“Bigger doesn’t always have to be better with our thoughtfully designed spaces.”
The client, a starter family, recently purchased this lot in Antipolo, about an hour and a half drive away from Metro Manila. The client is an IT professional with the freedom to work from home, so the relative remoteness of the location is not an issue. If anything, this makes everything better since they are in the mountains, surrounded with fresh air and a rich verdant foliage. Additionally, the village looks like a wonderful location to raise a family. Their daughter has plenty of space to play outside and perhaps, go biking around when she gets bigger. 
Modern meets industrial
The facade is composed of wooden, steel, and concrete elements for an industrial vibe. Modern architectural style ties it together with its clean and sharp lines. The color palette is “bespoke and manly”, per the client’s request, and is dominated by grays, blacks, and browns.The client is absolutely in love with the wood-concrete combination, so we incorporated a variety of textures in the design. Fluted wood-composite panels adorn the wall on the left side of the facade, which flows down to the main door clad in the same material, providing the continuity in the design. To achieve a balance with the softness and warmth provided by the wood, the firewall on the right side is charcoal-colored embossed concrete. This wall continues inside, as you will see later.The client fondly calls their home G Industria: G for their family name, and Industria for both the design theme and as a daily reminder to them regarding the value of working hard to achieve their goals.
LIGHT INTERIORS
The two-storey G Industria has a floor area of only 120 square meters. However, as you step into the threshold, it looks, and feels bigger than it really is. This was achieved by floor to ceiling windows which let lots of natural light in, as well as high, flat ceilings that give additional volume to the space.
Once you enter, you’ll notice the wall on the right side to be the same embossed concrete on the exterior. This serves as the accent for the living area, and also contributes to the perceived larger area, since there is seemingly no break between the interior and exterior spaces.
Beyond the living area are the dining and kitchen areas. The dining table is situated in front of full-height sliding doors that open to a small lanai. The tiles are the same for both the indoor spaces and the lanai, another trick to enlarge the space. Furthermore, in contrast with the subdued color palette on the exterior of the house, the rest of the interiors are full of whites: some smooth, some textured, to liven up the space.
Space as a repository of memories
In line with GARPE Architecture’s vision of thoughtful architecture, the layout is just as important as the facade. The interior of the house is where memories will be made, so we designed a picture hall to be a place to store memories they will be making together as a family. They can hang family pictures, or their daughter’s drawings, or knick-knacks from their travels together as a family, as we firmly believe that spaces can be used as a repository of memories. Ample lighting is provided by floor to ceiling windows looking out into the balcony and the view beyond.
Bask in the cool mountain air with a steaming cup of coffee
The master’s bedroom on the second floor has direct access to the balcony. It is spacious enough that they can hang out together as a family, perhaps even have coffee (and hot chocolate for their daughter) in the mornings while enjoying the scenery and the chill, fresh mountain air.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Lot Area - 120 sqm
Floor Area - 120 sqm
No. of Storeys - 2
No. of Bedrooms - 3
No. of Bathrooms - 3
