Tropical Living Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines

225 Pages·2008·88.192 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Reyes, Emando Nakpil Zialcita

Tropical Living
CONTEMPORARY DREAM HOUSES IN THE PHILIPPINES
by Elizabeth V Reyes
with Fernando Nakpil Zialcita and Paulo Alcazaren
photography by A Chester Ong
PERIPLUS EDITI ONS
Singapore • Hong Kong • Indonesia

contents
6
122
a different tropical style rustic assemblage
Professor Fernando Zialcita introc:luces the contemporary Diaz Beach House
Philippine architectural scene, highlighting local trends and Franco Delgado Beach House
indigenous crafts, the influence of medernism, and the Antigolo Artists' Homes
innate aesthetic of the archipelago. Bolipata & Borlongan House
Johnson & Laudico Flomes
14 Avellana Apartment
Roa House
asian fusions & cross currents
Baylosis Apartment
Jaime Zobel Guesthouses Sandico-Ong Flouse
Escano House
Minana House 168
Fernando Zobel Heuse
Ho House larin rhythms
Makapugay ComJ3ound Roxas House
Yabut Compound Delgado Penthouse
Antonio House
60 Inigo Zobel House
reworking rhe vernacular
194
Hofilena House
Pleno House furnishing index
Lazatin House Abaca, bamboo, baskets & vines, capiz, pina & philippine silk,
Concepcion House ceramics, coconut crafts, contelJipmary furniture, rustic-eclectic
d'Aboville House collections, handwoven fabrics, organic lights, marble & stone,
Laperal House modern mixed media, rattan & cane, wood art.
92 224
urban modern & minimalist acknowledgments
Chan House
Velasco House
Eduque House
Roxas Triangle Condo
Calma Flouse
Recio House
introduction: Fernando Nakpil Zialcita
a different tropical style
The Republic of the Philippines shares with In recent decades, other woods from the foothills
Indonesia the distinction of being the largest are being used. Examples indude coconut and
tropical archipelagos in the world. It has 7,100 bamboo trunks which, when split, flattened, diced,
islands, which range from small coral atolls to huge and laminated, are transformed into classy boards
islands with deep forests and towering volcanees. with unexpected textures.
Wherever one travels in this beguiling land, there is There are many varieties of howse design in the
always the promise of a breezy tropical scene; and Philippines. Consider the lanai. One common
there is always a new beach, with swaying palm interpretation used in beach houses is a simple
trees and clear blue skies, where warm waves break structure of bent wooden columns that draw the
and slide over the sands. thatch roof and split-bamboo ceiling ciQse to the
In tune with the country and climate is a relaxed, ground. Just as pof;)ular is the Mecliterranean
contempora.ry architectural style. Homes are variation: eaves of eurved red tiles, plain stone
tropical, exotic, romantic; there is a prodigious use pillars, and tiled floors. Or the starkly simple: a
of light and space; breezes flow through rooms, cantilevered.concrete roof and highly polished
cooling and caressing occupants. A permanent marble floor that together extend outward to meet
feature is the lanai, a type of verandah that has wide the sky and the la~n. There are also the personal,
eaves to shelter the interior from the suA and is one-of-a-kind interpretations, such as the lanai that
open to the elements on at least three sides, thus . marries stone columns with ornate capitals and
ensuring the free flow of cooling breezes. In many lace-like metal tracery on the roof edge.
cases it acts as an alternative to the more formal Variety likewise characterizes Filipino furniture.
dining room. It is the place to lounge in, to relax in, Bauhaus inspires the locally made, severely simple
to take in the scents of a tropical garden. furniture in. stainless steel, vinyl and glass; or, lately,
Filipino house design also reflects other features comfortable sofas that combine wood and abaca,
Qf the environment, such as the sea or the forests. an extremely versatile hemp fiber. Yet other furni-
for centuries, the capiz shell, a bivalve flatter than ture styles include Mediterranean-inspired designs
the oyster and more translucent when cleaned, has with a lavish use of scrolls·. and iron as the predomi-
been used as the tiny panes of traditional wooden nant material. Others draw on influ·ences closer to
grid-windows. In modern design, capiz shell finds home and simplify the horseshoe-shaped back- and
new spplications, such as in lightboxes, picture arm-rests and curving back slats of Chinese chairs.
frames or as tear drops in chandeliers. Furthermore, There are, of course, other.,designs that cannot be
people who can afford it furnish their houses with readily pigeon-holed. One example is designer
increasingly rare local hardwoods which are superior Ernest Santiago's highly personal and comfortable
in density and texture; one such example is the long chair that evokes a river bank. Formed from
narra, a fragrant wood with an intense sienna eolor. multiple materials-twisted driftwood for the