Over the past decades, adaptive reuse has been utilized as a sustainable alternative for the built environment. It involves repurposing existing buildings for a new use, allowing the past to remain while serving a modern purpose. Here, structures facing potential demolition or no longer serviceable are seen as sources of raw materials for new projects. […]
Pflieder Residence: A Clay Cocoon by Lor Calma and Partners
In the Philippines, heat and humidity are the norm. Typically, we would combat these mechanically, shutting all windows and curtains to switch on the air-conditioner, essentially placing our comfort at the mercy of the refrigerant. The clients for the Pflieder Residence, an active family that loved the outdoors, resisted this initial impulse.
Lor Calma and Partners synthesized brick and ventilation to provide the family a home that connected with the surrounding greenery while maintaining privacy. Another key request was to provide space for their dogs to rest and run around. A large garden is relegated to the eastern side of the lot as an extension of the living spaces, but this also implies exposure to direct sunlight. Unlike the studio’s usual approach of minimizing large openings to control heat exposure, this project utilized a different strategy.
A Layered Approach
Rather than imposing drastic cut and fill, the architect opted to build the ground floor level directly on the lot’s natural terrain. Programs on the lower ground floor at street level were limited to the garage, driver’s room, and storage. Stairs from the front gate lead up to the garden and main door. This approach not only preserved the integrity of the landscape but also allowed the architecture to harmonize with its surroundings.
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The project has already drawn international acclaim by winning an architectural design prize from the Outstanding Property Award London (OPAL) 2024. At night, when lights radiate from the indoor spaces, the permeability of the clay cocoon becomes apparent. Lor Calma and Partners demonstrates that masonry need not be heavy and can adhere to the design principles that work best for our local climate while fulfilling a client’s brief.
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Photographed by Ed Simon.
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