Designing with Nature

Sta. Elena’s beauty is complemented by the structures and landscapes found around it. Get to know the vision and concept of some of the architects who helped create the spaces around Sta. Elena.

 

“The concept for the Banahaw playground came from wanting the children to experience a sense of community and communing with the outdoors and with each other. I remember when I was a kid, we used to just go outside in the streets and play games with the neighborhood children. It didn’t matter if we were friends or not, it didn’t matter if you knew each other or not. All that a child needed to do back in those days was go outside wanting to play and for sure you will find a group willing to play with you. Nowadays children need scheduled and supervised ‘play dates’ for them to enjoy the company of other children outside of school. So I took the opportunity to create for Banahaw a venue for the children and future children of this community to experience what I once had. I’m hoping the ‘build it and they will come’ theory will work here. And there is nothing like our own traditional Filipino games to get the ball rolling ! I would hate to think that this generation’s children no longer know how to play piko and patintero, at least I know that the children in Banahaw will keep that tradition going.” - Arch. Popi Laudico, Banahaw Children’s Playground designer

 

“The concept of the Clubhouse for Sierra Madre is that it is very community friendly. It was designed simply like a giant gazebo as you would have in your backyard if you had one. It is meant to be a very relaxed welcoming venue for multiple groups to enjoy all at the same time. Once completed I am hoping it becomes a place where neighbors and friends can congregate, share experiences and get to know each other. It will be both openly inviting while providing very personal spaces that will give small groups a sense of privacy within a shared environment. The design also takes advantage of the unique connection to nature that the site provides. As with all the designs that we have for Sta. Elena, the gift of nature plays a central role. That gives all these complementary spaces the added charm and ambiance that builds a healthy community.” - Arch. Popi Laudico, Sierra Madre Clubhouse designer

 

“My design concept for Sta. Elena is a tranquil and pleasurable landscape environment that would complement the picturesque gold scenery. My inspiration comes from the beauty of nature where the flora and fauna relate to serenity and relaxation.” - Arch. Joji Demontano, Landscape Architect (Sierra Madre open spaces and pocket gardens, main entrance landscaping, main road landscaping, sales and maintenance office, riverpark, clubhouse, Banahaw children’s playground and fairway park)

 

“This house is a more organic home. The home is rooted on the land with a golf course just beside it, with lots of trees and open spaces. I took the cue from nature seeing that this is where this home would below. What I am building is a home of Contemporary Filipino design.

Architecture is spirit. Once I have been commissioned to design a project, a residence in this case, the first thing I do is go to the site and stand there alone. There is a vision, a picture of a structure that comes to my mind. It could even be a form or a silhouette.

I stand there and look for the sun so I can get the land’s orientation. I begin to feel the breeze and I determine the prevailing direction of the wind. Amihan? Habagat? I take a panoramic gaze to see where the view corridors are and where the house opens up to. I talk to myself. How am I going to make this property come alive? How can I make this property reveal itself to me as the home of my client?

There is a discussion between the land and the architecture. Architecture is just a venue to enjoy everything that is God-given – the light, the wind, the rain, the land’s topography, flora and fauna. Good architecture must sit comfortably on its site, like it was meant to be there." - Arch. Manny Minana, Architect of a private residence

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