On Memory and Heritage

Residential

E House

Possessions passed down from generations are valued by Filipinos, and properties are one of them.

The fond memories of childhood, weekend family gatherings, and all the small moments that happens in a property or place add to its value. This is the case for this project on a site and house owned by the client’s parents.

E House is a “matuang bale” (Ancestral house in Capampangan), which is now deeply leveled from the street though the successive road constructions which in effect experience floods during the rainy seasons. Because of these conditions, the owner wants to rebuild a new house adapting to the current conditions of the site.

The concept of the design revolved around the features of the matuang bale, a two-storey form with a distinct upper and lower level. The ground floor now is raised more than a meter from the road creating a tall dignified character for the house. This character is further heightened by the four-meter space the ground floor exhibits, a spacious open planned living space that is designed to host large family gatherings. The layout is designed to have a seamless conversation between the spaces and to the outside with expansive sliding doors opening the whole space to the lanai area. Fluidity in the use of spaces has always been instrumental to Filipino interior spaces and it is employed here.

The second-floor mass is separated from the ground floor utilizing a canopy which serves as a “belt” and protection for the ground floor fenestrations. The most prominent feature of the upper floor mass is the sun baffles that protect the interior spaces from the glaring sunlight.

The materiality of the house is also inspired by old houses. The ground floor is cladded with natural adobe stone. Both a statement and a visual cue that the ground level is in stone. On the second floor, wood claddings were used to express a more light and warm form, as per the wood upper story of traditional bahay na bato.

The design of the house not only brings a new opportunity for special moments for the owner’s current generation but also a contemporary statement of a house inspired by heritage and the sentimentality we bring into it. 

Status: Completed

Year: 2018