NIPA HUT 2.0

Location: STA. BARBARA, PANGASINAN, PHILIPPINES
Floor Area: 214.00 SQ. M.
Completion Year: 2024

The young couple wanted to have a house with their vacant property in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan. The couple is currently working abroad and decided to have a house of their own where they can stay to relax whenever they want to go back to the country. As the family started growing they needed a larger space where children can grow comfortably and play loosely.

The house needs to be elevated to safe height since the site is prone to flooding, this solution also created an illusion that makes the house appear bigger– a forced perspective application in architecture. The house was inspired from a bahay kubo from roof design to floor plan layout, no space is wasted in the house. The house features a high pitch roof without roof gutter and downspout, an idea taken from a bahay kubo and bahay na bato roof where rain gradually drops from roof to ground without the need for pipes just gravity, these features increase the lifespan of galvanized roofing and prevents clogging of roof gutter. 

One of the main challenges is to minimize heat gain. Aside from surrounding the house with roof overhangs, bedrooms and other important spaces needed to be away from walls directly hit by the afternoon sun. Stairs, corridors, and high ceiling on the living area absorb much of the heat but disperse it easily due to its large air volume. The roof area also features an opening covered with louvers from both ends to reduce further the heat gain, naturally cross-ventilated roof area greatly lower the temperature of spaces below. The owner initially wanted a high window on the building’s façade but due to the site’s orientation the large window needs to move on to the side to avoid exposure from the afternoon sun. The longest side of the building is parallel to the sun path making the house less exposed to the afternoon sun. The house features cross-ventilation for all spaces with strategic placement of windows for good distribution of natural lighting, for a typical day the project doesn’t need artificial lighting. The house uses LED lighting because of low energy consumption and low heat emission.

One of the most significant features of the project is the plan. The house is relatively small with 125 square meters of interior space but was able to accommodate four regular size bedrooms, three toilet and baths, living area with six meter high ceiling, dining area, kitchen with island and pantry, storage, and service kitchen which turned to laundry area once a week. Bedroom closets were inspired from Marie Kondo’s approach in tidying; it ensures the longevity of clothes while keeping them organized at the same time.

The structure has a simple gable roof but with an interesting building façade that has a large canopy that functions as a roof for garage and porch, the house is surrounded with greenery to cool the premises. Upon entering the front door on the right there is a stairs leading to the second floor and on the left there is a large open space for living area, dining area, and kitchen.  Also in the ground floor there is one bedroom, one common toilet & bath, and a service kitchen that converts to a laundry when needed. On the rear side of the property there is a lanai  for siesta and other family activities. On the second floor there is a door on the left leading to the large balcony while on the right a corridor with stainless glass railings that leads to the two bedrooms with common toilet and bath and at the end is a masters bedroom with walk-in-closet and toilet and bath. The materials used in the project were carefully selected to ensure the house’s durability from aluminum windows, tempered glass, steel doors, to concrete finishes. The design also plays a part in ensuring the longevity of the house, the roof has extended eaves to protect the exterior from weather providing low maintenance in repainting and cleaning.

The form and color of the structure were carefully laid out to create balance, rhythm, and contrast, the house can be viewed on all sides aesthetically especially when you view it with people. All exterior and interior parts, color palette, vegetation, most especially users complete the design. The project is primarily in monochrome to highlight the users more than the space, much like a portrait in a photograph. The house was designed to be user friendly, a place where they can be comfortable, comfortable enough to dream and create meaningful memories.