Just when you’ve finally saved enough to build your own home, finding the best person to design and build it, while staying within your budget, is tricky. She joins NATMO Asia, an architecture firm that has been in the design-build business for 20 years. Architect Neil T. Monzones, a graduate of the Mapua Institute of Technology College of Architecture and currently serving as Vice President of United Architects of the Philippines, has been designing and building structures that are well planned and fit any design requirement. budget.
Bow. Monsoon’s own house in Batangas is proof of how the contemporary 3-story structure fits into the trapezoidal shape of its lot. The house rises at an interesting angle, easily making it a prominent feature in the community. With its characteristic round “holes” in the exterior and the extensive use of glass both inside and outside the house, the Monsoon house never seems old-fashioned. One of the interesting features of the interior is a bridge that overlooks the living room and connects the bedrooms on the second level, as well as a loft on the third level of the house. A guest bedroom, currently used as a multipurpose room, is built over the office space and is separated from the main house, ensuring privacy for both owners and guests. A circular bedroom wall with its generous use of glass plates adds a thoroughly modern touch to the front of the house.
Bow. Monzones’ genius reached its peak with the renovation of a very small house in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Originally a two-bedroom bungalow of Lilliputian proportions, it is now a marvel of architectural creativity. Transformed into a spacious house for a family of four, a large bedroom was created in the loft area with its own toilet and bathroom. A glass-lined balcony off the spiral staircase allows for stargazing and enough space for a garden. The entire lower portion of the house has been expanded but falls short of the maximum space allowed, a common mistake by builders who expand to the edge of the property and give exterior views a cramped feel. With this extension, the kitchen and laundry areas are relocated to the rear to give ample space for the living and dining areas. Restraint and ingenuity, as well as a clever mix of materials, give this home the perfect mix of efficient floor plan and smart style. Now this modern Asian house is the very model of what happens when you build a beautiful house (with a carport and small gardens on 3 sides for starters!) without breaking the bank.
Read more about NATMO at activephilippines.com