Landscape architecture group Plontur marks the boundaries of a modern residence with lush greenery
“We worked closely with the architect and other allied professionals to compliment each other’s design,” says landscape architecture group Plontur. The design philosophy of the residence was to merge three aspects namely architecture, interiors, and landscape. To enhance the existing built areas, the landscape acted as a lush backdrop for the exterior finishes and a picturesque view for interiors. A modern tropical planting style was used to compliment the architectural style. This planting style utilizes broad leafed plants and dense plant massing.
The garden was envisioned as an area where children can play. Small nooks were also integrated to oversee the entire landscape. To secure its privacy and safety, plant selection was based on the heights and the density of the plants. The residence was viewed from multiple vantage points to ensure that no area is left open. Schematic designs played around with curvilinear forms to achieve its space allocations. One of the requested features of the garden were these two and a half feet blue-ish white massive boulders. To contrast, our color palette made use of bright and dark greens, which made the boulders seem bigger and emphasized them as accent pieces.
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Looking from the outside, the façade of the residence was framed by yucca trees and boulders. The existing Talisay trees by the sidewalk act as a vertical frame of the architecture. As you enter the residence, the driveway tiles are interlocked with artificial turf. This creates a softer look and breaks continuity of the hard surfaces to cool the whole area. A pebbled walkway with step pads is used as navigation around the garden. While the negative space was provided for active and passive activities, the grand lawn is an open area that can be used as the kids’ outdoors or a space for intimate gatherings.
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The outdoor spaces were enclosed by using buffer planting such as Calatheas and Bamboo. The height of these plants serve as a taller wall to enclose the area. A concrete bench is situated in front of a koi pond. From this area, they can lounge and take advantage of the greeneries of the entire garden. The existing architecture is finished with wooden cladding. The garden compliments the exterior finish by providing a contrast in color and texture. The landscape design was aligned with the existing views of the interiors to create an illusion of a bigger room. All tall planting were pushed back from the windows and oriented to the standard line of sight to create a green-like mural. Service areas are also lined with potted bamboo plants to cater to the views of the kitchen.
The overall look and feel of the landscape is fit for a young family that loves the outdoors. The design was meant to evoke a warm and cozy feel to encourage passive outdoor use and relaxation. The different textures and greens are easy on the eyes and give the entire area a cool feel.
Project Information
Project Name: Better and Boulder
Completion Year: 2019
Lot Area: 1000 sqm
Gross Built Area: 800 sqm
Project Location: Greenmeadows, Quezon City
Approximate Project Cost (In local currency/US$, optional): Php 800,000.00
Project Credits
Architecture Firm: Astetik
Lead Architect: Arch. Vince Lozano
Landscape: Plontur, Inc.
Contractor: Plontur, Inc. (Landscape)
Firm Address: Unit 4G, 8101 Pearl Plaza, Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Website: www.plontur.com
Contact email: [email protected]
Collaborators: ELS Consultancy and Mngmt Inc.