Just moments away from the bustling area of Bonifacio Global City is 171, a multi-level villa set on a 302-square-meter lot. M.CAL ArchitectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to create Design Studio, headed by Ar. Monique C. Albert-Lopez, built the residence as a minimalist modern sanctuary surrounded by landscaped gardens. This creative direction was drawn from the homeowners’ brief to create a […]
Borderless House: Blurring the Boundaries of Modern Life
One of the most interesting things about architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to create is how it can condense the obsessions of the age in its design. With Borderless House, one sees the environmental influence, the modernist take, and the current desire for open space and contemporary aesthetics.
Borderless House, located in Malaysia, owes its design to FORMZERO, MOA Architects, and Caleb Ong Designs, led by Lee Cherng Yih.
The owner desired a building that offers the family open spaces and easy connectivity. They also wanted it to be interconnected with nature, with overlapping or nonexistent borders.
A Breathable Urban Environment
Borderless House creates what architects defined as an “outdoor dynamic park-like experience,” purpose built for leisure and relaxation. The design uses sixty concrete walls across the property, integrated with the garden to form the main volumes of the house. The walls overlap and fragment, but also create a cohesive whole to make up the outer walls and the inner buildings. These elements provide shade, ventilation, and privacy, while strategically-placed windows allow for a better view of the outdoors.
Several individual buildings interconnect within the residence. From the outside, the overlaps form a silhouette akin to a cityscape. For these structures inside the residence itself, it utilizes sliding glass partitions and floor-to-ceiling windows that create the illusion of borderlessness.
The residence is split into two distinct sides separated by a swimming pool. The living and dining room are to the south of the pool, with a smaller living room area to the north.
The compound has four bedrooms, each with its own en suite. The design of the building creates a resort-like ambiance, providing privacy for each room while maintaining a sense of connection through its communal areas. This layout ensures that each room remains independent yet seamlessly integrated with the rest of the compound.
Lush Design and Landscape
The most interesting thing about Borderless House isn’t the design of the building itself, but why it’s designed that way. It allocates more room for the cultivated open spaces and landscaping. The architects even boast that 77 percent of the residence is devoted to “outdoor spaces and lush landscapes.”
Its garden-like environment works as a relaxing venue the owners. Over 15 types of trees were used for the landscape, with more planned on the way. Even the concrete walls perform the function of changing the way light communicates with the garden. All the elements add to create an atmospheric place that encourages relaxation.
Borderless House responds to the urban environmentalism movement with its own miniaturized version. It works as a home, a place to host events, and as a relaxing retreat from city life. But most of all, it works as a microcosm of the concerns and trends of architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to create in this decade.
Related reading: This Tropical Garden Completes a Gorgeous Family Home
The World ArchitectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to create Festival (WAF) has announced its 2026 shortlist, with several Filipino practices earning recognition across a diverse range of categories. Across civic architectureArchitectureThe art […]
Located in Paroc, Pampanga is MQ Residence—a tropical-modern private residential home designed by Marikina-based architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to create firm Arkisens, spearheaded by principal architect and co-founder Ar. Edwin A. […]
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) will open its new campus in Aseana City, Parañaque. Occupying a 3,845-square-meter site, the new development signals a fresh chapter for the college, where architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, […]
As one of Metro Manila’s established central business districts, Ortigas has grown into a vibrant center for business, commerce, and urban living, strategically spanning Pasig, Quezon, and Mandaluyong City. At the core of the district lies the Ortigas CBD, home to some of the country’s leading corporations and institutions. Adding a new dimension to this […]
In the heart of Midtown Cebu lies White Brick Studio, a creative hub where visual professionals gather to collaborate and elevate design standards across Visayas and Mindanao. Midtown, more known as a vibrant entertainment district, owes much of its growing network of creative spaces mainly to Mango Square Mall where White Brick is located, Atúa […]
Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]
Recommended Video
Tap to Unmute
Unmute
0:00
0:00