FuturARC Green Leadership Award 2020 Merit: EUDO’s House No. 17 in Camiguin Island

Camiguin is an island province in the Philippines that’s located in the Bohol Sea and nearby the northern coast of Mindanao. The province is best known for two things – lanzones and volcanoes. The sweet tropical grape-like shape fruit is the island’s main agricultural product, and the locals celebrate the Lanzones Festival every third week of October. This island was believed to be created from various volcanic eruptions and land movements in the past. Currently, it has seven volcanoes and several volcanic domes, acquiring the title, “Born of Fire.” Because of its great geographical location, the island is blessed with good tropical weather creating a healthy ecosystem and pristine natural environment.

Situated at a property on the foot of Mount Hibok-Hibok, Camiguin is most famous volcano, is the private home, House No. 17 as called by its design architect, Edwin Uy of Edwin Uy Design Office. The entire property stretches up to 2,820 square meters of serenity and abundance of lush greens wherein only 12 percent of it is utilized for the whole project. “The owner required modest spaces for the project such as two bedrooms, a mid-size garage, and a pool together with a gazebo in addition to the basic living, kitchen, and dining spaces. For these requirements, the lot is quite spacious for the needs of the owner which gave us the chance to showcase the beauty of nature.”, Architect Edwin shares.

The muted and natural colors of the finishes blend well with surrounding greens. The driveway pavement and exterior wall stone finishes were made from volcanic rocks abundant in the area. 

Over time, jalousie windows have proven to be one of the best types of windows for natural air ventilation that permits up to 100% entry into the living spaces.

The overall design of the house’s structure evidently respects the site’s natural topography.

A simple yet elegant swimming pool completes the resort vibe of this private home sanctuary.

With the abundant presence of volcanic rocks in Camiguin, as a sustainable design solution, these rocks were cut and formed into stones, perfect material for the driveway and as well as cladding for the walls. Other green design solutions injected were the use of solar panels installed on the roof providing sufficient energy as the site is quite off-grid from the main power lines. The use of energy-efficient LED lights and inverter appliances minimize the power consumption in the house. Natural light and ventilation were maximized through the incorporation of floor-to-ceiling jalousie windows. Rainwater is also harvested and stored in filtered water tanks for reuse.

As the House No. 17 project materialized, it became a good example of regionalism. It has its unique way of being environmentally sensitive while helping improve the resident’s overall well-being. Its aesthetics featuring flat planes, clean lines, and symmetry organically exemplify that the house belongs to its surroundings. The spaces, both outdoor and indoor, were designed not just to meet the owners’ requirements but were created with the understanding of how the owner uses and enjoys every space present.

Open yet partly shaded areas such as terraces or verandas make the transition of outdoor and indoor spaces seamless.

Jalousie windows do not only allow natural air circulation but also maximize the intake of natural lighting thus reducing the need for artificial ones, especially during the daytime.

A large and unobstructed living area makes a great space for relaxation while being matched with subdued earth tone furnishings.

Clean lines and simplicity exude a different level of elegance.

The careful planning, environment-friendly and positive responses to the tangible and intangible design considerations paved the way for the project to be recognized by an international award-giving body, the FuturARC Green Leadership Award which gave House No. 17 a Merit Award for 2020. From being meticulous to the house’s site orientation, to creatively using local on-site materials and low energy impact construction practices made it truly a green, sustainable project from day one to end of construction. House No. 17 genuinely met the criteria FGLA was looking for – resilience, wellness, embeddedness, ecosystems, and replicability.

Completed in December 2014, House No. 17 in Camiguin is a private residential project that is now an acknowledged sustainable home through the success of the proponents’ – the owner, the architect, and the builders’ collaborative effort, and also by having the same goal of being mindful of the environment, not harming it, instead to be a part of it.

By using solar panels, the collected energy is utilized for different needs at night like lighting, creating such a view the owners can’t resist wondering at.

Article Credits: Images by EUDO, Edwin Uy Design Office ©