The house designed by Swiss practice Atelier Sacha Cotture is located in the residential subdivision of Better Living in Paranaque City, Metro Manila.
Courtyard House
Atelier Sacha Cotture designed in Paranaque City, Philippines, a family courtyard house that pays homage to the local traditions in the morfological choises and in the materials used.
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- 28 March 2014
- Paranaque City
The area features a low density neighborhood of houses and low rise buildings.
The program is a 465 sqm family house on a 360 sqm lot. The entrance foyer, garage and service area face the access road while dining, living room and kitchen overlook the private courtyard. The first floor hosts a family room and a private quarter with two bedrooms along with a guest-office room with access to a roof garden. The master bedroom occupies the second floor with its own salon, changing room and bathroom.
The house has 250 sqm of landscaped courtyard, accessible roof garden and terrace. The courtyard solution has been chosen for its qualities of efficiency and privacy. This typology has been widely used during Spanish colonial era in the Philippines.
Bamboo is the chosen material for this project. It is a low cost and sustainable material that grows intensively locally. This material has been historically used in the country for the fabrication of handicrafts, native architecture and utilitarian objects.
The bamboo poles are treated against molds and pests then stained and varnished. They are protected by ledges that also prevent the direct sunlight from penetrating into the house, while on the top floor the layers of bamboos are doubled.
The courtyard is bordered by a pond running all its length with a vertical water feature facing the living and dining room. Small shells and crushed Adobe stone are incrusted into the render. At night, the wall lighted up from the pond.
The base of the main house and the entrance foyer is clad with Araal, local granite. All windows, cabinets and beds have been designed and fabricated with Mahogany wood, also available locally. Stones for the bathrooms and living room come from the nearby island of Romblon. There is also a wall feature made of coconut bark in the master bedroom.
Courtyard House, Paranaque City, Philippines
Architects: Atelier Sacha Cotture
Styling and furnishing: Milo Naval
Area: 465 sqm