Taupe, a grayish-brown hue, goes with almost anything. It is this characteristic that prompted Francis Tolentino, Executive Chef of Taupe in Bonifacio Global City, to name his restaurant after this neutral. It is also his favorite color, and for him, donning the restaurant interiors in monochromatic tones allows the food to shine. Tolentino worked with […]
Inside Out House: A Compact Modernist Home In Bulacan
The Inside Out House strongly merges both indoor and outdoor spaces with a design language that forms a conversation between these areas. Designed by JCCA Design Studio, the home finds a way to craft an enjoyable outdoor experience in line with their client’s request; privacy, security, and noise reduction. It does so through a modernist design that stands out in Bulacan’s urban landscape.
A Fluid Facade
The facade tastefully brings together modernist design motifs and makes it responsive to the environment accordingly. A refined palette of black, white, and wooden browns accent an intricate attention to detail. Material choices of industrial and natural motifs add dimensionality to its character. The crisp lines formed around monolithic shapes showcases the building’s craftsmanship. On the other hand, smooth and textured surfaces stack against each to form a brilliant contrast.
The building’s rectangular profile divides into two distinct treatments on each level. The ground entrance is secluded through a vast array of horizontal lines formed by the gates. The second level of the facade is an arrangement of wooden brise-soleil that covers large glass panels. The spacing of each louver blade gradually decreases, transitioning from void to solid. This double-wall facade serves as a sun-shading shell that reduces heat gain. Furthermore, these slits still allow air and light to enter.
The design responds accordingly to the building’s context, whether it be the public road outfront or the proximity of other houses. The brise-soleil makes having large openings feasible by creating privacy. Tall-fencing and the lack of openings along its right side further reinforce this, supporting the tranquility and functionality of the indoor spaces.
Bringing Outdoor Spaces Inside
“The project site is located on a public street and is surrounded on all three sides by residential structures. The owner’s primary concerns are security, privacy, and noise reduction, but with access to outdoor space and ventilation.”
A central open-air courtyard stands proudly within the home’s interior. This ingenious layout makes it the nucleus of the dwelling, orchestrating a gracious flow between living spaces and fostering a profound connection with nature. Furthermore, it allows additional windows to be placed, especially in the second floor, as it creates additional edges along the building’s footprint. The result is a landscape feature that helps light and cool the inside spaces.
This open space makes a footprint along the flow of interior areas. It separates the dining room and kitchen from the living room. It does it in a manner that forms a hallway that aligns with the staircase, creating a distinct visual direction. The family room and bedrooms upstairs interlink in the same fashion as their windows all overlook the central courtyard.
Hidden in plain sight, a veranda area sits along the facade made discreet by the expansive sun shading louvers. A wooden ceiling, complemented by skylights, fully covers the area. The uncovered opening on the left side provides a feeling of openness from within. Along the floor’s edges, stone fillings replicate landscaping design features.
Making Interiors Feel Exterior
A clever approach to interior and exterior design translates the concept of the Inside Out House. Its design language and features from each of these distinct parts of building planning tastefully interchange with one another.
One will find an expansive arrangement of openings and glass that makes the external ever present. The central courtyard adds a layer of depth and separation between living spaces. Skylights are placed throughout numerous areas. The use of glass balustrades all-throughout increases transparency and highlights the visibility of these standout elements. This allows light and the visibility of these fenestrations to further permeate the interior.
Opening the outdoors in a manner oriented towards more favorable conditions supports natural cooling and lighting. The smart application of shading, window ornamentation, and the development of the site meets the client’s requirements for their home’s design.
Designing the Right Conditions
The Inside Out House showcases how architecture can masterfully orchestrate a residential experience fitting for its clients. It cohesively packages numerous architectural elements through its arrangement of materials and forms that responds to its context. By integrating the outdoors inside, it truly makes the home seem larger and livelier.
Photographed by Randolf Evan Photography.
Read more: A Shortlist of Our Favorite Asian Homes in 2023
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