Modern minimalist house with large glass windows and flat roof, surrounded by lawn and trees.

A modern house with a minimalist design, featuring large glass windows and a flat roof, surrounded by a well-maintained lawn and several trees.

A modern house with large glass windows is reflected in a calm body of water in the foreground. The house is surrounded by a lush green lawn and trees under a clear blue sky.
A modern, minimalist house with large glass windows and a flat roof, surrounded by trees and reflected in a body of water.
A modern house surrounded by lush greenery and various trees, with a focus on a minimalist architectural design.
A modern courtyard with a single tree and a small water feature in the center, surrounded by a minimalist building with large glass windows.
A minimalist exterior view featuring a wall with a grid-patterned screen casting shadows, and a small set of steps leading to an entrance.
A minimalist exterior view of a building corner featuring a grid-patterned screen, smooth stone steps, and a pathway made of rectangular slabs and pebbles.
A minimalist architectural detail featuring a grid-like screen casting shadows on a wall.
View through a patterned glass or screen showing a minimalist courtyard with a single tree and rectangular architectural elements.
A minimalist courtyard featuring a small water feature with rectangular stone elements, a single tree planted in a bed of pebbles, and a paved surface.
A corridor with perforated screens casting shadows on the floor, leading to an outdoor garden area.
A modern interior corridor with perforated metal screens casting intricate shadows on the floor. The corridor leads to a dining area with wooden furniture.
A minimalist interior space with large glass sliding doors, white walls, and a polished floor. The space is open and filled with natural light, featuring a simple seating area with brown couches and a tree visible outside.
A minimalist corridor with a grid-patterned wall casting shadows on the floor.
A minimalist dining area with a wooden table and chairs set on a textured rug, surrounded by large glass windows offering a view of a garden.
A minimalist bedroom interior with a wooden bed, a small bedside table, and a textured rug. A large window reveals a small courtyard with a single tree.

Story

A serene domestic retreat embodying the essence of an enclosed garden. The Philippines House, designed by John Pawson, is a masterful interpretation of the hortus conclusus or enclosed garden. The architectural composition is reminiscent of a cloister, where spaces are meticulously arranged to reflect themes of scale, axis, rhythm, and repetition. The design prominently features the geometries of squares and rectangles, expressed through varying line weights, creating a harmonious visual language. The spatial program of the house juxtaposes openness with intimacy, light with shade, and public with private realms. This careful allocation fosters instinctive movement patterns, seamlessly integrating them into the house's fabric. The landscape elements, distilled to a single tree and a plane of water, echo the formal simplicity of a cloister garden, while the kitchen garden and orchard subtly reference the self-contained world of a medieval monastery.

## Design Highlights

Cloister-like spatial arrangement emphasizing scale and repetition Geometrical focus on squares and rectangles Integration of openness and intimacy in spatial programming Minimalist landscape with a single tree and water plane Evocation of medieval monastic gardens

## Key Facts

Detail Description
Architect John Pawson
Location Philippines
Photography Harry Crowder
Design Team Shingo Ozawa, Inês Gulbenkian, Eline Ostyn

Technical Summary

Finishes

  • Exterior: Minimalist design with large glass windows and a flat roof.
  • Interior: Minimalist interior with large glass sliding doors, white walls, and polished floors.

Materials

  • Glass — Used extensively for windows and sliding doors.
  • Wood — Used for furniture such as tables, chairs, and beds.
  • Metal — Used for perforated screens casting shadows.
  • Stone — Used for steps and pathways.

Construction / Systems

  • Facade: Features large glass windows and minimalist design.
  • Structural: Utilizes a grid-patterned screen for architectural detailing.

Products

  • Not specified

Palette / Lighting

  • Colors: white, brown
  • Lighting: Natural light is emphasized through large glass windows and open spaces.

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