Modern Compact Homes

Decent shelter is a major problem here in the Philippines. Due to poverty a lot of families here have little access to a decent home. I've always wondered if there was a way to provide decent shelter at a minimal cost.

Micro Compact Home - Designed by: Horden Cherry Lee Architects

To achieve the least cost, the design of the house should maximize every inch of space. I've found a lot of ideas from the works of different architects.  Although designed by foreign architects, their designs are ideal for the shelter problem here in my country. Mobile homes or trailers are also a good inspiration to maximize space. These mobile homes are limited to the size of the roads.

Old Structures Converted into Exceptional Homes

I've always enjoyed designing. Since I was in college, I've always preferred to create designs from scratch.  I wanted to explore different possibilities without any constraints. One advantage of being a student is that there are no limitations.

We have always been given the freedom to express our creativity. Our school encouraged us to explore new designs. After becoming an architect, reality has crept in. Restrictions and budgets have always been present in almost all projects. In order to accomplish my projects, I had to adjust to reality.

Barn to House adaptive reuse Designed by: Bjarne Mastenbroek (SeARCH)

Interior CCBA09 - Penthouse Interior Project

A few months ago, we were hired to design the interior of a penthouse. The first problem we had was that the penthouse was initially started by a different contractor. Even though it was minimal, we were constrained by the initial layout of the interior.

 

Our first approach to the design solution was to find a way to tailor our design to the existing layout. We also wanted to achieve a design that would stand out from the rest of the building. The penthouse was to be used for private or special activities.

Inspiration for Designers Block

It's been a while since I posted it to this blog. I've been busy with a few things recently, and I've just come back from a long Christmas holiday.

Since I got back from my holiday, I was faced with a lot of deadlines in the workplace. I had to work twice as hard to meet the deadlines in the office. What worried me most was the deadline for one of our residential projects. We only had a week left, and my brother and I still haven't had a design proposal.

I've had a hard time coming up with a design. No matter how hard I try I can't come up with a concept. So I searched the net for inspiration. I found a website with a lot of incredible designs that started to work again. This was one of the best websites to feature many good architectural designs.

They feature a lot of architects and designers who showcase their designs. Trendir is the magazine's website and brand. It has many useful sources for trends in architecture. What I really liked about their site is that they have a user-friendly design. Architectural Record is another website I frequently visit. Thanks to these two websites, I was able to come up with a design concept to present.

House HFMA08 - Interior Design

House HFMA08 was a commission to design a renovation for a dilapidated house. The house was in such bad condition. The structural engineer said the client would be better off building a new house. Despite the problems of the house, I believed there was still a way to restore it to its former glory.

The challenge for this project was to rearrange the spaces to fit the needs of the new owners. I had to change the functions in some areas to meet the desired results. Some partitions had to be moved to improve the sizes of the rooms.

The Ice Hotels - A Cool way to Spend your Vacation

When we are talking about unique and innovative designs. The first thing that comes to mind are structures designed by prominent architects. Architects such as Frank Ghery, Zaha Hadid, Thom Mayne, or Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Their cutting edge designs represent what architecture has achieved in this period. Structures like the Guggenheim museum at Bilbao or the bird's nest stadium. Structures that are exceptional achievements of both design and engineering standards. 

 

Technology has been advancing that a lot of daring and bold designs are popping up all around the world. That's why I was amazed when I first saw the Ice Hotel back in college. Such hotel masterpieces are made of snow and ice, or a combination of the two that they call snice.

 

Most hotels are usually built to accommodate the growing number of tourists in a place. Ice hotels are built to attract and accommodate visitors at the same time. Reservations have already been made before the building of an ice hotel starts. Its popularity has been growing since they began building Ice hotels way back in 1989. 

   

The concept of building a whole hotel made up of "snice" would arouse curiosity in anybody's mind. The mere thought of staying within a building made of ice is like being in a fairy tale. Not only are the rooms made of ice most of its furnishing and fixtures are made of ice as well. I would consider these hotels as masterpieces on ice. It's too bad though that these structures are only temporary and seasonal. 

 

House ZME08 - Minimalist House

I've always wanted to design my own house, even back when I was still an architecture student. I've always wanted to design a house that's perfect for me. ZME always told me that she has already visualized her dream house. She told me that she was more of a minimalist and wanted some plants or a garden inside her house.

Office Interior HFC08 - CEDASI Office Interior

Location: Banilad, Mandaue City, Cebu

Year: 2008

Floor Area: 222 sqm.

Lot Area: 585 sqm.

Cebu Denmark Animation Studio Inc. (CEDASI) was a danish outsourcing company that offered graphics, video, and web development services. The project was a conversion of a residential building into the company's main office.

Floor Plan

Located on the second floor of a three-story building, it has an area of 222 square meters. It has four rooms, two restrooms, and an open space with a high ceiling.