Residential / 2026

La Casa Aranas

An elevated house on a village lot, with the living accommodation raised a full storey above parking, a mechanical room and a ground floor suite. Built in stages since 2023, at the pace the client funds it.

Project type: Elevated single family residence with ground floor suite and parking
Location: Kalibo, Aklan, Philippines
Status: Under construction
Area: 112 sq.m main floor, 45 sq.m suite, 8 sq.m mechanical
Role: Designer, independent commission

An elevated house on a village lot in Kalibo, designed for a private client and under construction since 2023. The whole of the living accommodation sits a full storey up, which is the decision the rest of the project follows from.

The main floor is 112 square metres and split-bedroom: the open kitchen, dining and living space holds the centre, the guest suite and its washroom sit to the left, and the master suite with a walk-in closet and washroom sits to the right. Nobody has to pass through the living space to reach a bedroom. A railed walkway wraps the outside and arrives at a terrace with an open bar, lounge seating and a barbeque, so the outdoor room is part of the plan rather than left over from it.

Underneath, the ground floor earns its keep: six parking spaces, an 8 square metre mechanical room, a fixed bike rack, and a 45 square metre open-concept suite that combines living, storage, washroom and sleeping in a compact layout. Raising the house created that floor for the cost of the posts.

The roof is an offset dual-skillion, two opposing slopes that shed rain quickly and shelter the walkway below. It is the one gesture on an otherwise plain building, and it does structural work as well as compositional work.

The house is being built in deliberate stages, each one starting when the client has funded it, which is the normal way a family house goes up here and the reason the programme runs to 2026 rather than a single season. Designing to be built that way is part of the brief: every stage has to stand on its own, be weathertight and be usable before the next one begins.

The photographs at the end are the site itself, from the first posts in 2023 to the roof and the render in 2026. Drawing a house and watching it get built by the people on that lot are different educations, and the second one changed how I draw.

The house at midday, the living floor raised a full storey on posts above open parking, under an offset dual-skillion roof

Raised view of the frontage showing the full length of the elevated floor, the roof deck and the cars parked underneath — The house from the approach. Everything above the posts is the residence, everything below it is parking, plant and the ground floor suite.

Straight on view of the front elevation with the external stair at the right hand end — The house from the approach. Everything above the posts is the residence, everything below it is parking, plant and the ground floor suite.

The house in evening light, the underside of the raised floor in shadow and the roof line catching the last of the sun — Evening, and the railed walkway that wraps the living floor.

The walkway running between the brick wall of the house and its railing, opening out to palms and the lot beyond — Evening, and the railed walkway that wraps the living floor.

Covered terrace with a timber and stone bar, stools, pendant lights and lounge seating beyond — The terrace. An open bar, lounge seating and a barbeque, planned as a room rather than left over.

The terrace from the other end, the bar on the right and armchairs facing out to the palms — The terrace. An open bar, lounge seating and a barbeque, planned as a room rather than left over.

Looking in from the entrance along the kitchen island to the dining table and the living area beyond — The centre of the main floor. Kitchen, dining and living run together with nothing between them.

The kitchen with its marble island, range and full height cabinetry — The centre of the main floor. Kitchen, dining and living run together with nothing between them.

The kitchen from the living side, stools along the island and the sink under the window — The centre of the main floor. Kitchen, dining and living run together with nothing between them.

The dining table laid for eight, a solid timber top between white chairs — Dining and living, with the terrace doors on the long side.

The living area with blue upholstered seating and the dining table in the foreground — Dining and living, with the terrace doors on the long side.

The living area from the opposite corner, sofa and armchairs facing the wall mounted television — Dining and living, with the terrace doors on the long side.

Master bedroom with a linear fireplace under the television and glazed doors to the walkway — The master suite sits at one end of the plan, with the walk-in closet between the bedroom and the washroom.

Master bedroom from the doorway, the bed against the far wall and daylight coming through the glazed doors — The master suite sits at one end of the plan, with the walk-in closet between the bedroom and the washroom.

The master bedroom looking toward the walk-in closet and the washroom door — The master suite sits at one end of the plan, with the walk-in closet between the bedroom and the washroom.

Master washroom with a twin basin vanity, wall mirror and a glazed shower enclosure — Both washrooms are tiled to full height in the wet zone and glazed rather than curtained.

Guest washroom with a single vanity, framed mirror and a tiled shower behind glass — Both washrooms are tiled to full height in the wet zone and glazed rather than curtained.

Guest bedroom with a low console beneath the television and artwork on the end wall — The guest room on the main floor, and the ground floor suite tucked under it.

The ground floor suite, its living end with armchairs and console and the bed visible beyond — The guest room on the main floor, and the ground floor suite tucked under it.

The suite from the sleeping end, looking back past the seating to the entrance — The suite is 45 square metres and open concept, combining living, storage, washroom and sleeping.

The concrete frame standing on its posts with the first courses of blockwork on the elevated slab — On site, October 2023. The posts and the elevated slab go in first, then the blockwork rises off it.

The elevated slab on its row of posts, sheeted over, with the ground below still being cut — On site, October 2023. The posts and the elevated slab go in first, then the blockwork rises off it.

The cast concrete stair with its timber formwork and shoring still in place — On site, October 2023. The posts and the elevated slab go in first, then the blockwork rises off it.

Bamboo scaffolding against the blockwork, with a hammock slung in the open ground floor — Blockwork and shoring. Timber and bamboo do the propping while the walls go up.

Blockwork walls at full height with timber shoring across the openings and blocks stacked on the ground — Blockwork and shoring. Timber and bamboo do the propping while the walls go up.

The house from across the lot, the elevated structure complete in blockwork and a pickup parked underneath — Blockwork and shoring. Timber and bamboo do the propping while the walls go up.

Steel purlins spanning the top of the blockwork against an open sky — January 2025 to August 2026. The steel goes on, then the roof, and the ground floor becomes usable straight away.

The roof complete, its dual-skillion form and timber lined soffit clearly readable, with vehicles parked below — January 2025 to August 2026. The steel goes on, then the roof, and the ground floor becomes usable straight away.

The finished frontage with the roof on, trucks and stacked materials in the parking level underneath — January 2025 to August 2026. The steel goes on, then the roof, and the ground floor becomes usable straight away.

The rendered walkway with its timber lined soffit running the length of the elevation — The walkway, rendered and with its soffit lined, which is the first part of the house to read as designed.

The same walkway from the far end, render still being finished and a paint bucket on the deck — The walkway, rendered and with its soffit lined, which is the first part of the house to read as designed.

An interior room rendered out, with the window opening framing the trees outside — Inside, August 2026. Rendered walls, openings cut, ceiling grid going in.

The main interior space with the steel ceiling grid installed and a timber trestle standing in the middle — Inside, August 2026. Rendered walls, openings cut, ceiling grid going in.

Drawings

Exploded axonometric in three parts, the offset dual-skillion roof above, the elevated main floor in the middle, and the ground floor with parking, mechanical room and suite below — Exploded axonometric

Main floor plan of the elevated residence, 112 square metres, showing the split bedroom layout either side of an open kitchen, dining and living space, with the wrapping walkway and the terrace — Main floor plan

Ground floor plan showing the parking bays, an 8 square metre mechanical room and the 45 square metre open concept suite — Ground floor plan

Figure ground drawing of the village with built form in black, the project lot picked out in red and the road and watercourse in grey — Figure ground

Aerial site map with a dashed catchment circle, the approach road marked in red and the neighbouring building footprints outlined — Site map