DECADES-OLD VACATION HOME HARNESSES VIEWS, WIND DIRECTION

Its ageless appeal can be credited to its organic materials, curvilinear design, play of light and shadow

Blessed with a 360-degree view of the landscape, this vacation house faces Mindoro Bay and the hills of Puerto Galera. Architect Popi Laudico set up the getaway so that her family could savor the resplendent vistas of the glimmering waters, the forested slopes and the lush valleys of Mindoro Oriental. Although the house is 20 years old, Laudico says it still looks fresh, and living there feels even more comforting today.

Before Mindoro’s border restrictions, Laudico would invite friends to spend the weekend at their place. One of the guests, a fellow architect, kept quiet all throughout his stay. Years later, he revealed to Laudico that he was at his wit’s end on his marriage when he arrived there. In three days, the soothing atmosphere of the house cleared his mind and gave him the confidence to separate from his wife.

“When people stayed there, they stopped talking. There’s no TV, just views. The site has become nurturing. The energy will affect you,” she explains.

Textures and shapes

The circular house and its steeply pitched roof establish an all-embracing space. Aside from the open plan of the rooms and artsy furniture, the surroundings—the winding paths, the swimming pool, the slate walls, the cabanas and the untouched, rolling landscape— are not perceptible in one scan.

The house and its minute details can only be grasped after some time.

Hence, when the architect takes photographs, the images are taken from the viewpoint of an insider. They focus on the intimacy of textures and shapes rather than floor-to-ceiling perspectives that give readers the sense of detailed space.

“The responsibility of one who conceptualizes the space before it even exists is to create the space that can look and feel better through time,” says Laudico.

Before the construction, she frequently camped on the hilltop site to chart the directions of the wind and sun so that she could harness their potential. The house shows reverence to the land, its

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contours and the elements.

The circular design, layout and proportion of the house were dictated by the picturesque views and the response to the circular direction of the wind. The rounded silhouette admits fewer drafts. Yet, it remains cool even when all windows are closed because of the open gaps between the pitched roof and the walls.

Locally sourced materials

Its frontage toward the sun maintains the flow of natural light throughout the day. Laudico chose to work with nature by keeping the land undisturbed and by using the main construction materials from Mindoro, such as slate dug from the site for the exterior walls and pathways, reinforced concrete for the shell, narra for the indoor flooring, solid wood for the handrails and cogon for the pitched roof.

She worked with local craftsmen who wove the cogon roof and mounted the slate stones. The project took three years to make as they first built a prototype which has since become the caretaker’s house.

Because the design followed the topography, it held up through earthquakes and strong typhoons while the neighboring houses either slid down the hill or were ruined.

Laudico points out that time is interconnected with built space. Foremost, the space influences how one experiences the movement of time. One doesn’t feel the time because of the generous spatial openings that create a larger perspective.

There’s no experience of control because the walls are few. The 716-square meter house has three bedrooms wherein there is no barrier between the bed and the bathroom.

“You have to be very comfortable with your roommates in this setup,” says Laudico.

One would perceive the house as “ageless” because of the organic materials of the indoors, its curvilinear design, play of light and shadow, and breezes that generate a cozy and healing effect. The modern country furniture by Soumak evokes nostalgia. The windblown, gauzy buntal shades; the sounds of birds building nests on the roof and the fresh smell of kamuning and rosal engage the senses with the present. The distant views of the bay and hills inspire the viewer to feel optimistic about the future.

The house is given more character by the furniture and woven abaca accessories by the lifestyle boutique, Soumak, that blend with the simple lines of the antique pieces.

Ultimately, the agelessness of the house is not based on trends. Its adherence to classic design principles and nature’s laws protect the house from the ravages of time.