Hilldale  Residence

Antipolo, Philippines. The landscape design for Casa Canlas aims to preserve nature and celebrate the raw beauty of its surroundings. Situated in a hillside property in Antipolo, Philippines, the residence embodies the client’s taste in art, design, and the process of creating. The client, Sarah Canlas, is also an architect with whom the team worked with closely in going through the whole process – from concepts to implementation and iterations. With the house surrounded by a landscape of rocks with a river running adjacent to the property, the design was intended to embrace the beauty of what is already present in the site – sloping terrain, natural landscape elements, river sanctuary – all of which creates the perfect setting for the client to relax and reconnect with nature.

Landscape design challenges were met along the way to accommodate and maximize the potential of the residence. With a sloping terrain, the elevation changes were drastic and earth works were inevitable. However, every square footage was maximized by proposing softscape that was both functional and aesthetic. Natural elements such as the boulders were maintained in the site, creating the unique charm of the landscape. The Architecture was oriented to maximize the views of the landscape surrounding the property and the garden became an extension of the interior spaces. The different pockets of spaces in the garden gives off different experiences with nature – a place to relax on the hammocks, a place to grow an edible garden, and an area to hangout around the bonfire. Casa Canlas, intentionally built to be close to nature, is an experience that re-energizes the soul.