The Dew is in the Mist: Kilyawan Farm Resort

Kilyawan is the local name for the golden oriole, a native bird with a song like a flute, which can be heard throughout our project site. Kilyawan Farm Resort is two hours from Manila, the Philippine capital. It is an 8.5-hectare property just north of Ibaan, a small town in the province of Batangas. The climate is tropical but relatively mild, because of its higher elevation. This gently-sloped farm is home to bamboo groves, fruit trees, and, until recently, 55,000 clamoring chickens. These were housed in eight rectangular chicken coops that occupied roughly half the farm.  

The owners, the Ganzon family, had been interested in agricultural tourism, inspired by Italy’s “agriturismo.” They had developed a five-year plan to convert the farm into an eco-tourism resort for biking, swimming, fruit picking, and other activities. 

Chicken Coop to Cabin Building

The development begins at the northern end of the farm, accessible from the town road. Two of the eight chicken coops have been developed. One is the Reception Building; the other is the Cabins Building which houses guests.

The new buildings relate to the trees in a manner unchanged from when they were chicken coops, reflecting our efforts to preserve the spirit of place. Four trees shielding the Reception Building were supposed to be removed, but we decided to keep them as a veil to create the surprise of a strong architectural axis inside.

As we move from one space to another, we pass the central corridor, where shadows move slowly across clay tile floor and clay brick walls marking the passage of time.

Daylight enters and touches different materials at different times of the day in different ways, inviting shadows to create intricate patterns that transform the simple surfaces. The silent eloquence of these brick walls is a testament to the immanence of material.

Kilyawan embodies our firm’s core values of authenticity, sustainability, memory, daylight, and spirit of place. As our clients also share these values, the spirit of dialogue was constant, and enabled all of us as a team to face unexpected challenges with unity and creativity.

The morning sun enters the interior space, as it has always done to restart its daily ritual. But whereas in the past it merely marked time with a slow brightening, it now begins a stately dance of light and shadow on the brick walls and clay tile floor. And the sound you hear is no longer the clucking of cooped-up chickens but the song of the golden oriole – the kilyawan.

This article has been abridged for digital publication. Read the full story behind the Kilyawan Farm Resort by ordering your copy of BluPrint’s “Design Conversations” at Sari Sari Shopping, Shopee, and Lazada. E-magazines are also available for download here or through  Readly, Press Reader, and Magzter.

Dive into the captivating world of architecture, interiors, and arts & culture by getting exclusive digital access to BluPrint’s past and upcoming issues. Click here to find out more.

Photographed by Ed Simon

Read more: The Origins of a Signature Style: Revisiting a 25-year-old Design Challenge

The Dew is in the Mist: Kilyawan Farm Resort

Kilyawan is the local name for the golden oriole, a native bird with a song like a flute, which can be heard throughout our project site. Kilyawan Farm Resort is two hours from Manila, the Philippine capital. It is an 8.5-hectare property just north of Ibaan, a small town in the province of Batangas. The […]

Furnitalia Debuts New Denim Chairs Designed by Poltrona Frau

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 […]

Advertisement

Casa Mediterranea: Suburban Living Reframed

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 […]

Between Crests and Troughs: ALON

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 […]

Suburban Serenity: The Filmmaker’s House

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 […]