Twelve houses

(Conclusion)

Today’s column explores six other amazing houses that highlight the amount of talent and creativity in the country. They provide us with various possibilities on what our homes can be like.

Manny Miñana translates the lines and forms of our traditional bahay na bato, while Budji+Royal opens up an artist’s house to nature. Plaza and Partners has an urban oasis in the heart of Makati while Carlo Calma marries a home with a cycling loop. We also have WTA’s courtyard house centering on a pool and Jagnus’ incredible composition of blocks.

Our homes represent the dreams we begin building from our childhood up to the present. The ideas that we form and desire evolve and change through experience and social influences. The homes we build will be shaping the dreams of the generation we ourselves rear and bring into this world. Our homes are but the first tiny part of an infinite cosmos. Let us inspire them with bold ideas and spaces that break the mold.

Budji+Royal’s Kenneth Cobonpue House showcases modern Filipino architecture by expanding upon the theme of bringing the outdoors in. His love of dramatic and romantic light fixtures led to the heavy use of organic oversized lamps, glowing clouds, paper lanterns and gold leafed jars. Its intersecting lines and geometric composition tie together the various spaces into a collection reminiscent of the artist’s own work.

Carlo Calma’s Loop House integrates a bicycle lane into the house, seamlessly connecting the master’s bedroom with the street. A series of stacked gardens on the facade serve to shade the path and lower heat gain while presenting an alluring urban landform that invites residents to explore and climb.

Jagnus’ Interstice is a triad of interlocking blocks opening into a double-height fracture cut with a thin metal bridge linking the blocks. The fracture is covered in glass to contrast with the course concrete surface of the blocks and provides cross ventilation for the space.

Manny Miñana’s Mango Residence abstracts familiar forms from the vernacular bahay na bato, reinventing its silhouette and materiality with fresh, modern translations of simplicity, context, elegance and comfort. The mango trees in the property and the adobe stone walls frame Dao door panels in this residence’s facade. The main living room on the second floor is completely transparent with wrap-around sliding glass panels, a direct contrast to the ground floor’s heavy stone walls.

Plaza + Partners’ Oasis in the City is nestled in the heart of bustling Makati. The client requested for a home where he felt he was miles away, one where he could relax and retreat to after a long day at work. The central courtyard is the heart of the home, bringing life to every corner.

WTA Architecture + Design Studio’s C3 Residence is a collection of three inward-looking villas that together form a loose courtyard centered on a lap pool. The villas are punctuated by multiple green spaces from a playground to a grand lawn that weaves through them, creating a vital connection between the various common spaces.