Screen House

Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, 2017

The house is organized by a central axis that runs the entire depth of the property, starting from the entry foyer and terminating thru a series of sequential experiences with the main living area, the outdoor deck, and ultimately at the landscaped garden and pool. Translated as a covered exterior walkway, this central ‘avenue’ becomes the organizational component of the plan, from which volumes jut out on both sides containing spaces of various functions. On the south side are service spaces and on the northern side are served spaces, with each volume separated and punctured by outdoor areas that afford all spaces with cross-ventilation and an abundance of natural light. A consequence of this, combined with the generous heights of each space, is a general feeling of lightness and airiness or what we locally know as ‘maaliwalas’. This is a character that must be present in tropical architecture.

The massing of the architecture is simply an expression of its internal functions, where private spaces are enclosed with solid planes, and the less private spaces are considered as voids, enclosed with transparent planes that function as fenestrations and opportunities for light and air. To mitigate the tropical heat, the ‘screen’ was employed as a secondary layer that also provides a sense of security and privacy.

Architecture becomes a Screen, Screen as a Transitional Strategy, and the Transitional Strategy becomes Language.

The Screen, therefore, becomes a dichotomous essay between the natural and artificial, between outside and inside, between transparency and opacity, and between openness and privacy.

Client \ Confidential

Location \ Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Building Area \ 800 sq.m.

Program \ Private Residence

Status \ Completed