness <llld well-being.
des residence 25
roque residence
"Every project is uni que. But to des ign a ho m e to suit a property's g iven charac-
teristics, one t hat at the same time evokes se ns ua l de lig ht, is a c hallenge. For
this s ite, w hi c h had great natural potential, our objective w as to design a house
in harmony with the surroundings." euoJI LAYU G
26 B UOJI LAYLG 6 AJVAL r NEOA

Deep in Quezon City. tucked in the shadows or massive Gunn & Cri.s Roque
government buildings, is a long, 3000-square rneter prop-

BATASAN HILLS, QIJEZD\1 CITY, l'v1ETRD MANIL.A
t'rty on ·which is built a thriving garmc:.-nt busin;;-ss and a
delightful home-. Workaholic owners Cunn and Cris Roque DESIGNERS BUDJI _AYUG & ROYAL PINEDA
were expanding their £1shion cntcrpri~c and their finn.ily FllJD.JI I AYlJG+ROYAI riNFDA DFSIC1N ARC:HITFC:TS
when they decided to build their home on an undeveloped

hack lot, close to yet removed from their workaday world.
The couple w:mted a hmne that would showcase what
they comi<kred the:.- best available in modern Asian dc:.'~ign:
furniture created by popllla.r designer llmlji Layllg and
Above SinL :JGS li 1es umJ c -;,pr it:
:>paces f"luw Ltwuugli Llii~ r·:;rmwk-
new works by members of Movement 8, Layug's design able •>plit. lf.M:<I recidence. The. hou~e
colle,lgues. The Roque residence was the first house that stracciP.a -::h~ 1<n.rFll Mm.nc fmnt-
i1g the entrancE!, while a creecent-
Layug had built from the ground up after completing the s~aped swiMrr in:J pool w-:ops
award-winning puc:.-blo-style Zuluc:.-ta homt on tht slopc:.-s ur·cund thl:? :.:urvett: ~a.'u p~vil bn.
r·oque r·esid!i!m::e 27
Below -In~ fbr·rily c ~ ·r -curn- Lclc- Bottom Th: i·rf:.~r"rr<JI !w:ui urr Lim Right The rrrus:;iv:: ~ur·v~c picLurc
viGion r-oorrr in _he se~vrcl curved lcwe•:;L evel iG f •. rniG··red i··r 3L~jji 'lhoc :J'•N in Lhe (.; r-an::J :;ala allow•~
pnvilic 1 c;vP.rlc.ob=: n vi~\,.., ~f t.1P. ay .. g e1d H:l';'F<I PinP.riF<'Po r11JG1- n ~;·,,\.'AF:::·in~ vi~V.' nf t.hA crP.t=i:-:P.nt.-
r1ain curve::l sa!a p9vr lion ··aflcat" vauntad 'T-opicallvloder1'· sty~ sha :)ed o:~ol an::l t1e garc eo b~
::he crescen::-shape::l swimmi1g -he sofa aet '•Nit~ ma::ching ottc- y:~rc. All irteric-~ were :ustor1
pool. o recent odditic1 ':!Y orch- moro is designee by ::vo ve, the so id designe: one <:cceascrizec by
::ect novoI "i 1edo. In ::he fore- wccc coffee toble by Claude Toyog, 3L =!ii Luy- g, wh 'le the gorde 1 wos
~r:.u... nG is a muder"l Yin-Yu 'lr.J Lh~ ul;ucc wuvc·r "U;.J by 5uLwuk, lurrds~<JJ)cd l;y rc rrcc Vcridiwm.
c:hai r by Ke ·me~h :.:obonpue an::l ~he paper a r~ pieGe•~ bv Mind
mF>s-::A-s.
28 6UDJI LAYLG e ROYAL riNEDA

Deep in Quezon City. tucked in the shadows of massive ofTagayLay in 1983. The house took Lwo years to concep-
government buildings, is a long, 3000-square rneter prop- ruali:te and complete--down to the hst piece of art.
t'rty on ·which is built a thriving garmc:.-nt busin;;-ss and a Making the most (lf the:.- limitatiom imposed by thc:.-
delightful home-. Workaholic owners Cunn and Cris Roque site. and working w.irhin a concept which he calls "organic-
were expanding their £1shion cntcrpri~e and their finn.ily modern," Layug designed a cmvilincar 750-square meter
when they decided to build their home on an undeveloped split-level house on the nattlf<llly rocky property. At the
hack lot, close to yet removed from their workaday world. entrance is a large rock mound. frorn which the house
The couple w:mted a hmne that would showcase what t1ows in an L shape. The front elevation is a rnultilayered
they comi<kred the:.- best available in modern Asian dc:.'~ign: grouping of dean. dark-colored modernist roofs over a
furniture created by popllla.r designer llmlji Layllg and sand-colorl·d resort-like strllcmre. At both ends, the central
new works by members of Movement 8, Layug's design volume fLues outward to curved "pavilions" with expansive
colle,lgues. The Roque residence was the first house that picture gla~s windows. .Bordering the main living room
Layug had built from the ground up after completing the pavilion are rounded Art I )eco corners-fe;ttures that give
award-winning puc:.-blo-style Zuluc:.-ta homt on tht slopc:.-s the house its rttro ''organic" flavor. At the:.- back <Jf tht'
r·oque r·esid!i!m::e 29
Right The rou1ded f:Jrm o; the
sa.'u p:~vilion, 1ere '"'eflected i'"' the
n~V·/ :.:i\'l.,.innnin!-J ~cc .. exu:Jes an
organic: ard Art Oec:o air. On the
l'ig1t. is t.1P. P.nt,°FinCP. 7-n t.hP. kit.-
~1P.n Fll"o:-l t."P. J:P.riphP.r81 wr~ll w1t.h
; aleek n?'·N terra:e lands:ape.
30 JUOJI LAYUG e ACYAL PII\CO.A.

roque rRi'>irlenr:R 3I
2nd 9 9
Above left Every angle of the Above right This section of the
dominant spiraling central stair- staircase leads from the bed-
case makes a graphic statement. rooms on the second level down
Here, the wide steps lead from past a gallery corner displaying
the dining area to the lanai on a stone and marble sculpture by
the ground floor. Impy Pilapil.
Below Ground floor plan.
32 BUDJI LAYUG & ROYAL PINEDA
Dept : DTP D/O : 13.07.05 (Job no:73845-C1 D/O : 25.07.05 Co: CM15Q8) Dept : DTP D
Above lnsoi,'ed tv ''ice t.er,-aces.
thP. luxuriouf. st.nir::ns:=: curvF.s • •
dm'lln ;racefull·( to the dining
'llezzanine, to greet a pivota
and pr2.;mmt v.. hi-:e colur1n on
U r':JLI'(.;(!tJ :i~SV.
Right I h" fnr11r1l diP I'Q P.'P.FI

fP.Fit.III'P.S r1 mr~gnif1~.~m:: rP.rl nR:'rR
\";oeo:l floo", a solid narra weed
table frc'll Cl<ude -aya~. and a
g'lde::l ;:~bstract 'llural by artist
3u.oAII.;c".
roque resid~.·1ce 33
73845_CTP_02 p26-35.qxd 8/22/05 12:14 PM Page 34 QC Preflight Point
3rd 3 3
Left The curved edge of the swim- Above right The crescent-shaped
ming pool is visible from the deck swimming pool is a picturesque
outside the master suite. The pool tour de force by architect Royal
is surrounded by manicured lawns Pineda. The custom-made blue-
and well-tended gardens. green tiling was manufactured
by Manila contractor FNSP.
Below left The second floor plan
of the Roque residence shows the Below right Pineda’s landscaping
house pushed back against two at the rear of the house opened
adjacent sides of the lot. up the kitchen to a new sandstone
tiled terrace. A modular two-level
water feature flows gently into
the children’s wading pool below.
Fine bamboo softens the high
perimeter wall.
The grand “terraces” flow through the dining area—a

raised platform of gleaming narra wood—then swirl by
a gently rounded Art Deco column atop a curving base,
before turning back sharply and flowing down toward
a lower den-cum-television room located in the second
curved pavilion. Standing near the front entry, the white
column on the mezzanine is the axis of the L-shaped
house. From its base the space sprawls outward to the main
sala pavilion with its massive curved picture glass window.
There the living setting is a showcase for the tropical
modern furnishings by the designers of Movement 8.
The outside of the Roque residence was recently
altered and modernized along the same organic theme by
Layug’s business partner, architect Royal Pineda. He recon-
figured the landscape from the entrance to the rear garden,
removing the jungly waterfall, improving access to the
kitchen, and adding a spacious tiled terrace at the back. He
also designed a stunning crescent–shaped swimming pool
with blue-green tiles which echoes the shape of the curved
glass window in the living room pavilion, and which de-
scends to the deep end via three layers of curved steps.
Pineda explains the new landscape: “The swimming
pool fronting the house is the first thing that people notice.
Following the curvilinear lines of the house, it was made
into a crescent shape and wrapped close to the main sala
pavilion so that the house could be reflected in its waters.
At the entrance to the property, the existing rock forma-
tion with a new water fountain is used as a natural point
of interest and as a contrast to the new crescent pool.”
By night, glowing glass pavilions appear to “float” upon
the reflective waters of the pool.
Two complementary styles are now evident in the
home: Layug’s original interior with its terraced stairway
flowing among stunning settings, and Pineda’s modern
crescent pool and terrace that mixes disciplined modernism
with a fresh use of space.Together, they form a picturesque
home—the inner scheme in harmony with the landscape.
34 BUDJI LAYUG & ROYAL PINEDA

3rd 3 3

03 Sy pp36-43 10/8/07 3:10 PM Page 36
Left The linear modernist unit

was “inserted” in a 1980s bunga-
low, which is visible over the fence
beyond the pool. The new home
of glass and steel soars forth,
but retains the old stucco roofs
with heavy fascia and deep eaves.
Right The hallways upstairs fea-

ture bent glass walls made of
aluminum bands and glass panes.
The purpose behind the high-tech
look is to capitalize on the natural
light brought into the narrow vol-
ume as well as to replace mass
with transparency.
sy house
“Light is an element we tend to play with in our projects. Natural light filtering through
the house, by way of light voids or punctures, relieves dependency upon artificial lighting
during the day. Illumination enhances spatial experience, imbuing spaces with calmness,
repose, and inner peace.” JOEY YUPANGCO
Rick y & Eleanor Sy Well-known modernist Joey Yupangco describes this home
in Makati City as “a house like the face of Janus” because
DASMARIÑAS VILL AGE, MAK ATI CIT Y,
METRO MANIL A it has two very different faces, two orientations. “This time
the rear became the front.”The original family home was a
ARCHITECT JOEY YUPANGCO, JY+A
spacious Filipino-Spanish 1980s bungalow complete with
red shingles on the roof and wrought iron over the win-
dows.The challenge for designer Yupangco was to create
a contiguous unit within the big old house where a young
professional couple could enjoy a lifestyle reflecting their
tastes and interests. His design resulted in a radically differ-
ent modernist unit inserted within the existing framework,
sharing the same roof as the original house, but outfitted
in a completely different style.The front elevation remains
the original family home, but the rear façade reflects the
new generation’s design interests: functional minimalism,
36 JOEY YUPANGCO
2nd 15 15

03 Sy pp36-43 10/8/07 3:10 PM Page 38
Japanese sensibility, linearity, contemporary materials The linear interior derives its theme from modern
(aluminum, concrete, and frosted glass), and natural light. Japanese design, visible in the sliding panels and doors,
From the front of the house, the fusion is subtle. A the aluminum framing on glass, and the “folded walls and
massive plinth in naked concrete is set under the wide roof ceilings” (smacking of origami) on the upper level. At
fascia.The new space then emerges within the old, first the center of the double-height atrium, a lofty skylight
glimpsed through the front door as a transformation in contains a “suspended sculpture box”—the designer’s
space and materials.The space has been deconstructed and centerpiece and the main point of visual interest in the
rebuilt as a glass-lined, minimalist apartment.What was duplex—that refracts light falling into the space.
low-slung and cozy in the 1980s has been reborn long and Home owners Ricky and Eleanor Sy enjoy an informal
tall in soaring vertical lines, bathed with light from above, lifestyle, hanging around the open kitchen together or with
floored with expanses of polished concrete and white friends, dining on an extra-long worktable, and listening
stone, and walled with glass paneling from end to end. to music in the audiovisual den.Yupangco deliberately
38 JOEY YUPANGCO
03 Sy pp36-43 10/8/07 4:02 PM Page 39
Left In the sleek living/dining/work

area under the mezzanine, indus-
trial glass walls meet concrete
floors in a stunning display of
functional minimalism. At right
is a full wall of storage under
translucent slide-away panels.
A worktable is cantilevered to
the central post.
Right At the back of the long

apartment, light shines strongly
through translucent glass curtain
walls. Bold, colorful standing lamps
provide the only ornamentation
in the sparse space.
Right The sculptural boxes sus-

pended high up in the atrium are
Yupangco’s modernist “lamps”—
architectural elements designed
to both accent the giant skylight
and to filter the light pouring
into the interior.
Far left "3rutc; ist" or row con-
crate ··.-dis-fc -mad in plocs -ond
lc l'{.le wim.iu·~'"S ~·1ielc ~G Uv r·Jicru-
me:;l' chac: eG ard v eee r1ake
fnr A1 llnLJ~lJFII t.J'AFltmAn:: in t.1A
master l:athroom. T1e pc -:elain
ainka and ~t-e ir 1ovs.tbie ·:. .·ecce 1
b<:thtJ::: <n; by Agupe.
Left -ht> >JJ'Gund fluur pbn shuws

t..he linearity c:f the ~it,e aPe: l'our.;e
Below T1e lcunging area at t "e
res.r is ·. .-..here tt-e C'NnE '"'S enter-
to in close frierda. -he s :::· rol stoir-
C'-l<>U W"idr clirrrb~ Lu .. l·u :.;ud"uurrr
wa,:; built by =·lipino carpen~erc
wh::> paint.:.<><i·rg y beat. t,he ~tain
l~s!'> stP.P.I hy ~Find.
Right -he brig ~t rec E£ g c1air-

o classic by des·£rer Arne Joc:Jb-
sen-is <l buld ::l"e~em:e r:rrrrun~
t.he c::>::>l anc: ~rarGiuce ·1t gla:>':'
p31elc ard linea' alr.rrninir.. rr f•arrer.;
of t.hP. Sya' mcc,-nist. dwP.IIrrg .
.JCFY YLPA 'JGCO

3rd 11 11

Dept : DTP D/O : 13.07.05 (Job no: 73845C3 D/O : 08.08.05 Co: CM3)
Left A--c1it!!~ turul eleml!nts. !!Ut:h
;:~:; Lh: in;; .<; h;U<YI untlt~o· Uoe skv-
li!)"lt, a r e the main de~c-aUve "e<o
t..o '"f;S o f th!'! spac?.. l-ur1ishin;:~ is
minima . I h ?. bngl>t oil ps rtjng t::y
a young Philit= :·in: artiat ;:;a 1ds
uprigrt on o n o~<Jt a f - orn• stand.
Below This c:o'Oss sec lion or
Lre
Sy I'CUGe r·e·..:eah:; t.1e ne·w Moda;rn
if">t uni-:: '· rc 2- -::rP. c -igim;l 1~HCs
bungalow ro:.f.
Right A1 abstr;;ct desig1 cf four

mirrors foc;;s ::he trod"tic1ol
wooden -,.vi'L dGc .. uL ··i!JioL. Be-
yond this r.:l,unning minimali:3L foy~r
is R BFWiP.S of ~lie in~ QIF:I~S r;nrP.IS
leading to the inner quarters.
42 JOCY YU "'ANGCC
oriented the "social 7.one" toward the rear, near to the The designer has used a limited palette to exploit the
swimming pool, which is set right up against the back contrast and juxtaposition of solid concrete with glass and
fence. ·'Our lifestyle faces the back yard," S<lY~ Sy. an IT mccal. Material~ ~hiti: fiom solid to transparent and ti-om
dealer. "We have the outdoor greenery and pool in view. renilinear w vertical, expres~ing an intere~ting d)-1lamic
hut there is no gan:len to take care or.·· When guests do between comrnon building rnaterials. Structural walls have
step out w view tht (IFLde of the "new" house. the old been '\:ast in plact"-a signature tJ·eatment (lf bcton lmtt or
elevation i~ seen to the right, merged with the grid of raw concrc::te by the cutting-edge modernist: "The design
steel and glass of the modernist insertion on the lett. derives fi:om the process: we use architectural strategies to
Within the <ltrium, a metal plank staircase ascends to create ~hift~, skewing from conceived perc~'ptions:'
the mezz,mine, from where one can look over a balcony I.!very,vhere sheer gbss is widely used: <\S wall~, cabinet
to the living/dining/work area helow. tledromns ;lre small panels, and large sliding doors. ( )ne exp;mse of frmted
and cozy. the1r tJ·;.mslucent sliding panels or lightwe1ght gla7.ing hides a stgmenttd wall closet, stor1ng; household
walls all non-loadbearing; and tlc:xible so that they can be bdong;ings. All is neutral, without pa.int or color, reduced
adjum·d as the t:unily grows~ Most of the corridor walls, ro silver, white, and metal gray fi·om the sheen of stcd and
IU<ldc of aluminum banding with translucent gla~s p<me~, aluminum. Yupangco points proudly ro rhc handcrafted
are bem or "folded:' lor dynarnic visual interest. "These workmanship on the spiraling ~tee] stairway by the back.
t()lded walls allow natural light to creep into all corners," He exphins, "Here the architecture is the artifu:t and the
explain~ Yupang;co. "This 1s a new way of interpreting; furni~hing .... The hou~e can stand with or without art
architecture, one that is both ambiguous and flexible." because it's already an art lorm in itsdE"
Left r,n nut.or.or lr.ungP.r hy ciP.-
aigner Ric~arj Schcltz comple-
ments t~e woite portal fra'Tle o;
orc1it~:t Ec Calm<:. Tha prist
·:.:ul.JisL 'lOUSe LlluL ::~hn.J l:ui L
up~·•s up Lc •:iews unly cf" lilt>
:?out.. ·1 Chir a t>ea
Right Th!? recti inear portals cf
··oel avista'· so;""' in~.:· the s <y over
the sea. The gop in th2 ~-:orizontol
ri.iilin~~ is ;.i moJt>rnisL LwisL Lu ;j
cubisL work.
knox house
"Architecture is not about style, it's about deriving a form from material technology. It's about
original concepts. Architecture should be innovative and true to one's materials." EDUARDO CALMA
Jo~u::phine 5 Eirvin Knox The upscale development of Puma Fuego in Nasugbu,

Bat.mgas, C\VO and a half hours' drive from chc duos of
PUNTA FUEGO, NASUGBU, BATANGAS
Manila, comprises a number of prime rarnhling resort
ARCHITECT EDUARDO CALI'vlA lwrr1es overlooking the South China Sea. Among thcnl,
LOR CALMA DESIGN, INC.
cantilevered on a slope over the a7.ure wa.te•·~ of Batangas.
is an outsranding <lll-whitc concrcrc-and-glass structmc.
'fhc prisrine building, perched bct\w~-n earth, sea, and sky.
resembles a stunning work of art, a cubist sculpture with
flying buttresses and planar terraces.
lntc:.-rna.tional banking; couple Josephine and F.irvin
Knox commissioned Filipino designer Eduanlo (Ed) Calma
to build their rctircmcnr house, cng<lging the idealistic
designer's passion tor" Architecture with a C<lpital A." It
wa~ a drean1 project on Philippine shores fiw .l'v1anila's
up-and-coming y<.mng m<.1dernist, a graduate of the New
York Pratt Institure and Columbia University.
44 :OUAROO :AU/A
5th 11 11

5th 11 11
Right The pristine white Knox

house, built high between earth,
sea, and sky, is vastly different
from its colorful neighbors in
Punta Fuego. “Bellavista” was
inspired by the white cliffside
houses that dot the Mediterran-
ean seascapes of Italy and Spain.
Josephine del Gallego-Knox says of her spectacular

home: “This is a modernist Italian beach house, inspired
by the white cliffside houses that dot the Mediterranean
seascapes of Italy and Spain.”The house, named “Bellavista”
after her favorite Italian wine, had been simmering in her
mind for as long as she can remember until, with the aid
of Calma, it finally came to fruition in 2003.
The location of the Knox house was a challenge to the
architect.The 1000-square meter property stands high on
a rugged cliff, exposed to both tropical storms and fierce
winds. Regardless, Calma chose to build the cubist house
in glass and concrete. Four rectilinear “portals” soar up to
the sky, while three terraces are cantilevered toward the
sea. Picture glass curtain walls open all the main rooms to
the ocean side of the house.There, horizontal white rail-
ings “float” to barely outline the tiled terraces, or rise to
“frame” private views of the seamless ocean. A trapezoidal-
shaped infinity pool on the edge of the main level comple-
ments the azure hue of the sea, while a low white terrace
juts out over the water, forming a perfect place for enjoy-
ing evening cocktails.
Calma muses: “The Knox house is a multilevel house
which responds to the slope of the site. It starts out as a
modular mass at the entrance level, designed for privacy,
and gradually opens up fully to frame views of the South
China Sea.The site is deep with a narrow frontage.The
multilevel solution allows each space to be organized along
the broad length of the site to have views of the sea ... and
nothing else.”
“Bellavista” is awesome, inside and out, its purist form
designed with an instinctive awareness for orientation and
ventilation. As the east–west axis is not ideal—the house
receives a large amount of sunshine—Calma shifted the
house’s west volume toward the sea, to shade the balcony
on the east volume from the afternoon sun. He also limit-
ed the use of glass, even though this is one of his favorite
mediums, instead allowing for cross-ventilation through
high-placed vents among the clerestory windows. High
ceilings also allow heat to rise and exit, while the cooler
air circulates low over the sleek all-white furnishings by
B&B Italia and Boffi.
Josephine Knox and Ed Calma collaborated closely
for over two years to produce the Punta Fuego showcase.
The Manila-based designer and his jet-setting client, who
was an exacting project manager, pushed their mutual
46 EDUARDO CALMA
Dept : DTP D/O : 13.07.05 (Job no:73845C4 D/O : 15.08.05 Co: CM7) Dept : DTP D
QC Preflight Point
11 11
5th 11 11
knox house 47

----
48 . • I '.1A
=out.RJO "II
Above left and bel .
moder1ist - - . ow nght -he
~e~s1de "c:-
CLHilPI'i•·~e -.. -"ulptcre"
~-·> ._._,.. J)U ·L'
llP t:) l.'1E< •"ky . I ;:~lc' >U;:II'i'K)
leverP.rJt. ·> • >.<nd tt··•·ee Gant.i •
.P.n nr.F.s I~P.nr.~l
th? aes. The I . . . rg :ut. b
ower wht b
h2 retai · e lock ic
t . 1119 wal :Jft1 - -
ZOidol :;ool t 10- . e .rape-
i·•firiL - sp• Is o·<er its
I "/ ::;:_;~J::;.
.
Left 1h-:"I 1c:nglturlinnl c
reveals 10'N the h- ..... nn ~r.t.
levered on JL~e IS canti-
a slop= '· 8
o~ t 1e lowest -- .~ ma I ter·a:e
~cc ·uL•·. evet bEt:orc the
.. l ~ uuL (Ner Ll 1e :3e;j.
and
Above' right
, ~t. - P.2t IP.VP.Il··-
I ~ P. •• .•
lot.,er level (bottom,' plans. . ..np,
49
3rd 11 11

Left arld above All irldoor :curt-
'{Ur:J l:UIIlJ; ~ ·nL:nts t 1e rrinirlLilist
r.•pir'C11r.<I,C1i"'~C1r.>e lec1di r·g l.o Lhe
(IUA~ t. r n:'\11"1>':. hP. b1.llt.- in vP.rt.ir.Fll
WA7.Ar fAAt.urP. (IAft.). out.lin?.c "·Ni7.~
fiberoptic ligh-:a -:ha t c tange color.
cosccoes down in-:o c 1 i roe 1tso
f luur. u UL:~iy1 ·r :;pir\:d by un Aus-
LraliC1n narc e··r rYrt:I~Je.dne. An early
ninF<t.AAnt.1-r.AI1t.ury Vlnn r.r.t.tP.ry
j Ar frnr1 Burrr n Rit.;; on A pedF.S7.A
i1 the :crroe•. T1e g asa art piecE.>
i1set i1 the we I (obove; ore fr:Jrr
Ar~ude, lt<J Y. und un: culled ··zen."
Right (.:alms t. pro~d of t~e aGyrr

mAt -y of thA £t.air;;, ',<;1P.rA 1P.
i1te-plays rraterials: bleached
w1ite o::.k plor <S fron Con.:ca
with IJUin-:cu :.2-nrr-r l.Jer.t metul
p aLe<J a~ r'Gilinr~.
knox htlii~A 5I
52 COLAnO::J CALMA
1st 11 11
Above left “Bellavista” allows an Below left The master bedroom

intriguing view of the Punta Fuego glows by night, as interior lights
sunset (left), reflected on the shine out from a sophisticated
large picture glass on the west- transparent closet system. The
side setback. The owner’s favorite private suite enjoys an exclusive
spot (center) is the “Sunset view of the infinity-edge pool
Terrace,” cantilevered over the and the sea.
sea. White outdoor furniture by
Right With its all-glass counter
Schulz is designed to cope with
and basin, and installation art,
high winds! The onyx-tiled swim-
the powder room makes a chic
ming pool (right) merges with the
minimalist statement.
Batangas seas while horizontal
elements provide “viewing frames” Below The all-white dining room
for the seascapes of boats and looks out over an azure blue sea-
isles beyond the terrace. scape. Interior furnishings are
exclusively B&B Italia and Boffi.
knox house 53

left .,HP.I a·JiStFJ··•s pnrtFJis :m A
long, shadowed a~ternoon. The
esaterro vciJme of t h: ~cuss; is
pus1ed bock il f ew Meters tc ol 'jW
IJ·c Wi.! ~lcf' ~l ;.'UIUIJIC I...C 8ht;C:; il
(,'(;,, hut ~r .;:m:.>un ~Uit
Below I h~ fFJ(.<JdP. :P.FJrs elr.~r;;nt~

frcTt J::.sephine Knox's fav:.rit!?
desigrera: s:ven v : -t :al sli: opero-
ings from nicord·::.. Legorstt.J. o
c:.>•u·dt; Willer spuuL f·-u111 Luis
B.:.rraQar.. and a sensucu::; white
fi :);:: .. gl a:.;~:; :::hah:;e f···or-1 "'w~l--io~c~.
Right Viewe:J FreTt the aide, '"Bella -

vista'' ats~s dow1 the steep slope.
Th2 ~c·Jse :-pens up ex:lusive y tc
U·e St;<:l. ;:olluwhl rc ;,;li1·1pses :.>!'
i:..t. neighborr; on Bi:..her sice.
Below right bvr.n t.hP. sP.t.l1FlL< 18!'.

beer :arefull"{ desig1ed. T1e verti -
ca row cf w~·te c:m:r:te ele-
m;;1t~. •r·rr:Jri1~1 th8 seven tull
~ C::l L "i'l'i'ldl:\'y'S Ull Lh~ r;j~ade, :..:twl-
OI.Jflage the air ~c: ·1di Uoning unit~.
passion for architecture to the lim..ir. She was the instigator,
full of ide,ts and images of the rype of architecrure ~he
loves. ·'1:3ellavisLa" lints comains influences adapted fl-orn
her f:worite rnodern architects: a white cantilevered tence
imbedded in a giant boulder from Cae Aulenti and John
Lmtner: smooth white lll<tsonry tiom Richard J'vkier; ~even
tall wrrical ~lit opening~ from her Mexican idol. Ricardo
Legoretta; and concrete rnodernist water spouts frorn Luis
thrragan. :'\II details are beautifi.tlly rnerged in the gleaming
scu.lptural work of Eduardo Calma.
.Joscphi.tlc Knox, thm1gh perhaps still dreaming of lraly,
thoroughly ~-njoys her minimalist modernist house perched
on a rise, while waiting for huslMnd L!irvin to retire to
J>unta f-uego, Hatangas. She relishes every w;lking moment
in her dn:·am home, catching; the g-low of sunri~e when
rlK house awakes, and the superb sea views. Architect Ed
Calma reflects on the high-protilc project by the sea: ·'The
Knox house is like a carnera chat opens up to the light....
The architeCt ~houldn't provide just the basic needs. He
should provide a dwelling that uplitts the spirit, that makt"s
one ted excited. To me, that's what architecture is about."
,.
knox house
5)
1st 11 11

Left I h2 Ngn hnusP. s Fin P.:-l;JY
creation :m 9 rrassive scsle. The
i'llf=CSing structJ'"'e comf='"'ises;.
g-e<:t g-id of gloss, E1f:Jided by D
s~ui:::Lw·e ef' eUIIL'"eLe. Tile !]ia11L
·;JhLI.;cx c::lrlilev~red o·-1er Lh~
en:.l"f ir, :)ot..h CCPC:OV ard "lart..ern:·
Right The :Jrigh-:: sr.c searr l:as

d r rg a "ea is an or£a 'lie space
under alopi1g ceilings t1ot mirr:Jr
Llle .-ullir;,; l::lrc :.>cLsiut>. Til~ ;,;re;:oL
atrium :3Lt>P~ dcv·/1' to this sinQie
ct..ory ·1eight. r.wc fccur.:e~~ o·" the
g -P.~rP.ry :)P.yc 1d t.hfl glri!;S.
ngo house
"Architecture to me is about freedom ... to be free to animate, beyond conceived percep-
tions, an architectural event that articulates the relation of metaphysical behavior with
time and space .... This project seeks to realize the abstract concepts of kinetics and
circulation, as expressed in a structure of flexible living spaces." JOEYYUPANGCO
Edwin S Alice N~o Ayala Heights, a subdivision built on the uneven terrain
of (.,2ue:wn City, is noted fi>r irs wide streets ami rnassive
AYALA HEIGHTS, QUEZON CITv. lvlETRO tvlANILA
bungalows se;-t aga.inst a backdmp of g;ra~sy fields and rolling
ARCHITECT JOEY YUPANGCO
hills. The :'-J'go house--a modernist glass and concrete
'\culpture" newly built in the conventional subdivi~ion-
JY+A
is stopping people in their tracb.

An ;lwk ward sire wa~ just one of the challenges f:u:ing
architect Joey Yupangco. In defiance of the principles of
Chinese _ti•11gslmi, the 700-squarc tnCt<T trapezoidal lot is
located at a '!:.junction facing a down-sloping road, ,md is
edged by a small creek at the rear. Another challenge was
the task of convincing his clients that his experirnental
work-an expression (>f''process" ratho;-r than nmventional
beauty-was truly worth building. The architect sought to
ng!l house 57
58 .JOFY YIJFJ\NGC:O
Left T-,e (li"' on Lhe ···arr o Lhl'
de!>i·;,·er'r.; ::b.I[J'lti'W M:;~rtha
cros.ses t.h2 tr;nsh.:P.nt. ~0. 1se
: un of rai;ed passages. -he
dy1anic inter~ ay :Jf structJrsl
elemo 1ts gives thi!l <~)(l:erimort
in "circulaU-:::r·J enauf.lh li•ing opa: e
~or ~hree fanilier,.
ngo h()IISA 59
Left I hP. gr~IJrC flr.r.- pl•m ~1l1WS
how ~he ar~ 1ite:t worked w t 1in

t~e I mitati:ms of a trapez~idal
lot borce-~::l by o srrol :raek.
Below The o:ck .e"r·ace is Cof'Li-

leverec: ove" t~e r.:rral ~-ee< c·1
t.~P. r.P.rilrF.t.P-1' r.f t.hP. lot I h~
dining r:J::Hn at left extends :;ver

t~e large kci pond at the rear. its
gloss-bottomed f .::;.::;r ollcw·r,g
vi~w~ cr· Llle f'isll bt>luw.
Bottom 1 ongit.udinal >>eci..':)r. :)f
t.~P. \go hOII~P..
Right This interirr apace eadi"g

o.:....:: tha sunken goroge hos con-
creLe ·.vulls '~'~f'u~:::·eU ·,.. ~ :.;.l~·:.:k wriU
o' Gtee, a r:ocket. gar:le·'. an:l a
lnrgP. nqur:Jru'11 ._,.,. rc:o·. .v fc:,. vi~'·Ning
t.~P. dP.P.p P.nrJ nf t.h~ fis~ p:mc.
60 JOCY YU "ANGCC
-
...-...,.-...-----
tksign a dyna111ic nmtc:.-xt fi.>r ''spontaneous living" and A fish p<.md alung:>ide thc:.- entry nnnp nmtinues under-
<t ~tructurc:.' f(>r "pushing fi:.>rward the:.' art of ;u·chitecturc:.-." ground to bc:.- viewed as an aquarium ti·om within the
Dy luck or hubris, Yupangco's ideas were accq>ted by basement. The hollse's multipk-car ~-,rarag,· is a massive
his clients, Edwin <Hld .!\lice Ngo, rcstaLmlteurs and good sunken ~P<Ke with no door~.
friends, who then watched in amazcmenr <lS the mmkrni~t Stepping into thC' house is like encering a glass and
structure rose on their lot. concrete sculpture of unorthodox planes ;lnd spaces. The•·e
The Ngo house is an edgy creation on a nussive scale. are no rc:.-ctilinc:.-ar rooms in the Ngo huuse: every space is
The impming f;t\:ade is a giant grid of dear and tran~lll(:ent "irregular" in shape. and approa.cht"d by unusual passages
ghss panels, c!liold,·d on one end with a hood-like sculp- and corridors. Throughout the house. there arc long ramps.
tural mass of bare, unpainted concr(·te.Visibk through the overhead walkw,lys or bridges, sloping floors, and bent
glass EH;<lde, the interior is crossed diagonally by long, ele- ceiling~. In certain area~, the plane of che floor slants slight-
vaLed ramps. on which people can pass lrom one side lo ly upward to rneet a glass window, while over another area
the other :u the higher level. !\n outdoor •·;unp lead~ to the the ceiling dips down in a gentle V shape. The designer
fi·ont entry, while a giant hollow cube cantilevered over the explains that the ~trucwre i~ "organically" related to the
fi:ont door serves as both a portico and a modern ''lantern." environs, mirroring the rolling landscape outdoors.
2nd 11 11

Left The 'YI;:JSLer· :3,1ile COnlj:"i:3eS
unpaint.ed t.ut artie.. I ate::l wall!>
nnrJ c~ lings nnrJ i 1s::: "'t.fH1 v.nnG nws
that ints"play clear and ~ranslu
cer t panes. A s~eep stands senti-

nel in u lut't wh~h c:.;r lJ<i JS!!:J t'cr
Gl~e ::·in·;; .. GLOr'if'l~J L··1i ··IQ3.- Cr' a::; a
d... eBr.i .,a roor-~.
Right Concrete cor"idora lead ~o
functional bu~ flexible sps:es. T"ia

n;.ll'r:r·N h:.~ll ;.llluws :.~ ylirniJSe vt' the
flliflif'l;jli:3L kiL·:.:hen, •,r,/Lh iL:3 'Tii.if':.:• ~
iclan~J, and the e·1trance to :.l~e
spirnl st.ni '"'wnv tn t. '1P. tnsF.11Fmt..
The grand co;-ntral int;;-rior is bright with natund light

streaming in fi-om all ~ide~. Translm:ent g;la~s provide~ a
ccrrain an10unt of privacy to the occllpants at tlu: ground
kvd, while clear glass in sckctivdy placed tall ~lot windows
allows views of the ~trcet ,md neighborhood irom the
inside. Upstairs. one sees Yup;mgco's signatme "f()Jded"
walls: concrete structural walls, which aro;- poured on sito;-
into angled forms. Folded walls are created manually and
painstakingly to articlllatc the entry of lighr and to serve
as ornamentation for the srrucrurc.
According to Yupangco, the Ngo house is a "treatise"
aboul t'irwlation: lhe rnovemerll or air, liglll, and people
within tlexih]o;- living spaces. He says that threo;- separate
f;unilies could live:: tog-ether in the Ngo house, modifying
the uses of the functional spaces. Taking his inspiration
3rd 11 11

Left I h2 :">2dmnn is;;~ c:utN\
setting arnd "fcc::·· wa Is, ~~ev er
g ass w reows, a1d ~;:rtly slopi1g
floora. Yupargco's signoture folded
"'•.:ull::; ure s:Lr Jt: ... J --ul t.::Jns ... rut:Ls
:::u,we~ on ~ile inLo t1rl!,!l~d fur·n1:>.
Right f•, VIP.W :->f t.hP. sky thl'l111Qh
"911s and banisters. glasa an::l st ee.
Arc1ite:t Vupang c::~ allows for
g vzed tronsr:or21cy beb.•eer the
N40 huu~e·~ cuLlin~)-eU\ll: vulul'lt'>.
Below :.:on:reLe ~tep~ &h>:> ~en.·e

as :Jraphir. dr.sig1. 1-r:lrr t.hr. r.ool
conc"ete kitchen, the. circJ a ·
staircas: spira a dew~ irto -:~e
shvcc·ws of the boaem s ~t.
fi·orn d1t:: n t::\·V Eur<.> p~an nl<.Hiernisrn espou~ed by th t" rnain

proponents Rem Koolhaas and Philippe .Starck.Yupa.ngco
challenges the conunon notion that a home is a static
thing; h e di~cards traditional con cept~ of space and form in
order Lo break new ground f()r comemporary archileclllrC'.
To him, every ~pact: is flexihle, rnutablt:, changing its fun c-
tion or identity t<J meet the need~ of the occupanh. The
Ngo house thus represe nts a new W<lY ot thinking, vievv-
ing, .md living in a .flexible space.
In tenm o f construction mC"thods and materials, Lhe
Ngo house also breaks ;-m :hitecmral ground. Ordinary
m aterials li ke cem ent and gla..~ are m anipulated in unex-
p ected ways on site, demonstratin g the completely manual
comtrucrion of a modcrni>t structure.As th e d.:"signer
e~chews superficial ornamenLation, thC" hands-on b uilding
proCI~ss itselt:_using lnvv-end technology and b;~sic building
fundarnt:ntab under do~t: supervision-m:erride~ <:ornrnon
•~ssumptions of"b~·a uty.''
Yupangco condudc~: "'l'hc house will d.c.finitcly grow
from its original con cept, as the occupants are free ro
change the spaces, tl llL~ making it dynamic.... Arc hitecture
s
does not t:nd with the an:hitect work; rath~r, the ;u"<:hi-
tectnre lives l)ll as its userli shape and are shaped by it."
ng a house 6). . .
Left 5cu pLural sL<( r·cases ;;we a
ha hrark of Rul'jji 1ayug'!> iPtericr~.
/1 CA k-St.<linP.rJ ··:lo,t.i1g" St.<lirW<l'y'
0
by th: eotr·:t descen:ls o':er a s~al

low r2flectiog :)Oul toa-:: :cotinu2a
tG th!! :Jctsi:J!!. woere it rirri; -::h;l
barr :::o:) ;1ar·den lan;:lscape.
Right f-rost.P.rl <~n:l c 2<1r gi<Jss
sre used t:; rraximurr :ffect i1
t 1is ··sexy·· o:•\·vder r:~:~rr. Ths
t··Clrslut:;l1t cut'de i1clutJe~ u
J,JI;:os~' w;;shb,;.,;in I.Juil L in_u a ~: l:;.,;s
Gcunte··t.q::. Wooden !>tep~ ;:.re
"IIOWP.rl b int.ol.:l~ :m t.hP. ~.:)888.
AI A r:nr/n Tengr:n
FORRFS rARK, IV AKATI CITY, MFTRO \~ANI IA
DESIGNERS RUDJI I AYUG & ROYAl riNFDA

RUD.JI I AYUG+ROYAI riNFDA DFSIG~J ARCHITFCTS
tengco townhouse
"Modern style is manifested in sleek, sophisticated lines and cutting-edge design,
regardless of the space available. Our challenge was to renovate an old Mediterranean
townhouse in Makati, to expand the space in appearance and size while achieving
sophistication, coziness, and timelessness." suoJI LAYUG
In this renurkable transtonnation of a 19SOs townhouse, forrns a poetic composition in contrast to the gardens of
tksign partn<::'rs Hm.lji Layug and Royal f>int>da l1ave •nas- Tl<::'ighboring l1ouses. The all-white ti·<.mt elevation now
tered the limitations of a small urban house;.-, a nampc;.-d, indudes clear railing:; around balconies, glass canopy ovc;.-r-
high-density sir,-, and resrricrive building regulations. The han~-,rs (to kr in light), and a.n inspired raised rooftop "rhat
re~ult i~ <l modern whire dwelling, a visual and spatial opcm up lil(e an envelope tlap~"Tropical wood. set agaimc
delight that st.md~ ouc trom rhc ruscic townhouses which smooth white ourcr wall~, i~ u~cd to fr,unc doors and
surround it. foor home owners AI and C;ula T<:-ngco, the windows, evoking Layug's concept of"Tropie;tl Modern."
grearesr achievernem of the restoration lies in the Iunney, Th<::' interior of the Tengn1 townhoust' is a fusion of
sophisticated interior beyond the streamlined f;tc;ade. innovative devices fi.1r spa<:e expansion, contemporary ma-
In rhis renovation project, the architects have SllCCl'SS- terials. and inrrigning design idl·as, all combined to achieve
ti.llly combined a pkturcsque "modern Mediterranean" the desired modern Mediterranean look. .Judicious cuta-
vision, an expanded space solution, and a sensory play W<lYS of the original walls vi~ually expand the living ~pace
of illlerior deLails. For lhe exlerior, Lhey opled f<w clean, outward, through picture gbs~. to rhe white wall bonlering
n1odern, and sirnple lines, with rhe lirnited fiuntage f<mn- the 1m. The living and entertaining aJ-t';ts on the ground
ing a stately presence. The (t~:ade, <:omposed of white floor exploit the landscape feature~. All interior walls are
planes and tloating slabs, enhanced by a single mature tree, painted white to highlight the:: house's design features and
66 '>lJO.JII j',vu; r. ROYI\1 ~ NFJi\

S7.97700-25H_Ph_Blad 7/12/05 11:41 AM Page 67
Veranda House 1
the owners' .tlne art collection and contemporary ti.mlirure. Frosted and dear glass have been used to ma.'Xinmm
Sculptural staircases arc a hallm<lrk of Llyug's inrerior~. etlcct. The powder room on the ground floor, located
ln the entry foyer, which is lined in light gray tile, a dark- beneath the wooden ~tairs. is a boldly designed frosted gbss
St<tined "floating'· stairway suggestive of an accordion, that cubicle with a clear gbss w<tshhasin built into an all-glas~
turns an L-corner •nid-air bt>f(m;• tom:hing ground, t(.>rrns e<.lurlterwp. Up~tairs, the use of a nJIIy rnirrored hallway
both a Wc:."koming statt'ment and a strong; graphic impres- leading to the bedrooms nmju•·es up a spacious feeling in
sion. The stain\<JY is plan:d owr a shallow rdkcting pool a passage lit by sunlight through larg(: glazed opening~. A
that continue~ to the oursidc. A picture window at the side second stairc1se leading up to the attic is borh sculptural
looh our ro the pool and to a bamboo g<trdcn. and "sec through''; accordion st~'ps ascend the wall with
The adjoining living and dining areas cornprise an voids in pbce of risers.
t>xpansive tiled space denun:ated by a tloating IJoJ·izontal The transf<.n·med third-kvel attic is the:." t:1vorit~ n.>om
console. The elegantly appointed s<lfa or living room is set of the Tengcos. Once a fiJrgotten ~pa<:e used f(Jr mndry
u ndcr a cantilevered floor. opnling up two corners of thl' storagl', it has been converted into a spacious and fll'xibk
house to the perimeter of the property. I luge sliding glass opcn-pbn fiuni.ly lounge and entertainment <lfea. Large
doors irarne view~ of the greenery outside, while sunlight rri,mgulated windows. sliding ghtss door~, and trosred par-
thnces through bamboo gntss in the manner of Oriental titions <~II ow views of the outside. The raised "envelope
paintings. A narrow water feature that hegin, outside the thp" portion of thi~ upper floor leads to :t viewing terrace,
foyer area continues outside the living room area. defining where one can ga7.e down on the crowded urban landscape
and unitying a wraparound landscape. ti·om the levd of the trees.
68 '>liO.JI I j',vu; r. ROYI\1 ~ NFJi\

Left I h" ili1::->inin;J living/.1i oj og Below I h~ :->rcP.-nP.;JI~r.t.~:-1 t.hrrl- Bottom I hP. riP.Rig<"~P.r f.tRir·•.,,n·)~.
areas :ompnse a sear-~less space le\.:e at":ic ·•.vas t"arsfc""m~c into a suggestive of an acc:ordic..,. -:L rns
demarcsted by a floatin;~ h:Jrizon- popular family -oom. _;;rge ~rian a carne'"' mid-air ::·efore t:IL.C1i1Q
t:~l c·:orsole. -he sa.•u hus glozec guloted v·.:ir.c:r...\'S, slicin;:~ gloss ;~round by toe entry. An J ousJol
:::".:.:Lure wi·ldl:··r"~ ;,.ud eu·1Lilev·:.:r·v:.: uuur·;;, iJ ·rd l"r·us L::c ;.JI'-'~:> P'->1' _iLiur:; w<;Ll'f' l"v<JLur·v rJ'I:> f'f'Ufll _hv l"uyvr
cuf'"lers J·aL visu<:tll·; ;;x~aml Lh~ ;:olluw '/iew:> ur Ll·e cul~ide al Ll·e Lu Lht> pt-r·i~·rer·al W!ll, Lh~" "'vf'li
,:;pa~e Lo 1.:1e out.er ·..-:all>> cf l..he loL leve :)f l..he ~ree~ ;:.nd ro::>fL:)p~. t..he ou:.cide t.:)'. .vB···d :.he GA•'EJ f.lrea.
tengco townhouse 69
4th 11 11

1st 11 11
Left All interior walls are painted Above right A fully glassed wall
white to visually expand the space conjures an immense spatial
as well as to highlight the owners’ illusion. The staircase up to the
fine collection of art. The art gal- third-level attic is also a sculp-
lery in the foyer displays a stone tural work: “see-through” accord-
sculpture by Impy Pilapil and an ion steps ascend the structural
abstract painting by Gus Albor. wall with voids in place of risers.
Above The front elevation (top), Right A glass canopy hangs over
longitudinal section (center), and the picture windows in the border-
ground floor plan (below) of the ing setback, protecting the interi-
Tengco townhouse. or from rain without blocking the
light. A lighted “moat” defines the
wraparound landscape.

montinola pavilions
"A large 'serenity program' called for a hou se that breathes; an airy and
ser ene setting .... Here is asymmetry expres sed in a free - f lowing plan, and
t r ans pa r ency seen through a scaled horizonta lity.... Her e among pavilions
around a courtyard will begin a series of family s tori es, inte rconnected ...."
ANDY LDCSIN
72 FOMEO DELFINft.CO 6 ANOv LOCS N

H ome ow ner Gizd a Mominola asked for a "living, breath- 1\vrelio m6 Gizeia M on t inc/a
ing hou~e "''1th a serene am bience and a peaceful Z en air, FORBES PARK. \-IAKATI CITY. M ETFO M 1\NIL A
where she cou ld commune with nature... , a tactile and
AR CH ITECT S ROM E O DELF I NADO & AND Y LOCS I 'l
textured house w here man and natu re: would interan ...
LEANDRO V. LO CS IN PART NERS, ARCH ITECTS
where tht:re is the feeling of rain on wet stone and rooms
that slid(• into one another...."
T he architects responded to both the home o-wner's
program" and to her w1~h to pre~erve fi1ur tree~
··~erenity
on the site, 1n particular a llU~•nificent old nl1tl'l1 at the
fi·ont, by creating an asymmetrical grouping of free- flowing Above AL ·•i~.<ill. L"•c c~·•Lury- :.>ld
pavilions <1l'Otllld a broad courtyard. The well-modulated !llil'l'<i L"·~~ brdi·•~J
iL ever Lilt<
fa·11i y·•> p•·ivat..e .;:)•.·•·:.yan:J ic
spaces on the spacious site feel comfi1rtablc, not intimid<lt-
r?.fiP.ctP.:i in ~~P. :oollining th ~
ing, a~ they grow and tlow together. There is abundant roe:litation pavilicn a~ left. An
spirit and transparerH:y arnid the house\ hori:wntality, along asym-netric;l grcur:iog of t hree
)JUVilicns. r;;~ --e>entiny thEJ h;;uc.
wit h $C:I'C:11e, rra med views acros~ the open-enclecl (;ourtyan.l !Jed;: <in:J L(ji :>I' tl •· :.Jn:l!JUn," i:o
tlf water pools, rock gardem, and lush garden greenery. place:.l F.ll'Ol lnd U·e 1;-·oad l;;.wn.
.montit~olo pa·ti!ions 73
2nd 7 7
Above left The an~ienL narra Lr·ee
is t:1e fo~al ~o nt. of the fr-ont
P.nt."FJncP. 7.0 t.hP. housP.. FroM in~rc2
th? courtyarj, the t ·es is •:isible
over the low yel O\•\' corr·:J:~r .•,..toll
lir <h~l the h:JL~e'::; thi'CL' IJ~Viliun~.
Left ne ct.arkoer.;c of 7-l'e wall ::w

th~ court;y·nr::t sic1F. ~~ ~~oft.~nP.rJ hy
a sir~ 12 vertical viev1ing slot and
a rock and sand garcso. Cctdoor
li\;htin~J t;y ~I.J8t:i:.>list li\;~tiny tl8-
GiQner· Tir·a =er·icJeL a:Jd~ a maQi
cal t.cuch in t:1e eve oi og.
Above -he msc itation pavilion.

closely c rc s ·lined by the swim -ning
pet:. UI.JI.J8W'S tu visJul y f out un
i L:3 :.:·IJ~ v•.:a L~ ··s. 0 "e:.;:3eU ·r s·,i :L.:],:
G:::reenG s·1d .~.;~!.;~."'·,.;matt.. it.. ·B a
pP.<lr:,ftrl "P.t.r~<~t. P.rrhr<~cP.d ~y
'>'·.ta-:er elementa.
Right Tl"'e '•'•.tC··:J:-2rcosed ·uirdov·JS

u f Lh~ J<:~iJtmes~-;; .yl~ Ill~(; ilr:r Lion
pavilic:·1 fra·ne Ge··ere ·.iie'NG of
t.h~ rP.fl,d. vP. r.oon. t.h" ;r..vimmin;J
pee . and c:~lonnaced V•Jal <wa~'s.
3rd 7 7
Left The dining room, designed by

Yola Johnson, expresses a Japan-
ese sensibility. Fine upholstery
fabric, a Venetian lamp, and an
antique obi table runner blend
with rustic Roman shades made
of native Philippine buntal.
Below left The wood-lined stair-

case landing is lit by natural light
through wood-framed windows.
Hugging the wall of the staircase
are Japanese-inspired modular
storage cabinets by wood artist
Claude Tayag.
Below right The white-pebbled

setback area holds a Zen garden
alongside the open corridor. “It is
a tactile house with lots of differ-
ent textures,” says the owner.
Right The sala, a collaboration

by designers Yola Johnson and
Fernando Ocampo, displays Asian
allusions, from the low quiet furni-
ture to the picture window over-
looking a bonsai garden.
The 11.-st challenge f:H:ing the :m:hitects was w incor- Zen sensibility of tile lady of the house, Cizda Mominol:t.
porate the century-old narra as the centerpiece of the ''The ove;-rall idta of the;- house," says r.ocsin, "is to accom-
home's design and to build around the other tn·es on the modate a large program without it appearing intim.idat-
sit('. The house could not be wrapped <ll'Ollnd the twrm up ing ... to lrame serene view~ of the home from every angle,
front, <\S there wa~ inadequate setback from the property while looking across water as th.:- central t(Kal point ... and
line. The solution was m build a low linking wall /)l!hiwi provide a dr;unatic experience through the sequenti;ll and
the tree-nmch like :t spirit w:tll-connecting the pavilions spatial planning of the hmne.
at both ends. Viewed from within the <:ompound. with this "The;- pavilion scheme is now very popular <tnd versa-
sleek corridor \\"all a.s loreground, the great twrm rree looms rile. giving tl1<· f(xling of a community within a private
fr,\med and "embraced'' by the pavilions on its flanks and compound .... We can vary rhe functions of rooms larer;
the warcry courtyard. chc ofiicc pavilion can be conwrted into a granny fbt
The overall plan includes three distinn p;tvilions in a when needed. The sep:wate units allow one to view the
dassit U-shaped htad-to-tail nmfiguration, rerninistent other parts frmn a6r.... Here will begin a serie~ of hrnily
of tht "dragon" t(>rm in traditional Chinese architecturt". stories, inter<:onnected... .'' Exterior wall~ facing the central
The main two-srory structure of family quarters and social hra.rden are treated as a series of sliding planes in varying
spaces, which soars to a rwo-story <Hrium ceiling over an degrees of transparency, while views fi:om the second tloor
indoor-outdoor lanai, comprise~ the "hc,\d'' ofrhe dragon. are tramed by c.mtilevered corner windows.
Attached m the other end of the low linking w;lll is the T<xlay, the .l'v1ontinob couple love the serenity of their
single-story offict pavilion, and at right angles to that, horne. Cizela reflects: "It is a tactile;- house with lots of
connected by a colonnaded walkway, is a japanese-style different tc;-xtures. including; yellow sandstone that will
meditation pavilion. which appears ro float on the large. show its weathering.... We hear the wind in the trees and
rippling swimming pool. the rippling W<lters. The house is never st<\tic; it shows che
The integration of water elements, architectural detail- inr~-rplay bct\vc~-n man and nature, the rain on wee ~ton.:
ing, <tnd landscaping reflects the ,'\sian concerns of the and gr;lSS ;lnd plants growing.... The big old mrrra tJ·ee
arthitects, Rorneo I)tlfinado and Andy Lm:sin, and (lf the sheds its leaves in winter, and we watch tinle and the
Locsin tirm as a whole, as well as the distinctively Japanese seasons shift around the house."
Below I hP. r::->nrP.c:t.i rg ~cn'ir. :->r t.:-> Right I '"'P. C:'.'•,'"'~P.r'!=', '11P.rlitPJt.ior
the rred1ta-::ion pav lion comprises room 1as a psacef J Zen sir. Th~
a p'"'ocesaion of s:-lid '-'·.tcoc =o- ro::>om a enc :~sed by alidi rg shcji
umns set c1 rm. r.c :c1cre-:e screens. its floors covered ·...vit'""
:.:·us:.:~. -lie :.:;uULie CU''Vl' ur Lh:..: tutumi muLs. T:.> L'u.: frorl, Ltle
ceilin~J ~= ives Lhe il Jsiun u ... ;.i p;jvilion leo<.~.:; :JLL l: .... er· Llu:• ·...·:<::Ler·s
r.;plaved r:):)f. of the ,-eflect.ive r.:ool, and c:n the
nth,- !'>id~. 7-C h.sh QFII't1P.n~. l.sor.-
Bottom Th!? front (left) and -ea-
scaped by Jun 0 8rerc.
(rigot) elevations o::>f the h:Jcse.
78 :;QII.CO OCL -11\ADO 8 ANCY LOCSII\

montinola flRoJiliom; 79
\,
cl.
··-··-··-··-··-··-----·-··-··-··6----
~
Top The nsrr.::>w ve·t':al slot in Right Se·ere -nant·aa emit f•oM
the at;; "k dividing wall ot :~e main the povilion refle:t2: in t,e pcora
enL-·u n ~e uii(;WS u IJeek 'nlu Lll;; ·\:,.:uL:.:··s. T·1e \.1unlinulu h:.>~..o::;e i~
C:l)uJ"L'{ t'll'<l !<<~·"den behr·c. c :)e .., Lo L~e •:;ou·c s of Lhe win::J
flnrl th2 1'8in-8,d thP. "int.P.r2·1.'ly
Above ThR gro.J,d f lnnr piFm oft. "P.
:·sbveen rra1 and nstur::'
houEe show5 the jux:a:>oai:io11 o:
ths three l'r <ed pavilions.
So :;m..co ocL -lr-Aoo a ANcv Locs1r-

montinnla ra•Jiiions 8I
1st 15 15

VALLE VERDE. PASIG, ~/ETRO MANILA
ARCHITECT EDUARDO CALiv1A

LOR CALMA DESIGN. INC.
atrium house
"I believe in architecture that is formed by the uniqueness of the site, the clients' brief, the clients
themselves, and the situation. I try to clarify an idea by subtracting what is not necessary to the
form until it has been reduced to the essentials." EDUARDO CALMA
The Atrium house is localed in a lypical 1970s suburban

enclave :H.ljacem to the ()nigas Center, one of ivletm-
politan Manila's outlying busines~ distri<:t~. The thomughly
modern module sits ar thl' base of an l'S..:arpmcnt thar
s.lopcs down ro th.:- f>a~ig Riwr. View~ of the speccacular
skyline of Onigas can he enjoyed frorn the lhird-slory
terrace of the house.
Designed by the Philippine's leading modernist archi-
Left [ntr·-; t:J toe Atriurr h:us2 is
tect. Edt1ardo (Ed) Calma, the house is ''a response to an
co the n~r:~ by ~~e p:oiroeter wal.
ulcn~J un '-'ll~rtwuy ut[:Jinin;J :.>r iJ 1- urban environment rhat has become visll<\lly chaoric and
wt·iLe pebbled one-r'lt>Ler·-·wide securily compromised. Its garden ,md views have been
ea!>ement. that. let~ ir ight.. Frorr
t.hP. front :-Joor· 01P. c:FJn SP.P. rig~t.
turned inward to the central atriurn-curn-rnodern white
up to t~e third level cf the h:use- courtyard-where light and wind are fllt~r~d."
and t:J toe s<y.
From the strl'ct, rhc strucmre appem·s as a giant white
Above The lluuiJic-hei~Jh~ :;ala
box articulated with ovcrbpping ..:oncrcte envelopes rhar
i~J Qi·o~en Qr'andeur· by rninirral
eleMe,~tr.r 1roc.1 a ... furnit1..1~e in <\llow light and air ro enter through long, narrow openings.
1P.ut.....nl 51nrJP.5 c.f ~rnv fr::~rr 8o The front elevation i~ dad with a solid slab of sandstone
::-r.cep-:a, and a lar;Je aoatract
:)aioting in roult.ple tooes aod
that highlights the (t~:ad~'s asymmetry. Entry is via the
textul'cs lly yuun~J wrtist Linds ~e. long entrance <llleyw<ty at the ~ide of th~ house, ~ince a
atrium house 83
-.,
...,
fet~(!slmi rcquin~mcnt dict.1.tcd that access to the house be on A glas.s \Vall Sl'parates th l· atrium fi·om the donbk-
the norrhcm side of the lot. hcight living room, which contin ues down to tht: one-
The entire house is introverted, its exterior shell m<1king stnry dining nook. The glass partitions enclosing all rooms
tl.tll use o f the 42.')-~quare rneter lnt, right up to the hnund- allow views of spaces within spaces a~ "veil ;\S the domestic
ary wa lls. This intmvt:rsion is strikingly expressed in the activities within.
three- levd !itrucm re whose living span:s are organi7.ed A grand staircase is the main foc:u~ of the atrium, it.~
~round a nine-meter-high ;:~trimu enclosed by a translucent stt:cl diagon~lli.J.ws and g11iho \vood railinsrs dr:unatizing
polyc~rbonate ceiling! T''-'O eucalyptus tl'('es provide color- tll(' central volu me. Four !lights of stairs lead to wide
ful accents in rhe aJJ-,:vhite atrium, at the same time high- lnkonies between romm, and finally to the highest level,
lighting just hO\'>' large lhis space is. Linear windnw slots the terrace-giving the att;um the feeling of ;l small
al low northern light to tilter in and al~o provide the occu- apartmen t building with a private phza below.
pant!) with glimpse~ of the pebbled strip that f<.1rm s an Bedroom~ occupy the second floor, with the ma.~ter
abstr;:~ct ''gru:den-path" all around the house. and guest bedrooms looking down on the atrium. The
Above hR int.Aro~Jr Is f-Caring r.rc
b·ight. A glass pa-t tio1 "'-al .;epa-
rates the aix-mete•-1ig~ sa.'a
fr:Jn· thl! ninc>-ffl!lts··- ,i~~ utriu·n/
c.;uurlv~:~nl. SLyii ~o::d UJv~r:; in Lh~
':'"''<! ''it.f.<r In lioht. f•·or1 t.i'e " '. ,.

r:lo. ~ c • rg t;~Arrlt'!n-pi!t.1 .
Above right Gectior view of the

At"'ium h:iJ39.
Right Ti'e en~ire h1) uoe i<:<:<o

i1wArr: t.n t.hf\ At.r .J'Tlknurt.yArd
'.J'Jindow siota allow 1c "'t1er1 1ght
t;, f i ter i1 t:1 t~a houee woi e £iv-
iog scoie ond comp;,sition to the
rnudc l"'isL ~:nvin.w·11cJ1L. L:;.>f'Lt:n:u
by ~wo euc:eivptL.o treeo.
atrium hDlU\A 8).-

Above T 1e atriur1 gives rise t:; Right The lofty voew three floors
the sculp~""al staircase, its diago - above the all -whi~e courtyard. Ho2
'"'OI ines dromatiz·n~ t1e upward t r orosluca 1t polyc or ::orote roo~irg
:;weep ur u·c cenLr·;;l Vv Girl<::. F~G r uv~ I ' . h-.: u Ll'iwn ulluw:; sunliwo L I.e
flig·1ts cf r.:Lairs lead t ::> V1ree peneLrE~te Lhe Inter ior. while the
"'vP.Is nf o; IA7P.rl spr~cP.s ~~ilckA~ opAn - Au' t.,; rr<~r.A f1Arr1it.s v"'r t.il<l-
O:·VCr the C:IL -tyard t:eiC\oV. to ~n fror1 above.
86 =Ollt.RJO ~/1l \1A

2nd 15 15

--
Above Fr·ur11 uuLLGIII L:.> Lur:;. Ll·e

gr:)r.. n:.l, cecond. '.WG t..hir:.l f o:)r'
plnns :-Jf t.1~ /\t.ru, m 1cusP..
Right He c~e1-sided rcofe::l te--

r ace on ~he west side o; th2 ~oJse
f':Jrr1s u ·nutl8r" V8nt'btic1 c;;ck,

allc·,.,in;J air· L:) row direcLiv i ..,L:)
the cent.1~a1 at. "ium ·.,vhile diot.ir.:at
ing 1P.nt. fror1 in51c :=:. 1·~w:J ')iP.IIc.w
=-antone fi:.E'"'glass :haira h3rmon-

ize ·.vith -:he 'louse·s purist set-erne.
88 :OUAROO ::AU/A
....
3rd 15 15

Left ~r'lr< ~iP.hl'y's ir:nr c WiggiP. third floor contains two areas at either end of the stairwell
chair takes price cf pla:e by the
:)vcte:l doors o; ~h: J:)oe- ter-
corridor: a library and a work roon1 on the east side and a
'"':.ce. Since moving i1t~ t1e house, larg;;- open-sido:-d roofed to:-rraco:- on the wo:-st, which allows
llle vuun~J h<::;ve Ueen
uwner·~.:;
sunset views of the business district's skyline. !3oth spaces
s:cuting 'or rwden desiQner
chairr.; t.o fill the ;JI'E!F.<t. expan~e. have large, pivoted partitions that can be angled to adjust
Above Frem the street, ~~e 1ouse the arnount of light ,md air llowing into the atriurn.
is a giant w~ote box articclated Designer Calma states: "Cross-ventilation is maxirnized
with c·~erlup~·r~ s-velupes :Jf ~cn
tlm.>ugl·l(lllt tht: house when tht: partitions on the third-
CI'et~ !l'ld ur~;. II;:II"'U'' illt~"sti.i::ll
cpa~er> for light. a1cl ai-. T·'e ent.'1'e level tc::rracc:: arc:: opened to scoop in the wind and dissipate::
10u~;e 1$ in:,I'Overtec, filt.erin;J
the heat fi:om inside the house. It's a modern house that
s~l~ctiv::: vr~'>'•/B tc. thP. out.sirJP..
re,\lly works in a tropical environment."
Below [a;t elevation :Jf t 1e house.
1
r=== ~
.II ......
./
I
"'
1~~
D
-,....., ...,..
......
,....., ~ 1'-o
§~
- ~"'1;
0
lh
~rn
-
I Ill
- .. -
..
"
..
!'===' -
1st 15 15

Left /1 ··tr~[JiC:A (;P.r.rgiAn" fA(/Ar.P.
IS defioed 1:·{ four bold, rcund col-
urons ·wappe::l in Phili:)pin: yaka!
v...·-:i·:o:t -he posts so:~r fr·:orr D
''('i·<e-f'uuL way" L:.> u·c wide- ::uvet.l

"UUf -in:>:)il'eU I.;·; Lhe ;:ii'CheL·;:)<:l
SinJap:)re >>'1C:0'1C:UGe
Right The coluron!?d h:Jcae ma<es

a l:c c ::le;igo sta-:e'T1ent over the
scrrcoJodirg t'en:e. The basic bcx
~Jel:rnel"'~' ref ~cLs i.i !-Jr(j~'lit: llw··-
zon~a iL'( blac< steelle<l(les a:t
ar; t.un r.:creenr.:. 8 t the t.ame t,ime
:•"Ot.P.Ct. rg P.V•/f rg- St';'IP. •Ni1c1C.\IIJB.
Agot Isidro 5 Manu.!:/ Sandejas
ALABANG HILLS. MUNTINLUPA. lvlETRO tvlANILA
ARCHITECT JEFF ISIDRO

THE AI•/PERSANO ARCHITECTS
isid ro-sandejas house

"This is an eclectic house-my personal tribute to the typical Singapore shophouse.
The front porch is like a "five-foot way," with the front door placed perfectly sym-
metrically between two framed windows. The fa9ade is defined by four giant tropical
columns and wide eaves; and makes a statement over the fence .... But inside, the
traditional merges with a modern white space. Modern meets old-fashioned by the
back stairwell, where a rounded wood banister meets stainless steel struts-and
feels like Art Deco." JEFF ISIDRO
The own en of this hmne are two popular media figures, shophouse!" says Isidro, "a rnodern interpretation of the
Agot hidro of tekvision, broado1.~t, and print, and Manu;;-I terrace hou~e ... almo~t a subconscious effort on my part.
Sandt:jas, creative head of a leading advertising agency. Dare I call it architecture by osmosis?"'
The well-trawled couple collcccs rustic wood furnirure 'l'he shophouse~a fusion of the rurrow, tronteci houses
and sentirnerual ideas, e~pecially from the lsidros's airy of Arnsterd;.un ;lnd the shop-hornes of southern China-
old hrnily house in Marikina. As newlyweds, they had was adopted in Singapm·e in the nineteenth century. It was
purchased an antique Chinese door, their flr~t heirloom, described as a honse with "a unifi)rm type of ti1.mt veran-
and wanted a modern house planned arollnd ir. Their brici dah-open at <lll times as a covered passage on each side
to the architect was tor <l "simple, very square, open, ,md of the streer."'l'h.is semi-public verandah, later renamed
easy house that was 1\sian-impired,'' a practical home, rustic Lhe "five-foot way," W<lS cared for by Lhe house owner, hut
yet rnodern, designed to allow tmpic<~l light and ventilation was shared by p;lssers-hy, plants, ch;lir~, pets, and bicycles.
w enter throughout. The lsidro-Sandejas house, located in suburban Alabang
The ;u·chitt·ct, Agot's brother jcfr Isidro, had spcnr eight on the southern l'dgl· of Metro Manila, is a conrcmporary
years in Singapore preserving; and retrofitting buildings. J Jc interpretation of the shop, terrace, or row house. 'l'he f<wade
had brought home to .!'vhnila the cultural inuge of"those is strongly defined hy <1 tropical colonnade i()rrned of f()ur
wonde1ful shophouses," where Chinese farnilies ply their bold, round columns wrapped in Philippine yo.~htl wood, set
trade on the sidewalk and nmduct their lives in the back <.m stone bases, which c;<.>ar fi·om the "covered sidewalk" to
yard. "So tl'lis is my personal tribute to the Singaporean the wide-eaved roof. \Vindows strad(Ue the central door.
lsjdro-sandeja.; house 93
The grand scale gives che house a "cropie;tl (;eorgian'' air,
\.vhile broadca~ting- a di~ tin ctivt' ~tatt>•nent to tht' ,'\labang
neighborh(.>l.>d, ('O Urtesy of b idn.l and his co-designing
parcner R amon S:~ utdices.
'!'he h ouse's box-like geometry is articulated with
fene~trations-black SLeel " ledge~" which act as panial sun
screens while protecting awning-style glass window\- that
contribute to the htmse's g-r;~p hit· ho•·i·7~mtali ty. De:;pite the
tall colonnade up front, tl1 (' house remains human-scaled
and friendly. aided by the familiar fivt'-foor way crcarmt'nt
of the pede~t r ian emry. The frolll porch is sLyled in wood
and c:ra:Ly- cut ameli stone as part of the designers' geometric
m oderni~t approach.
Entry is chrOllgh the antiqu e Chinese door, now set

in an architrave. lnside, the traditional ''shophousc" merges
with ;\ relaxed, all-white ho me, visually expanded with
an airwdl-n un -lighcwell, wh ich fimn~ a double-height
volurne (.>ve•· the t(.>yer. T hi~ " lantern" of retlected natural
li~ht :Ulccts the spatial quality oi the interior, dr:unatizing
irs utilitarian nature. The space then unrolls scamlcssly fi·om
emry to rear, linking modern saln to dining area to lnnai
:tud back garden. The decor is eclectic, arranged hy Agot
her~elf. an d comprise$ a mixture of rustic c .ordilleran or
lowland pieces and artif~tcts from regional Asian tmvds.
94 JCrr ISI)RQ
Another rnodern t~ature is rhe gla:t.ed stairwell le:1ding
to the upstairs. On the landing at the ba(:k of the stairwell,
a ground-to-ceiling wall of black ~t<::elledges and a\vning
windows lets in ~unlight and air. Isidro says, "The open
stairwell is where modern rneets old-t~1shioned <lgain ...
'' curved wood lnni~ter rneeLs sLainless sLeel sLnm-,md
teds A.-t Deco." In 6ct, most of the hoLbe's desi~'1l interest
is aeated through the selection of a var-iety of materia.ls:
natur<ll wood columns, horizontal stcd windows, otf-whitc
tiled floors, wood plank sr~-ps. rustic furnishings, and a
comly lllodular soE1 seL
The square gemnetry of the ntain home is counte•·ed
at the ba.ck by a two-vehicle garage whid1 intrude~ on the
ba..:k yard, at the 5amc time forming an enclosure tor the
deep, sqtt<m:: terrace which cxrcnds om from the sa/a. from
Opposite above left H;; t.,u -stOP/ left n(,l Art o!,l~C-irSIJir<;c s-:<;il"- the terrace, one looks out on an ample lawn and to the
·;,hLwel '"luler-n·· in Lhe e--,Lr·ance . . . . a·.,, mix~s maLer' ·a s: a CL r·ved ga.-clen planted along rhe perimeter waiL The U)Tners nf
O"ovide~ enough nat.ural light. \'-/CCC bs.,ict.er. ct.ainlecc r.tee
durin;) t.~e d<ly t.hFJt. ro il't. ficiFJI st.r.1t.s. m2t.<ll whl r<lils. <lnrl hl<lck
the terrace feature ~quat W<.K>den columns, which echo the
ghti 19 B nP.~:: ;:::.;:: . '•A•'hit.P. '•'·,·nils r.or- st.eP.I lerlges for sur sr.reenin~. thematic "Georgian" columns at rill' front of rill' house.
tribJte tc the ligh-:, ai--y feel. -he
Top -he CDSJDI y open sale feo- "1\vo triangular carved wooden panels attached to the top
tL res un ee :.:.:..:-:ie mix or dements
c c Chinese door ·was ths couple's
fir·st 1cirluum (Jurch;;.~e: th:; 1ouse of each column add a .1\tluslim accent: ''Th,ll represents our
f::>r- a l'elaxed A~ian lif~:>~.yle: eLhic
\'·JaG bL. ilt a ··ourd it!
fur1iture. a five- pie:::e sofa bv Vice
quarter heritage that\ Palestinian," says :u·chitect Isidro. The
Opposite above right Cirou1d floor nc .. A"d cult.1.r<ll <ll'ti"A~ts. eclectic mix of nwder-n dt"ments and <:ultural expression~
Above r ront s svstic 1. gel well with the owners' e<tSU<ll Asian litestyle.
,_
lsjdro-sandeja,; house
9)
2nd 15 15
Top Stony paths and a variety of Above The open-air lanai, where
tropical plants wrap around the indoors meets outdoors on an
house, up to the spacious grass araal stone patio, is the owners’
yard by the lanai. The home owners favorite lounging place. Two more
deliberately chose the most dis- wood columns bear ornate corner-
tinctive varieties to plant in the details—“carved elements honor-
side setbacks. ing our Muslim heritage.”
96 JEFF ISIDRO
Dept : DTP D/O : 13.07.05(Job no:73845C1 D/O : 25.07.05 Co: CM6) Dept : DTP D
Right The win:Jow truutmont cono-
oincs &wnin~J- :Hylc Q13:59 panQIS
:>f.!low t:1e v,indow r,ill ao'<i wood
:>lin::!~ AbnvA it.-An Allusoor t.n
the ventenil!ss (lottie windo·.vs) of
traditicnel =>hilippine wood housee.
Below TI1o lan~i i9 wher-e th:; t·crnc

c....,.r.ers entertain et ,, Qht· ·corn·
:>IP.t.n \ \1t.h 'I Ofil r.<~nd'F!s for At.-nn!':-
:>here. The sirr.ple square geometry
of the h:~uae is accompanied t:y
o scp.:~·oto volurro forming tht:
9<~•'a{J(). aL ri!'.lllL.
2nd 11 11

Dept : DTP D/O : 13.07.05(Job no:73845C1 D/O : 25.07.05 Co: CM6)
10 Pedrosa pp98-103 10/8/07 3:21 PM Page 99
pedrosa courtyard house

“Architecture is ... the making and preserving of space: space of depth and energy; space
that is full; space that can be felt. Those that inhabit it—people, objects, flowers—are given
presence: presence through contrast and the reduction of elements to a minimum. Elements
at their most fundamental ... a tree, or a chair, or the sky ... are set against bare, unadorned
walls. Eye and mind are not distracted by superfluous decorations and are set free to per-
ceive more purely.” MARTA PEDROSA
Alber to & Carmen Pedrosa One of the most striking houses in Hillsborough Alabang,
an upscale subdivision south of Manila, is an austere rec-
HILLSBOROUGH AL ABANG VILL AGE, MUNTINLUPA,
METRO MANIL A tangular block pierced by tiny windows. Passers-by label
it the “big yellow cube,” or “that Barragan house in Hills-
ARCHITECT MARTA PEDROSA
borough.” It has been variously called a smuggler’s haven, a
mortuary, and a birdcage.Those who understand architec-
Left Treading an unusual path,
ture take a second look and say, “What a beautiful house!”
home owner Carmen Navarro The yellow monolith, sitting solidly in stark contrast
Pedrosa ascends the monolith’s to its conventional suburban neighbors, is bold, disciplined,
amazing dual staircase installed
between the structural walls. and graphic. It was designed as a “celebration” of the tropi-
Thirty-three steps climb in a cal sun and sky by a Filipino architect trained in Britain.
graphic V formation from the
ground to the third floor!
The daughter of journalist Carmen Navarro Pedrosa, who
Above left Ground floor plan.
writes scathing columns from within the monolith, Marta
Pedrosa would spend idyllic summers in the Philippine
Above right The mango-colored
monolith is a cubic volume with provinces while she was growing up, experiencing the
tiny square windows and no roof tropical environment. Conceived as a project that chal-
over the courtyard. The big bold
block is adapted from a traditional lenged the eye and mind and honored the “dominant sky,”
house of the desert. the new Pedrosa home was built in 1998. As the young
pedrosa courtyard house 99

1st 11 11

architect explained: "foor 1ne, the sky was sornerhing to he
celebrated, its beauty to be fix:u~ed upon and enhant:ed."
Pedrosa's first major work was blessed with pafect
clients, her parent~, who !:tavc her total fi·eedom to do
as she liked. The resulting nussive but rnininulist l~unily
abode is a purist work of art that explon:'S rhe ''intemity
and variety of the daylight. the f;tst and rdentless strength
of the rainf;tll." As Marta reassured he•· parent~ at the time,
"De~ign begins with che first reaction to the ~ire and ~ur
roundin~; even before the pragmatics of the brief. All

decisions tlow from the distillation of the response.... You
will only ,ee the virtue of rhe house when you live in it....
Any jm1mey up or down or along a hallway becomes an
intense spatial and sensory experience."
The lines of the Pedrosa house <\re indeed severe, mini-
malist, and unembellished. Its color is bright and hold. like
archetypal Luis thrragan. The house rakes its influence
ft·om Marta\ one-time mentor Claudio Silvestrin, a leading
minimalist architect in London, whose credo is as pristine
as that of the In<\Ster 1\tlies van dcr Rohe: "Less is more."
Despite the architect's purist bent, rhe typology of the
J>edrosa hmne is, in f;1ct, adapted fi-mn a traditional rnociel:
tht adobe home of the hot/dry Middle F;J.~tern destrt.
From Morocco to Tunisia, thick-walled, fiat-topped homes
arc built to cope with abund,mt sun and heat and little
rain. Distinctive l~atures of the Pedrosa tropical adaptation
are rhe pbcentent of windows high up on the fa~:ade ami
tht inclusion of spy-holes and ventilation openings; the
shady courtyard: and the roottop where the occupants c:m
retreat ati:cr sundown. Like the typic\l adobe house, the
Pedrosa courtyard house features a double-wall system,
which drives air through the interstices, called the Venturi
n>Oiin~ efl;;.n. The house's bright •nango <:olor abo helps
to reduce heat gained during the day.
Tlk· monolith was designed to be "cnigm<Hic" and to
elicit "appreciation and ~urprise when entering the court-
yard." ( )n the front elevation, a square spy-hole and the
dark r:unp going down w the hasernent car park are creat-
ed as scu.lptura.l embellishment~ on an otherwise pla.in
fac;:adc. Once through the side door, the incrovcrted fa~ade
opens up to a cobblestone courcyard, <l kind of private
park between apartrnent buildings. A lone tree and a stone
bench stand ;tutong the t(mr rn;t\sive walls chat soar sky-
ward. Traditional ~paces mch a~ the living and dining; areas
and the kitchen open directly otr the courtyard at ground
level, all facing; inward to the ce:::nter.'fhe theme remains
Pedrosa\ dorninanl sky: the sunlight overhead qualifies the
0 pposite 1\ lc 19 t.unr~l akylight. Top Th? :otranc: r the far left
angled lighr and sh;ldows through the day, like a ~undial lig1ts th: librar··/ c1 the mezzaninE cc"nar stands "ear o c1e-r1eter
over a hollow space. The hig-h walb provide a g-iant fi·ame flo:Jr. whic" spana ~he widt~ :Jf the ~~:.~uw·c SJJy-hule which ;JiV:.:<::; u vie\·'.'
of Lh:: SL"t>eL. .4. LhOu!~h L~e COur'L
for viewing the sky and a tows tor thl· inhabitants. The h:.>L.~e ..... :..>LI'n;Jiist Curr11en ,et:Jr·c~i.:l
wurks Ull~ l::·<eliJelcw, ul U·c l.;us:: vard "C.~>::e is "eni~)maLic·· on Lhe
designer cxpbins: "'fhc enclmurc captllrcs the intensity of ~l·e addi t.icnal l::cc <G·•el•teG m.t.sirh~.. thP. :-:.:-:r.uprwt!=> nsiriP. o=w
of light, shadow, and sky and is filled hy the infinite depth (right.). r.1 <l S2"iP.p, r.f t.R111P.!; lin~c spct anvone ·..vho approache-s.
of the night sky. lr is a void, but the space is full-of sky."

LP agsins-: t1e SJ:.por-:ing Viall.
Above rrom on orrote choir in t1e
yn:und fluur :Jininy •·cu·n. une h<J:;
J>edn.lsa muses on her minimalist leaning;;: "Contra~t o ,. 'JelecLi·.,.e vi~w" of '3<V an:J ... r·ee::;
is the best way of enhancing and tocusing the senses. A be·;ond ~l·e :erimeter wall.
pedrosa cou.rtyard hous12 IOI

1st 11 11

0 pposite 1\ solit.<lry t.r~<P. in t.he
ccurt ya "d enjoys be r o::;f les.o void
~r.: t1e dominant sl;y. Hi! tropi-
cul P1i ippinc ~unliq1t on;;lcs th~
sh'-'t.luws L·u·J~~h U1c uw c.-cr·

Vte hou:>e. lilo; a sur.cial.
Left The <lrchit.ect celebn~t.es thf!
t"""Opical ~ <y ttrough ~tart< con-
t""':ls~ Drc the reductbn :>f :lesig1
ebncnt~ t:J ;~ mi1i"TIUI""l. Murtu

r'~U ··usu S i:"jS. 'TI•c Cllci;)SUI"l" . s '-'
•;-::.id, :)l.t. the space ·G ' ull •)' G<:-i.'"
Below Rear and left side eleva-:IOI"oS
of t 1e =edrDaa h:J ... ae.
Bottom Ruur·•~ urc ·<icwcu uc r·ut~s
V1e cour"Lvewd. The ine'J or Lhe

h::>L.se are severe and une1tl:el-
lis~~>rl. -::~~< r.nlr.-f. t: · ight. ll1rl h ~lrl .
OOJ:)Ie-thick corcrete wa Is 1elp

to <eep t~e ioterior ceo .
0
D
g D
D D
simple unadorned mass offers the perfect contrast to its

surrounding; .The meeting or Lhe earLh and sun is cele-
brated hy a stn.u:t1.1re with mfticie-m scu lptural presence-
to address bt>t h without being ove rw hdmed by eithcc-r."
T he monolithic structure comains si.-x modest bed-
room s on the cwo upper lcvcb. with a continuous con-
crete hak ony r imming the courtyard below. Every room
b:L~ small '·sdl:'<:te-d views" of sk )' an d tre-es, and ku·ge inw-ard
views <.> f t he cobblestone cou rtyard and bak onies oppo~ite.
Finally, there is the house's most stunning interior
feature: the dual staircase. Behind on.:- massive full-height
\,,,111 o n o ne side of the courtyard are two mirror-image
staircases, each .13 steps, 6cing each other in a giant V
form atio n as they climb within the supporting walls-
from the grou nd level straight to the third floor on ~·ithcr
side! The long di<lgonal ascent toward the ovcrhc,ld sky-
light spells an " intense spatial and sensory experience"-
just as Marta Pedrosa had a~sured her f:unily it would. At
t he t<.lp of t he nw nolith, t he roof d<:"ck is ideal f(>r viewi ng
the neighborhood, for entertaining, and fi.1r star-gazing.
pedrosa courtyard house 103

2nd 7 7
verandah house
"We design from the interior outward, favoring the courtyard form, where we can man-
ipulate the space through compression and expansion. The goal is to create a separate
world, isolated from the urban scene, and to duplicate the relaxed feeling of a resort
so that you think you're at the beachl" MILO VAZQUEZ
MAKATI CITY, METRO to~IANILA. When architect Milo Vazquez rehuilt hi, old f:t1nily house
in the nowd.ed suburbs ofQue7.<.m City a~ a resort-like
ARCHITECT MILO VAZQUEZ
VAZQU::Z & ASSOCIATES
courtyard home to recall "the relaxed f(.~ding of a resort,"
the house C<\Ught the attention of fUSsers-by and won new
clients who wanted a similar slice of his "separate world.'
This new white resiJencc in Mabti City thus origi-
nated with a reque~t for a courtyard-type Vazquez home
"but with more modern touches." \Vorking within a con-
fined lot with h.:-ight restrictions and walls on either side,
Left Gu:ats tc the house are .md L<lking imo <Kcoum the clients' needs, the architect
\'ll'elcomed not oy the Js ... u foyer
:>ut IJy u ·,r,,:i:.k U-shu:.:·.;;U .:..:urridc;"
designed ;l (:-shaped "t(>otprint" which 6ce~ inward m a
elevaLe::ll'i·,e :3Lt>P~ ever· a srral three-sid<:."d nmnyard. Th<:." house in dudes a spacious bast"-
crocs thir. :::olumne:j
a·-'~·"1, Tl~ey
mem bdow and an opl'n deck on top.
•iP.r<'!nrlF!h t.n <'!rr·ivo; Ftt. t.ho; living/
d r rg pavi ron st the :rppos te en::J. 'l'hc £1c;adc of the house is ulrra "tropical modern"
Above G osa sculptures by nom:rn without being scarkly minimalist. White ,md restrained, the
Jrlin<; <J"L' tJis:;<;·;::d un t1e i1sitJe fine, linear volume with its ash-shingled n>of bears just one
wall ::r<[:)inin;! v·e ·,er·andah. Lit~hL
frorr t.hree r.c ·t.1CI es ent.E:rs t.1e

retro accent: giant gray-brown metal louvers placed at both
11 10VPJtivP. ~ 1P.Iving sy~tP.n'. levds on the from. This sumhade system. which alludes to
verandah house 105

Below I hP. in::P.rior nf thP. h~IJf.P. is Bottom I ~Po gomm:-1 flnnr pl<~n of
the : "eath:e V.'ork of d~aigner Jov -:he Verandah h:lLSe.
Fi'llentei-Oominguez. Lr.c:o its
Right rc·red ··ro~a·· s:ots i1side t~e
1ig1, v~ulted cei in;:~, the sa.•a feu-
enL--;;.r.:..:e ...o Llle lluu~e J..W:Jvi:.::.:· i..:
Lures Lr·uoici..: fJ··nis·lirl~l. e:.: :.:c ... ic
\:iev.· ac..··oss V1e L-shaped C:)Jf' ... -
P..si;jfl occ::;f'L:3, on;~ mur(jl Uv
yar:: elevated c\ier five ;:;:..er.:f:: to
Fer:.lie rv1ont.er1ayor -he ~ente···
::hF. ~;:;.•n r:nvilic:1 ._,.,. t.h it~ c1 B::in:-:tivP-
:ler.P. is A ~li8P. t<w:o:]l.e ch<~n:l81iP.I'
pitc1ed -oof an: raised floor,
coMposed cf aixteen slabaster
re'Tiinis=en: :~fa Oalinese bale.
g :·be larroa ·:,,.ith alurr·ru'TI s.,••,;..;a.
106 'viiLC 1/AZQJCZ

the wooden shutters of Sing<lpore's colonial homes (<l fav- end is a hu·ge airy pavilion with a distinctive Asian pmfile:
(Jritt' d.t>tail of tht" hornc:.- ownc:.-r), can bt: a(ljusttd ntedt<tni- a ltigh-pitdted mof and raist>d platt(mn (an allusion to tht'
ct.lly to tt"mptr tht' tropical light or w let in bree7.e~. Four Balinese bah:) that drop~ down t<J the side lawn. This raist"d
peepholes on the fa.~·ade lend an air of mystery, while the >ala. which has toldaway doors on thrn~ sides, is the (:nter-
lack of large windows helps to deal with the ati:crnoon sun rainmcnt heart of the courtyard home. The .1\.sian scheme
that plagues that side of the house. Being highly conscious features ~trong red accents in door tramc~ and window~,
of Manila ·s tropical we;uher, the architect has made sure blue light.~ along the tloor, Art Deco or retro furnishings.
that tht' ''house opt:nings are all facing southt>ast-where rustic/ethnic wm1d details, and thoroughly individualistic
the rain doesn't enter during the northwe~t wind~. So a.cces~onc:"s.
insr,·ad ... one can e1~joy th,· rain!'' The L-shaped verandah leads also to the ti.mcrional
In contrast to the wb..irc modernist ('Xrnior, the interior spaces on th(· ground floor: the fi:onr studio-office, a guest
of the hou~e i~ colorfuL pan-Asian, and eclectic, infu~ed roorn, kirchen, living room, and ~cair~ down to che large
wilh neative "surprises" by collahrmuing <lrchilen/designer audiovisual den. The spaces flow easily one imo the other.
Joy Pitnentd-1 )mninguez. Cuests entt:r the houst: through The two tnain spatial dc:"tnents at this public lt:vd, the
<t. ru~tic door paneled in beaten bamboo, to be greeted not central courtyard and pavilion. are similar in area---seeming
by the usual foyer but by an open-air courtyard. On the far to nlimic each orher in an architectural yin and yar~S?·
I07
Above left Ao:jjustab e ~eta I Above right Thu f'-'~udu ut' thl'
ouvurs at bottl level:; uf tilt: 'lOuse ·s uiLra ··Lrupical modem"
··1ouse. insoired by L.he saLted wit.hout bein;J starkly minim81i>3t..
''hutt.ers cf Sing?[lOI'e's colonial ·1 hP. f1nP. l.r.~nr vr.hJ'TIP., .r.tP-;;wnt.~c1
1omes-marlulate light and a1r. w1th a cle3n wh:te metal fence srd
as~-shingled roof, 1n.:ludes- a base-
Above front eevatic1 (top) a1d
-nunt und u third- eve! duck.
cross sG··:;tiun (t;ottofll).
Below right The Gpiral stair·c:ar.:e
Left l'he sepa1·ate ~~ala ravilion.
~nrli'1Q upst.nir~. sP.r..U'P.:-1 ·within
ll'llt1 1t!; fnlrl8W8Y gi<JSB rlnnrs on
a glazed and pebbled stairwell
three s:des, srr.eoeoth ._,.,..,ite ccl-
:>ehind sliding doors, is the home's
umns. traditi:lnal 2xt2ilded eavea,
sh::rwpicco. It is ;:oo-npos:'d :Jf solid
und pic tL rest~uu viuv.. s ucrcss U1;;·
r•a:n~ IJianks and welded IIIC'tal
irner ::ourLvar:j, ir; the ooc·al t'·ut·
:)ar·c cappe.j bv a Gin ..~ouG raili no
of the Ifere ndah house.
The bedroom kvd i~ an:e~sed via a spiral stairGt~e that

is tucked away from public view by wide ~liding doors.
Dchind these panels {veneered with "tiger wood") stands
th.:- archit.:-ct's sculptural statement: a showpiece scaircas.:-
in rich nana hardwood lrimmed with welded metal bars.
The stair base springs ti-mn a pehhle-covered bed (which
may b<::' turned into a •-eflection pool one day). The ~olid
plank steps grow wider as they rise, guided by a smooth,
Sl'nsuous banister, and spiral rwice around to rhc second
and third levels.
Finally. ar the top of rhe spiral steps, a llat roof deck
atop the house contains the laundry area-a rather
LHIOJ"th(J({()x but ve•·y p•·actical C:()JKept! On nne tropi(:al
nights, the open deck doubles as the owners' private lounge
and bar, where they entertain under the stars of l'viakati!
1st 7 7
Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing - Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books) p109
S7.97700-25H_Ph_Blad 7/12/05 12:41 PM Page 110
16
zobel rest house
"The desire to create an environment that's restful, peaceful, contemplative,
and meditative; the desire for tranquility and harmony with nature ... is the sole
influence in the materialization of this house. As the Japanese say, 'If you reduce
everything to nature, it feels at home.'" NOEL M. SARATAN
l'nt.sy 7obP.I H A/on.so HnlfttnP.r Calatagan, with its r;unhling cattle ranches and its 6rnous
mang-o orchards, nestlc~ at the tip of the Batangas Penin-
CAl ATAGA~. RATANGAS
sula. These rolling lands have long bn·n private havens
ARCHITECT NOEL lvl. SARATAf'.J for the sryli~h rest houses of the scions of the old Spanish-
Filipino Zohel family.
When Patsy Zobel fint pointed out to her architect,
Left Th~ 1cus~ i;; "·.,em..,eu ur Noel Saratan, the rugged spot where she wanted w build
Filipino moder··l" i··1 ror·11. i.~ l'lOSL
a modest rest house, he was entranced by the windy site
d·c~in:Live feature bein:.~ a :lo~ri
1rmt. ron-= \'l.tith P-xtr;:: ·. .,:iriP. P.~VP.S. and the opportunity to cro1.vn the property with a gem of
Below ~he thres~o d. the stee rnodern architecture in harmony with the land. Immedi-
scapensic1 footbridge ia an aes-
th~tic elem21t ~~ot con:eptc<J ly
ately, the image of a house on s1iiL< carne to rnind, ''an
Lie.o Llle ll:.>cSl' Lc Llle n;.;Lw·ul :;i.e. elevated h<.mse to ~how what i~ going on beyond: a beautiful
Above tntry to the reGt. houGe little cove smrounded by mangrove forest. a sea of tranquil-
th~ tr:=:c:1t. onn ~i·'nng C:"
IB -=rc-:.-11
ity tucked on the iring;cs of Pagapas Bay.'' It wa~ a natmal
F1lipino g-ounc flcor under the
11ain house, amid 11ultiple w1ite ,md inspired rake-off point.
colur-~ns. There urchi-:ect Suru-:u 1's ''The only thing Ms Zohel required of rne," recounts
'IIUUCI'I'iSL WUUUt:ll ~I'll :>urruunus
Lhe open cta·rc:3Ge acc:e·ld.P<;; to
Saratan, "aside fi·om a modest three-bedroom unit, was
the sal;:, alignment with the view and the sun's path. She wanted
zobel rest house III

to ~t:e the ~ea. t he: fore.st, and the su nrise and ~u nset on Above Tre sits of the v: "1\5Cular
Fili:>ir.o rrcce-n rest hou~e is
either side:' Saratan \ design th us rakes full advanragc of
perfe:t: th& hoJS& faces a sea-
spect.acular views of Lhe sea, mountaim. and sk.-y, and the silli! s~r-il>l! 01 the ~<:st unll u
landlocked valley on t he nppmite ~ide. To capitali.:e on 13r.c-based 9J··oseL on the we«t.

the breathtaking sea~cape, t he architect rai~ed the hou~e Right /1 fO'M~IIAWn tNrAr.A r:1
t 19 eas: sic e of the lam;,; ia fc •e-
on on<:H tory- high "stilts" fi·om its perch atop a sprawling grcund f ::>r the lar.cacaoe oeyord:
plateau: t\vc ury concrete columns clad with the ·white a b;;autif ullit: le :c·{e ~·Jrrounded
l.ly nour.~; o·ove ft: "es: un t 1e frirp;s
lilnestone rock of C ,tlatagan. The rnain home llnts ''tloats"
::>1' Ptl~C1t:C1~' 813'{. T··oe ;;,o'Chi.ecL
above ground le ve l, providing a "fi·arne" tor the little cove • ~<'11F.<d the l·o.o,;;e ''M.o"tlng 1 :J:Jc."
bd~>w! Capturing the natural envimns within his arthitec- ::~r _it.t.IA CovA.
ttH·al de~i gn , Sa.ratan bapti·7 ed the rest house "Munting Above r ight The ar chitect · aised
t1!l str J\.::.re un une -stor~· ";;tiltii'·
Looc" o r Littk Cove. su thut th;) orui 1 1ULIS\.: "flouts"
The architect opted tor fi.)rrnal symmetry in his design. ::>n a ::J::>~blt> •:oeoa·•eLed) l:;et~n
a bow~ v,··,lte llme$tOr'l~ coluMns.
"In archiLec lltre you try w find <l sense of ordet· from what
1\t. gr:J.J0 d lAVAl, t.1P. OpAn - air IRnRI
t he site td ls you . T he c:onfiguc-ttion was determined to be serves !>a e ''frame' fo • t 19 natu -
one Qf formal symmet ry. The p lan is in the s hape of a crQss. rot view i1 the diston=e.
On its latitudinal axis is the housr itsd( to cake <ldvantagc

of the view s. On i t~ longitudinal axis arc the complcm.:-n-
Lary el ernen L~: the lo rmal garden terrace to the e ast {sun-
ri~e) aut! the h:m ging bridge to t he west (~·unset) ."
The ho use is '' w:.rnacular f i lipino motkrn " in styk,
exuding a linear horizontality within a crisp silhoncttc. Its
most distinctive fc<Hurc is its roof. which is formed of a
succession of three high- pitched structures in Jlat brown
tile~-like s11lakots (native hats)-with extr;l wide eave~. The
woode n ho use below "floats" on a double (~eparatc:'d) beam
above whir~· limcston<.· columm. Under the dom.inanr rooi
arc sliding glass p<lncls, which allow light and wind ro enter
and also prov·ide transparenci The house has the feel of a
mode rnist hah.zy, but o ne still clad in vernacular materiah.
As Saratan say~ . " \Vrightian linearity is very evident; it's an
;1tte mp t tll <.'ombine modernism and tradition."
112 \IOCL \1 . SJI.AAT/>.N

QC Preflight Point
73845_CTP_12 p110-119.qxd 06/08/2005 04:15 Page 113 QC Preflight Point
7 7
4th 7 7
Above Ths sc..•v ia cl:.c in rustic Right .A £"est -oom feoturea whit:
fr·utcriuh:)~ r~tnG .;;.russ ~1d ·nu- cuttun f.>:Jver::; un t.Jef.lstei:l.:.:~ ·:·iith
h:);:)t:~r-'; wood r<; fter'G on Lhe 'ri~; ~ t:amboo de La· Is. RusLic r:.mc ceil
pitched Ge ling ;:,nc pane c o~ r.:ep;7 i1gc 2we GOir:)lement.ed wit.1 lil.'nta/
shP.II en t.h~ aidP.s. I ~~ furr shing (81Fih<;w p<~hn) s~<~rlfl~- t.h<~t. -nu7.e
is c:,y Vola J:;~"son. The ph:;to the aunlight. =oom cor"era open
rr :Jr toge is by Jaime Zc :)el c s t:~ \r'i2'•/'JS cf the rol·r.£ l:~r•.::acv:-e .
.Ayu U, r:.;ts'/s t'wt~er.
II4 \IOFI \11. S.I\Ri\Tf,N

QC Preflight Point
7 7
5th 7 7
The Zobel rest house is approached across a modern

sandstone-tiled bridge over a two-level cascading pond and
down a natural limestone driveway. Ahead, the elevated
house looms high against the skyline. A formal lawn terrace
on the eastward side of the ground-level lanai leads one
down to a view of Little Cove.Westward, below the thresh-
old, a spectacular steel suspension footbridge connecting
to the next hillock conceptually ties the house to the site.
The entrance to the actual house is a modernist wood-
en grill arrayed around a staircase ascending to the main
living/dining area, reminiscent of the stairway entry to old
Filipino bahays.The steps rise to the sala under a pyramidal
six-meter-high apex, a place for relaxation with untram-
meled views on all sides. Saratan explains: “The rest house
is actually conceived as a giant porch, exposed on both
sides to capture the breezes and the views of the morning
and evening sun.The wide-open living room is the sim-
plest space in the house, comprising just the basic geometry
of post and lintel, with glass panels that slide away.Wide
roof eaves give protection from the rain and sun while
framing beautiful views of the landscape.”The master
zobel rest house 115
p115
left Rustic mater a a are han:lled Above Th2 rraio volume of t~e rea-:
w'th finssse and st:-;le thrcugh- house is lik2 a \·vide, c :-en J:C '"'C'l
cut t~e house: capiz shell panels, ..vith wooden sl~t ru.lings c1 either
tungilt• ·:·iGc:.; J.lUsts unll rui in;J~, s· :.i:.:·, lleeJJ ~:ilunt:_:.c :_:.u·..·es unller the
and runo c-e·linQs. Bevond Lhe aa:a. ,·oor, and Qian L gla:3s pane s Lha L
the cant.ileverec 1rast.er oecl "oom s i::le ewav-allowin:J t.l•e Calatf.I:J<I"
iB ~u~~ort.P.c1 hy r.oh.n'1S:: nc1 r wi1ds t.c flow t.hi'CIIgh.
I mestone reeks.
A ight T1e roman-::ic master sc ite,
Below The frv1t clcvuti:m :Jf t 1c llesi~reU '::l'.J vc:~u Juhrsun, irdulles
Z:Jucl l'cst house "l:'/C'-lls its furmul '-' fcur-j:;cstcr Ul':J, u butuku v"
r.;vr·)rreLry, "Lr.; :Ji~LincLive ··naLi·o~e .r-adi Lional lowl[Jirl[J c:h<~i r·. <~··,d
a
hi'lt:' -li<P. high-r.it.r.·lerl ':->nf>~. Flnrl (:1i1P.~P.-:-~t.vl~ ;:,pnrnn'nr nr~ wnrcl-
it.~ ore-st.o-'{-high st.i t.s. roh:=:. FinA V.'O"'P.n fnhric:s o.= hu.••ta.•
palr1 ar.c s.:•aca vine :tress t 1e
room under the s u1t2·:: 2uves.
II6 \JOCL \1. S..O.AATI>.N

3rd 7 7
bedroom occupie~ one end of rhe house <ll1d two guest
rooms the or her, thcir corner~ open to views of the roll-
ing landscape.
"The kwk of tht" house was an atto;-•npt to nnnbino;-
mod.o;-rni~m and tradition. \Vrightian lint"arity is tht"rt", but
it i~ tlu: more than two-met<T roof overhang throughour
rhat plays the dominant role-the traditional Asian roof
overhang is clad with rhe natural textures of 111n,, gr<lSS and
wood, underlined by very linear columns and balustrades."
There is ;t special spirit within this extraoRlinary tloat-
ing home made of ordinary materials which doe~ indeed
Ill
mah· it "n:srful, pcacdi.ll, contemplative. and mcd.itatiw.''

A~ a fellow modernist pur it: "The architecture and site il
phlnning of thi~ house speaks remarkably well of s,waran\

sensitivity and al1iniLy Lo the site, and his clear understand- 1!1
ing of how Jn;tsses can he composed to articulate ;t desij:.,'ll

idiom f(lr the tropics. His creativt" eye interplays horizontal
and vertical lines into an arresting al·chitt"ctural whole."
II8 \JOFI \11. S.I\Ri\Tt.N

Opposite above I h1s mnriAr1 llRI'IR)I
::.r st.il-::s AX.JCF.s r.. linP.a " hn1' zc 1-
tality wit1i1 a crisp E l~oOJette.
It; distiro:tive feature ·a the roof:
three hig1-::·t~~oed ;;t,·u~turas
~U'<elttl i·· flat lmJ·.v·, Lit~:.; ~~~•n

bling sa:C.i:or...> (rative I' at~ J
Opposite below HA g-ouno:: f oor

plsr iE ir the shape of a c-oss on
whi : ~ the h::.t.ae iE i~r:x:;.;ed la-:ibJ-
:ill'~ ~I t:J tuk!! u:.t·;untuga cf the

sufl'Ouncin~ vie-.vs.
Above I~"' sit.e j:: an s~·::>ws t.hA

formal ga-dero terrs:e to the east,
fac·rog t1e sea. arc the harging
bridg: to -:he west.
Left -he •·esL house is e.pp,·oache::J

acrcc& a moden :::aPcct.c 1e t iled
bric1g 2 OVP.r B tv,tC'!- 2'./P.I r.~~r.A ct If ~
·.,vater gar:~r. He tv;enty C•:lr -
:rete colcm1s lining -=~e lenai ar e
:lad wit1 the ble~:hed li11estone
•·u~k typi~ul of Culc;tuyun.
zobe! rest house 119

zobel hacienda
"The rest house has a Zen-like feel amid principles of Asian Modern design: pared-down geometry,
mostly rectilinear, and cubist in bent ... using stone, glass, concrete, and water surfaces, inter-
faced with one another, to achieve planar interplay. Clean right angles on massings in clear glass
and rusticated masonry ... achieve an elegant restraint well carried over into the geometry of the
modern vernacular roof." ED LEDESMA
l 20 ED LEDES'M•. a ANDY LOCSIN

Visiwrs to the weekend home of Fernando and Catherine FRrnnndn 5 Cnth el'in P. Zob P. I
7obel <.l n
th ~ rambling family e~tate in Calatagan. Hatangas,
CA l ATAGAN, RATAI\GAS
de5c.ribe it as dq.,•a.nt, 5cn·ne, and Zen-like- "like a temple
on a fidd."'l'hc house is built in the form of a ~cries of ARCHITECTS FD I FDFSMA 8 ANDY I OCS N
rnodern pavilions with a distinctive profile reminiscent of LEANDRO V. LOCSIN PARTNERS, ARCHITECT S
an o ld Japant.>~e ten1ple. The dark slate roof with it~ three

point~ and iconic cros~ed rafters ;md finials. is the home\ Above -he re:ol huu:oe ~:~lludt::> Lu
a .Japane~e t.emple in Lh~ f ield••
crowning glory.
nf Cnl<lt.8;JA1. l::l<!t.F>rgas. I h?. SIAAk
Owner Fernando Zobel calls his family rest house vernacular roof. v.tith crossed
•·.Bahay Salakot" after the native t~umcr's conic,\l hat, but rafter.;, o:rov·Jn.; a ritual ent)'
IJUVilicn r;~·>et1 un u h;.wi zu n ~;~
this is wo hurnble a narne for this ;twesorne Aman-like l)•{";;~rr·. :J uf :>l~p~ i:IIIU !JUI:II'dt:d
"temp le," whic h houses both a treasury of ethnic ,1\si;ul bv t..v,·c t.erracott..a hort.e$.
LObelllocierodo !2!
Above The c1·;.uruLic uppruuch :m
a :cun~l"f road l"l'ed wiL-l ocunain
viiP.FI. I h!; rP.~t. hou~P. f rst r~ppP.AI'F:
9mic a ~c"izontal :Jiaoe of adobe

·,,;;11 ar.::l ban- :>O:l grc·,·e. Cnt -y s
Lrce"' t ... i.; .;:0'"'1""1·: Zen-like. wccc-
,...,.Lerctl (:;uvilic·t
Left lir~1.re f lee· plr~ n nf t.~P.

ZobP.I :.avihc-~ ocuSF..
Opposite above l :lrgitudi1ol

scctic1 [tup) thr:)"g~ the living/
dining a1'88 an:! frcnt eleval·or
(belo,.,) of t·'e house.
Right A unique water f eature
ha"alds the fron~ ertrr t he ::Jper-
uir r;c·t·~u scppurtl'C lly bc r· e;.~ I
Ln···ls is SL f'f'OJ'·1ded -:;.·.;a shallo·N
wat.erl::ed filled w't.h river ~tone.:;.
8y f ;Jht., t.OIS Wflt.P.r'y' piAnP. fP.-
fleets toe hou~e 'Nalls src iroterior
ligh~a on its SJ"fs:e.
122 =0 I FJFSt/t\ !1 i\NQV I OCS N

art and an abundance of modernist design ideas. The house The rest house demonstrates the Locsin parameters
embodies the much-vaunted Asian Modern look of rhe of grace and beauty-proportion, scale, symmetry, and
Leandro V. Loc~in firm: a sleek vcrnacuhu rooflinc, a recti- rcpctition-~tarting with a dramaric appro<Kh within r.he
linear living ~pace, and serene pavilions t:Ormed by pbnes Zobel estate. Driving along the sandy ro,1d, one first dis-
of stone, glass, and water. The weekend home was lovingly cerns the hahay with its pointed rooftop~ suhtly peeking
designe::d by Loc~in\ managing partner, Ed Le::de::.~ma, whose:: ove::r a thi<:k grove:: of bamboo. CI<Jse•· Llp, "Hahay Salakor,"
passion tor architecture is almost equaled by that of his located on a rise. displays its vast hori10ntal orientation
client: "The house has a Zen-like feel and an elegant amid a landscape of rolling grasslands, searnless skies, and.
restraint in its geome::try. though somo:- may call it se::vo:-re." in summe::r, bright bougainville::a ho:-dges.
The m ain erltl·ance to the house, re:Khed directly ti·mn O nce p;1st the wooden doorway and the '\pirit wall"
the mad up a pyrarnidal flight of steps, cmnprises an 1nter- behi nd it, decorated with a carving in the fonTJ of an
esting al"(:hite(·tural '"'·ater feature: a fi)ur-columned open abstract w<.><.>den w heel. a large central area with a soaring
pavilion guarded by two tcrracotra horses, stlrrotm<kd by " natiw" roof composed of wood rafters and planks hous~·s
a 5hallow pool textured \Vith gray river 5toncs. Thi5 wide, th(· grand living and dining areas. In comra5t to the cool,
horizontal plane of w,1ter ar the entr,mce blemh beautiiully pbnar exterior, rhe ambience oi the interior is warm and
wiLb the venic.:<ll \.vbiLe walls of the EH;<Ide, which are in Lropical, achieved by a paleLte of eanby oranges ,md sunny
turn softened by corner windows. Natural light floods the yellows and a fi ne collection of ethnic Philippine, lnd1an ,
interio r du ring the day, whi le at night, lights from the and Thai art and anit:u:ts, put together by the:: 7.obds'
home rdkn ()fi the wa ters outside. interit)r dc::signer,Johnny R amirez.
1 24 =0 I FJFSt/t\ !1 i\NQV I OCS N

Left _ n:.f~•· .h:; H;Jh-viLdt~:.f
"t.Slic3l t>::l cei in>J, ce~iWlt>r· .ohrory
Kami'"e7 t-ar; :::hccer a "Harrr. f'AJ'lr1'f
:.al"'t-::P. for t.hr. dP.cc~. ~umibm~ by
Bu::lji _;,yu;~ blends ·.;.:ito the Zctels'
·:ollecti:m :~f T 1ai and rdian s rti-
b:ts ond ='hilippine fine ort.
Above T ···e di ··•i ··,g a''t'o i8 ac~enl

ed wit:' PhilippinE: wood ca•·• rc;o,
r a :l f1, rnit.. J~fl. anrl F!n F>O~ (:fl
textured 'llural by L. Carsting.
The stunning pier:ed roarble :;anal
from India, fraroed in c:mcrete,
sc'"'e2rs u staircase leading dcvvr
Lu Lh~ :.ie:tsemen L.
Rig ht !::ide pavilions cff the great

-onM cnrtF~in fu'llily bFdmc11s. I h~
•;older, :c-ridor featuree a oa - k
tr'b:.l f ig re from ~he ::::~rdillera, a
: 1otogra1= 1ic compo5ite :Jf 51 ells
='i Juimc Zctd c;; Ayulu, und un
elegan. Japanese l..et'lple Ionia .
5th 7 7
Left The back patio demonstrates

the house’s restrained cubist
geometry under an elegant ash-
shingled pitched roof, one of the
hallmarks of the Locsin firm’s
vaunted Asian Modern style.
Below A seven-meter proscenium

without edges offers a panoramic
view from the lanai. The lawn rolls
onward to the promontory, then
tumbles down to a small cove with
a sandy beach.
Above right A cluster of rain trees

reflect in the indigo waters of the
swimming pool under with the sun-
set skies of Calatagan.
Below right The architectural

water feature at the entry to the
house provides a reflective sur-
face for the interplay of planes
and materials. This tranquil meet-
ing of stone, concrete, portico,
and pavilion then merges with the
splendid gardens beyond.
126 ED LEDESMA & ANDY LOCSIN
4th 7 7
Leading off the grand sala are two side pavilions, which
contain compact bedrooms, all well appointed with four-
poster beds and decorated in exotic Asian themes.The
home’s service areas, including a large kitchen, a casual
eating area, two guest rooms, and a rumpus room for the
children, are located in the spacious basement level, acces-
sed by a flight of stairs hidden behind a wall inset with
a magnificent pierced marble panel from India.
At the back of the spacious living/dining area, the
house opens up, completely and magically, to a broad
lanai framed by a seven-meter-wide opening, which allows
magnificent views of the Calatagan landscape. An expansive
lawn, dotted with majestic rain trees, rolls eastward toward
the sunrise. At the far end of the lawn, a deep blue swim-
ming pool shimmers between the sky and the distant sea.
Beyond the Asian Modern poolside gazebo, the lawn rolls
onward to a promontory garden, then tumbles down to a
small cove with a sandy beach.
From the Calatagan promontory looking back at the
Zobels’ pavilion residence, the formal architecture of the
restrained and elegant house harmonizes perfectly with the
grandeur of its setting. Clearly, the architects have fulfilled
the Locsin firm’s ideals of proportion, scale, symmetry, and
repetition. But they have also combined these with a sense
of drama—in the approach to the house, in the focal entry
point and, above all, in the modern vernacular roof.
zobel hacienda 127
wright redux
"Thi s res idential project combines Italian hou se planning principles, American
'less is more' practicality, Japanese modular design discip line, and Filipino
notions of comfort and ease." JOSEPH ADG JAVIER
I 28 JOSFPH ArJG J)WIFR

In recent yl·ars. various architectu L~ll styk s have cvolv~·d LOYOLA GRAND VILLAS, MARIKINA, Mll RO MANILA
on the spacious lots gracing the sloping streets of Q uez.on ARCHITECT J::JS EPH ADG J AVI ER
City. In th is eye-catching house, rhe large lot has allowed
th e architect the opportunity to introduce a numher nf
<.lifl~rt:"n t d t:"sign id eas, as well as pmvided ;nllple parking
~pace:: f't.>r cars and fi>r the planting of a stand of encdyptus
trees. The clients' brief to their architect, Joseph Jivier, \Vas

that they \\'anted <Hl "intelligent, rl<ltLll'<llly lighted home"
Above He ~etro ·et.idenc:e .,.,,j :.: h>Linr,:l..
inspired by an eclectic mix of intluences: Philippe Starck H·r~nk lloy:i •,v·igh~ Prr~iri R-~>t.yi P. un:if'lr -
and R ich<trd Meier furniLure, prewar Mable Arl lJeco tones, wi~b a float rg ground plane, multi -
ltoust:"s, an d Vit"trmrnese retro colonial furniture. They also lsyered mofs, an:l s white and beige
p·: st~;;. T1e futristic entru1ce pavilion
;•spired to a " modern sophisticated look and the in terna- ;;nd t1i "f.ll1ln ::; wini.J Cllluue l,u Lhe u wnl!r ':;
tionnl ted of airports." 3ir c.:<:·~oo bw~ire~:;~.
129
Above l\ ·............ight.-likf!' :-:b or·..\'8')' t . rc ~r
I
mo
me lti 3'(2 "e::i ro::;fs opeos tc a d "'Y
miD c:·J'tysrd. T1e house's main com -
DO
~ ponents il"e ~rroy:d rot·:mol '1
IT uruunt1 ~ hi :; upe1 sp;_;..:;e, t:is~luy·rg
=o= [(]0
3E38
ID
D
n-=
GLr'VrQ Rorran i ··r f"luer-ce.
[][]CJ
Di i i Opposite ;\ gunroet<ll t.f!.:hno
-
!-- 11==9 m::adern arcade paved ir ~ranite
lbd
I lea::ls t::. t~e stai11ess s tea ::loor
r===l ut th~ frunt ~r.truoc~. Th" trs li~.
tr.Jdi::ioll'~ ~: mudt: of wuud, is tcrt·
c:>ru~<Y.JE'd of welded -rre\.3
Lef t I 1P. =mrt [t.op) and rp.a~
[t:ct~om) e E'Btieors clearly reveal
tte flat 'TlUitilayer ad roo=a.
nnm
11-rll
l I~
Cll nn
p DODD ~~
g ommo
DrnrnD
I=
0D DtJ
II D
li""1'
r==o
~~
.JOSF PH AJG ../\VIFFl

The an:hitect obligo;-d by tksigning a rnodern Art Fr<.Jnt the gunntetal techno rnodern fenct", which f(.>l-
Deco-inspired residence <:omplete with courtyard geo- lows the slore and bend of the road. a. fuwristic entrance
metry. The home fulfill~ many eckctic notions, while pavilion and trellised arcade (the usual wood dct<lil~ trans-
p<lying decorative homage to hank Lloyd Wrighr. "'fhe heed here into welded steel) lead to the tront door, where
ide,\ origitully was LO design Lhe house in lhe posLwar a quirky l()lly-an airplane wing-is suspended, alluding
Manila An I)eco revival style using techno rnodern to the owner"s air c;u·go business. The stainless steel door
languag;t," ~ays y<.mng; architect Jo~eph AdC Javier. ''That opt"n~ into a g;lass and g;ranitt-lined sa/a, a well-lightt"d
idea evolved dynamically as we wenr into construction, bur ncutr<ll space. Sunlight streams in through fi:ostcd glass
with the home owners in the rok of project marugcrs. walls, reflecting on polished white floors. Door~ slide <IW<IY
The couple's preferences carne lhrough in lheir individual \Vi thin sandstone-tiled walls. Javier notes: '"The main slral-
decisions, with the final pmduct coming together as ;t egy was w provide a sequential experie11ce. The corn hi-
hybrid of Italian, American,Japant"se. and Filipino style~ nation of suspense and mrprise is used repear.edly by the
with a modern Art Deco articubtion." modification of the volumes and mas5cs, the contrast
'fhc house is, in effect. a rctro modern take on the b.::t\vccn wood and glass, stone ,md steel. Consideration
suburban bung<llow wilh distinctive hank Lloyd Wright W<IS also given to the couple's signature furnilure pieces.
f>rairie-style overtones. The main horizontal lines are artic- The interiors should nor cmnpete-but r;uher highlight
ulatt;d with Wright's distinctive rnultilayered mof.~ and the furniturt and the art insitk.''Tho;- IJ<.Jnte thus rakes irs
extended water funnels complcmcnr,·d by wraparound distinctive ch:u·acter ti·om a collection of renu modern
top-hung glazing, while the exterior sur£1ccs, comtructcd furniture, ranging ti-om Philippe Starck chairs to Claude
oi a variety of nuterials, are in a white and beige palette. Tayag cabinec.s to a Vietnamese colonial wla set.
The fas;ade includes ;t rnix of wnnd t:Jscias, sandstone In line with the traditional courtyard house, the main
riles, stainless steel doors, white f>VC window fr;unes, comrono;-nts art arrayed around an open, co;-nrral space.
;md fi:osted glass walls. J;lvier mentions "the strong Rom;m (Italian) influence on
v;rigf>t rsdux 131

the space planning .... T he Domus, a popular house fonT•
during the height t>f the Roman age, was used a~ a pattern
for the placemenc of the spaces. It is practical, because it
brin~ the outside in , and vice versa ." The courtyard was
originally meam LO hold a Luge k..1i pond with a bridge
tor crossovers from one component to another. The idea
t>f t he pond w:t$ dropped, howevet·, on the ground5 t hat it
wou ld be coo diffi cult to maintain. and the green 5tones
of the courtyard were rearranf:tcd instead in the form of
a mini plaza.
Only frmn the steeply slc)ping road does one see that
part of the hcmse is built below ground.. A large ;.trched
gla~s panel frame~ a wooden ~tai rca~e chat zigngs dow n
three kvds to the children's bedrooms. This exposition
glass window dcsign-homagi' ro Wright and Louis
Sullivan- took three rnonths to make. Jlvier explains:
"My rnain design influences are fo rank Lloyd \Vright, ~ h i n
Takamatm. I. M . Pei , R ichard Rogers, No rman Fo~ter,
Rcnzo Piano, a.nd L(:a.ndro Locsin." He also believes

strongly in working within the philosophy of David
Chi ld~, one of the senior partners of Skidmore, O wings.
and Merill : " Heamy is a piece of work th;H can hoist
you in a pr<.>k>nged suspension of disbelief"
- . I
1
l _.
I
..-OJ[[]
~ ....
~ rnrn ~~
II II
.IOSFPH AJG .. AVIFFl

Opposite above (; ass dec ·s slide Above Sunlig ~t. st.rilFIM5 r t.h1'0ug1
awav w thin sa1dstone-tile::l walls, frosted glass walls iro this ''intelli-
saving o bright c ::en possoge gent, nc turol 'i lightsd ~c11e." net-
:J(;t,~een the yru1itc-linc:J dininy ' ''" ·nu,krr furro't•-'r~. ineiJ(;iro;J u
and livi··1f.) ··oor·):J. Vie ... fv~·Yie:3e .':..~·'~:~ oe L "'rc·11 =·fr·1a
AI '~ A C hlroA~tl fn:"I:'\I)<;AtP. rlispl~y
Opposite below Lnngih.::lin~l
CA!'lP. by C Aurle Tayag. er·1phP.size
se:tion o: ~~e Retro residence.
t 1e hOI"le'a Art Csco i 1spirations.
1 33
3rd 11 11
DN
UP
134 JOSEPH ADG JÀVIER

4th 7 7
Far left This modern white bath-

room features a double basin on a
floating plank console. The smooth,
rounded column extends from
ground level.
Center Paying homage to Wright,

architect Javier “floats” the house
over the ground and clads the
façade with a mix of sandstone
tiles, frosted glass walls, white PVC
window frames, and wood fascias.
Left Also adapted from Wright’s

Prairie-style designs are these
modern water funnels extended
off the layered roof eaves. The
drains lead to chains which guide
tropical rains to the ground.
Below left Main level floor plan.
Right This bright hallway lining the

dry courtyard gets its high-tech
look from the white PVC window
frames and frosted glass walls.
Below Reflecting the owners’

eclectic taste, this wooden set
outside the master bedroom
dates back to colonial Vietnam.
escheresque mans1on
"The house is a living organism that capitalizes on the attributes of site, context, and
program to achieve a dynamic equilibrium; a constant game of drawing curiosity and
providing discoveries." JORGE B. YULO
Left r··1e f::)l.r Lie"ec sLairc:ase

is t.1A nrga 1i7ir :J AIAmAn:: nf t.1A
house. l::s des :Jn-an in::rigui1g
play of masses and voids, posit ves
ond ne;;<:tives-cleu-ly demon-
sLru Lv;; .h~ c ~signvr';; sJ :.>c "b
C:)nLr:)l of abs LracL ~oncepLs
and mixed maLe"ialo.
Right T1e back of t1e mansion
appears likE a £isrt bi-dcage '1Y
the :6th h:Jie of t~e Alobon:J G:Jif
c:.>LI'SC. T·1v irm·1vnsv t:ur•sL"ud u·
c:::>ncrete. ·~t.eel, a·1cl c; lass derive''
from a raUc:nal 'llf.ll.''emat.ical
Module hy Rr~hit~~t Jc -ge "ulc.
AY.l>.l A .td AAANG, lv'lJNTI\IIIH1 A, lvlFTRO lvlANII A
ARCHITECT .JORGE B. YL'LO, JORGE YULO AR::HITECTS

& ASSOCIATFS
Ay,Jia Alabang is a gated residential enclave whose central section is locat...·d around a golf
course and a coumry club complex. The prime lms are those that adjoin the l~1irways, as
n:~sidents can enjoy not only picturesque views hut also greater privacy. One of rhe grander
hou~e::~ in the enclave is the multistory mansion commonly n:.·ferred to a~ "the binkag;e::."
For the owner, au avid goiter. the site was a dream come true: to have a front row seat at his
favorite sporting arena! The new mansion by the green was designed by Jorge Yulo, a fellow
golfing emhusiast.
Th best capitalize on irs location. rhe house was elevated at the front and articulated
fi·om basement to bedrooms with a modernist metal and g;las~ g;rid. This mass of nmcre::te,
steeL and glass frames the Ala bang Golf Course at the 16th hole, Par 3. Colters putting
nearby often braze at the magnificent "birdcage" set high over the gn·en. As soon as one
J:JRGF A. YlJI 0
1st 15 15

73845_CTP_15 p136-145.qxd 26.07.2005 04:22 Page 138 QC Preflight Point
2nd 15 15
Left Ground floor plan.
Below The architect, who admires

Carlo Scarpa and Maurits Escher,
leaves his signature in the graphic
floor of the basement. The optical
patterns are inlaid in varicolored
stone. The modernist furniture
is also by Yulo.
Right The staircase springs from

the basement floor and climbs
45 steps to the top deck. By night,
the security portal—a unique
intermeshed steel gate—is shut,
locking up the massive home at
the ground level.
Below right Through the sala’s

multiple layers of glass and steel,
the golfer-owner has an enviable
front-row view of his favorite
sporting arena.

4th 15 15
enters the house from the street side, one is greeted by

dramatic views of the 16th hole and the surrounding
fairways through the multiple layers of glass and steel.
On the street side, the house looks quite different but
is equally impressive. Architect Yulo had the site, which
formerly sloped down toward the road, reconfigured, rais-
ing the front entry about one story above street level.
Soaring upward some four stories, the grand modernist
façade is composed of solid planes of concrete, stone, and
metal. A short, steep driveway leads to the front portico,
softening the lines of the imposing structure.
No windows face the street. Instead, a few openings
in the multiple solid planes demonstrate a new way of
articulating light and privacy. Says Yulo: “The placement
of walls in the street-facing façade seems arbitrary or short
of a prevailing logic. However, each solid element is corre-
spondingly aligned with a front-facing window to inhibit
direct visual access from the street, while allowing much-
wanted reflected natural light and ventilation to enter the
house.” Beyond this sculptural façade lies the great “bird-
cage,” its inner spaces vast and deep, and well lit with full
glazing on almost three sides.
Tensuan Mansion on the Green 139

Right -h~ open ~>ir· deck a L Lhe
fo\•rth lave for•rc a la•·oe terrace
voit.t'- nlC""A Vl~'•'lS Of t.h A fRin'lA'f5
s1d anot her csrtilevere::i bar. The
f lee·ing is natural, crazy-oJt a:"aal
s-:ore with o pe y~ret •one CO<Jting.
Th.; l;.~IJ L<.:n'I.JC>: is u kJull;,ll'y u•~~u
by do:.v. b~l an ou.c::>or loJnOe ·.•ilh
~uhi,;t. ilmhiAn~f! hy nigh'::.
JCRGF A. YU 0
2nd 15 15

Left I h2 r.P.nt.-F>I <;Xi~ nf t.h~
11ansic1 is tta1a at'"'iur"l-stsir·...vell

contaioiog a dazzlir£ [scher-like
stairway composed cr steel,
CUIIL"'t:Lt:, uml wuuJ. A u11iqu::
c;,:mLi ~vt>reU l:ar :xL::;··Us u ""
a con~-el..e ~tep!
jLl\t imide tl1e ti·m•t door lies the central axis and the
organi7ing; dement of the mansion: a ba~ement-to-cc::iling
arrimu-stairwdl containing a dazzling Escher-likc stairway

compos.:-d of ~tecl, c.mtilevered concrete, and wood. Com-
pri~ing 45 ~tep~. the stai•·case dernomtrate~ the de~igner's
supe•·h play of solids and voids and rnixed •nate•·ials. Of
the atrium-~tairwell Yulo says: "The hou~e i~ a betrayal of
human cogn.itiV<' perception. The five senses are used as
tools co orch.:-srrar.:- space, torm, and rime into a ental ex-
perienri,tl performance. It is <l g<nlle of dualities and juxta-
position of opposites such as solid and void, dark and light,
hard and ~ofi:."To the ~ide of the ~tairwdl is a small ekva-
tor, installe-d for the USc' of the owner's elderly father, which
docs double duty by also acting as the ~tiffcning, ~tabiliz
ing ~tructure in the giant rnodule.
There a1·e rnore designer surprises in st<we in the rnan-
sion. From thc:.- c:.-ntry level one can look down to thc:.- ottlce
area over a unique:: terraced system of lilmu·y ~hdvc::s-a
fascinating Yulo creation. In the ba~cmenr there is a vast
optical illusion (]oor de~ign-the architect's signature--.md
out hy the swimming pool abstract ornarnemation deco-
ratc:.-s and dis~"'.lisc:.-s the utilitarian pmnp roorn. Eve•·y bath-
room is a unique "designe•· space," containing a ditlerent
expression or new experimentation. Yulo is constantly
experimenting with i<tr-ouc ide,ts and unu~U<ll nuterials Above He d·r·r~; room on ~ha
1\wenud·Lilt:L'·n;cl;.;"flll.lin(ku"
to create unique washbasins, counters, and clo~ets.
look,;; ou. Lowarc L.he loV1 ..,c e
Yulo has also placed cocktail bars within the st•·ucture. ;1~P.P.n. H:1rw-t.r:-r.P.iling g n7i·.. g iP:
Down at basement level. the magnificent staircase extend~

:onf gured i1 standard ocrizontal
~ls.as parels. focil ta-:in;J ;.q1 ne:-
one concrece step horizontally ro form a mlique bar on Essary rEo acemErt o.: panes.
<l c.mtilcvered beam! Up <lt the fourth kvcl, the open-air
deck yields a large terrace with views of the 6irways-
and ;ulother cantilevered haL
Yulo's intricate desig-n demanded two years of hi~ time
and some 150 drawings! I lis ,mention to detail .is evident
everywhere: in the metal frames for the extensive glazing,
in Lhe pivoted door and wood-veneered partitions, and
in the architect-designed furniture. The E~cher rnansion
involvt"d rigorou~ mathematin and c:.-xtensive hori7.ontal
continuity throughout the spacl'. Rl'marks Yulo: ''Thl'
owners will discover patterns in every dirccrion.'l'hey will
not grow easily tired of this house, and \viii realize ,md
appreciate the harrnony as the rnodule unf()lds. With
t;tmiliarity through usage and <liscovc:.-ry. thc:.-y will gain a
d.ifrerc'nt and more' matme c'xperience, a sense of home."
escherS~sqLie Jnen,;i~n 1 43
2nd 15 15

3rd 15 15
Left Sloping terraced book-

shelves act as a divider outside
the home-office. The wooden plank
in the center forms the banister.
Visitors to the house can look
from the entrance down to the
basement over this unique shelving
system specially designed by Yulo.
Right A raised-edge swimming

pool complements the lines of
the rear of the mansion. A series
of “false” roof modules gives the
elevation a traditional Asian pro-
file, concealing what would other-
wise have been a wide, imposing
roof deck.
Multiple planes of concrete, stone, and metal Down by the poolside, the pump room bears an Every room and corner contains points of inter-
prevent direct visual access to the inside of the abstract modernist gate designed by the archi- est and function, such as this green glass block
mansion. A steep driveway raises the front door tect. The house involved some 150 drawings of by artist Bobby Castillo that comprises the
midway up the façade, thereby “softening” it. exacting precision and proportion. bathroom sink in the master suite.
escheresque mansion 145

2nd 14 14

luz studio home
"If the Atrium house is a peep box and the Knox house is a camera. the Luz house is like a
camera aperture. As Arturo Luz is a painter who is sensitive to light. the window openings
in the living/dining area and studio are carefully sized to allow just the right amount of light
into the space" EDUARDO CALMA
Arturo G Tessie Luz •.o\..rcuro Luz is an icon of Philippine modern art. I lis pro-
lific work. which half a century. influences as well as
~pans
VALLE VERDE. PASIG, METRO 'vlANILA
tbvors the cultural landscape of Metropolitan M<tnila and
ARCHITECT EDUARDO CALMA
tht" rest of tht n.>untry. City lit!;- has always bten a tlttntl;'
LDF CALMA DESIGN, INC.
in his art, and so it was only natural that he chost" to build
a honl<' in the cenrcr of the metropolis he knows and lov(:s
Left Th<! 1uus;;'s ~~mtr..,l "'t"ium so well. The new urb,m house was al~o <lll opportunity to
is :3 LL r 'li "~1 ·:.:ul.JisL SL iLe i11 eUuny
consolidat.:- his personal art collecrion a~ well <\S crcari' big-
;j
and ivor·.,. . MB~;r.;ive •: t ..vo met.er

S=ll.arP.~ n'>t.ura -t.P.xt.ur"d sl<~bf> cf ger and better studio ~pace. i\rturo and Te~sie Luz chose
;t ,rnallish lot in a tniddle-class subdivision just off the 0•·-
1:: ack slats. ir1porte::l frcm lr.cia.
f:Jrm a scli:l base "or ~hs insar
•u1itf:~ ~t~in;~::;8 vi~it; y dimllin;;J tigas central business district, and commissioned the son
up L:.> L'•e Lhinl ;,·,el. The ;:~11-l.;lack of lifdong friend and archit<'ct Lor Calma, Eduardo (Ed)
ar··nchs ·~~~~are b·.,.. 1e ~.:orl~uGier.
Calma, to d(·sign a modern studio home.
Above -he artist's studic ~c11e
The house, like many of Ed C\hna\ modernist designs.
is ar intr:-verted •u1ite box: \•\'i-:t-·r
o high whit~ fen: e. T1e dominont is<\ great 'Nhite box where the main organi:t:ing elernenl
ac~enL :.>r Lhe f•·c·•L ele•:;:~L':.>n is is a large centt~tl atrium. Hecause of the lot's ~rnall size. the
a r10derni.:;L conG"eLe :>.lll>>l•ade
P.Xt.P.nr!P.rl nvP.r <1 t.a I t.1r~shnlrl T.u7.s' atrium i~ also tht: main living room. The entry i~ a
'Nirdo·,.v-an Ec Calm3 l"'al mark. cc:ntrally locared two-story passageway that rakes visitors
I47
5th 14 14
direct from the front gate through to the main sala space.
The two-story passageway is shielded from views and the
sun by a concrete sunshade placed high above.The passage-
way also functions as a perfect gallery for displaying the
artist’s work, such as his retrospective of white wood reliefs
from the 1970s held during the house-warming.
The Luz studio home is divided into domestic space
and space for the artist—both work and social.The studio
is located on the west side of the house, along with the
living and dining areas, public spaces which can be con-
verted into additional gallery space when necessary.The
east side contains the domestic areas: the bedrooms, service
areas, and garage.This functional division is visible from
the front of the house, which is split in the middle by the
front door canopy, an extension of the gallery corridor
inside. Above the door, the large concrete sunshade breaks
up the front façade and forms a privacy screen over the
glazed threshold.
Above The ground floor (top) and

second floor (bottom) plans of
the Luz studio home illustrate a
masterful use of a small, narrow
lot to create gallery space in the
expansive living and dining areas.
Left The front entrance leads

to an all-white, double-height
passageway which doubles as
a gallery for Luz’s relief art of
the 1970s. Beyond the overhead
bridgeway leading to the artist’s
studio is the soaring black and
white sala.
148 EDUARDO CALMA
QC Preflight Point
14 14
5th 14 14
Right The same black slate floor-

ing in the sala is carried through
to the glassed-in minimalist dining
room, providing continuity and
visually expanding the space. Its
double-height ceiling, elevated
over a fully cantilevered corner,
contributes further to the open,
airy ambience. A narrow L-shaped
fern-and-pebble garden set next
to the white perimeter wall, and
the red upholstered dining chairs,
introduce color to an otherwise
black and white palette.
Below A bird’s-eye view from the

second-floor landing overlooking
the central atrium. The white-
railed corridor links the two bed-
rooms above the living room on its
way to the artist’s studio located
across the bridgeway at the front
of the house.
149

The atriurn of the Luz house i~ dorninated hy a stun- 1<> the rear of the atriurn is the glass-o;-nclosed dining
ning white minimalist staircase in concrete, ste;;-1. and room, its double-height ceiling elevated over a fi.Jily canti-
bkached teakwood that visibly dimbs <111 the way ro the: levered corner. To the ti·ont oi the atrium, directly under
third-level roof deck. The ~tairca~e, '' piece of art in it~el£: the studio, is the artist's person;\] archive and ~toragc. Thc~e
was designed by home owner and National Artist Arturo sirnple, high-ceilinged s1uces <U'e ,,n linked to an L-shaped
Lm:. Two hedromm on the second, me~:lanine level are g;uden that u~es the perirneter w;lll, painted in white like
linked by a wide, open corridor ov<:."rlooking the co;-ntral the houso;-, as a stark backdrop ti:.>r ;t pebbl~ bed and g;iant
space, which leads ro the artist's studio. T.m:';; tranquil and fem~ that arc: able ro thrive w·ith little sun. The kitchen
~pacious studio ha~ an unusually high four-meter ceiling. and utility areas arc hidden ti·om view and connect to the
Clerestory and narrow slit \Vindows fill the room with even garage and maid's quarters.
light and rnake for tnuted ternper;uures. On the third level, the deck, a feature which t·ecurs in
Ed Cairn a notes:'· Light is tl1e essential dernent :u work many <Jf Fd Calma's modernist hous~~. expr~~se~ th~ same
and play in the house.... Since the artist is sen~itive to light duality as the domesti<: and arti~t sp;u;es below: a sculpture
..:onditions in the studio <Hld the g<1lkry spa..:cs, light is care- galkry is loc;lted on the west and a guest room on the cast.
fully modubccd in thc~c spaces through the central stair- Th.:- flat deck i~ most practiC<llly and <lrtii.tlly u~cd as an airy
well, ceiling clerestories, and vertical slots-and from the terrace for evening entertainrnent. f-mm here. the Lu~s'
panor:unic view windows where light is diffi.tso;-d hy the guests can I<Jok out upon the old, t;H.led, and conventional
tall perimeter walk" mofwps of middk-dass suburban Manila.
ISO :OUAROO :AU/A

/
Far- left Th~ lill:;<:lr· :>L;:oir·e;:ose, left TI-e n;:or·r·uw ~<)<:lee IJeLw:;en Above The ceek u11 Ll·e Lhir·c nee·· Below Th~ dt fLe:)~ "'"~ 1'.-unl
de.:;igne:.l by ow·1er ard I'Jat::)r.al :..he :::·i:::ture ·A:i·1dO\·VS and :..he o.1te,~ '·Nat. raiced ove ,~ :J·e f.lrt..if:;t;f:; studio eb~,;at::)r.<. >ot-~om) of t..-1e 1 f..?
l\rt.IBt. /\'"t.ur:-:. lu7, is n1 nrchit:=:c:- w<~ll r:ont.<~ins -" f8rn g<~r:-lP.r -:1[1~" t.o nl c::~~~~ fc:r r. ;:: '"'P.s::orv ·.,..inrlnws st.1.:-Jio hOMfl r.IF.<lrly rF.VflA t.hfl
t.ur<~l s~uiJ:t.urP. i1 r.onr:rP.t.fl. a-::P.P-1. -::o t.hfl s<y. VP.•·t.ir:,;l 5hift.s bP.t.w2~n brC2" t.~R studio's four-mRt.P.r- dP.sig"P.r's cubist. t.P.rc~1r.ifl5.
and l::leac~ed teskwood. He stair- volumss crested narr:rw sit v...·in- high cei in;~s. The deck a also a
case refle:ts. even Mir"ors_ ths dows fc" t~e entry :Jf nstural ight. ::lisplsy platfor'll f:Jr a l::ronzs
urtist's 1r ir imuli~t lim~~" ~uintir•.;;. ::;. ~cclptr8 lly .Jl und u t2r-ruc8
l'or' t>r- Lt>r-Lainin;J aL Lr'eeL:)p level.
ICJI
DO
I
II I
1:: -
-
- l
Above I hP. ~- n.. ::. ~ n1rl ::·ln1nr .'FHlA.' Opposite above The I"Csi:Jerce
wraps ar:~crd a1 01·i:rtal garden corr)l)fiGe•J :3e.,·efal CL.bi::;L v:)lurrer.;
cesigne:l by _cr ::Jt-ero. A ~=-aces with r1 rlist.i1r.t.ly fll'iP.n::A fli'lvnr:
sian a~· s s 1der cc J -nns sods t 1e t.h2 trirr A1d tAilor~c ;JrounrJ floo,-
V·l'-1'),. Lu Ll1~ ~;ruwuJ-f o:.>r SOjJf.::, ~eL is tc1=~ed wit" Asiao -oaf ~iles and
ar.:art.. f r:)lr t..he mB 1.. '"'CuGe. :"~hili opin2 \IIJ:lOd ..vi 1dcv...·a.
leviste lanai
"Architecture is an integrative journey for appreciating and under-
standing the human condition-one's needs, hopes, and dreams. It
is a collective play of disciplines that evokes a singular statement
of our time .... The Leviste architecture is a spatial composition of
positive and negative spaces (enclosed and open) that coexist with
one another-and express a contemplative dualism."
EMMANUEL MINANA
Nikki a Robbie LP.viste
AY.ALA ALABANG. tv1UNTINLUPA. METRO MANILA
ARCHITECT EWv'ANUEL fv'INANA

F~/MANUFI A. \~1\JANA 8 ASSOCIATFS
The context i~ ~uburb,m Apia Alabang, south of Metro-

politan Manila, etire, comernporary, and conventional. Here,
among a dearth of rnodern white residences, the Levisre
verandah house stands out. Compo~ed of tubi;;t volume~
bur \-Vith a distinctively Oriental flavor, it is noteworthy
nor only for its all-white masonry and clean tailored lines,
but also fc.)r it~ d,nk Asian roof tiles, it~ ~htttt{'r{'d window
awnings propped up hy iuk,>d stakes, and its spatial inspira-
tions d;;-rived fi·om 1kijing; courtyard houses. Above all, it
is a modern interpretation of multiple "dualities."
•'8•/iste .•ansi 1 53
73845_CTP_17 p152-161.qxd 8/12/05 10:55 AM Page 154
QC Preflight Point
4th 14 14
Home owners Nikki and Robbie Leviste, former Below The formal dining room,
visually adjoining the open-air
condominium dwellers and builders, “had always liked lanai-cum-foyer, is decorated in a
the feeling of living in a resort!”Their architect, Emmanuel modern Chinese style. The square
wooden dining table, which seats
(Manny) Miñana, “had always wanted to design a resort!”
twelve, has a broad copper inset,
A happy meeting of minds has resulted in an intriguing and was specially designed for the
cluster of elevated spaces that display an overriding prin- Levistes by Tina Periquet.
ciple—“dualism”—the creative play and deliberate Right The two panels of an intri-
cately carved wooden door from
balancing of opposing ideas and spaces: positive versus Rahjestan have been adapted to
negative, open versus enclosed, Zen simplicity versus form a sliding screen separating
the lanai from the cozy alcove in
Filipino familiarity.
the kitchen where the family eats
On the surface, the Leviste house is clean-cut and informally. On the lanai side, the
simple, stripped down to smooth walls within a white screen is underlined by a tradi-
tional Filipino window sill or silid.
fence, its modern planar form inspired by Miñana’s icon,
American designer Richard Neutra.What gives the façade
character, however, is the injection of traditional Asian
elements: sloped, layered tiled roofs arranged around a
central courtyard, wood-framed windows, and slatted shut-
ters propped up by stakes or tukods. “It’s a simple, crisp
style, quiet and cleansing,” says Miñana. “The architectural
approach is spiritual—designed from the interior outward,
with insights dancing along the way.”
154 EMMANUEL MIÑANA

2nd 14 14
leviste lanai 155

Left \'V:):)d predo·11i··u:.Le<.• in L~e
ea ·"LI'Y yet ~"'PhioUc:st.ed ,:,9.11.1
fl<W linn r!P.~igrA n ~,y 1in<~ P ~ri11uA:: :
t 1e p itc~ed -oof of ~ ~e :avih:.r
is lin=-:: »:i':~ a ola1< and raftar
cei in£ while ~he tloor is co·1ered
' '<ilh wuud plunks. Pru,idin!,l 0 rUL'UI
poinL iG a re<: bicy:le r:a11t1no t:y
N <~tionC~I.llrtist .4rt.. J"tl I .17.
157
The most dominant in~ight and ;J.nother duality-
cocooning versus transparency-has led rhc arch.ircct to
create an open yet ~ccurc ambience. On the one hand,
the Leviste house sugge~ts <l rnysLerious, imrovened Ennily
horne in which the occupants look rowan! a central court-
yard. On the other, it h;·l-~ resort-like and "adventurom"
dements. One ot these .is ttM having a traditional entrance
or foyer. "llcyond the front t,ratc is an open-air S('tting-all
and la1'1ai!"V.isitors arc greeted by blue skies. Oriental
~tilts
gardens, clusters oflMmhoo, trickling water, and the domi-
nant feamre: the lanai or verandah.
The wide, seamless la11ai wrap~ around an Oriental
garden, its procession of slender colunms lea.ding the ,.,,.ay
inside and connecting to rhe formal .wla pavilion. set apart
like an .isbnd.'l'hc simpliciry of the Lcvistc house .is com-
plemented by the green art of landscapist Jun ObJ·em-
the bonsai master of their g;uden courtyard.
Mir1ana plays on positive and neg-ative:." volumes. ming
scale to contr·ast volume and ~pace. and positive versus
negative spaCl', interconnected by che "mc,mdcring and
pbnar lmwi:' lli~ £worirc view of the house is rhc lauoi.
"I love the almosphere of the /,mai at nighl. when you
can hear the water· trickling, see the barnboo swaying in
the brc:.-e7.e, and c:.-nj<.>y the private resort and garden."
The interior of the house ha.s been made warm and
fam..ili,u by interior designer Tin<l Pcriquct's usc of materials
Above -ht' er-Lr::~··,ce Lo Lhe Lev·s.e Opposite 31ue skies. L"opical vege
hoMe does 00t ioclude a t.·a~i t.a::ion, and \\:a::er fe&t.ures oreet
t.ion<;l rloor t.o <m P.nclcsP.c foyF. -. VIBi::ors to tt-F. 'lC':liS2. I "'P. Or 21t~l
nate ad, t 1e archi-:ect :orUured J~ js.r in th: op:r ..·foyer·' catch:a

on open-y2t-s2cure f2e ·r£ to th2 light apil in£ tor:Jc;J~ the v:~id
house t;y ~ .:..:r:.;utiv:_:. J)h.lv 1Jet. .v:..·c1 <;:XNC. 8C'iUntJ ~~·;; IJUiot, it·:; '-lll
Lr·ans~are··1cy ~coe··u1e::;::;~ and s .ii.,J an ::I ian<~i V1e dominanL
COCOOPiP~ (enciCSI..I~ej. :i~Binn P.IP.m~'lt.
Below 0 ront (tc:;) arc r

(:;ott:Jrr) elevat·:Jra o; 1
4th 14 14

73845_CTP_17 p152-161.qxd 8/12/05 10:57 AM Page 160
QC Preflight Point
4th 14 14
and proportions reminiscent of old Chinese courtyard

houses.The ceilings of the ground floor, at 3.2 meters
(11 feet), are unusually high. All doors and cabinets reach
up to the ceiling, their subtle lines resembling wall panel-
ing. On one side of the lanai, a wooden door from Rah-
jestan has been adapted to form a sliding screen over the
kitchen nook, a cozy seating alcove where the family eats
informally.The carved screen is underlined by a silid or
traditional window sill. Upstairs, the hallway between the
bedrooms is extra wide, its sides glazed and rimmed with
a suggestion of a railing to make it feel like a traditional
Chinese verandah.This upper verandah looks into the
courtyard below in the style of old Chinese houses.
In the evening, spotlights tucked into small white boxes
focus their glowing beams on the lanai’s twenty-two slen-
der white columns, exposing the austere white walls, floors,
and ceilings of the resort-like home. Miñana muses on the Top The informal lanai at the back Above Ground floor plan. The
of the house, overlooking the separate sala pavilion is shown
elegant result, which merges Neutra modernism and old private courtyard, is the Leviste to the left of the front entrance
Beijing houses: “When the clients are flexible and forward- family’s favorite spot for enjoying to the house.
their resort-like residence. The
thinking, you can design together, dynamically! When the Right A bamboo grove by the fence
wood-framed shuttered windows
is a perfect backdrop for a woven
interior designer is sensitive and responsive to the architec- on the upper floor provide a warm
abaca lounging chaise on the crisp
ture, and the landscape designer is a bonsai master who Filipino contrast to the clean-cut,
white-tiled lanai.
simple lines of the architecture,
plays roughness against sophistication ... then the whole stripped down to smooth walls
house is enhanced by the spirit of the collaborators.” and delicate columns.
160 EMMANUEL MIÑANA

3rd
Above left An evening view of the Above right The meandering lanai Below Rustic green araal natural
house’s sloping Asian-style tiled connects the units of the house stone was handcut and installed
roofs over the stark and planar at the upper as well as lower to resemble a woven basket on
Western-style roof structure, levels. The modern flat roof meets the water feature outside the
here filled with dark pebbles. with traditional Philippine ele- sala pavilion. At night, the soothing
Miñana created this view—alluding ments, such as the mahogany- sounds of water trickling down
to old Chinese courtyard houses— lined windows with shuttered the wide wall carries throughout
for the enjoyment of the occu- awnings propped up by stakes. the Levistes’ courtyard house.
pants looking down from upstairs.
p161
2nd 15 15

Left The r"ee ror"Yr ~L;:rir~a:3e
deci;Jnec by R.rcji 1ayug ·t. the
org~r :?in;J P.l~mP.n:: B'1c1 Gonv~r~~n
tion piecs of the house. Pictcre

g asa walls look out to ~~e gar::ler
li r ·r\; the i.JCvPo ·t·~. -he uryunic
;:rc~enL GCJ pLure ir· Lhe c::wn~r·
ic by ~enat.c v· ::i3 of Ri ohi.
Right Gisrt fiberglass twins ba Is,

given to Gcnzales t·f a visi~in:J
OCI'UfJe(.ln tJe;;igoer r--um Culcyoe,
hi.iV~ lJ~CUI"H:• :.:iUI"'t>O i:.:;Lic in:.:; ...<::dl;j-
Uons iP t,he r.:t:)ne :)€:):)1e~: r.;ide
set.tHlr:k of t.hP. hoiJSP..
pasola-gonzales house
"Design is all about harmony, sensing and expressing the harmony of each object within the
whole space .... I always work from a given. That given is sometimes a limitation, a restriction,
an awkwardness, which is transformed into a challenge. It is a point of departure, and be-
comes the project's special quality." BUDJI LAYUG
Tes Paso/a S Toov GonLales Hom.:- owner~ and !'vlowmem 8 members 'H:s Pa~ola ,md
SOU IIILJ.AY G.AHULNS, 1-'AHANAQUL, lvll I HO \1.A.NILA

Tony (;on:.::ales had their inspirational leader. l::htt~i Layug,
dt>sij:.,'ll their outrb suburban horne::. a bungaluw whid•
DESIGNER OJOJI Li\YUG shint>s with star quality on an odd-shape::d lot. The pmpt>rty
BUDJI LAYUG+RDYAL PINEDA DESIGN ARCHITECTS is only 450 square mer<TS, bm is packed with ti·e(~-f(mu
design in rhe inim..irabk and ever-evolving Llyug style.
His cre,Hivity cxrcnds trom the Mondrian.:-squc fronr door
m the glass "skin" of the house, to rhe sculptural ~tai1·case
around which the house's rltree levds tunt-in space:: and
in spirit! At every turn there are aptly placed ab~tra.ct mini-
malist ti.Jrnishint,rs by modernist dcsigncr-fi·iends.
Th(' lot, loc<lted in Pararl<lquc in southern !Vbnila, was
an awkward trapezoidal ~hape, narrow up tront, wider at
Lhe back. and hernmed in by neighbors on a curved 1·oad.
Tony Conzales, a graphic dt>signer, started sketching the
nmple's future house himsdf: adding ide-a~ contributed
by creative ti·iends. Chief designer Du<lji Layug eventually
-
Top h~ gro.11rl flnnr [JIF!n '·NFIS Above left He ~ruest r:.>:.>rr o~cu Above right The buck yunl ttnd
de-:errr ned by -:he ccc- shape::! r:·e~:
rJ·e axe. Triar-c.;., <~L~::l win our.er ren::e are 'ti~:ible under· Lhe
43:•-!:quare 'Tie~er lo~. rlowc: lr.r. < rlnwn :->n t.he hflck y•wti. st.roirr.:;~e r:lirobing fr:-.m the fr.y2-
I hP. in nnt.ur;:;I-·...\:An\iP. t.r. the r:.rrve:-l hnlrii1g

Below =-ont (left) and right aide
f1wnit1.1~P. wF~I nf the
matena s is by Ken net1 Cob:JnpJe m~zzanin~. Tt-e ss,'a conta1'1S
~"i~~hL~ eleva ... iun:3 uf lhe Pa:...~:Jio
-
cf Inter :Jr Crafts. Cebu. furnis"i"gs by c:signer-friends.
c;on?aleG h:)r.. t.e.
--~
R
IIIII m liTO mn
III III
IJ]JJ
D
JUOJI LAYUG
took them <\ll on, curncd chcir ordinary idea~ up~idc down, tencc of th.:- propnry. and tor the roof to rctkct chc sunken
and reworked the whole concept~ curve of the land-eH air. The 1·esult: ;l dmninant concrete
His new shape was an innovative geornetry that defies roof billowing out like a sail, echoing the shape of the land.
convention. La.yug ~a.ys on planning a space: "f always work Com:ales smile~: "lhJ<~ji really ha~ a different eye~ He
fi:om a given. That given is sometimes a lim..iration. a rl'- grasps the spac,·, studies it, absorbs and grapples with it,
striction, an a•vkw,u·dncss, which is transformed into a then conjures up a totally dificrcnt oricnt<ltion!'' From
challenge. It is a point of dep,mure. and becomes the pro- ground level up, Layug abandoned the usual soluriom. He
ject's special qualily." In lhis ca~e, the concept W<\S derived moved Lhe lradilional living room lo Lhe rear, away fmm
ti·mn the awkward lay of tl1e land: its sloping. sunken grade the street and the eyes of neighbors. He f(>eused the activi-
and irregular ~hape. The Layug plan called f(.lr the house\ ties of the house toward the back, siting a swimming pool,
curved outer wall to tollow the curved rear perimeter a spacious garclc:n. and a private tropical view where the
sunken land used to be. Imide, he installed a grand stai•·case, roorn is <\ tramitimul, semi-private space leading off to
a spiraling sculpture in g(1lden wo<.Hl and whit<:' COII(Tett", <~S the bedroorr1~ and studio. On the third kvd,just under
the creative '\pine" of the house:\ th<:' axis, the t(.JCusing ele- tht roof. a small painting studio is b<tthed in ~unlight, while
ment, and rhc talking point. wirhin a soaring atrium. a wide attie/!-,>tlesr room pn~ps down on rhe living/dining
For designer Gonzalc~, an outdoor person who love~ his area and pool below.
garden planrs and jazz, Layug produced an all-glazed living/ Gonzales played project marugcr tor the consrrucrion:
dining sp;tce, wrapping the funnions of the house in a "This just shows what you can do with a snull space when
tJ·;msparent skin of glass.l<1 further extend the lwrr1e, the you are nm g(>ingjust t(Jr dftct .... The;- be~t asset here is
perimeter fence wa~ painted the same pure white as the the use of glass, which gives the house its light feding, not
interior walls. making the surrounding gardl'n become just irs sunny brightness, but the airiness and visual expan-
visually parr of the inside. Outdoors, the swimming pool siveness, despite irs actual compactness. Also, the radical
reflects the trapezoidal shape of the Joe. dep,nture from a straight-lined or cwo-level srrucrure gives
The interior of Lhe house is carefully planned in Lerrns this a lovely extra dimension, a creative openness, expansive
of practicality, lo~ric, rnovernem, and flow. The grand stair- t(Jr tl1e spirit perhaps? \Vitl1 irs glass walls, tl1e house is
Gt~e spirals upward from the: fl:.1yer area, continuing; into the imbued with the necc:ssary c:xcitemc:nt, drama, and ;;timu-
curved holding wall of the mezzanine. There, the family lation fl:.1r artists."
!66 '>ll 0.11 1 /,vu;

Left I he rear elev;;tinn re·~ecl3 Above left ,-, r.a.1t.ileverec r.crner Above right fhe front Gf the
the corcrete roof 3:>3ring o\'er a under the trapazoidal ro:>f. The rrocs.., whrte h:Juse is all :Go-
tra1SpEOrent 11oderr:at space. The curved arod ;lazed atr:J11 wall crete plane.;, its dominant "Oof
IJiul' culled fur the house's cJ:-<ed wmps the huuso in u tr-o.Jns:;orcnt sucmir.gty \.l!ikew over the fu<;~de.
ouler wall lo 'olio" Lhe curved 'sldor" of glen .A.l Lhe 1owe~L level. Tre QC1ra~!e below rises Gleeply
rear fence of the lot. co;d for t.he glasf. par.els meet lnvl!>obly at moo· from !>tree~ level over a cra7.Y··
ronf t:J re71ect t.."le curve o f t h<: !lOor.t., allowin~ seamle;;s vlewil of cut st:.n.e drive·.tia~,~ ·rile house is
terrsm-en air. the landscaping and of the art entered under t he c.sotile·,;:;-ed
:;ieee£, effective y displayed bot~. portic:J EOt r ight.
Below A lur gc slutc- :;ordered,
inside urrd uutsiuo the house.
Lt~r lGion -cd~JCd sv.•irnrninq pool
follows the im:ogulcor t.o·apeT.oieial
shupc :.Jf the lot. Though only "-50
square r·1cLers in si,c, Lhc prop-
e 'ty pa:::kG in s 'lOGt. of inno\/at.ive
design ide8!;.
3rd 15 15

Left HP.rl trir:k. riFII'< W0td, w~itP.
conc"ete. and l:"illia1t glass rnset
i'l this mcdern acL ptJ'"'S.I mass
cf cir:ulor vc rnes J1ified by "e:-
Lili'l(.!\.lf' ruf'rnS. BeiC'v'J, .....,h:.:··l' L'U.!
··u~..r..;; <::;·u.J sQu;jre ":.wl"l:.:i cu1·u~ Lo-
oethe,~. ir.; a co~..,~:..yard con:.Bi,~·pc::
Fin n11t.r.0nr pFr::in Fll'o:-l g•wnP.n.
Right The"e is a dia~in:t retrc fe2

to tt'a cJrvili1eor .... c-us2 :-r its
"~~LiJi·•~'='f' JuL. T·•e afT;:on;.~~·"enL
cf a (J a·1t c·rcle. hal' circle, and
··e:::tr.w~le in a t..rian-~l.ls··· :-o·..rr.at,ic:n
11nxirn2'P.S t.1P. ~~~~P. c.f spncP..
hilado house
"A house-like a novel-tells a story ... of the people who built it and the qualities of the place
where they have chosen to build. Like a novel, a house evolves from the pragmatic to the
poetic, transcending the materiality and techniques of its medium. The written words or the
walls of bricks transport us to that plane wherein we can begin to understand the meaning
Of OUr existence." DOMINIC GALICIA
i\l:thang Hills is ;t gracious suburb south of Metropolitan Toto 6 I ea Hilado

Manila. House lms are g;;-nerally les~ than 40U squar;;-
AI AF>ANG HII IS, lv'UNTINI UrA, lvlFTRO lvlANII A
mcters and arc walkd in on both sidn. lr takes ,, great de,ll
of cre<ltivicy to build an interesting home on such a pedes- ARCHITECT DOMINIC GALICIA
DOMINIC GALICIA ARCHITECTS
trian ~ile. Despite this limit<llion, Filipino architect Dorni-
nic (~alicia has succeeded in designing a modern residence
distinguished by its dynamic ~eometric t(mlH. linear
connectivity. and illusions of space.
'fhc owners, bank .:-xccmive~ Jose .Emmanuel ('lbto)
and Lea Hilado, wanted a comfortable, warm, modern
house, which made the ntmt of the recrilinear lot. Lea's
old ~t:hoolmate Calit:ia-who had left Manila as a journal-
ist and rl'tllrncd as ~m architect tra.inl'd at the University of
Notre Dame in the United States-started by conducting
in-depth interviews (so-called "couch sessions") with the
couple in the belief that "a•·chitecture should he an expres-
si<.m of the dwellers' litC:-stylc and rimals; their movements
should define the house."
hilad~ house
Above 1\ VAll tP.rl ~-<yligot. il .J-ni-
nates the ints"io.-. the lin: or its
g ass pcioting north. T1e panel on
th!! ~t~in;:.;se r..,n:Jiny is<; CUfllf.JUS-
iLt> ur ;:oil Lh;; ~UJJ:>Lr.IC-iUJJ lll!lL~•·i
alc t.t.ed in this unusual house.
Left N in2 VP.rtic81 wocd si<Jt.s h:Jirl
the •·ausr:ended'' tuffS?t table. w1i e
acti"g as a subtle divider ostween
th~ :=a.'f..i u1U c inin;;J ;;.r8i..l.
Right Ma~•>ive t..op !]li17i·1g iind

-n:~n::h rlc~-:"s c.or1p1~1BP. t."'~P. drc.u-
lnr ·w:1ll o.: ::h~ ntr .111 sn.'a. Gnlidn's
moder1ist "light-ahelv:s'' built
tetween the revs a "urther roodu-
lub the ent ~{of light. Th~ •·iyer-
cu::; ··N<:.•J co ·'r·ied cu L by
:J~Laili r·~;
-ir-~:w:: Ruilce'"s n:::.

Below The groJ1d floor plan sho•.vs
the ~uxta:)osition o" georoetric
forms or the rectongulor I:Jt.
170 JOiviiNIC GALICIA

Sevn-al monrhs later. Galicia presented sketches for lr also j ugglcs narural and artiiiciallighring and blends
a modern sculptural mass of circular volumes unified details rmunisccnt of hank Lloyd Wrighr and the Arts
by rectilinear torrns. The Hi !ados, taking a "leap of and Crafts Movernent, a particular t:lvorite of the architect.
6ith;' joined hirr•-and later the interior desi:;,.,•er, Tina As noted by (~alicia: "The curvilinear house on a rectilinear
Periquet-on a collaborative journey as the h<.>use evolved lot play~ on perception of space. Brick and glass produce
fi:om the pragmatic to tl1<· poetic. Optimizing tlw li.mi- an illusion of depth."
rations of rhc site, rhe arch.itecr adopted three difi(~renr From the outset. the I lila do house stood in marked
volurnes-,\ giant circle. a hali circle, ,md a rectangle--and contr<\St to its neighbors. A great rmtic cylinder of fine
juxtaposed lhese in <Ul elongated triangular formation Lerr<KOlla brick, rnade hy masLer pmler Ugu tligyan. houses
which 1naxirnized hmh ~pace and lighr. The resulting the rounded rn;tster hedroorn above and tl1e den below.
house, clad in brick, wood, concrete. and glas~. exemplif1es The cylinder i~ contrasted with an a(~jan:nt white re(:tan-
a vigorous play of volumes and a wide mix of materials. gular mass-the open ga1·age-crowned by a vaulted
concrete rooi v..ith <l half-rnoon fro~ted gla~s window the usc of electricity during the day. All oi the ~P<KC~ flow
which allows light to flood into the couple's spa-like lMth- se:ulllessly into each other. sharing the sarne ;lir, light, and
roorn. The fiunt entry is located between the cylinder and views of the garden and sky. The sense of''horrowed space"
the re<:tangle. Conne<:ting and unifying the ~hapes is a creates the impression that each room is larger than it really
procession of rustic \vood steps, polished w·indow fi.·ames. is. Overall. the Hilado house, with its distinctive retro look
and intricate timber details. outside and its dynamic geometries insid(·, was a challeng-
lmide che home, architect Galicia has expcrimcnced ing architectural exercise in shaping a modernist space.
with intersecting volumes and funnional rooms. eschewing However, the <wdering of the funnional spaces meets the
nHwenti(mal walls and spaces-a rnove wlticl1 dd1nes the (Jwners' needs, while abo rnaking the h(lliSe an interesting
essence of modemist semibility-and exploiting tJ·ans- piece of architecture, a talking point, and a sensory delight
parcncy. conrinuity. and a sens(~ of''borrowed space."Tl1<· of very mi.'l:cd materials.
I Iilado house is essentially a double-height atrium house Through a close collaboration between the diems.
wid1 a cro~swalk over the toyer and inner courryard, which architect, ,md incerior designer, the house became "a spiri-
looks down on the rnain entertaining area, and cominues tual approach to architecture." (;;llicia believes that every
as a rnezzanine hall linking the hedroorns. The rounded, project develop~ a life of its own, that there evolves ''grace
gla7.ed living/dining space "extends" outdoors w a small and meaning to a house as the plan moves t1·om the prag-
brick-lined comtyard omsidc the den, much lih· a mini matic to the poetic," and that mixing a v"aricty of materials
plaza with a water wall. brinbrs out the di~tinct char<Kter of each: "The materials
Sunlight <Ulinuce~ the living/dining area, entering have a discussion between themselve~ and we must allow
through wrap<lround glazing, V<llllted circular skylights, and that to flow!" Arne! Periquet concurs with the architect:
<.:alicia's special "light shelves., under dere~tory windows. In "Every project is an opportunity f<Jr innovative approaches,
corners and junctures, nawral light enters through vertical new investigation ... all done with a P<J.~sionate dedication
wall slits and is reflected upon all-white surfaces. lessening to exploration.''
172 JOivl IN IC: Gill ll. li\

Opposite A ~,~··ies d' sk'{ i!JiiLs Above center A 'K1If-111:.>:.>n sil;:,pe:J
illu·ninat.eG t..he :.,l~anr.:iUon GPSC~ >>offit denot.e>> t..he cl· 'ldren'!>
r~t. t.h~ t.r.:) :lf t.hP. st.r~irs. _,,, tP.rlr:lmr :'brJI' I\ t.1 r·( mr.P. h;~ht.
r."nftsmnnship P.Flploy rg :=it vt:1r12ty flt.t.~:J <;long t.~~ P.rlgP. cf t.hP. rr~is2d
of Materials-w:;od, brick. con- c:iling ~'"'ovidea a scft ;1lov.r :}1
C"ete, ;)lass, an: rretal- is ap- nigh~. and ssfe passage fr:Jrr the
J..Klr~n: t1r:.> ... o;;t-oJt the 1ousc:-. J,:Ur;lnts' e·rcc <;" suihl c;t th8 <~rd
0 r the ~c ·y·icor·.
Above left The ~tairca~e GOir
priSP.f> "IJSt.ir: hl'ir.k
fi'C'n l..gu Above right Nnt.IJI'FII S.J"I ;Jht.
Bi;Jyan. woite rroa"ble c~ p steps, filters i1 c'ter the kitchS?" area
metal railings, src :lever I ;~hti1g. at the slit juncture cf curved inrer
The square peepholes are ::l2aign ·:·iOIIs :~r•.:: vertical ou-:er ··n:.lls. Tt-e
elem~1ts c1 th~ octs·:J~. bu~ lly li\;~t r~tkets :>r the ;,ur:;l:; <:11-
nit~hL pr·c·,ide t.:)i'L ligh _s leading •:•/ ..lile sur·race::;, al e·.,iat·nq L··1e
up :he t~t.ai "~! nee::l fc" ele~tri~ I ;Jhts t.hro .. £1'
mo~t. of t.h~ :lAy.
left He f"ont (to~) ard right

side (bcttc-nj e ev"tic1s illustr<Jte
th:.; o;;.:.:·ometri.;,; :-orru; und li1eur
C:)nr-ec_iviLy ··,-,hie" are C:)rr·na··,t
fRi'lt.l.rP.s nf t.hP. hOIJf.F<.
hilad~ house 1 73
Left 11P. QP.OM8t.·y of this 1r oc::~· n
Chinese comp:~un:l h:~L.ae is a: :.ar -

erot fr:llr this :;levated •:iew. T1e
c.Jm ~ EX. c t' g oss -I' r ed Javilbrs
i<; inlcrfr· <ell ;mu ··r :J<;Un!~· upon
i:l ~e,.·~s u· w;;~Ler puuls wiLI•ip ;;~
c:>.l"ty:.rd land••:ape.
Right A 15-Meter- long lap :x-::.1.

built rir;rt b t1e edge of thE
open cc·"fic='r, is ol';~ro: d be~i~d
u·e "spiliL Wdll" ·,. Ule fq:;~ T"e
waLe~ of J·e o:>ol U•uc<flew
l.<:war:.ll.'1E< ce"lra ~c·e :)f l:1E<
h:1use. ·,r.Jt- .:h is highlv f:=wc '"'a hiP.
fc- Fen.gshu:.
cheng residence
"Fe ngshui, the Chinese art of ba lancing wind and wate r, is defining many modern homes in the
Philippines. The layout of this house is an explora tion of t he power and efficiency of a thre e-
par t plan: a layered wall, a floating ground plan e, and a t hree- dimensional circulation core."
ANDY LOCSIN
St e phen & M a ria Te r esa C.he ng Tim es :mel trends an: ch:mging the house geometries of
f orbes Park, an establi~ h ed and t' xdusive gated community
FORBES PAFK, MAKATI CITY, M E TRO lv'ANILA
in a Manila suburb. Fe11g.thui.litcrally "wind and water;'
A RCHIT ECTS RAUL LOCSIN S Af\OY LOCSIN the ancient Chines.: sysr.:m of designing buildings (and
LEANDRO V. LOCSIN PARTNE RS, ARCHITECTS
positioning objects inside buildings) to insure a favorable
tlow of energy, is influencing t he ;u·dlitectural de:-ign of
m any new h<.lm t:s. Tn t he 1970s a.nd 1980s. leading Filipino
:u·chitccts S('t the ton .:.· for grand residences in Forbcs and
elsewhere by merging srylcs rakcn from lmramurm (the
Walled CiLy), filipino-Spanish Mediterranean, and colonial
Philippine tropical h:lmque. Today, :1 new generation of
de$igners f:1vor~ a deant'r, sleekt'r vernacular, a modern
pan-Asian approach ro the upscale Filipino home.
One such designer is Andy Locsin, who brought back
fmm his studies in rhe Unired Stares Japanese-leaning
inspiratio m trmn his most admired architects, Louis Khan
and Tadeo And~l. Hi~ moderni~t t'ye anclmind~et have had
a signi..ficant imp;1ct on the vvdl-established Locsin firm's
174 :O:ALL LOCSIN 8 ANDY _OCSIN

73845_CTP_20 p174-181.qxd 14.07.05 6:58 PM Page 175 QC Preflight Point
1st 6 6

4th 6 6
Above The double-height foyer is

the distribution “core” to all parts
of the house, including the glazed
bridgeway overhead. The central
“spirit wall” displays an oil painting
by National Artist Ang Kiukok.
Left Water plays a vital role in the

residential scheme. This secondary
wading pool connects squarely to
the main lap pool. The bubbly zone
in the foreground is a spa.
Opposite above The glass-walled

far pavilion, with its high-pitched
raftered roof, is the family’s in-
formal lanai. Family and friends
gather here to make music on
the baby grand or simply to relax
on furniture by Budji Layug.
176

new era look, popularly touted as ·'Asian Modern." Andy From the ~treet, the residence appea~ va.~t and inscrutable.
L()(:~in's first Asian Modern residence, de~ign ed in 199X fi>r Ht:hintl the. layc1·cd wall, however, i~ a complex of glass-
Fernando and Catherine; Zobel, was tht: stunning pre<:edent lined linked pavilions floating upon a. seric;s of \·Vater pools
and modd tor nearly a dozen such homes set amid thr in a spacious courty~u·d landscape!
tree-lined avenues of forbe:. Park. Beyond the layered wall, just inside the front door, a
This ne"Yv pmject for C:hinese-hlipino businessman double-height foyer form~ the main di~tribution "core''
Stephen C heng is both di~tinctively .!\sian and rnodern, of the house. All doors, passageways, and stairclses lead
with its (:risp gray slate japant:se rootlinc, a broad, whitt:. fr<.l m he-re- to the; three pavilion components of tht: house.
windowkss " layered wall" at the ti-ont. and two wootkn A glass- railed bridgeway trawrscs this f(lylT at the uppt-r
" temple posts" straddling a cantilevered entrance portico. level, connecting two pavilions. At this point lies "perhaps
Only the C\.\.'0 traditiorul ceramic lions standing guard the most intense architectural moment in the hou~e: th i~
at the entrance and the layered Oriental roof~ him that i~ w·here a ~patial link fi·om the fronting street to the rear
beyond l ie~ a m odern interp r<::'tation of the traditional ganlen <:c.mrtyard is made, ope-ning viev./$ on e-ither $ide
courcy;mt home, one that is laden withf(·n~shr.si overtones. of the bridgeway."
c.'?eng ,..esidence
177
Left l:ir:11.rr. flr.r." plnn !=',1l'!'.'·,· rg Right/·, mixt.urP. nf t.-opir.F>I hRrrl-
t 1e li 1ked pavilicns flankin;J t~e v.;ood, tiles, s-:ores. con:r~te, and
water j:Co::>ls i" the ccurtya-d. water are beautifully orc~est -a ted
in -:he ::ha1g '"'esidence. The 1cusa
Below By niyllL Llle Clleny J.n.>viliUII!>
is :.bl"ine:J IJy u "ily .IHII ul" w:.>:.d-
;:Jiow and rerlecL c··, Lhe pon::l near·
d<::;c :.:c ~nlfl:3 :J::;L·.veen m~~:n;e:3,
L'le house. The ~wo m~or wa~er
anc framec viev.:r.: c:f c:the1~ ~>PBC~S
fP.nt.ur~s r.:-,lrnris~ thP. ··f nnting
viithin t."'~P. r.mwtvn1~c1
;Jrcund 1= ane'· an::! unify -nuc~ of
t1e home·s desi£n.
In the <\rt-filled foyer, a srark white wall hung with a

colorii.tl oil painting by Ang K iukok represents the "spirit
wall" of Chinese philosophy. a traditional huilding cornpo-
nent intended to deflect evil ~pirits fl·om entering a home.
To its left is the smallest of tluc{' pavilions. a gbss-encloscd
wla or den, which can be converced into a guest room. On
the right is the glass-paneled dining room. This two-story
unit atljoins-across two connected watet· pool~-a covered
lllllui-cum-nmsic pavilion with a high-pitched, ntftered
roof The three pa:vilions in the L-shapcd layom embrace
the cenrral courtyard.
At ground level, the two rnajor water teatures that serve
both as swirnrning pools and for hahncingfeng>lwi elernent~
unify the:." home's dec;ign. The:." 15-meter-long narrow pool
alignc>d behind the f<.1yer's spirit wall (its water flowing
IOW(JI'd the house, down <l textured stone wall, and into a
well at the hasernent level) connects with a secondary
:;ALL LOCSIN 8 ANDY _QCSIN

3rd 6 6

3rd 6 6
wading pool complete with a bubbly Jacuzzi—the “sexy The interior of the Cheng residence contains several
water feature” requested by the matron of the household. unexpected modernist surprises. At the top of the staircase
Together, the connected pools form a kinetic water base leading from the foyer is a high-ceilinged family room
linking the two pavilions of the main house with the third decorated with lounging furniture, including a bulbous
pavilion, the music room.The house’s ground plane thus bright red armchair from B&B Italia. A private third-level
appears to “float” upon the wraparound waters! study nook or loft, which is reached by a steep, floating
The pavilions are supported by bold, square, wood- staircase made of small wooden steps protruding from the
clad columns, which frame views of the adjoining pavilions structural wall, is tucked under the soaring ceiling—a
and the spaces within. By night, the pavilions glow and high-spirited place from where to spread fengshui around
reflect upon the waters. the Cheng household.
180 RAUL LOCSIN & ANDY LOCSIN

3rd 6 6
Above left The Chengs favor minimalist accents

to create impact within the home. The dynamic
white foyer (far left) displays a high-backed seat
by Benji Reyes and an old Burmese temple bell. A
futuristic Super Nova metallic lamp (center) is
installed at the highest point of the core—by the
glazed bridgeway that crosses between pavilions—
and is visible from the lap pool outside. A simple
Zen-like bathroom (right) with a modern-rustic feel
holds a white bathtub by Philippe Starck resting on
a warm hardwood floor.
Below left The front elevation (above) and a section

view (below) of the Cheng residence.
Right The master bedroom is a minimalist designer

suite in neutral shades of gray, complete with high-
tech accessories and a muted view of the tiled
roofs outside.
Below The attic, tucked under the high ceiling of

the family lounge, is reached by a “floating” stair-
case made of planks cantilevered from the struc-
tural wall. A bulbous red armchair from B&B Italia
provides a bright contrast to white and wood.
cheng residence 181

2nd 10 10

double house
"I admire the spareness and rigorous discipline of Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier.... This double-
unit Asian-style beach house is devoid of superfluous ornamentation. It represents the fusion of a
thoroughly modern architectural idiom with tropical environmental concerns." ANNA MARIA sv
PUNTA FUEGO. NASUGBIJ, BATANGAS Puma Fuego, a relatively new residential developrnent on
the Batangas n>astlinc:.- north of popular Na~ugbu wwn, is
ARCHITECTS ANNA fvlARIA SY 6 JASON CHAI
C!S DESIGN CONSULTANCY dotted with holiday homes built in various permutations
of chc "Mediterranean villa," complerc with tiled roof~,
stucco W<llls, iron grilles, and decorative balconies. This
holiday home, however, is different. The owners, condo-
minium dweller~ in Manila with a nine-year-old daughter.
Left Ths cssigners ·won an .A:ner-
prct(-rrcd privacy on rhcir modest lot set high above a
can Institute of .l'.rchi~ects Cesign
2C04 A··."ID'"'::1 fc'"' -:t-eir clever Jse bc,Kh cove. Here rhcy rerrcar on weekends to enjoy rhe
c I" sLcne, sLucL'v, '-lriU wucu ·r Lllis clean air, pool, <llld horne-cooked f(·md rather than lhe sea
Lrc:)ical :)eac:h ~o,,Ge The 1-c,,::e·~,
clcut :=: cnnfi;.J"rtt.inn :-:nrnprif.P.S and sand. They sought a si1nple, practical house, one rhat
hvo t\s1an-styls- ··:.a·._..i 1ons'· li1ked was turned inward. They also wanted the "feeling; of a
':J}I ;. \•vooden bric ;J3\•V8}1. a lounging
:)atio, a1d a dioping pool.
tropical resort hotd sllitc. with all rhc amenities and
comforts sdf-conraincd:'
Above A sL'-lirc'-lse u L unv ::"u ul"
Lhe ::;aia leadG Lc t.he bedroom>:: When rhe young archirecr~ oi C:/S Design Comultancy
<mrl t.h2 ~nV81'P.rl trirlgP.WFIY nn t.h2 suggested a double unir configuration-two Asian-~tyle
s!?cond level. ::ln the lef~. a 1: ack
door closes ~ff t 1e stair:ase to "pavilions" interlinkc:.-d by a bridgo;-way and a pool-the
the he P2'"'S' qu:~rters oe 0\"'· home owners were happy to go along with the concept.
9ouble house
Ikcausc their budget was limited, the materials had to series of int(Tconnected open spaces visually unifying and
be kept simpk, even st<lfk.Their holiday home, which is simultaneously creating expansive view~." A blue-tiled dip-
locued <1t sorne distance from the beach. has proved to ping pool (one watery <1Zure square entering rhe austere
be a winner. It has g:1rnered attention in Manila's glossy grid) and a stone-lined lounging patio located in the
magazines. made a name fur ~It-signers Anna Maria Sy and (:enter row <.Jf the houst, together bt"come the fixal point
Jason Chai, and \von an American Imtitute of Architects of the composition----<:reating a cool escape in the middle
(Connecticut) 2004 Design Award with a citation for ''the of the holiday home.
usc of stone, srucco and wood togcthn.... 'fhi' fact that it is On the one hand. the house is pr<lgmatic and ~c.raight
in a tropical context sirnplil1ed rhe plan. The organization t:Orward in tern1s of spatial cornposition, as <1rchitectural
of space and particularly of the volurnes takes rightfi.d interest is achieved by the play of masses. The design
advantage of the temperate climate· as th<::' distindion nmc<::'pt i~ b<::'st ob~trved and enjoyed ·in the linkages
between the interior and exterior is graciously ignored.'' and relationships between spaces and fi.1nctions, f<.1r exam-
Tlh' brief to CIS Design Consultancy was quite simple: ple. in the open-air wooden bridgn·vay betwe('n the two
the owners wanted a two bedroom plus den holiday home units whi'ri' one has to go outside tirst to enter the bed-
tor a family of three, with a large kitchen, a small pool. a room, and in the pool where modular stepping "stones''
g:1rden, and arnple spa space. The challenge lay in creating •·ise out of the water to connect the living and dining
a st"nse of spact and flow on a modestly sized propeny of areas, thus squaring ofr the grid.
64U square meters with limited views of the sea. The result On the other hand, there is a sense of continuity be-
is a simpk two-pavilion structur(' linked by a mid-rib sand- tween indoors and outdoors, as spaces blm and expand
stone path at the ground floor, and an open-air timber among the (-unily rooms. 'l'he glass-paneled casually
bridge at the second tloor, oriented to enjoy the prev,1iling modern ictla opens up and spills directly into the plunge
winds •·ather than the sea view. pool. The outdoor dining ''romn" is without walls; thus
As Sy explains, tht" house urganization f()llows a dia- tht owntr~ d<.l poolsidt dinners <::'Very day. Tht sp;u.;ious
gram consisting of a ''nine-square grid of sorts, with a air-conditioned kitchen is as large as the saltr itself and it
..~::!?."·~~... or;-~ .~ -- . - .. . . .... . [ . . •

~~ ...... ~~ ··-·;_ ..-··-:: ·~--·. .'~'-f:;·"i?~llllllfi:r;;~·-~.--~ ... ~·~;.:--~
Left Tho t'u•r ily uces puulsill"/ Above -h~ distinctic 1 bat ween Below West elevoti::on :~f t 'e
Cli L:.h.>UI' 'Tit::~l~ t:Vt'l "'f Ui.:l'l ur Lh: in ...c "iur und exLeriur 8~uves il;; OuJ :il~ l·cus~. Tl'o" w :.>:.>cil'f'o brid!;~
week in Lhe· ... c'~:en ,)i::le::l dinin~J ir~norec in L"1e ::;ee Lhr-cur~h :;;a/Iff, Wi.W C:)("'l eC:L~:; L'NO :~ C ··1c:fe Le ··uaor.;
· rmm t. ..;!I wit., r:..;r k grAy ..;!lr: ~P. R rP.r.lnf t.h" ~ining FII'P.FJ rlir~r:~l'y'
2<'1 f\;~. I h,; rllr.r.l ''<;: p~~l rP.mFJins o:->21
o•icks. The ::llnlnQ pavilion f:lrMs op~esite l:ut with toe additicn cf to th& sky, i1se "ted irto t~e 1i1e-
e,e "arm'· of t~.e U -s~a~ed , ouse s iding glass doors on three sices. ~r t g•id cf the f lee- plan.
arrayed arcu11d t~.& dippi 1g ::ool.
DO
!iouble house
4th 10 10
Left The spacious, air-conditioned

kitchen backing the dining pavilion
is the same size as both dining
pavilion and sala! The kitchen is
the husband’s workshop and here
his “tools” are arrayed around his
Viking stove. Cooking is a congenial
activity and friends gather around
the large marble table to chat and
chop as he cooks.
Center The double-length, mirror

image, black-and-white bathroom
is tucked behind the couple’s bed-
room wall and can be entered from
either side. Adequate storage is
provided by the full-length cup-
boards facing the long countertop.
Below A small den off the sala,

which converts into a guest room,
is smart and minimalist in appear-
ance and function. As elsewhere
in the house, matte black closets
with simple handles bring clean,
modern design accents to the
beach lifestyle.
Right The house’s divided form

is clad with simple, austere mate-
rials. Rustic adobe bricks combine
with off-white concrete to pro-
duce a modern Masonic feel.
186 ANNA MARIA SY & JASON CHAI

3rd 10 10

-
:-~-- ·-:
--:.-:--
I 88 4N~,A MA~IA SY 6 JASCN :II AI

4th 10 10
Above left The spa on the upper is here that the congenial home owner indulges in his
deck, fronting the master bed-
room, offers a good home mass-
hobby, cooking, while friends and family sit around a large
age in an open-air environment marble table chopping or chatting. A black “secret door”
at tree level. The owners were by the sala leads to service quarters below, where the staff
granted their wish for “the feeling
of a tropical resort hotel suite, have a separate living area.
with all the amenities and com- The house finishes are simple, straightforward, and
forts self-contained.”
rigorously applied.The designers have employed contrast-
Left Ground floor plan.
ing building materials as eye-catching accents.Two build-
Above The azure dipping pool—
and the stone-lined lounging patio
ings are clad in dark gray adobe bricks on the lower band
beyond it—together form the and off-white concrete above.The azure pool is the visual
focal point of the composition, “ornament,” adding color and being an alluring “binder”
a refreshing escape in the very
center of the residence. for the simple gray-and-white inward-looking structure.
It is a clear, intelligent design and a comfortable living
space. As the home owner says: “Architects are finding
more clients who are not building houses to be receptacles
of things, but rather as expressions of their lifestyle!” And as
AIA Design awardee Anna Sy explains: “This double-unit
Asian-style beach house is devoid of superfluous ornamen-
tation. It represents the fusion of a thoroughly modern
architectural idiom with tropical environmental concerns.”
double house 189

2nd 10 10

Left S x r.lustP.I'P.rl r.r.t.Agnrs r.rnvm
the prc-nontc-y atop Ius~ tropical
garders. Architect tv'si'osa caed
o nutur:.l p:~lett2 :-f eu-t1 O'"'owns
umll.;eiw;, <;'IU ·nlewul~e Lr·;.;ci-
lion;:ol Fi ipinu uevi~e~' Lu "'"'""'~le
the cli1rate and the ~c:cial nee:.:~
r.f t.hP. nr;r.upAnt.s.
Right Vaulte:l cei ings clad in cuno,

o vDriety a~· bamboo gruss, intr:J-
uuce:; W(;"'lll G .. U r!lLUI'<:tl r~el Lu
the inLer·or. Ho~ r "<;jc treatlrent
c.<tt.:·a~t~;:. n;:.t..ive gecko t..o the
::·P.c1'"'oom: ~ h~m::.oo ;.rc pB:.:::'"'
amp han::lcoaf~:d by '-Nend·'/
Regalado.
lopez pavilions
"An environmental home that is organic and Filipino .... The home owner requested an environment-
responsive house that was well ventilated to catch the natural breezes of the city ... with a circular,
free-flowing plan conducive to meditation and relaxation ... a home where reflection is the order of
the day, with an unobstructed view of nature." FRANCISCO MANOSA
Great houses stan \\-;th naturally splendid sites. In the Regina Lopez
1960s, the northenl suhurhs of Metropolitan Manila were AY.ALA HEIGHTS, QUEZON CITY, METFD MANILA
prim~ locations fi.lr g:.1if n.mrse~ st"rving th~ city's ~lite.
Lmd W<lS cllC<lP and the courses were easily accessible ARCHITECT FRANCISCO 'v1AN03A
FRANCISCO M.ANOSA 8 PARTNERS
from lvlanib's central business disrricr. J-'our decades later,
these rolling green sites have proven ideal f()r residential
estate~ suited to up-rnarket lifestyles.
On~ such landscape is tht" perftct ~ite for a modern
pavilion house by Francisco "l3obby" J\lla.fiosa. the foremost
architect of modern vernacular projects such as the iconic
Coconut Palace on Manib Bay, the Arnanpulo of f>,llawan,
and the Pearl r:arn1 K.esort of I )avao. The pavilion hou~e
atop tht" golf nmrs~ belongs to Regina Lopez. an envin.m-

mentally enlightened member of one of the country\
lopez pav.=.•ions
Below left,., grnnrl r.r.-t.P.-r.or.~P.r~ Below right 11P. rP.cP.p-::ion p:;vlion,
·welc:ures VISitors to the Lopez located just aft so ~~e en~r·(. is
octagon M3naion. T1e edges cf the an ;.iry living/d ri rg ter'"'sce, o::•E 1
porch ure rimrred V·lit 1 o dec:~ro on several ot' its p::llygonol s·::l~s.
Live r:;i~"L'(;(; W:.>UU -,·i~te u·uL llei(J:> -ill' .:en_,.epiet::: BuudiK> sil:> :;w·-
ffl:J:.h.. bLe Lh~ Lf·opival sun. rvJ'Ided :.>'; n;;Lw·<:ll l;;l'lh;l'aJ:;il'~l
an~J a lo:ly viev. .· of t..he oolf courGe.
Right Rig~t s ::le el!?vat1or of the

L~p2z oavilior ~oJse.
wealthiest clans. I Ier cluster of pavilions sits on a promon-

tory overlooking the Capitol Hill~ Golf Course and che
re~idemial subdivi~ions of Quezon CiLy.
Regina Lopez spoke of"wanting to live envirmnnen-
cally and spiritually ... wanting to be in harmony with the
earth ... in a warm, woody home dad with natural and
earthy m<ltcrials." She intormed her architect that she was
"cmnpletely against <l bo},-y, rnodern, nurble house,'' favor-
ing instead a cin:ular, ~piritual house, blessed with solar
energy, an edible garden, and peacdiJI, meditative rooms.
In response, architect iVtailosa designed a naturc-fi:icndly
two-story Filipino bungalow composed oflinkcd octagonal
pavilions, replete with his tradernark tuk.ld bracket supports
under deep-eaved roof~, pointed finials over multiple roof~,
and s<:reem, scrims, and lattin~work to temper the tropical
sun. Inside, the pictllresquc pavilions are dad .in wood,
bamboo, mno grass, and rattan, giving a warm, naturaL
Philippine arnbience.
The unu~ual octagonal geornetry infi'lnlls the frarne-
work of the house's levels and spaces. Says Mai1o~a: ''The
strategy of designing a series of linked octagons enabled
rRA 'IJCISCO 'v1ANOSA

ia {'l A7 nR •Jiiioru;
I93
I 94 FAA \ICisr.o MJ\I':JOSA
us ro break down rill' m ass of d1c structure, and paved the
way for bigger and more \\-rindows. TI1e wide windows
created the feeling of trAnsparency and li ghrnes.~, reminis-
cent <>f traditional f ilipino homes. Spact:s w .;r.; p lanned
w·ith a minimum o f endos\Jrt:s and panitions.... R eflective
of th.is openness, th(~ entry pavilion is a very airy living/
dining te rrace. open on several of its polygonal sides-
~urro unded on ly by th.:- view and the natural landscaping.'"
Tht: Lopez house:: is rnultilc::vdt:d and rnultifu:eted, with
the mai n e nt ry. covered. by a Philippine porte-cochere,
k ading to the rcc('ption pavilion. Iklow this porch, the
mansion tc naccs down the:: h.illsidc some two and a half
stories. alrnost en the edge of the golf course. The house\
lush garden ha rrnonizt:s >vith the:: natural slope and the
exi~ting g reenery, bluning the boundarie~ between neigh-
boring properties and the golf course itself Partway down
the stone path is a lawn area that forms a private garden
t()r a guest suite tucked under t he reception pavilion. T he
lowc::st levt:l host~ a free-t(>rrn _,·.Uttl'aier swimming pool
whose:: de~p blue hue con~t~ bri lliantl y wit h t he picture
postcard green of the surrounding golf greens.
"l i.Jrnin g in ward from the breezy reception snla, a few
steps past a sim ple ponal, Lhe house's more private area
t~:m.tres a li ving/ dining space:: rnerged with a wide-open
kitc he n , where the owner h.;rsdf like~ to prepare health y
vegetarian me;1h tor t:uuily and friends-while chatting
over low-slung, custom-made kitchen counters. A staircase
spirals upward to the f;unily's private rooms which all oiler
~p l endid. views of the g;ndens, pool, and golf course. Three
du~tered bc::dn.>(.Hn~ each tt.-aturc:: vault<:'d ceilin~r;,; clad in
nmo gras~ and fi.1 lly glazo::d window-wall~ mmo::d with native
Opposite Three bedro::ura OCC'JJ:Y

~eP<lt"(:tt:; :.>~ta;JUil~ •:,iUI ~<tu Led
cei irr~~ and Vdapa .. oun.::; w1ndov.t;

SpaCe$ were ;:,Ia "ned .-ith Mini
rr .1-n J:art.mons to c;~pturF. t.hP.
feeling cf transpa--erct ch;;racter-
iEtic of old rilipi 10 1omes.
Above The ~o·lte ownet•'s l:ed··oot·)

look~ cut o·~er a rc ling lan:l5cape
Picture£ sss v.; rcO\o\'S arB sha:::ec
with :-lelir.at.e roltn£ hlinds mildA cf
r.ati•te raffia rratchsticks. lerciro;J
::; .;;o~t. me ted glcw to thE room.
Left As ~.;s LapeL placet=; a pr·et' 1i-

t.. tr oo l·er ~pioi:.tal life. <l'C1 teet
~/,;rcs<J r.oe~terl 8 pers:lrill B par. ~
"t t.h8 higl·o~i>t. most r1rll'11Fr::ir.

point in t~e houEe: ever ~er bed-
rocm. Tha quiet room h::os o
fJ;Jfi-:JI'i.llnie vieVl.t of rutL.r·c.
iopez pavilions
195
4th 10 10
Left The modern entry arch in the foyer functions as a

traditional “spirit wall.” A clay curtain of leaves made by
potter Ugu Bigyan hangs from the arch’s lintel. Behind the
curtain, a life-size Thai Buddha image faces the front door.
Below The two-story pavilion bungalow displays Mañosa’s

trademark detailing: traditional tukod (bracket supports)
under deep eaves, pointed finials on pitched roofs, and
screens and latticework to temper the sun.
Bottom The ground floor plan shows the various pavilions

comprising the house set among landscaped gardens.
196 FRANCISCO MAÑOSA

fib.:-r sh<1des. lending a soft. r ustic glow to the:- sleeping
quarters. O tf the central television room on the second
level is a sun deck surrounded by a bamboo curtain \'l.' all,
and a secret garden dec k \vith a $Unken spa tub.
!l.s M s Lopt 7. place~ a premium on her spiritual life
in the oc:mgou pavilions, Maii.osa created a personal space
especially for her at the highest and most drammic point
in the hou~e: over the bedroom suite is a small but periect
nteditation rnorn with a 360-degree view. ''There she can
CQmmune w ith nature and ht'r own personal bt:ing ...
Above I hR ~fl\iirnnmP.nt.nlly (";()11-
there, where reflectiQn becomes the order of the day. with
scious househc· d keeps an c rgar11C
an unobstructed vin"' of natme." ··edible garden" near tha kit:hen
At gro und level, Mai'losa has imbued a '·green" life orc::1. The bronze sculptu r c of o
cl·ild hc·ld aLcv a 11and a11•id tt:e
upo n the ho u~e through the luxuriant tropical gardens oreen.; 'Aaby Oblt.itio>n' ;,; by
distributed througho ut the property as well a.~ through NatinnRI Artist t.rtum loiAr.tJ~o.
a rhe1naric or~,mic "edible ga•·dt:n" \Happed around tht' Below Th:> tr::~pical gardens of the
Lopez pooperty merge se<Jmlessly
w ide-open kitchen . The plan includes a composting are-a
with tl·e wide green fields ur ':.l•c
fo r organic '\v<tstes. and solar power for mee tin g the hot nolf couroe. ne lowerot le-tE<I of'
water n.:-eds of the occupants. t~.e house 10sts a ::leep or.:;llgo
saltwater awimMing pool, des:~ red
T his eco-friendly struc ture h<tS harnessed the sun. for healthy cips close to natura.
e<trth, wind, and the natural enerf,ries of both its architect
and client t<.> bc::come a truly ~plendid home.
3rd 10 10

23 Martinez pp198-203 10/8/07 3:26 PM Page 199
martinez-miranda house
“I like understated spaces.... A controlled composition of solids and voids limits or expands
the views.... It is important that our work appears rooted in its local context. This is achieved
not through superfluous traditional ornamentation, but rather through a sensitive assemblage
of materials and a special awareness of what is unique to the local culture and environment.
We describe this as streamlined vernacular.” ANNA MARIA SY
Pilar & Eduardo Mar tinez-Miranda Dasmariñas Village is a subdivision of Makati City in
DASMARIÑAS VILL AGE, MAK ATI CIT Y,
Metropolitan Manila. Beneath its polished exterior, the
METRO MANIL A village sometimes faces site problems. Low elevation along
the edges makes some lots vulnerable to flooding during
ARCHITECTS ANNA MARIA SY & JASON CHAI
C/S DESIGN CONSULTANCY heavy rains. Pilar and Eduardo Martinez-Miranda, who
have four children, sought a remedy for both the flood
waters and poor ventilation.Their architects, Anna Maria
Sy and Jason Chai, convinced them to raise their sights and
the land itself and to completely rebuild their old house.
Left A 12-meter-long reflection After demolition of the original house, the architects
pool borders the dining room, reoriented the new one, first raising the land by almost two
located left, in the inner court-
yard. Padao, a gaunt tribal spirit meters from the level of the street and then containing the
carving, stands sentinel on a ped- house within a high white wall that curls rounds the street
estal, guarding the household.
corner.The new home sits at a much higher elevation than
Above The guest room opens
its neighbors, with the main entrance at the top of a broad
onto a lush pocket garden, one
story above street level. The low flight of granite steps.The clients’ brief for the 990-square
white fence stands atop the meter lot included an efficient house layout, a generous
high perimeter wall bounding the
elevated courtyard house.
garden, and pockets of landscaping.The result is a Filipino
family home in a “streamlined vernacular” style.
martinez-miranda house 199

I
a ;_1 ~:~}
• ~J
=_...
-~
~
..,.
I
...
Anna .rvl;u·ia Sy and J;tsnn <:hai pbnn~d a new geo-

mc;try: a modern courtyard layout that is a rc:latively nc;w
concept ~unong l\1akati residences. The plan comprises a
two-story main home with two smalkr pavilions at each
end, one an open-~ided srJ{(I or living f\) 01'1'1 and th e other a
loosely attached open-air terrace or {(lllai . T he reconfigured
hmne luuks inward uJxm a nmrtyard , w hk h contains a
1 2-meter-long 1·dlecting pool bo rdering a. terrace a nd a
lawn beyond. The living sp<K('S arc arranged concentrically
<\round the courtyard. The children m )W have a central play
area defined by Lhe garden fence. as well a~ two pavilions
whose usage w ill grow and c hange wit h t hem.
Sy explains the <k~ign : ''Throughout the ground floor,
,, comrolk d comp ositio n of solids ,md voids limits or
expands the views. Large surfaces of white plast.:-rcd w:~ll~
are juxtaposed against screens or doors with rectilinear
patterns. I)ecorative ceiling rafters add texture :and relief
to an otherwise:- unadorned spa.ce. The layc.mt, t he materials,
the patterns that m old this home aJ."(' A5ian in cs5cucc, but
rendered \Vith m..inU:nali~t and modern case."
She recalls, "It was a dillicult brief: to fit a lot of fi.mc-
tions into the lwu~e---sp;H:es fi1r t(">ur kids, a big kitc hen,
and two private; work area$.'' To make t he house; m ulti-
functionaL she "borrowed" contiguo us areas, letting ti.mc-
tion~ merge with C<Kh other in the wide spaces. Room~
spill off the \Vide corridors. Floor- to-ceiling glass p<lnels,
fi-amed in dark wood, slide into the walls to allow adjoining
spaces to merge and expand with ease. T he interior extends
seamlessly out to the grassy CO\Jrtyard ;md to the greenery
200 AN~,A MA~IA SY 6 JASCN :111>.1

Opposite ne rarni y r·oo·lr/li:::···::w;
f.ll'jjCi"C t.1e r.arent~· be::Jroc11, it..::
hCC<CASP.S filling Fin P.nt.i"P. w"ll.
Right West elevati:m.
Below -lu:• veL'{ ::;a,•a p(jvir:.w. ;jl_.-

ta~~u:.d to t..hr;. r'::Jht.. c:f the foyer,
nP.~t.IP.s rrnriP.r il wn:1:'l I'Fift.P.r cP.il-
i 1g. S ::ling glass doors open tc
views :Jf the garden landscaped
by rc"ce Veridion::r :me to th2
ur:;en-:i:.b:J p::rviliun un L're fol' le -L.
201
4th 10 10
Above The dining room connects Below left The décor in the master Below right White concrete walls, Opposite above The courtyard
to the reflecting pool through bedroom is simple and under- a dark tiled roof, and ten broad layout, a relatively new concept in
contiguous spaces and corridors. stated. A work area specially for granite steps leading up to the modern Philippine homes, config-
Traditional dark wooden frames the mother is tucked behind the front entrance greet visitors to ures the living spaces around the
support several layers of sliding headboard/supporting wall—allow- the house. The lot was raised by lawn—including a versatile open-
glass doors. In the evening, artful ing her to wake up, roll over, and almost two meters, and the house air lanai attached at the far end.
lighting accentuates the elegance be in her office! “retained” within a high white wall,
Opposite below Ground floor plan.
of the setting. elevated above its neighbors.
202 ANNA MARIA SY & JASON CHAI

23 Martinez pp198-203 10/8/07 3:27 PM Page 203
beyond. Small gardens placed in setbacks against the high

peripheral walls serve as natural backgrounds for indoor
areas, appearing like Chinese bamboo paintings.
The more traditional character of the upper floor of
the house reflects the lively, interactive Filipino family
who “hang out” together, especially in the ample family
suite-cum-library adjacent to the parents’ bedroom.Tall
sliding glass doors open onto false balconies that look
down on the central courtyard and the activities in the
sala. In response to a special request, a study for the mother
is tucked niftily behind the headboard/supporting wall of
the master bedroom.
The Martinez-Miranda home is a simple but well-
planned modern house. Sparingly detailed with flat white
planes and dark wood frames, its graceful configurations
and flowing spaces are particularly evident when the house
is lit up at night. At present, the family is more involved
with the garden and pond than with furniture and things.
Eduardo Martinez-Miranda describes his new lifestyle: “I
was never very interested in the garden, but now it’s a daily
activity and personal therapy....The garden is really a vital
part of our lives and the plants are our perimeter wall!”
Says architect Anna Maria Sy, “It is important that our
work appears rooted in its local context.This is achieved ...
through a sensitive assemblage of materials and a special
awareness of what is unique to the local culture and envi-
ronment.We describe this as streamlined vernacular.”
martinez-miranda house 203

1st 15 15

Left The 31a:3G r·e:3·::ler-ce, :::ui L c··,
a r.;tan::l'.wd 4!)f.l !>Q.1are o1e:e· lo:,
stnnrJ5 out nrn::.rg ho.JSP.B in th:::
old reig I"' ~orhood because :-f its
tri'T1, rectilin2ar lines, its a~razing
y uzetJ '';nc!!. (.ln:J i:;; r1:.~tchr\;
Q aG•J rai ec be l:::c ··,ieG.
Right I "8nShiC20t. gi8SS fi t.P.rs

natu"slligh: from :he gars£? ~rto
three piecss of art by moderoiat

::;uul sier·u. Th8 s <..11toc \·\'inl1u ..v
pane::; are al uGion::; L:) Lt·e an!~led
c:::reenc firs:: t.t.ed by Nat.i.:::o~'al
l\r::hit~G:: 1-'nt::. /\1t:1ruo.
glass residence
"This sleek, streamlined home with a hint of both Asia and Europe-the modernity derived from
Bauhaus and de StiU of the 1930s-demonstrates my passion for integrating Eastern and Western
influences in a relaxed, light home that is of today and yet timeless." RAMoN ANTONio
During the last t\vo (kcades of the t\venti,~th century, the fVLAGALLANLS VILLAGL, MAKAll CITY, 1\ill RO MANILA
popular "Filipino-Spanish Mediterranean" srylc tlourished
ARCHITECT A/WON /\N 1ONIO
in chc elite subdivisions of Mcrropolican Manila. Sine.:- rhc
turn of the cemury, however, many houses have heen 1·eno-
vareJ or rebuilt in various versions of Philippine rnodern-
ism. One architect who has succes~fi.J.IIy made the tramition
fi:om the Mediterranean sryk to the new "A~ian Modern"
is Ramon Antonio. son of classic modernist Pablo LA..monio
Sr, National Artist for Architecture in 1976. Anconio's work
is now closer Lo his fad1er's original An Deco look, but
with tnudt less use of ornate ernhellishrnent, ntore sintpli-
fied lines, a limited palette and range of materials, and a
singular use of indusrrial glass.
205
4th 15 15
Above From the back lanai looking Right View from a semi-enclosed
forward, there is an easy spatial library toward the enclosed dining
flow toward the living room under room. The house is organized
its bright atrium ceiling. Sliding rationally, with functional rooms
glass panels bordered by dark- and social spaces linked by a wide,
stained mahogany, organize the central corridor.
spaces and frame the rooms.
Below Front elevation (top) and

longitudinal section (bottom) of
the Glass residence.
206 RAMON ANTONIO
QC Preflight Point
15 15
4th 15 15
In the past few years, Ramon Antonio has established start afresh on the same 450-square meter lot.The result
as his signature a clean, streamlined look, a fashionable new is a compact yet spacious, relaxed, and light-suffused 600
hybrid of tropical modernism, which has become much in square meters of living space that is both practical and
demand. Home owners praise him for his “total styling,” functional. Although there is no garden to speak of on the
an attention to detail which extends to the last ashtray and narrow lot, a feeling of spatial openness is achieved with
fengshui nuance. He says, “My father’s hand has been guid- views of bamboo-lined perimeter gardens, a double-story
ing me these past years ... but I am using much lighter atrium, and an enclosed lanai or patio.
materials and more modern presentation.Traditional Asian The façade of the house, with its clean modernist
elements are pulled into a modern structure to create harmony and horizontality, its expansive windows and
East–West fusion homes.” multiple balconies, and a tiled roof silhouette that is subtly
These principles are apparent in this compact but Asian, is pure new, modern, and evolved Antonio. Although
elegant residence.When the lawyer couple’s old family Antonio has included his favorite detail—wood-shuttered
house in old Magallanes Village had outlived its usefulness windows adapted from Straits colonial architecture—what
and become too cramped, Antonio was commissioned to is most striking about the house is his use of stark white

3rd 15 15

3rd 15 15
Opposite Silvered metal and

reflective glass in the sleek and
steamlined corridor approaching
the sala provide a stunning
contrast to the floating console
tables, armchairs by Antonio, and
giant mirror by Philippe Starck.
Above A clear glass railing rims

the wide mezzanine corridor on
the upper floor. This spacious
corridor between bedrooms
receives natural light from the
upper level of the glazed atrium.
Left The simplicity and symmetry

of the ground floor plan reflect
the architect’s signature stream-
lined look.
glass residence 209

concrete:" intc:"rspersed w ith wide planes <Jf glas~ gla7ing Above Ths 'coolest'· roorr ir the Opposite below left The white
h;.>~ ~t<, w·Lh Lh~ cun~n~Le W<lll:> !lml l h~ in;.lu;; trial
(!long the street-side fe nce and the npper-story balconies.
·nc:;L i f"'UVi.:ILive
'·· r..;. of ,..,af..erlalr.;, I(; l.l'f.< kl L~ .,en. glf.IGB 1.med i·1 Lhe exr.:,::~nG··v·e '.'{1'
Industrial glass and whiteness rhus combine to form lt.~ t.riiM .•~A nt. r:AI ;>~rlnn - t.r. 1P.rl rh-:·,'·lB h:=:.rMnni?~ h:-,t.1 mnb:~r B ly
Antonio's Asi,\n M odern t~l(adc. At night, the house n:sem- glaes ws Is a1·e 1ct 011ly soot"i"g and stJ"JCtJ-allv w th the ~;lazed
tc the eye b~ t 1= · ovide ; ~\'iJer ·: fe-ce sore bal:c1ies a1d the Aaian -
hles a j ewel box alllid the dense locale of old residences erovi · onrrent. sty 2 tiled -oo~ in this model ".<l.sioro
and hoary mahogany trees in which it is set. Opposite above left ~lx <!crvlic
\~oderr·' "l:U~.,~.
On c:"ntering the h ou~e, one immediately feds the p;>~int.11g ~ hy !lrtl~t. H ~ . J I Sidro~ Ar;, Opposite below right 11P. s2thAck
fr::;m the outer wal forms a two-
expansiveness and lightness inherent in the design. The 9rranged symme trically over the
fl.:x~ting cor.aole ae :·art cf the meter-wide pave:! spron arcund
hous(: is organized rationally on both kvds, \:vith rooms tctol etvrr\( by architect n.:-non ths entire ,ouse. T, is oll-whi:e
linked by a >vide. cencral corridor. On the ground level, AnLuniu him:;~lr. h<ll"tl <l'lll~L-::lf;:e -.iUI il~ <.;W'l ~ ij£ed
gstewsy oro~ides Lhe saia <01d
there is a progression of social spaces trmn an enclosed Opposite above right 1hP. F.t.;,ir-
lan;;i witt- ~i P.ws nf h;>~mh:-.:-.-lim;d
c.ase s s•rrole yet artful. E\'ery
space (den) to a st:rni-enclosed space (-..vith r-vo >;ide~ open) level oisplays a piecg cf art c• an
perirret£>r gardo:n s.
to the form al m ain Jiving room u ndt'r a double- height or:ifuct f-om Eoet or ·Nast. On
n:iling. The home tlowcs imvard through multiple wood- L-•c t::cllc~>lul IJcluw U1c sluiJ-s
~tarca an •>ld SJ·lg Oy·1aoLy jar
framed sliding doors to an l'ncloscd fmwi, the £woritc f1"m H.Jtllf\0, S.J:ltJy ~ ;!hllght.P.rl
eating-cum-lounging space of the family-and of most b-; i1d1rect lig ~tlng.
f'ilipinos! Heyond the h:~ck !.mai is :~ two-rneter paved

apron sc-thac:k ti-orn the \vhite periphery wall, a space t()]·
light and air to enter.
The "cookst" room in the Glass residence is, aptly, a
pak ccbdon green kitchen, its walls completely glazed
in green- toned translucent glass. All <\round the home,
camilevered and built-in wall shelves hold antique jars
and books, while tribal artihcts have been rnounted in
the best pos~ib l e places- all arranged by tht' "total stylist"
Ramon Antonio.
210
glass residence
1st 11 11

atelier extension
"I employed the principle of 'build it once, bu ild it right' in the project . I wanted
to create a future ancestral home ... a home that would not only b e a shelter,
but also enhance and deve lop the minds and c r ea tivity of each perso n t hat it
hOUSeS." BENJI REYES
LA VISTA, QUlLON Clrv, MliAO MANILA This striking com bination residence/ atelier is huilt on
DESIGNER B ENJI REYES

a steep ~lope t>verlooking the MarikinaValley, ea~t of
Metropolitan fvi<lllila. In their design, the o riginal archi-
tects, Jose Manosa & Associates, ~'xploitcd the sharp incline
to achieve maximum views of the distant mo untains. The
art-loving hmnt: owners then connnis~ion t:d wood sculptor
and fi.Jrnimre designer Benji Reyes to execute the design
as well as to add an adjoining artists' studio. The residence
Left A t.hree levellewe·, fon:l~; thus comprises two im crlinked, vertical pan s: the main
c:;;IIP.ri 't.~P. Qil7P.ho.· P.l<"t.P.n::l~ :P.hinrl
structure and the studio.
the mai1 house. Ms:Je of dung<:Jn. a
=hilippine ircnwccd, it is c·ovmed The main two-~to r y house has ;l crisp, cnntemporary
w'th o distirctly .A.sion r oof '•Ni: h fayade, its expansive f?lazing ~howcasing the grand ~ta.irca~e
w·:J~ ~uve~. T·1e de.oi;,Jil~"' u~t.:d lll:.;
ntlLr;;l L"lr'~:-·ne _;;·· Llnm ;.> I' L"1e
in the entrance toyer. llchind the main house. leading off
l.:~nd ;;.nd buill upward the first kvcl, which is raised above a basement, ~tand~ a
Above The lower ter•a:e cf the three-level all- timber atelier of open-air terraces with a
a~e =: ... ~·JW2:r c:trr:lrisea an Jp6r•-
di,tinctly A'ian mof and wide eaves. The separate structure,
oir de:k.. This ··noody venue servas
U8 u ivd;· ~:.:li·.:il.;;,.vd Uf'CU ·or· ..he whose decks are dev~lted to t he arts and l ei~urt:, rt:st:mblc:s
fami v a n:l visiting arUsl..«. a wooden tower. In R eyes' words, it is a venue "tor the
atelier ext ensi~n

213
4th 15 15
Left The modern sala, floored with

exquisite Philippine dao hardwood
recycled from an old house, is fur-
nished with Swedish sofas from
Bo Concepts. The wall mural is by
abstract painter Gus Albor.
Below left The dining room, adja-

cent to the sala, is raised on a
platform between square columns.
At its heart stands Reyes’ twelve-
seater “fiesta” dining table made
from a solid block of narra wood.
Below right The master bedroom

is designed around a “floating
platform” bed made from three
native woods: molave, kamagong,
and tindalo. The bed is flanked
by large windows with adjustable
shutters. The small watercolors
above the headboard are by Fred
Liongoren.
Bottom Right side elevation of

the main two-story house.
214 BENJI REYES

Left Hwnit.I.I'P. Flrt.ist.-t.IJmP.rJ-
horn2 c 2signer 8ef1ii Reyes has
r-~acE a 1ar12 for himaelf 'Nith his
wavy s:n:en divica'"'s called !:iibcw-
o'iiJ;_,·~.:. CUIISLI'UCLed fr'Ufll recy:.:led
•Nood. Fine-c .... L ip.:.' ....... uuU r:.Wf"IS lhe
t.B I, f:;ePf:;t. :)t.t. GlatA> .::w t..he e·y'e
r.ntr.'1i1Q scrP.~n :-JivirJing thF. i··.nr-;
ar.c dining areas, v...hile the main
c:-rr~.:·renta are made frcm
rno.•vvs v 1d kurnogong.
Below .A :c·1te·n:o"EIIY linear
ViOOdwork ~~ere en bec:)lreG t. ·1e
~~ 1:-Jing door p~n::: hRtwP.P.n t.~P.
linen rcc 'TI and a bedr:•:-rr or

t~e second floor.
creative inc..lividuals who will live and grow here. or pass on the three open c..lecks under the wide Asian roof.
through and experienn~ the owner~' artfill likstyle.'' The constrll(:tion of the smdio as well <t.;; the interiors
At the fi.unr of the main house, a rustic wooden trellis- of both main house ,md atelier showcase designer lknji
like gate ,md portc-cochcrc makc a distinct contrast to thc Rcyc~' facility with his chosen medium: rccyckd Ph.ilippinc
contemporary cernem and gbssed fac;:,\de, al the same time hardwood~. Collected and reworked imo rnodern architec-
providing an aesthetic link to the architecrure and materials tural details, the woods assurne rnyriad t(wms and textures,
of the gazebo-like atelier on the ~lupe behind. fi·om rough to polished, linear w curvilinear, ordinary to
The ~t,·ep site has influenced dw character of the land- sensory-organic! The rcsi<.knce's main floor is a vast phml'
scaping. ·rhc back tlaunrs a natural look, with deep koi oi rare, scriatcd doo wood-which became aV<lilablc just
ponds and gurgling watert~\11~ ammged under the towering months into the house project! In the Lower, wood is used
swdio. Surrounding the studio is a lush tropical garden as structural ti·arning and in screens, dividers, furnimre, and
with stone paths snaking among trees and giant ferns. an:e~mrie~. The dining room is enhanced with a mudernist
Nature:: thrives happily here. while Filipino artists thrive:: wooden table:: and four wavy "woven" screens iorm..ing a
atelier extensi~n 215

Above left ne stril:irg"' I wood
'\Rinn t:')Y:P,r nf C!)?.1 dP.r:ks ;u).~
•:,i de eav es alludes to a Bali 1886
pavilion or a Ma ay ~.oJse :m stilta.
Left.". sirrple ·,·,ooden bri:lge··,'ltl\'

C:Jr 'lecL:; L'1e up~er'IICSL e ~ck u(
t.h?. tov.rer t:) t.t'e airy .-c~m;;t,i of t.l'e
rnB n i"'ous~. I h::: b'NFW IP.VAI is n
lounging area srrcunded by two
deep koi porca and ..vaterfal a.
Above Th~ r<.~i;:t;U(; cr Lhe l"'is:)

C:JrCI'd~ hv.ISI:' Ull IJiiJIJ IJI'CUIId
diGplay~ expanr.;i\/e alr.oing Gh.:::,.\·\'
r.nsing an A-t. UP. co staircasP.,
gen2rous '.'·..'O:d-trimm:o ,.vindov.:s.
ar.c :f \·Vood trellia unitin~ t 1e
uuter ;,phl urd t1e frort dec-.
2!6 J[NJ R[Y['3

divider between the living: and dining area~. The staircase sketches drawn on walls and hand~-on discus~ion with the
comprises an Art Deco-inspired signatllre work by Reyes. ca.rp,·nters and crati:smen. I find it rdevant and viral to
insralled owr a bed of pebble stones. rransi(:r my ideas directly ro rhe crati:spcople who execute
Th.:- Atelier abode has been lovingly handcr,\fred from them on site. In designing this way, 'The eye is nlighri~-r
a tr.:-asun:·-trove of old rnaterials. the result of sen:-ndipity than the technical pen!'"
as well as shee•· good luck, that have heen polished and The Atelier ahode illustrates clearly the robustness of
a.dapted by wood-loving arti~an~! No set standard~ were a structure that h;1s evolved in a highly individualistic and
f(llJO\wd f<.1r the height of th,· window sills, doors, coun- serendipitous way! N,·nUcss to say, during rhe dose collab-
(('rs, and banisters in the house. All were custom-tlttcd for oration on rhis two-part atelier house, the home owners
the art-collecting mvners. Wood artist Reyes says: "The and rhe Reyeses developed che close friendship of (tlmpadres
house wok Lhree years Lo build, including collecling Lhe (kinsfi)lk). The d.:-sif,,'1ler says: "The house has valuable
recycled wood fi1r the project. Aside fi-mn the structural lessons to teach ahout resoun:e conservation, recycling,
plan based on the bluc::print~ provided, the entire:: house continuity and change-and rai~ing intelligent individuals
down to its minute details was accomplished using my in a handmade homestead.''
217
26 Bios-endmatter 10/8/07 3:36 PM Page 218
the architects & designers
Ramon Antonio Eduardo Calma Dominic Galicia Jeff F. Isidro
Born in Manila, Ramon Antonio is Eduardo (Ed) Calma is the son of Although he was born and raised Godofredo (Jeff) F. Isidro, who
a second-generation Filipino archi- Lor Calma, an icon of modernist in Manila, Dominic Galicia moved comes from Marikina City on the
tect. His father, Pablo Antonio, was Filipino design who introduced to the United States in his teens. western fringes of Metro Manila,
a well-known architect schooled postwar Philippines to trends He did his undergraduate studies earned his BSc in Architecture
in London who introduced the Art from the West. Ed received his at the University of Notre Dame from the College of Architecture,
Deco style in Manila buildings after BA in Architecture from the Pratt in Indiana and his graduate studies University of the Philippines, and
traveling extensively in Europe. Institute in Brooklyn, New York, in architecture at the Pratt Insti- went on to do graduate studies
Pablo Antonio was designated in 1988, and continued his educa- tute in Brooklyn, New York. Galicia in Landscape Architecture at the
“National Artist for Architecture,” tion at the Pratt International worked for several American same university. In 1987, he moved
the highest cultural award given by Studies School in Rome before architects, such as Douglas to Singapore where he had stints
the Philippine government. After taking his MSc in Advanced Archi- Korves, Roger Sahli, and Naomi with several top Singaporean
graduating with a degree in architectural Design at Columbia Uni- Leff, before returning to his architectural firms such as Raglan
tecture from the University of versity, New York. He then worked homeland. He has established a Squire and Partners. In Singapore,
Santos Tomas in Manila, Ramon for Giovanini & Associates and reputation for innovative residen- he was involved in several conser-
literally followed in his father’s Ellerbe Becket, both in New York, tial design along with notable vation projects, which won awards
footsteps by making the same before returning to the Philippines institutional work, seen in the from the local planning authority.
grand tour of Europe. This travel in 1991. Ed continues his father’s Summit School at Fort Bonifacio In 1995, Jeff returned to Manila
experience, combined with his mission of modernizing and mini- in Taguig City and two chapels: to set up practice—The Amper-
architectural pedigree, augured malizing Philippine design. He has the Adoration Chapel in Makati sand Architects—with three
well for him and since the 1970s produced a notable body of work City and the Archbishop’s Chapel former classmates. The work of
he has established a reputation that has been published interna- in Intramuros, Manila. the firm ranges from the design
as residential architect of choice tionally, including the Josephine of boutiques, restaurants, and
for Manila’s élite. Dozens of his Knox House in Punta Fuego, Ba- residences to housing complexes
houses dot Metro Manila’s exclu- tangas; the Calma Residence in Dominic Galicia Architects and institutional facilities. Isidro
sive enclaves such as Forbes Park, Dasmariñas Village, Makati; 12 Solid House, 2285 Pasong Tamo has designed and is supervising
Dasmariñas Village, Bel Air, and Restaurant in Makati, and the La Extension, Makati City, Philippines the building of one of the largest
Alabang Village. Today, he continues Vista House in Quezon City. He is mosques on the southern Philip-
his work in an updated genre of currently designing a new building Tel: (632) 729-3277 pine island of Mindanao.
tropicalism mixed with the modern for the College of Design and E-mail: galicia@globelines.com.ph
functionalism that his father Architecture of De la Salle Uni-
pioneered. versity in Manila. He has won sev- The Ampersand Architects
eral awards for his work. In 2002, Unit 5 3rd Floor, Sunshine Condo-
he was a recipient of the TOYM minium, 9633 Kamagong cor.
Ramon Antonio (ten outstanding young men) Guijo Street, Makati City 1203,
Unit 1203 “139 Corporate Center,” Award for Architecture (previously Philippines
1339 Valero Street, Salcedo awarded 40 years ago, in 1965, to
Leandro Locsin). Tel: (632) 895-0248
Village, Makati City, Philippines
Fax: (632) 899-5898
Tel: (632) 813-7330 E-mail: Jeffie@Qinet.net
Fax: (632) 813-7331 Lor Calma Design, Inc.
E-mail: rrantonio@axti.com
G/F State Condo, 186 Salcedo
Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City,
Philippines
Tel: (632) 817-8465

Fax: (632) 816-74514
E-mail: ecalma@lorcalma.com
218 THE ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS

Joseph AdG Jàvier Budji Layug Ed Ledesma Andy Locsin
Joseph Alexander de Guzman Antonio “Budji” Cancio Layug, born Edgardo (Ed) L. Ledesma Jr has Administrator and Design Consult-
Jàvier, born in Quezon City in 1973, into a Filipino furniture manufac- a BSc in Architecture from the ant to Leandro V. Locsin Partners
has a Certificate in Building Tech- turing family in 1950, did his under- University of Santo Tomas. Man- since 1995, Leandro (Andy) V. Loc-
nology and a BSc in Architecture graduate studies at Ateneo de aging Partner of Leandro V. Locsin sin is responsible for formulating
from the College of Architecture, Manila and the University of Santo Partners since 1998, he is credited office policy and serving as an
University of the Philippines. After Tomas and graduate studies at with the development of the firm’s internal critic and design consult-
graduating in 1995, he held posi- the New York School of Interior design sensibilities. He has been ant on various projects within the
tions as senior design draftsman Design. Over the last 25 years, he involved in many of the firm’s most firm. He has been involved in sev-
and administrative architect with has established an international important projects, among them eral of the firm’s high-profile pro-
RR Payumo & Partners before reputation for his designs using the Cultural Center of the Philip- jects, such as the Monastery of
joining Filinvest Alabang as archi- natural Philippine materials, and pines Theater for the Performing the Transfiguration in Malaybalay
tect. In both firms, he was largely has become a successful exporter Arts, the Hotel Intercontinental Bukidnon, NetOne Center, Kawayan
responsible for the administration of exquisite high-end furniture. In Manila, and the Istana Nurul Iman Cove, the Makati Pedestrianization
of various projects in different 1999, he instigated a new design (State Palace for the Sultan of project, Tower One and Philippine
phases of design and construc- thrust in modernist furniture Brunei). More recently, he was Stock Exchange Plaza, the new
tion. In 1996, he set up his own using natural materials with the Partner-In-Charge for Tower One Ayala Museum, and more recently,
firm, Jàvier, in Alabang Muntinlupa formation of Movement 8, a select and the Philippine Stock Exchange the Serendra development at Fort
City, Metro Manila. He handles the group of designers committed to Plaza; Kawayan Cove in Nasugbu, Bonifacio, Makati. He has brought
overall management of the firm, raising the design image of the Batangas; and the new Ayala Mu- the firm’s modern vernacular
which focuses primarily on public, Philippines who exhibit at interna- seum. Ledesma has also overseen “signature” to major residential
sacred, and hospitality projects. tional trade shows. Known as a many of the firm’s residential projects around the country, in-
“complete designer,” Layug’s urban and rural commissions, including those of Xavier Loinaz and
design works include the Zulueta cluding those of Fernando Zobel, Jaime Augusto Zobel in Batangas;
Jàvier pueblo house in Tagaytay, Alliance Menchu Katigbak, Ricardo Yanson, Francisco Bayot in Baguio; Menchu
D1 FREB Building, Santa Teresita Française de Manille, Tagaytay Inigo Zobel, Rante Aguila, and Katigbak, Ricardo Po, and Carlos
Street, Villa Donata, Alabang, Highland Country Club, Discovery Emmanuel Sy. He is a Corporate Elizalde in Makati; Gabby Lopez in
Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila Shores Boracay Resort, B Living Member of the United Architects Quezon City; Dante Go in Tagaytay;
Philippines Showroom in Bangkok, and the of the Philippines, Makati chapter. and Inigo Zobel in Boracay. Andy
Trees Sathorn in Bangkok. Locsin earned a BA from Wesleyan
Tel/Fax: (632) 807-2605 University, Connecticut, in 1984,
E-mail: javierarchitects Leandro V. Locsin Partners, and a Masters of Architecture
@pldtdsl.net Budji Layug+Royal Pineda Design Architects from Harvard University, Mas-
Architects sachusetts, in 1989.
18th Floor, Locsin Building, 6752
235 Nicanor Garcia Avenue, Ayala cor. Makati Avenues, Makati
Bel Air III, Makati City, Philippines City, Philippines
Leandro V. Locsin Partners,
Tel: (632) 896-6316 Tel: (632) 816-7927/28 Architects
Fax: (632) 896-6348.com.ph Fax: (632) 817-1998
18th Floor, Locsin Building, 6752
E-mail: budjilayug E-mail: lvlparch@pldtdsl.net
Ayala cor. Makati Avenues, Makati
@budjiroyal.com.ph
City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 816-7927/28

Fax: (632) 817-1998
E-mail: lvlparch@pldtdsl.net
the architects & designers 219

the architects & designers
Francisco Mañosa Emmanuel Miñana Conrad Onglao Marta Pedrosa
Francisco “Bobby” T. Mañosa earn- Emmanuel (Manny) Miñana is a Conrad T. Onglao has a Bachelor of Marta Pedrosa was born in Manila
ed his BSc in Architecture from forty something architect much Architecture from the University but raised and educated in Lon-
the University of Santo Thomas in sought after for his residential of Santo Tomas. After graduation, don. She obtained her BA (Hons)
1953. Since then, this vastly expe- and hospitality design. After com- he worked as a senior draftsman at the University of Westminster
rienced architect has worked in pleting his architectural studies for the Philippine Foundation in (1991), and Diploma in Architecture
several countries in Asia, Europe, at the University of the Philippines, Makati before moving to California at the Bartlett School, University
and the United States and has he worked for Gabriel Formoso & where he spent the next thirteen College London (1996). Pedrosa
received numerous awards for his Partners, a leading architectural years gaining architectural and started her professional career
work. He was the first recipient of firm in Manila, known for its design experience in a wide range with noted minimalist architect
the Golden Award in the Field of corporate and residential work. of areas. Between 1979 and 1992, Claudio Silvestrin. Her main in-
Filipino Architecture given by the Miñana’s notable projects include he worked in various positions for volvement at this stage was the
United Architects of the Philip- the Lakeside Leisure Country Club several Californian architectural design and layout of the Hom-
pines in October 1989. In May 1994, in Talisay, Batangas; the APEC firms, including Langdon, Wilson broich Project featuring the work
he was named the Most Outstand- Summit Presidential Villas in Triboa & Mumper Architects (primarily of Tatsuo Miyajima and Robert
ing Professional of the Year by the Bay, Subic, Zambales; the La Salle multistory office buildings); Lee & Mapplethorpe. She also did a four-
Philippine Regulations Commission, Christian Brother’s Chapel and Skahara Associates (restaurants); year stint with Roland Cowan
and in June 1996, he received the Memorial Cloister and Gardens, Don Roser (boutiques); Concepts 4 Architects, working on upscale
Design Award for Excellence in and the Baguio Country Club’s (hotels in California); Kent Roxford properties in London. After her
Architecture from the United Hamada Restaurant in Baguio (offices, restaurants, and residen- breakthrough home project, which
Architects of the Philippines. In City. Aside from residential work ces in Japan); Chhada/Siembeda is featured in this book, Pedrosa
2004, he was selected by the Phil- in Metro Manila, he has also com- Partners (hotels in Japan); Harold then ventured out on her own. She
ippine Jaycee Senate & Insular Life pleted residential projects in the Thompson & Associates Design has been in private practice with
as one of the Five Outstanding southern provinces of Batangas, Consultants (hotels in Taiwan, two London-based architects,
Filipino (TOFIL) Awardees in the Cebu, and Davao as well as vaca- Korea, Australia, and Kenya), and Richard Buck and Miranda Burton,
area of Architecture. In February tion villas in Indonesia, Malaysia, Asian Resource Design (country specializing in high quality modern-
2005, he was granted the Gawad and Saudi Arabia. clubs, condominiums, and resi- ization. She is currently in Manila
Gintong Likha Award by the Arch- dences in California, Japan, and working on several residential
itectural Archives of the Philip- Malaysia). In 1992, he returned to commissions.
pines (the United Architects of Emmanuel A. Miñana & Associates the Philippines to set up practice.
the Philippines & the Philippine 34 Sto. Domingo Street, Urdaneta He is currently the managing di-
Institute of the Philippines), and rector of CT Onglao Architects Marta Pedrosa
Village, Makati City, Philippines
in June 2005, the University of (formerly known as ADR Design Tel: (632) 0915 579-8270;
Sto. Tomas granted him the Out- Tel: (632) 810-6508/817-3543 Associates) in Makati. The com- UK (44) 07760 131 535
standing Thomasian Alumni Award E-mail: eaminana@pacific.net.ph pany is mainly involved in resident- E-mail: martapedrosa@mac.com
in Architecture. ial and corporate architecture.
Francisco Mañosa & Partners CT Onglao Architects
19th Floor, The JMT Corporate Penthouse A, LPL Mansion,

Condominium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas 122 LP Leviste Street, Salcedo
Center, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Village, Makati City, Philippines
Philippines
Tel: (632) 893-9174/5
Tel: (632) 633-8742/45 Fax: (632) 893-9225
Fax: (632) 631-8823 E-mail: ctoarchitects@pldtdsl.net
E-mail: mail@manosa.com
220 THE ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS

Royal Pineda Ber!ji Reyes Noel M. Saratan /\nna Maria Sy
Roval Ch:3Lopher· _opeL Pined:;. B~qjanrir· (Benii) LiLa =1eveG ··Near·::> Nee M. 5a "aLan was b::wn. r·aised, Annu rvluriu V. Sy w~s t.Jurr in
at :~o t.he ycunger.;t architec:. 11any hat.c: &s ccul :)tor. cabinet. anc e::l1.. ~a:.ec Ol' t.he ir.;laPd of \1anila. 1··· 192L. she gr<rd,,a.ec BA
fP.r,t.ur :=:.:-: in t:"~i~ hnnk. g1~nrtunt.P.rl 11Fik~,-. f.rrnit..r-P. rlP.c:igoP.r. F~nrl riP.- t..IP.O "C'JS P thP. ··..ti!=;RVRP F.lnnrls nf 'NTh a \11i ··1or in Af'chitec:Lure ff'om
froM t~e o\rchit~ctcral Co le;JS st sign c:~nsul~art. He studied ar: 1i- t~e Phi ppines. He is frc11 Ta isay Sn"'rth I nv..-r~rc:P. nnd Hnr1nrd
the Polyte:1nic Uriversity of the te:ture a~ the L.niversit''/ cf Santo City, n:Jt far f-om t1e islan:'s cepi- College. CoiLrrOIS Unh/ersit·)~. and
Phlippi1es o:fore working five Toroas (1977-C:l) and fins arts at ta Oaco :1:!, whs -e h2 finis~ed hs io19E9 she earned a Mast~-s 1n
ye<J -s for l2od ir,~ <: -chtecturo th~ U1i'<ersity a~· ths F'hlippines :.rchitecturc;l degree ot the Lo Ar='lite:ture fr:-rr llarvaro:: Univer-
firm Le:.rcro V Lc·cs·n rortnera (1930-3). ~pan grucuotion, Bef)ji Cons:JI:>:ic 1 ::::~liege. S:;raton ths r sity. After ..v.:"king for s·x yea"!:
J'lder· m~·•L:.>r-::lr·chiLecL Eu Leces- emlJ\.·lf'<.eU un ;j \.'lll';'jlion ;j:.i a v•.::x.:d m:Jv~d Lu Manila Lo Lakt> hi:.:; ~;ov t'or fir11s like> Sm.! in Colifor"io,
m;:., In <HJ1, =i ·1edc.< became m;:.n art..h:;t.. creat:n~ individualiGt.. fur1~i ernment.. exa1n:; a1~G t..c: ar.::::··ent..ic~ w·1er::; ~ht> ·.,.•,;j<:; i'l\:olveU i11 de~~i~Jfl-
agil'·; direct.c". t.hen f.II'Chit.eGt.ur3 ture exc .. Bivel'.,; uc·~~.~ recyc ec ·..vith Manila ai~Ghit.ect.c He \•\'Or<ed i ··rg beachJ'r·c ..,L h:)Lels. cor·J;or·aLe
put.n~ -. r t.hfl l::lud_, L F~yug cesign Phil1ppinP. h~rrJwc.c.cs. Ap:."P.nt.ic- hisv:nv .1:. t.r: c1F.signP.r i" thP. fi "rn cfficet.. and amuseMent. r.:arkc,. che
atJci:l. P reda 1as col a:·orated i rg wi~t master cabinetmakers. he of L:andr:; 1/. Locsin =artnS?-s. He formP.rl"' p<lrt.nP.rs~'f1 wit.h r.l.ss~
wit~ Oudji La·:tug on various h;Jh- :>erf2cted a "andcrafted Met10d left th2 firrr ir 19'!3 tc establish mate Jason Chai. 0:>~-ati"g :.ct of
profile commissions. SJch :.s the cf oerd'rg. sh<J:)ir~, ond t'itting his Co\,:n pructi :e. He hos been :1 Ceonrect :u-: in -:t-e Jnited States
noqua :;rc Lor:ez-Feliciono resi- -e:ycled wcoj intc fluid- ir.ed fovorite orchi~ect :1f ~lite t':.rr 'lies and also from Manila, their jesig1
:J:_:.r·ce:3, L're M-:~rl· ~L Lhl' n:.:·\·'•' ''f'crcliun'-!1 scull) lures;' exquisiLe like LJ·c Z:.>uel de Ayu iJS wllu IKlV(; consultan:'y' ·s no~ed for its high-
P.vala \.1uoeum. ard Bl l'NO rer.:ort.o o·eceG of a"', t.hat would be pa>~ce:l buill larr;e count--y ec~3tec O" enU cunUuminiwr wUI'<. i1· New Yc--k
in T·1ailr.md: nh:;:::cver~l Ol'c ···er.: c·1 fiG he·~~loo··nG Aft.er t..we ve s:::-··a,Niing vac21Uon hour.:e~~ i1~ t..he CiL'i Lh~ br·.,nc"ec' :.>f Ll·e nLer-
l::lornr.FI'y' F~nrl 7.h2 lreP.s SFit.~c-n. y:::nrs Cf Rignnt.ur~ ::hnir-Mt:~kln;J, SP.FI~- :iP. pmvinc~ :->f I::!Fit.a1g<ls. n;:.t.ional Fxcl-a·,ge Ra·1k of Lhe
HP. h'ls Fils:; workP.rl en ct.hP.r 1A hui this :-:rwn ::h"A~- p~v lion ~hillppinr;,;::, t.he Net One Cent.er
foreign-b;aed pr:-je:ts. suet" aa \ll;o:-:Jen t-oJse in Arti:.·: :-.and <'17. f-ort. :i:;nifF~cio,
KAI HP.st..s.r-';int.,
the 0 Living sh~wrcc 11s in Toai and the At2 ier house featured ir Noel M. Saratan and ss•:eral vacation hom:s soJth
iJ 1d Molo'fsio. this b:JOk. Sin:e 1991 he hils held cf Manila. On: of these ho1"1es.
twelve !IC o ::x1it'tic1:; uf Bcrtii feutured ir this book, v·,·:-r l"sr or•.::
Revec 1\.rni .. <oJf'e. Ctui the .Arn~-it:<J1 lnsti~cte u'
Budji Layug+Royal Pineda Design Ar·::·1ill'~ls (Cunne~liccLj 2::104
Architects Je~i·;; r Avlard
Beflii Reyes
235 f\ ica 1or Ca '"'C a Avenue,
Bel Air II, ~.!lakuti Cit'(, F'hili:)oin2s :6 1st .A.venJe, Beverly Hi s
C/S Design Consultancy
Scl.divi,.ior·..Anlip:.>lu C'L·{. MeL"U
Tel [632) s96-531e
Munilu. rllilippircs 7tt Floor. A::brrson Center.
Fax: [632) S96 e348.c:onph
121 Levis L:: S .rel'L, Sulceuu Vi 1;,;;,; ~.
f--m<lil: 'OV<llpi1P.IIFI IP.J/f-c;x: [ll:l:>) HflH<''lOfl
\.1akljLi Ci ..y,. P·1i ip~i11es
~:YI11 uijirny<ll.r.nm.[1h 1--m~il: wc:oc:wor<_hi~P.VP.S
•£;yah:-:l.CO'TI IP.I (!);~;>) S~:~-C:",!i!i

=Fix ~f\::l2) fHl~i-OHlfl
:::-ms.il: anna_!:
@:sa rct-itecture.com
the Drchitects & desjgngrs 221

Milo Vasquez Jorge B. Yulo J oey Yupangco
::;a,,;·:> B. ValQue.:, a ~·-adualt> or .::.rge Manut'l B. Y~ ::. wa~ tc"'l in Jcroe (J:>ev; Mtorla J. YUpangco
the l:ol eoe cf Architecture of the Manila but oro·~ed to t~e Jnited StJfcl P.C lnr;o,f:7.rlAI ciA!':Ign fit. t.hP.
l!ntvl'!..., t.y :'If S;ont.n ~.rro~~;;, 11'1F. St<itR.s in his ARr y tR.t'!ns. HP. fin- -'n~t.t 11!'1tJbrt.<~, Hr~•nH:n ('~!"4}
::-een i1 :'ivete pracb:e sin:e 1977, is~ed col -:go: at Somcn's Rock of and I :~t,ting cesign at the Ps rsor·s
w:>rtdng w th clients both in t 1e Oar:! Col : ge a 1d took gradua~e 5:hcc ;jf Design (l.!lBS;. lie ot -
P1i ppine~ and abr:-ac . I e forme·~ sbJdies at the R: 1s!?laa · P:>ty- taine::l e lv';,;:er's ::liplo:-na fl':m
Vazquez 5 Associates. on <: -c~itec ~achnic Uni~ersity ~ rc the Asian )orou• Acuo.Jcrrol\ tJilun \1.990]. <1 1u
tural and i1tericr desi~r firm, in lrst'tuts ·:.f lv'i:roger1erot. He d.j tro.: Y"\.du;;to.: do.:~i~; r ;.~r'Ogr;; rn
:9P.5 !jld i:> ::wo:~1:n .lv Lh~ n·r:on;j!J- ·ttorked f'ur C:;br·erf:I/ Bf:lr'l'i(;klu 3 &L t···e A.J-chi ... ec .. t.f-el A$~'J:::iaLion
·pg par·:..r-.e··. T·,e firm it:; ~I",C~Gec A>>G:)Gi3 ~'-'~ in Lhe Unit.e:l ~tf.lf..t:<>> S~hcr. :'If A'r;l' t.8r.t.IJrA (HN/-H].
·,the de ~ i (; o ' .:l1cl cevelopmeo1t. an::l ··. vith 1eandro 'J. occin Par-:; -iRSF<rl in NRw vnr< r t.hA HlH!ls. 1A
of vflr o.os pr('JA ~ t.~ ~ ct.h In t.hP. nP.rs whf>r ~e ·et.uroed t.n th" worked oro freelan:.e vQiects s 1d
P1i ppines and abr::.ac, i1c luding Philij:piro:s in the ~98:le. Vulc's wor ear ly citations: voung Deoigo-
oot!?l~ ao1d r esorts. r ets.il outlet s. portfolio cf 1ctable wcrks inciL:Ie3 er's Award (Pratt nsti~J te. HJ8L],
ond p ·iv.:~te r esider ces. Vo zqueuz's ~~.e Luptco rouse io Tc:o;i:yt.:~y Cit'y; =iroolist ot the 2nd Osokeo lnte·-
experieoce ore experti ;;e in prqj- ~~.e 3onzolez House i ro Los Bonos, nuti:.m ul O<.:~i1,1n Cc·n[Jditbn
(;CL nounU!-JO.:Ir<.nl un:J in . i'o(; Lt•:.:·o- .l'o\; :iuo WIU cur::: Bolu r·~sLuu (19o5). 13nd 1•). Pl13~e i··, Lh~ L MN
'lic.:~l aooecl (ocof archl ~sc~.o ··~ h!'lve ran~c. a·1cl ~he Ark C·1ur:h in 5!'11'ta =,r• nit.. r'F.l n e.::lgn Ccmr,:etlt.iOI'o, S31
<:;<~i·1ed ·11-'11 " w'r.Je <o·1<1 I:)Yiitl cllt:<n Ro(;3. ec::.1·1a r.:··ovin:::e. t.out.l" of - r1111~1:=:r.n [1 ;JHH ). - R hll>' ht<r;11 :'1
tr.lr.. L ~Jr.;ol orQjAr:t.Fl lror.l.oc P. LA tv1811iln. HA is :-~urrent. y \VOrbrg on Juo·o: r "or :h~ prestigoC·JS Japan -G
Soleil dP. 8or;or:~y Ho t.AI, 8ori1Cfl'/, S<'!VP.r;oll;or;;oP. rP.s c21ti;ol J:"Ojects vlark Design Aaesr ,';·Nard for the
A.<lan: 1v1: New C:>!tat Flesort u in and arcund lvletrcj:olitan 'vlanila. last three yeara :<-oOJ-~.;. Since
Yillate Cor:l.. C::oreca·{. Aklsr: O·e th~ 1S30s, v,J::..o1gco has designe::l
'•Nhits Beo: 1 las:>rt e Cpo, Be ·o- spo:es tor t.'or·l~·s modernist

(;UV. Aklun; L<11oku/Cun-run Wuud:;, J orge Yulo Architect s r-~~~r~;r'Ls. u·n~e~. f:lrou o-e~•i
Beltonga~: Oenci0'9 Btor 5 Grill, Ale & Associates dence.o,. :iome of hi~ pu::: l~tred
oa1g: Aec Aito::.n Bal:e(ohop 11c.: 11- Ka"r \.1'1 Pla:r;o, ?316 Chinn works are the AgJIIs' H:;.o.f.e. Soda
IJP.Iifn'lrr:A CoffAA Shops: h'::o.<: A- Races ~r.oi c1, lv' skati City, Cluh, :':h/11 -ousR, lfl G:mc~lfl
~Her's \ol;onil;o, tv' <,1:11:;1; 'Ji;o \~<'~I'P.
Philij: piro:s
:::estauran:, Neo Sj:a, Luna Pent-
::::~ffee S1c:>a; .::.~ie Ocampo house of R::.cl:well. DCD Pir:>o:>int,
Residence. O"eer1i Is; Rafael
T:;l: \E32} 844-E:l2!26 ond r-a:: rrc,;ac~. -e runs Domoni,
A. J1an Aesicerce, :;luezor Ci-:-y; Fux: (6:3 2~ 844- 2369 o fur•ibJre showrcc -n fui:turi r i;
.~·nbu!>:ou;Jur Lh~illio.:r Ao.:~iokno.:~·.
E mai : J;!'lai::;jl)rc;eyulo ~c ·n lui'<.J" C(;:>iJ<Il:> of' Lur·1ur·'Ow.
MakaU; Li ··oe<:~ IL;:olie •3 r'OJ:J. I·'•Ler·-
··oa . ionel ~H'Qjec L~ i·'IC:Iude Snoop•;
JY+A
p ilC: ... (C:'AA: 1-'lfl/il Sil1i)Foj)IJI' R
S n:>::'IJ1'/ -'IAr:R. S ilv;a :'l·:'li'A; 1-';;~lflr: Store;; #9 · 1C New Wo•ld :::enais-
8arde1ia - otel. Saloan: \! a -nar ss1ce llotel Arcade. lvlaksti Si~·f
[sJ: a•ade. Singapore: a 1d "'hil'ppines
Vietlang :::hirr;rs. Giroga p:>re. T'-'1: ~1532 ) 81:-6767
=iftx: (;;:~;.>) !,;1' l:i7ll7
Vazque z & Associates - ma il: don1F.t ln ~r,:h.l 1tF.w. 1et
::>I <nnl;onn :'i tr~A t., l)uA 7nn Cit.y, Page 224 o···e ,:,ide l)r .he r.;Lu ··oroin11
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Acknowledgments
The author is grateful to the following people for their

assistance during the production of this book:
Architect Emmanuel (Manny) Minaña, for design consultations

on a quarter of the houses featured in the book, and also
for his inspiration to bridge the intuitive and the literary and
architectonic.
Josephine Knox and Carmen N. Pedrosa, for their hospitality

and for access to their inspiring homes.
Dr and Mrs Victor Reyes for their hospitality in Tagaytay,

Cavite.
Hans Juergen Sringer, for hospitality and accommodation

for the photography team, and for being assistant to the
assistant photographer.
SGS Designs Manila, who did the drawings.
Paulo Alcazaren for writing the Introduction and for co-

ordinating the graphics.
And, especially, the home owners without whom this book

would not have been possible:
Stephen and Marie Teresa Cheng
Beng and Rikki Dee
Toto and Lea Hilado
Josephine and Ervin Knox
Edwin and Alice Ngo
Agot Isidro and Manuel Sandejas
Nikki and Robbie Leviste
Regina Lopez
Arturo and Tessie Luz
Eduardo and Pilar Martinez-Miranda
Aurelio III and Gizela Montinola
Tes Pasola and Tony Gonzales
Alberto and Carmen Pedrosa
Gunn and Cris Roque
Ricky and Eleanor Sy
Al and Carla Tengco
Fernando and Catherine Zobel
Patsy Zobel and Alonso Halfttner
as well as those home owners who wish to remain
anonymous.
acknowledgments 223
1st 15 15


25 Tropical Houses

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QC Preflight Point

73845_CTP_0ii-007 Prelims.qxd 7/21/05 12:08 PM Page 1 QC Preflight Point

Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing_Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books) p1

introduction by PAULO ALCAZAREN

photographs by A. CHESTER ONG

Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing_Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books) p3

Published by Periplus Editions, with

Text © 2005 Elizabeth V. Reyes

All rights reserved. No part of this publi-

ISBN: 978-1-4629-0658-1 (ebook)

Page 1 Atrium house, Valle Verde, Pasig,

Page 2 Tengco townhouse, Forbes Park,

Pages 4-5 Montinola pavilions, Forbes

Pages 6–7 Leviste lanai, Ayala Alabang,

the philippine house goes tropical modern 8 Paulo Alcazaren

dee residence 18 Corinthian Gardens, Quezon City, Metro Manila

roque residence 26 Batasan Hills, Quezon City, Metro Manila

sy house 36 Dasmariñas Village, Makati City, Metro Manila

knox house 44 Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

ngo house 56 Ayala Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila

tengco townhouse 66 Forbes Park, Makati City, Metro Manila

montinola pavilions 72 Forbes Park, Makati City, Metro Manila

atrium house 82 Valle Verde, Pasig, Metro Manila

isidro-sandejas house 92 Alabang Hills, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

pedrosa courtyard house 98 Hillsborough Alabang Village, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

verandah house 104 Makati City, Metro Manila

zobel rest house 110 Calatagan, Batangas

zobel hacienda 120 Calatagan, Batangas

escheresque mansion 136 Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

luz stud io home 146 Valle Verde, Pasig, Metro Manila

leviste lanai 152 Ayala Alabang. Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

pasola-gonza les house 162 Southbay Gardens, Paranaque, Metro Manila

hilado house 168 Alabang Hills. Muntinlupa, Metro Manila

cheng residence 174 Forbes Park, Makati City, Metro Manila

double house 182 Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas

lopez p avilions 190 Ayala Height s, Quezon City, Metro Manila

atelier extension 212 La Vi sta, Quezon City, Metro Manila

218 The Architects 6 Designers

the philippine house

Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing_Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books) p9

is c:h,ri'lc:tP.rizP.rl by fluin 1n~s <;nc

:.;udin~J ike ri1..x; ter-ruce~ dcv~~·r

Lhr':)J~! t· Lhe h:)c se. JesiQ ··,er Buqji

p14 Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing_Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books)

the philippine house goes tropical modern 15

Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing_Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books) p15

Right This experimental glass and

Job no : 73845 Title : 25 Tropical Housing_Philippines Client : (Berkeley Books) p17

le,.:er~c sta1rcsse, V•11t1ou-: raili1gs,

Below right I hP. r2st.nurnt.2.1'

Uinin!-J s~L. c1·U := flll:l:~r·ni~L L"l;'jrl-

Above A :.:leaf' view rum; Lhruu~~h

t.hP. gl<~ss hrirlgP-w'>y-f"om t.1P.

Right -he lluulJie-heiyht utr·J'II

~elves) with the t:lr w;lll forrning a wide picture window

Above Oy night the artfclly lit

Above right Se:c1d floor plan.

Below The classic modem m;ulSI011

Above r ight Th: rnformal side of

nrain huusc. This Japancs:::-style

Below r ight F;·unt elevotiun uf

26 B UOJI LAYLG 6 AJVAL r NEOA

government buildings, is a long, 3000-square rneter prop-

when they decided to build their home on an undeveloped

by th: eotr·:t descen:ls o':er a s~al