Jagnus Design Studio crafts a compelling display of art as they create a home that’s comparable to a gallery. It’s a showcase of finesse as they balance the powers of practicality with the freedom of artistic expression. The Son House stands on a 548 square meter corner lot in the picturesque neighborhood of Hillsborough Alabang.
Completed in 2019, the Son House is a result of a serendipitous cooperation between the designers and their client. Jagnus shares that they shared a mutual appreciation and taste, whether it be in color or form, in creative works.
“It’s a balance of practicality, but too much practicality is boring. Architecture is not just about function but it’s also about beauty and art.”
Arnold Austria
The home is a concerted effort that allows the artworks to take center stage. It utilizes architectural elements to make a compelling canvas for these works to be shown. The space embodies a minimalist aesthetic with clean lines, neutral colors, and an uncluttered ambiance.
“The more restrictions there are, the more creative you can get with your planning. Without restrictions, it’s hard to design from nothing. You need to have limitations because that’s where creativity thrives.“
Achieving this task is no easy feat as the designers had to work around certain limitations brought about by site conditions and requirements, such as a 10-meter height restriction. In response, the architects had to cleverly plan the spaces in such a way that utilized every square meter.
In addition, Jagnus Design Studio masterfully fuses the indoor and outdoor spaces. This expands the breadth of which its users can move within their home. A sculptural-like steel staircase connects the floors and extends to the outdoors. An attention to detail in landscaping and balconies makes these areas much more enjoyable while also retaining that resplendent ambience from the inside.
Building on its creative inclinations, the home makes a compelling and visually captivating statement. Jagnus’s thoughtful selection of contrasting materials creates depth and intriguing forms through variations in texture and tone. The predominant use of concrete, glass, and wood creates this symphony. Inside, polished concrete floors engage with wooden touches found in furnishings and fixtures, which bring about an impression of understated cool.
You can read more about Son House by ordering your copy of BluPrint Volume 1, available via the sarisari.shopping website, Shopee, and Lazada. E-magazines are available for download via Readly, Press Reader, and Magzter.
Photographed by Ed Simon.
Read more: FEM Stadium by WTA Architecture and Design Studio
![[From left] Sarah Crescimbeni, the sales manager for Poltrona Frau, Florence Ko, owner of Furnitalia Philippines, her husband, William Ko, and Davide Geglio, the Italian Ambassador to the Philippines.](https://bluprint-onemega.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Elle-Feature-Cover.webp)
Furnitalia Philippines launched the new Archibald Denim Edition armchair from iconic Italian design company Poltrona Frau to the Philippines on September 16. The new chairs are a new step forward not just for contemporary living room furnishings, but also for the creation and use of sustainable materials in future projects. Held at Furnitalia’s showroom in […]
Casa Mediterranea, a two-story Mediterranean home in Dumaguete City, is designed for a young couple and their growing family. More than just a residential project, it also marks a milestone: it is the first project architect Gaston Pastrano completed under his independent practice, Gaston Architecture Studio. For Pastrano, adapting Mediterranean design to the local climate […]
The Solaire Resort North is home to over 2,000 Filipino artworks. The expansive collection of contemporary art pieces was curated with a clear vision: to create a sense of place for the viewer. Through the distinctly Filipino visual narratives that surround the space, the story of the archipelago’s past, present, and future are told. At […]
The Filmmaker’s House is situated in a quiet, suburban neighborhood in Cavite. It stands on a 622-square-meter lot and is one of the first structures to be built in this low-density environment. This house was designed by BRIOARC Design Studio for a family in the real estate and filmmaking industries. Ensuring the spaces reflect the […]
“We don’t see things as they are; we see things as we are.” – Anais Nin In August 2000, an intriguing article was featured in the Lifestyle section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It posed a challenge: If you wanted to transform a 45 square meter room, but only had 5,000 pesos, how would you […]
The Nakanoshima Children’s Book Forest represents a significant and innovative turn in Tadao Ando’s architectural language. Here, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect transforms his signature exposed concrete from a material of monumental austerity into the foundation for a warm, organic, and living ‘forest’. He designed this unique space to physically and intellectually nurture Japan’s next generation, […]
