CASA TROPICA
SENSORY IMMERSION THROUGH FORMAL MANIPULATION
TYPOLOGY     HOSPITALITY
LOCATION       CALAMBA, LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES
YEAR                   2016

With a stunning view of the Mount Makiling, the hot spring resort development would serve as a respite from the hustle and bustle of the Metro.

Dictated by climate sensitive strategies, the design created a tropical design aesthetic through careful space planning and material explorations.

The resort is comprised of two villas juxtaposed in a single envelope: a singular gesture to the tropical thatch roof prevalent in the Southeast Asian region. However, the roofscape was cleverly manipulated to open up to its vicinity– capturing the elegance of the Makiling while creating a transformative roof form defined by architectural programmatic initiatives. Interior and exterior transitions are blurred. One permeates the spaces unobstructed – generating a feeling of openness and continuity, both visually and experientially.

Finished with wood, concrete, steel, and glass, the resort maintains an aesthetic of simplicity and privacy. Perforated metal screens, whose pattern were derived from the foliage of the Frangipani tree, act as shading devices for the villas. They also create a kaleidoscopic visual abstraction of the surrounding vistas.

CASA TROPICA thus creates a venue for sensory immersion – achieving a sense of place through an architecture of sensitivity.