Panorama House
The house Is a weekend retreat 3 hours away from busy Manila. The client wanted a place where they can rest during weekend as a form of escape from the city. The project is located in a typical Filipino gated community of mostly Mediterranean-style homes. The client asked Jim Caumeron to design the home different from its neighbors on a limited budget. The area of ??the property is 300 square meters. In order to lessen the cost of the project, the building footprint was reduced to 100 square meters. There were two challenges for the project.
Photography by © Jim Caumeron
First, the setting is not different from the client’s Manila suburban house. You have to drive outside of the village to enjoy the scenic views Tagaytay and Tall volcano offer. The second dilemma is how the house can feel like a weekend home when the area of ??the building footprint is just 100 square meters. I’ve called it the Panorama idea. Since there are no redeeming views in the surrounding area, other than the park across the property, the architect proposed that the house will have its own “world,” he termed it introverted context, done by isolating some outside views. Photography by © Jim Caumeron
The Architect imagined it as a volume with two horizontal cuts. One cut for the ground level for views, ventilation and extended space, and the second level for wind circulation and views to the outside. In the Philippines, wind circulation is paramoun...