This beachside retreat in Punta Fuego, Nasugbu, Batangas is more than just a vacation home—it showcases the beauty of Filipino architecture tailored for contemporary coastal living. Designed by A. Mañosa + Architects, this abode was envisioned to be a party house for the client’s son, blending architectural fundamentals from the bahay kubo—the signature of the Mañosa design firms—with modern touches tailored to the lifestyle of its owner.
“The house design was really made to be able to entertain, take advantage of the views that it has, and, because it was pretty much beachfront, to be able to get as much of the real estate to face the ocean,” explains Gelo Mañosa, Managing Partner of A. Mañosa + Architects and CEO of Mañosa and Company. At the same time, the design team also wanted to maintain privacy, as the house is located near a walkway that leads to the beach.
“Every once in a while, there is one fundamental idea, which becomes like the DNA or network—the essence of where the design drives from,” Mañosa explains. “In this case, it was a cantilevered pool.”
With the house’s beachfront location, situating the pool on the ground floor was impractical because sand infiltration would damage the pool’s pump system. The design team opted for a cantilevered pool—located on the third floor of the house—with supporting tukod reminiscent of the bahay kubo.
To maximize airflow and keep all areas well-ventilated, the architects studied the area’s climate normals—a 50-year assessment from the nearest weather station that provides data on wind direction, monthly wind velocity patterns, precipitation, and relative humidity. They then oriented the house based on the prevailing winds.
As a result, most of the rooms in the house have three openings to enable cross ventilation. “When you know where your prevailing winds are coming from, it’s best if your window openings there are smaller, and on the negative air pressure, where the wind exits, those openings are bigger. Why is that? When you squeeze the opening, you increase air pressure,” Mañosa explains. “Of course, you have to kind of weigh that out with aesthetics and the purpose of the room, but as much as possible, we always try to create squeeze points to be able to get wind circulating better.”
At the end of the day, Filipino architecture is functional, purpose-driven, and culturally grounded—just like this Punta Fuego home, inspired by the bahay kubo. It demonstrates how Philippine architecture can evolve while staying true to its roots, embracing tradition while ensuring comfort, sustainability, and longevity for generations to come.
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Photographed by Ed Simon.
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