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THAILAND
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Philippines |
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The art of home as
its builders see it |
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Source: Inquirer |
Author: Tessa R. Salazar |
Date: 1999-11-16 |
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ARCHITECTS can be artists when
designing homes. But they can be more
than that because aside from merely
injecting their own style of architecture
when thinking of designing a home, these ''artists'' are faced
with architectural challenges that may be unimaginable for us
who inhabit the homes that they design.
More than the design and the creativity that their artistic juices
could give them, they also have to think about the present and
future needs of the would-be inhabitants. They have to explore
the design flexibility of the materials to be used. These are the
structural components, the budget constraints, the safety and
comfort of the inhabitants and a host of other things that only
an architect knows.
The Laguna Properties Holdings Inc. (LPHI), the middle-income
housing arm of Ayala Land, featured Nov. 11 at Tower 1 Ayala
Triangle, leading Filipino architects who were tapped to design
LPHI's new project designs called Prima Casa. These are
architects Francisco Maqosa, Carmelo San Juan, Nepthy del
Rosario, Vicky Tee, Eduardo Hordejan, Carlo Gervacio and Rod
Bernardo. They were asked to design houses using the two
building technologies adapted by LPHI--the French developed
Phenix system, and the British Tex system.
The Phenix system uses an all-steel structure with precast
concrete panels as cladding. Since Phenix is Prima Casa's
premium range, it offers larger floor areas. This system was
introduced in LPHI's Santarosa Estates, a residential project in
Laguna for junior executives. The more affordable Tex system
uses as its structure a prefabricated and reinforced concrete
panels, beams and columns. These can be seen in LPHI's
middle-income housing project in Batangas and Quezon.
Architect Maqosa's expandable home designs, which used the
Phenix system, can be modified and expanded to meet the
growing needs of the occupants with minimal disruption.
Maqosa, whose signature style of architecture is Filipino, called
his works as ''Munting Tahanan,'' ''Gitnang Tahanan'' and
''Dakilang Tahanan.'' With the bahay kubo- and bahay na
bato-inspired designs, the three house designs were meant to
jive with the landscape and the tropical environment.
When a family outgrows a 142-sq.m. Munting Tahanan, living
areas can be expanded and new rooms and dens can be added.
This transforms into a 207-sq.m Gitnang Tahanan. As the
family's financial capacity progresses, the house can now be
converted to a 221-sq.m. Dakilang Tahanan where the den can
be transformed to a guest room with a bathroom and an
additional driver's quarter and toilet.
The Spanish-Mediterranean inspired designs of San Juan, on
the other hand, are characterized by large doors and windows.
He also made use of the Phenix system.
''The Phenix system is very strong. Steel is very resistant to the
earthquakes. It's more pliable, it can move, it can bend. The
joints were actually studied very well. Welding experts were
hired,'' said San Juan. He stressed that joints are very important
because structural failures of other buildings lay in it.
Architect Del Rosario, who had earlier designs in LPHI's
Santarosa Estates using the Phenix systems, updated his French
design for the Prima Casa collection. Architect Tee, on the other
hand, drew up European-inspired homes that stressed elegance
and spaciousness by using large windows and doors.
The most compact design, at 80 sq.m, created by architect
Hordejan is an ideal home for newly married couples.
Two architects--Gervasio and Bernardo--designed homes using
the Tex system. Gervasio went for the Victorian and
Mediterranean look, while Bernardo explored the tropical.
Gervasio focused on the spaciousness of the home while
Bernardo made use of well-placed windows, ventilator slots,
shading devices for a cooler environment.
Prima Casa designs were offered to selected clients in June.
Manuel Colayco Jr., LPHI president, said that Prima Casa was
received well by clients.
''There are also those who have some technical background who
acquired the structural components and assembled the house to
their own specifications,'' he said.
With the difficulty in constructing new homes, LPHI's Prima
Casa designs offer artistic and habitable solutions.
LPHI also claimed that it can help future homeowners or lot
owners within Luzon, analyze the site to determine the soil
condition of the property.
Along with that, LPHI also claims it can procure construction
permits for future home owners, provide them with licensed
architects and engineers in civil, electrical, sanitary and
structural works during site construction, and provide them with
two options on the type of building systems for their homes.
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