Teachers' Way House

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Having been able to deal with the pressures of sending their three children to universities and the challenges of living from one rental apartment to another in the last three decades, the owners have finally decided to build a home that they can call their own. The couple, both school teachers, approached the Studio in early 2017 to seek professional advice on how to best utilize their residential plot of land located in Silang, Cavite in the Philippines.

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The owners have been upfront about the limited budget in the initial discussions. However, they were pragmatic and clear about their requirements. The brief lists a need for a 3BR house on two floors with a small study. An en suite bath for the master bedroom, a powder room on the ground floor, and a common bathroom on the second floor serving the secondary bedrooms were all mentioned in the brief. A non-traditional façade yet an easily recognizable shape was asked.

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Given that the plot of land is not on the bigger side of things, the owners requested the architect if he could make it look bigger than it should. The design process started immediately and was followed by the submission of the initial layouts. Approval was secured soon after and studies on the elevations then followed. A barn-type mass sitting on a base has been chosen since it can be viewed as two unique shapes from two different perspectives. A pointed profile on one side and a rectangular on the other. The rectangular side would allow for more architectural expressions to be made. Hence, the decision to have it facing the road. Since the site is accessed from the south, attention was given to address the solar heat gain from the afternoon sun. Wood-plastic composite (WPC) brise soleils were incorporated in the design to respond to this need. The ground floor facade wall was extended to abut the property line on the west side of the plot. Not only it gives an impression of a wider base, but it also serves as a security barrier between the inside and the outside spaces. A parking area for a single car sits under a canopy that doubles as the terrace for the master bedroom on the upper floor. The canopy has been designed to be wide enough to accommodate the car and a motorcycle.

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The owners have opted for a design-only scope of service. They have expressed their desire to build the house at their own pace and not be put under pressure by the unpredictable availability of funds. As part of its service, the Studio has assured the owners that it will be there to guide them, give advice, and be of assistance in decision-making during their build process.
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Project name: Teachers’ Way House
Location: Silang, Cavite, Philippines
Architect: Michael Gracilla, UAP, Legacy LEED AP | ARKMIKEL Design Architects
Features: Residential, G+1, 3BR + Study, 1-car garage
Architectural style: Contemporary
Scope of work: Design
Lot size: 120.00 sq.m. (1291.67 sq.ft.)
Total built-up area: 124.61 sq.m. (1341.29 sq.ft.)
Project status: Design completed, 2019, Build TBC

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