This home designed by a renowned architect serves as a calming haven in the heart of the city with its contemporary design, warm interiors, and thoughtful landscaping.
This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s September 2023 Issue.
Homes of every kind are huddled in an expansive cluster of residential communities bounded by three of Manila’s busiest roads. In one of them, a house was so designed as a calming escape from the bustle of its surroundings, expressed in the straightforward vocabulary of Architect Royal Pineda.
Completed in 2022, Pineda paid homage to the clean edge of the modern style, reflected in the streamlined bones of the house. He softened the exterior’s architecture with the warm tones of wood, and incorporated features, like the cantilevers, to shield the inner volumes against the heat and glare of the sun.
Add to that, the homeowner commissioned a thoughtfully considered landscape with water features and lush greens, some of which are allowed to rise and camouflage concrete barrier walls.
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RADIANT FOCUS
You can’t miss the focal point of the garden that’s visible from just about every vantage point on the ground floor–a gleaming lap pool that runs the length of the space where the living areas and the dining room are located. On the deck next to it, Patricio Urquila’s FatFat small tables are sandwiched between Antonio Citerrio’s Erica Armchairs. There’s another relaxing arrangement on the opposite side of the pool, where you find a six-seater table surrounded by chairs, also by Antonio Citerrio, beneath a parasol.
The inner volumes reflect Pineda’s orderly composition, starting with the floor plan which allows for uninhibited movement between spaces that are sparsely decorated with choice furniture and art to give prominence to the soothing images of the outdoor greenery. Pineda also installed large picture windows and doors, to heighten the sense of space while bringing the outdoors in.
SUBTLE AND SERENE
He paid particular attention to the furniture and decor to reflect the architectural environment’s minimalist silhouette and the homeowner’s desire to provide a relaxed atmosphere for family and friends. In one of the living areas, for example, Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni’s Alchemie sofa sets the tone. Low-slung and upholstered in ivory and cream, it has a manually adjustable backrest and electrically operated slide seat for maximum comfort.
Plush carpeting adds texture, its color palette of neutrals with touches of blue echoing the color of the Walrus armchair by Rafael Navot. Earthy tones come from the side cabinet, leather-upholstered ottoman and the occasional table, set off by a backdrop of thick greens visible via large picture windows.
Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia September 2023 magazine via SariSari.shopping or select newsstands in National Bookstore and Fully Booked. Subscribe to the E-Magazine via Readly, Magzter, and Press Reader.
Photos by Ed Simon of Kliq, Inc.
