Project Ikigai

Contract Document Phase

Project Ikigai is a development composed of vacation houses located on a 9,000-square meter farm in Alfonso, Cavite. The down sloping site is lined with a column of Narra trees, pointing to a view Mount Talamitam. A gully in the middle naturally divides the site into 2 areas, and will require a bridge to cross. Each house is designed to correspond on different site features.

Behind a row of native trees along the access road is the Entry Pavilion that cuts an opening through a concrete wall formed from recycled corrugated metal sheets. The open pavilion welcomes visitors into the farm resort, and sweeping path walk will lead them to the farm houses and beyond.

The Communal Pavilion is the center-piece of the farm resort. A defining feature of this pavilion is a row of steel a-frames. One side of the a-frame structure is roofed with glass and clear solar panels, offering views of the Mount Talamitam. The pavilion sits on an open podium, partially embeded on the slope. The walls of the podium is made of corrugated metal-formed concrete, and opens into the swimming pool.

The Tree House is located along the column of Narra trees. It is a split-level structure connected by an open-mesh steel ramp. The mesh creates a porous platform the allows connection to the garden below. The house is cladded in charred recycled wood, a contrast to the trees that surround it.

The Bridge House is built on stilts over the bridge and gully. The house has a 360-degree view of the site, and can be accessed through a spiral stairs at the end of the bridge. This house features a wall of book shelves on the sides facing the gully, and a full height glass on the opposite sides offering views of the column of Narra trees. This house also have an unobstructed view of the Mount Talamitam.

The Cantilever House is largely made of recycled wood and concrete, and is designed to have both ends of the structure cantilever over the sloping terrain. One end of the cantilever hides a pocket garden. While the structure is to be constructed from concrete masonry walls, its overall form is defined by wood columns, beams, and trusses.

The Garden House extends the landscape thru its sloped concrete roof. The top most level of the structure is a roof garden that seemingly grows out of the natural landscape at a minimal inclination. On the roof is a sunken deck enveloped by landscaping. The walls of this house are cladded in recycled bricks.