Silhouette House

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Situated in one of the last pockets of development in Nuvali is the Silhouette House, a 4-level residential building that sits on a 305 sq.m. elevated plot of land. The owners, both Dubai-based professionals in the UAE’s property and healthcare sectors, approached the Studio in late 2019 after acquiring the property from Ayala Land. The plot was selected by the owners for its non-central, non-prominent, and private location. It is tucked away from the major roads and commercial establishments which guarantees its quiet existence for decades to come. Intended as a retirement home, the owners have expressed their desire for having a house that is at par with the level of design, quality, and finishes that they have been used to in Dubai. They want the house to be modern, highly efficient, environmentally friendly, airy, and should have a generous amount of outdoor spaces particularly on the ground floor.

The design brief in detail states a requirement for a house that is in a 4BR configuration with a swimming pool, a wine cellar, a home office for at least 3 persons, and a small family hall that offers views of the surrounding communities. For a 305 sq.m. plot with significant variation in elevations, the requirement for a generous amount of outdoor spaces on the ground floor was somewhat a tall order to follow. Due to the site’s steep slope, the items that were on top of the design agenda is the correct placement of the garage and the swimming pool. The architect has opted to have the garage at the gate level on the front-left of the plot to lessen the complications of vehicle entry. The swimming pool was positioned at the rear end of the site at the ground floor to take advantage of the slope, to ensure the ease of drainage, and for privacy reasons. The main entry point to the house is about 2 meters above the road and is being served by landscaped steps, giving out a unique entry experience. The ground floor further hosts the double volume living space, an open kitchen, dining, a guest room, and the home office. These spaces are being connected by a central spine which helped foster the unorthodox layout of the ground floor. Wherein the living space is located at the back of the property rather than being at the front as what is common in Filipino homes. The level difference between the ground floor and the garage is being connected by an internal stair and a lift that serves all floors of the house. This arrangement allows the occupants to enter the house from the garage in a more private way by not using the main entrance. Owing to its lower elevation and being surrounded by earth on three sides, the wine cellar was placed on the same level as the garage to benefit from its lower temperature and more humid condition.

The master bedroom, the two other bedrooms, and their corresponding en suite baths are located on the second floor. Similar to the ground floor, the rooms are being connected again by a central spine which makes the layout very efficient. Balconies were provided as much as possible to take advantage of the views of the area. An internal courtyard was introduced to address the gloom that might occur in the deep central parts of the house. It is also seen as an opportunity to introduce greeneries from within. The third floor hosts the family hall, the landscaped deck at the front, and the roof garden on the rear. Sitting 221 meters above sea level, the third floor offers commanding views of the Sta. Rosa, Laguna Bay areas, and on a clear day, the greater Metro Manila. The landscaped deck serves as a platform for gazing at the heavens using astronomy-grade telescopes, party hosting, and nightcaps. The roof garden at the rear will host the aquaponics farm that the owners would like to set up, as well as a solar farm and electro-mechanical services rooms. Collectively, these areas are considered compensatory elements to the limited amount of open space on the lower levels.

Although it sits on an elevated plot, the block on which the plot belongs is slightly lower than the village’s highest point. Expressed as a 4-level volume, the house is intended to appear tall to compensate for this level difference. While the building’s façade is multi-layered and articulated, its primary purpose is to block off the harsh effects of the sun and to control the breeze and the views. This can be observed in the operable and non-operable shading panels, canopies, elevation features, steel plate shading, and the floating eaves. The green measures employed include the use of PV panels for partial power generation, solar water heaters, green walls, low VOC’s paints, recycled materials such as the case of WPC sunscreens, rainwater harvesting, swimming pool wastewater reuse, and double glazed panels for south-facing windows.

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Project name: Silhouette House
Location: Mondia, Nuvali, Calamba, Laguna, Philippines
Architect: Michael Gracilla, UAP, LEED AP | ARKMIKEL Design Architects
Features: G+3, 4BR Residential 
Architectural style: Contemporary
Scope of work: Design, Build + Staging
Lot size: 305.00 sq.m. (3282.99 sq.ft.)
Total Built-up Area: 403.81 sq.m. (4346.57 sq.ft.)
Project Status: Design completed, 2020, Build TBC

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