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Soumak Showroom & Retail Stores

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 16:00:00 GMT

Soumak Building

Three-storey retail and office structure accommodating a furniture and home accessories company. Design features warehousing, production area, office spaces and an events gallery space.

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Soumak Lerato

Design for a showroom and retail space for a furniture and home accessories company.

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Soumak Bed n Beddings

The second Soumak branch features collections specific to the bedroom. The store ambiance creates a feeling of luxury and a sense of privacy, which a home's bedroom sanctuary imbibes. The product line for this store was extended to feature high quality beddings and linen to complement the bedroom furniture and accessories that remain true to Soumak's fine craftsmanship and excellent design.

Project Details

The new Philippine Nationality Room was a 20-year process, but worth the wait for Pittsburgh’s passionate Filipinos

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 16:40:35 GMT

Pittsburgh City Paper

June 2019

by Emily Wolfe

Featured Project:

University of Pittsburgh Philippine Nationality Room

Pitt adds Philippine Nationality Room to collection

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 15:30:11 GMT

TribLIVE.com

June 2019

by Joanne Klimovich Harrop

Featured Project:

University of Pittsburgh Philippine Nationality Room

Tanmantiong Beaufort Condominium Renovation

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 10:35:09 GMT

University of Pittsburgh Philippine Nationality Room

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 10:09:15 GMT

Design consultation for a functioning classroom located in the Cathedral of Learning within the University of Pittsburgh. The room is designed to incorporate the look of the traditional Philippine Bahay na Bato circa 1820. The room is a part of a series of rooms commemorating the significance of the immigrant population in the Pittsburgh community.

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Feature Articles:

Johnson Canlubang Residence

Wed, 03 Jan 2018 16:00:00 GMT

An open plan residence intended to be a flexible, indoor-outdoor weekend home.

Project Details

Katigbak Luna Rockwell Condominium Residence

Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:00:00 GMT

The project was the redesign of a four-bedroom, two-storey penthouse unit. A warm, relaxed, family ambiance was achieved through space planning and the introduction of built-in elements and furniture in natural materials. The design also reflects the young client’s enjoyment of entertaining close friends and family who immediately feel at home in the space.

Project Details

TV Room Renovation

Renovation of the Guest Room in this condominium residence, turning it into a theater room. The design features custom and built-in audio-video cabinetry.

Project Details

Moorjani Magallanes Village Residence

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design of a week-long, multi-family residence. Incorporating the unique requirements of each family for their own private spaces as well as the spaces where they come together. Design also incorporates the principles of Vashtu for a balanced home.

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Tan Corinthian Gardens Residence

Sun, 31 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design on a week-long residence. Design incorporates the individual members of the family’s personal lifestyle and functional requirements.

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The Great Escape

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 16:00:00 GMT

Rogue Magazine, Space Section

Volume 11 Issue 113, September 2017, pages 29-32

Words by Devi De Veyra

Photos by Milo Sogueco

Featured Project:

Johnson Mindoro Residence

King Residence

Mon, 02 Jan 2017 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a four-bedroom week-long house for a young family. Design features a unique configuration of spaces that are specific to the family's active, modern and practical lifestyle.

Project Details

RITM Offices

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 16:00:00 GMT

RITM E-Lounge Renovation

Renovation design of an existing office unit shared by several teams of researchers and staffs. Design features the reconfiguration of the existing office layout to efficiently cater the requirements and activities of both permanent and flexible work stations as well as their corresponding storage and equipment needs.

Project Details

IPC Office Renovation

Renovation design of an existing office unit with four work stations. The design features the efficient rearrangement of the work stations, office equipment and storage spaces in accordance to the users’ needs and activities.

Carpio Lipa Farm Residence

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a weekend farm house in an existing black pepper farm. Design incorporates the terrain and landscape site requirements, minimizing any changes to what is existing. Design merges indoor and outdoor areas to provide a unique farm lifestyle experience for a young couple with a passion for animals.

Project Details

A New Old House: A Home of Many Stories, Undefined by Trends and Time

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 16:00:00 GMT

Metro Home & Entertaining

January 2016

By Leah Puyat

Photographs by Paul Del Rosario

Working against time

The homeowner worked with Architect Popi Laudico, daughter of Yola Johnson, the artist and retail maven who established Soumak, the shop that pioneered the more contemporary use of Filipino fiber and antique Filipino furniture and indigenous wood.

“We had worked with Popi before on a vacation home, so we knew that we could work well together. She gives you a long questionnaire, not just about your tastes, but also your kind of sports, so she can plan the storage, or how willing everyone is to share a bathroom. It’s really quite detailed,” says the homeowner.

And yet for all those questions, she succinctly says, “I wanted a new old house, or an old new house. Yes I still wanted it to feel new, but I didn’t want it to belong to any certain time. For example, when we were building this house, everyone was doing that Asian modern look with travertine. But I don’t like travertine, I really want araal, so that’s what Popi used.”

There was a kind short and but the one bone of contention was the height of the doors. “When I first heard that Popi wanted floor to ceiling doors, I was afraid that it would end up looking like a villa, and that is so not us,” says the homeowner.

“So when I told her my worries, she just said that she would make one, we could see if we could live with it. If not, she would find a place where the door would not be seen. And I liked it in the end. I realized that she was right, I loved the effect.”

I had to ask about the staircase, because I find that many houses today lack a memorable staircase, which I consider a missed opportunity, as it is such a sculptural element that can be completely unique and stunning. The eloquent and effortlessly compelling homeowner elaborates, “I can grew up on this lot, and when we tore down our old house, I really wanted to use as much as we could from what we had saved. The wood on the staircase is from our old house.”

Like a magnet

The Joya in the foyer is such a joyful work of art and, of course, there is a charming story about it. “I actually dreamt that that painting was already there before we had placed any of the paintings. I feel that the colors and the brushstroke are saying, “I am not in your face, but I won’t be ignored.”

The paintings are juxtaposition of the classics by Anita Magsaysay Ho, Amorsolo, Bencab, and the more contemporary Gus Albor and Elmer Borlongan. The homeowner’s mother also loves to paint, and her works are displayed in the lanai and the dining room.

Her mother has what is known in Brit English as a “granny flat.” According to the homeowner, “She has her own wing, and her own schedule, but we eat together everyday. I really want my mom and my daughters to get to know each other well.

“My husband and I love to have friends over, and so do our kids, but I think my mom entertains the most,” she continues with a laugh, “When I was growing up, my friends would come over and open the fridge, and check out what’s for merienda. I wanted our house to be same.”

A close friend is with us, and she reveals, “This house is like a magnet. Or Grand Central Station. People are always coming by, or dropping things off. Plus, she (the homeowner) bakes so well, so there is also something good to eat.”

As the afternoon winds down, and it is almost dusk, there is time for one last story.

“The morning after we moved in, I was by the front door and overheard two construction workers talking. One of them said, ‘Ay, tapos na pala ‘tong bahay.’ And then the other one answered, “Hindi, matagal na ‘yan diyan.”

“I called Popi immediately, and said, ‘We got it right!’” They most certainly did.

Featured Project:

Morris Dasmariñas Village Residence

Perez Dilumacad Island El Nido Residence

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a multi-structure vacation home in a high bio-diversity island with a sloping terrain. A sustainable and low-environmental impact design is taken into consideration, as well as the client’s lifestyle needs and activities, while maximizing the potential of the scenic landscape.

Project Details

Of kith and kin

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 16:00:00 GMT

Elle Decoration Philippines – Third Anniversary Edition

October/November 2015, pages 32-36

Story by Chino L. Cruz

Photography by At Maculangan

Production by Devi de Veyra

Myriad beloved objects and an eye for beautiful things help turn Architect Popi Laudico’s abode into a space worth cherishing.

STORIES ARE THE THING. At least, to Architect Popi Laudico they are. While most homes have their own fair share of tales to tell, in Popi’s fascinating aerie in a glistening, recently developed high-rise, every single wall and crevice is rapt with narrative, character, and spirit. Items of great personal value to Popi fill the rooms; The riotous guest bathroom is filled with all sorts of gifts and tchotchkes; the dining-slash-mahjong area is covered in rare balayong floors where guest can walk barefoot.

“It’s all so precious to me,” Popi tells us, gesturing to her surroundings. “These things, they all have stories. Everything came from somewhere, from someone. I know all the artist. I know all the people who made them. It’s like I’m with my friends.” The architect’s few years of carefull collecting have paid off. “I design for a living, so three years ago when I first bought this place I already knew what I was going to with it. I already had all this stuff,” she says, “ I had been collecting over years and years and years.”

That isn’t to say that the space follows a strict plan. On the contrary, there is spontaneity to its composition, a sense of things being tossed together with tremendous ease. The entryway, adorned with art by Popi’s mother, artist Yola Johnson, leads to Popi’s personal yoga room and further unfolds into the airy living area, which is filled with an eclectic mix of tones and textures. Here, space flow seamlessly into one another, with kitchen, living, and dining areas melding into a generous, cohesive space, all of it looking out into the vast city below.

Popi’s bedroom is just as open and filled with character. While a large custom bed made of solid kamagong and narra anchors the space, one’s eye is drawn to the surrounding details, such as an antique vanity and the en suite bathroom separated just so by a cleverly placed custom-built shelving unit made of reclaimed wood. It is all these details that make up the unique narrative of Popi’s home. The space is not defined by massive designs or grand ideas. Rather, it is a quite but confident telling of its owner’s story and spirit.

THE VIEW FROM HERE

What do you see outside your window right now? Soft greens and hard grays.

What’s the first thing you do when you get home? I probably shouldn’t tell you.

Describe the atmosphere in your apartment. My sense of cozy.

Your favorite things things there? Natural light and air, art and pottery from my friends, my cowhide rug.

What about your home inspires you the most? I am not inspired by my home. Rather, I am renewed by it.

You are around homes all the time. What is the most rewarding part of your work? When someone who doesn’t know design can feel how special a place is, as opposed to someone who understands it. People can say, ‘Oh, this is Italian, this is from here, that’s from there.’ I’d rather get feedback from people who are not designers, who are not even remotely inclined toward design. If they can appreciate it, then my job is done.

Ortigas Luna Rockwell Condominium Residence Renovation

Thu, 01 Jan 2015 16:00:00 GMT

The scope for this project included the total renovation of two bedrooms including their toilet and baths. These rooms for two brothers provided for their own personal tastes and interests while updating what was originally provided in the unit.

Project Details

Renovation of Living, Dining, Foyer Entrance

Project Details

Tabora UP Village Residence

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a four-storey, week-long residence. Design incorporated the requirements of an existing structural framework already built on site while addressing the family’s space requirements. The need to access natural light and air being the primary concerns as well as the biggest challenge.

Project Details

Fearless Expression

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 16:00:00 GMT

Cover Story

Elle Decoration Philippines

April 2014, pages 88-105

Story and Production by Devi de Veyra

Photography by At Maculangan

A quote from a close friend, the late artist Roberto Chabet, came to mind as the homeowner surveyed a recently acquired townhouse: “My cup is so full of emptiness, it is spilling all over the room.” The structure before her was, in her own words, “so full, it was a task to fill it with emptiness.” As an artist herself, she viewed the renovation as an installation – an abstraction of a house where rooms did not exist and in its place lay a progression of spaces where occupants and guests, light and air, sounds and scents can navigate their way through without hesitation.

Architect Popi Laudico was called in to free the structure’s locked voids from stifling walls, brick claddings, and a colony of bats that had settled in the townhouse’s musty darkness. “Bringing in good – quality light and air was the initial challenge,” Popi says. As client and architect tore down barriers, light began creeping in through the crevices between wood beams, air finally breezed through newly opened channels, and the house’s refreshed form slowly became manifest. “When the aspects of passive lighting and cooling are addressed properly, they give the most sustainable benefit,” the architect says.

With this inner chambers cleansed and cleared, the townhouse was ready to receive the decorative and functional elements meticulously chosen by its mistress. Bamboo – a riveting presence in the adobe – takes over the ceiling and practically envelops an entire room. Furnishings and accents crafted by skilled artisans give the space an organic vibe, while art – mostly gifts from friends and relatives – would find their own permanent place, settling on blank walls and ledges and vacant spots waiting to be claimed. Going up a short flight of stairs, an ethereal artwork in black and white sets the tone for the bedroom, where the client displays her mastery for creating environments. One is overcome with calmness at the sight of diaphanous fabrics draped from ceiling and over the bed set against a vista of the greens and mountains.

Above the bed, a hypnotizing photograph of a cloud summons a restful asleep. Irony exists in this Utopian setting: a Fatima vessel filled with holy water stands serenely on a ledge by the window, while on the other side, a voluptuous plaster sculpture of a nude woman with an outsized organ wards off disasters.

Beyond its sublime beauty, the structure exudes what Popi considers a positive energy. There is radiance about it, perhaps brought about natural light pouring from all its sides and creating shadow patterns that change as the sun floated around the house or the mesmerizing panorama of bamboo and other tropical foliage engaged in some primitive dance, gentle breeze coaxing them to sway. Much like a powerful piece of art, the house calls out to be examined, and in the case, felt and experienced, demanding a response. For the lady of the house, it is an adventure of discovery not just for herself but also for everyone who in some way touched her very personal project. It also marks another phase in her artistic journey: “To go into the abyss, as the photographer Diane Arbus would do, is very brave. I’m still mustering the courage to do that. This house is more an impetus to a long journey and I think I have already crossed the bridge of hesitation.”

Featured Project:

Johnson Canlubang Townhouse

Ananya Resort Projects

Thu, 02 Jan 2014 16:00:00 GMT

Ananya Resort

The design of a high-end, in-land resort facility taking advantage of the site’s interesting topography with natural rivers, ravines and cliffs.

Project Details

Ananya Resort Private Villa

The design of the three-bedroom, two storey villa with a pool as an initial structure for a high-end, in-land resort facility.

Kitchen 1B Restaurant

Wed, 01 Jan 2014 16:00:00 GMT

The concept of the privileged Chef’s Table inside the kitchen was the inspiration for the design of this restaurant. A completely open kitchen gives the guests a connection to the preparation and special attention given to the decidedly healthy and whole-food cuisine. The careful balance of comfort, ambiance and functionality of the kitchen and dining spaces was struck with the design skills of all those involved, primarily the client, architect, mechanical engineer and kitchen equipment provider.

Project Details

Johnson Canlubang Townhouse

Tue, 31 Dec 2013 16:00:00 GMT

A total renovation of a 40-year-old townhouse beside a golf course. The design considers the abundance of natural light and fresh air of the location. The very personal aesthetic sense and lifestyle of the clients are showcased in a very unique weekend home.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Fearless Expression

Caramia SM Megamall Kiosk

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:00:00 GMT

The design of a specialty Gelato retail kiosk was conceived to create a unique visual image to be associated with the brand. A playful and attractive decidedly feminine approach was taken using the strong colorful nature of the product line.

Project Details

Open Access Marketing

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Design consultation for the aesthetic aspects of an expanding call center provider.

Project Details

Dasmariñas Village Residence Renovation

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Tech One Philippines Alabang Training Office

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a software training facility for the local branch of an international software provider.

Project Details

Amici Restaurants

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Amici UP-Techno Hub Restaurant

A comfortable eclectic design sensibility with twists and artistic expressions to complement the popular Italian food chain that was originally developed by the Don Bosco Italian priests to give them a taste of their own home cooking. The design inspiration for this restaurant was an Italian immigrant’s young entrepreneurial and artistic daughter, a close profile match to this particular branch’s target market of call centers and the college university crowd.

Project Details

Amici Venice Piazza Mall Restaurant

This Italian restaurant concept was originally developed by the Italian priests of the Don Bosco parish. For this new branch the design inspiration was an immigrant mother who moved to the Philippines and became known for her cooking. Her design sense as an interpretation of what is locally available in her current community was the basis for the eclectic design. Although now the restaurant has many branches, the feel for the design is still that of being a one-of concept.

Project Details

Tala – Grubbies Consultancy

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Design consultation for strengthening the visual retail imaging of a clothing line that sells primarily through Pop-Up store events.

Project Details

Apartment 1B Restaurants

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Apartment 1B Rockwell

The second branch of a successful comfort food concept restaurant, the design is the more masculine version of the original restaurant that emulates coming to the chef’s apartment to enjoy a well-prepared meal. The design is inspired by the architecture of 1970s homes.

Project Details

Apartment 1B Salcedo

Design of a former restaurant space renovated to accommodate a new homey restaurant concept. The design aimed to provide an extension of the chef owner’s own kitchen and dining area to provide a comfortable space for people to hang-out and return to.

Project Details

Designing with Nature

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:00:00 GMT

SoulSpace

Sta Elena Golf and Country Estate Magazine

2011

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

Featured Projects:

Sta. Elena Banahaw Village Playground
Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Village Clubhouse

Home Body: Urban Comfort

Sat, 26 Nov 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Phillipine Daily Inquirer

By Bayani San Diego Jr

November 27, 2011

No, filmmaker Yam Laranas insists, he isn’t bothered by ghosts and other restless spirits in the condo unit he shares with his wife, TV exec Gin de Mesa, their 7-year-old son Elias Lukas and 8-year-old pet Chow Obi.

Although he is known as the director of thrillers (like the latest GMA Films offering “The Road” and other scream fests like “Patient X,” “Sigaw” and its Hollywood remake “The Echo”), Yam doesn’t thrive on the dark side.

Based on the interiors of his Makati home, Yam prefers the bright and breezy to the grim and gloomy.

Light comes into the Makati pad freely, via several wide glass windows.

Yam tore down walls to make the entire space more free-flowing. “There are no borders. This house has no center. There are only three of us here; we want to be able to see each other

no matter where we are,” he says.

With the help of architect-designer Popi Laudico, the Laranases maximized the 197-square-meter space—integrating work, rest and play in one comfort zone.

Yam explains: “Even if Gin is resting in the bedroom, I’m editing in the home office and our son Elki is watching TV in the living room, we still feel like we’re spending quality time together.”

Folding glass doors with art-deco wrought-iron grillwork separate the bedroom from the rest of the house. “Since the glass is textured, we still have privacy at night,” he says.

He describes the overall design concept as “minimalist.”

Framed posters of his past films are displayed along with those of the couple’s favorite foreign movies. At the foyer, guests are greeted by a poster of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan,” part of Gin’s collection. In the bedroom is one of Ridley Scott’s landmark sci-fi film, “Blade Runner,” one of Yam’s favorites.

The poster of his all-time fave, Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange,” is in the bathroom. “But my wife concealed the irreverent blurb on the poster,” he says.

Proudly displayed in his home office is a poster of Sergei M. Eisenstein’s 1925 silent movie, “The Battleship Potemkin,” a gift from film archivist and scholar Teddy Co.

The posters of his works—from his Viva Films debut, “Balahibong Pusa,” to his National Geographic documentary, “Asia’s Titanic”—are lined up along the corridor.

“I had a hand in the design of most of these,” Yam says. “I wrote the poster blurb for ‘Balahibong Pusa.’” Also prominently showcased is the Korean version of the poster for “The Echo.”

He reports that “Asia’s Titanic” has been translated into over 20 languages and that “The Echo” has been shown in countries as far away as Russia, Portugal and Colombia.

While Yam’s new home is imbued with warmth by earth colors and wooden pieces, his old apartment was the exact opposite. “Our old place was colorful, inspired by our trip to Notting Hill in the United Kingdom,” he recalls. “It had lots of red and mustard yellow … and that was long before the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant movie was shown.”

Moving to the new pad two years ago, the couple went back to basics. “We wanted all-white walls to make the place look neat. We also installed narra flooring,” Yam says.

The living room centerpiece is a sofa from the Italian furniture store Natuzzi, matched with an abaca carpet from Soumak. The round chair at the foyer and the narra dining table are from Soumak, too.

In the bedroom is a quiet nook where Gin does paperwork. Yam says he was drawn to the queen-sized bed, “simple and Asian,” which he saw at the Ethan Allen store.

Yam made sure to set up a work station at home, too. “I prefer to work at night,” he says, “also because I don’t want my son to see the gory and scary scenes from my movies.”

At the time of the Living Stars visit, Yam was checking out in his home office the Blu-ray edition of “The Road,” which opens in theaters November 30.

He does post-production on Blu-ray, he said, because it allows him to spot mistakes in the grading, effects and graphics more quickly and efficiently.

One of the perks of living in the middle of Makati, he says, is that everything is within reach—especially the advertising and post-production companies he frequently works with. “Advertising is my bread-and-butter,” he explains.

It’s not all work at the home office, which also has a comfy lounge chair where he takes it easy between jobs, watching one movie after another on a 50-inch Sony LED web TV.

Among the DVDs in his collection are “Star Wars,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Exorcist,” “The Omen,” “The Hurt Locker,” as well as docus like “U2: Rattle and Hum” and shows like “Stomp Live.”

Occupying a place of honor in the office are several industry awards (for his work as cinematographer and editor)—including his “unique” Orbit trophy (for “Sigaw”) from the Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film.

He keeps his stash of “Star Wars” action figures—Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi—in the office, with his extensive book collection.

“My son doesn’t play with these collectibles because he knows that he’ll inherit them when he turns 10,” Yam says. “For his birthday, he asked for a Lego ‘Star Wars’ set.”

Yam and Elki bond through their love for toys. The father proudly points out that the boy takes good care of his toys, which are kept neatly arranged.

Yam and Elki each have their own PlayStation units. They also enjoy watching movies together—preferably on Blu-ray.

They installed a glass board on a wall in the kid’s room so that Elki can indulge his love for sketching and writing. Elki displays his drawings on a cork board on a wall in the office. The cork board wall is a good idea for a bustling household, Yam notes; it allows him and Gin to keep track of their son’s activities and school work.

Featured Project:

Laranas The Residence At Greenbelt Residence Renovation

Thought Through

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

An architect expertly organizes spaces in a relaxing hillside getaway

Metro Home & Entertaining

Vol. 8 No. 1 February - March 2011, pages 102-109

By Chino dela Torre

Photographs by Erwin Obcemea

Eleven years ago, constructing a vacation house in the hills of Puerto Azul was a challenge. The roads were narrow and materials were difficult to source. This, however, did not stop Arch. Popi Laudico from taking on a vacation house at the prestigious resort as her first residential project.

Popi’s design process begins with a questionnaire. She explains, “I ask my clients about their lifestyles. I want to know who they are and what their needs are like.” With this information combined with the limitations of the space, she creates the design problem. At the end of the process, she comes up with the solution. “There is only one answer that feels right and everything else feels wrong,” says Popi smilingly. She adds, “So far, I have a perfect record of getting it right.”

The said house project opens to a small foyer with a sunburst pattern in the stained glass ceiling. Besides illumination, the pattern brings in color to the neutral-toned home. It it’s any indicator, you can also interpret that same design element as a prelude to what the rest of the house is like. Every room is bathed in a healthy sheen of sunlight.

Smart division of space

Popi divides the space smartly through a play of floor levels and strategic placement of wall partitions. The depressed flooring frames the area of the living room, which is situated in the middle of the house. Opposite it is the hallway that leads either to the dining room, den, or the pool area that is directly across the living room. The pool area cuts the structure of the house to form the letter “U”. This allows more window space for the rooms in the first and second floors, and increases natural lighting for the household. Most rooms have a view of the pool, which serves as a focal point for the house.

Used to running hotels, the owner requested for a complete kitchen. “I partitioned the kitchen space in such a way that the hot area was opposite the cold, and the wet area was opposite the dry. In the center is a working island that serves as a virtual bridge among the area,” explains Popi. The kitchen is equipped with a built-in stove, two sets of oven and the large Sub-zero refrigerator that had to be brought all the way from the US.

Popi loves clients who invest well in the project. She recalls an incident when she got a call from owner who was abroad at that time. “There were hand-made terracotta tiles that the owner really liked and was wondering whether it would match the house. I said if you really like them, buy them. They’re going to fit,” chuckles Popi. The owner ended up hand-carrying the tiles from abroad. The tiles are now displayed beautifully as the splashboard for the hot area in the kitchen.

Panoramic view of the outdoors

The staircase that leads to the second floor is treated with sandstones, including the adjacent walls. Popi placed mirrors in the wall pockets that followed the lines of the window. She adds, “I played with the positive and negative spaces. I used mirrors to create a sense of gap. It breaks the massiveness of the solid stone. Plus, it brings in more light to the space.”

The staircase opens to a hallway that is dressed with three panels of floor to ceiling windows on one side. This maintains the symmetry with the three glass panels that connect to the pool on the first floor. The hallway gives access to all the bedrooms. It elevates towards the end, creating a separate landing for the master bedroom. The bathroom is beside the entrance so that the bed space would take centerstage amidst all the scenery. The bed is flanked by windows on either side and glass double doors at one end, creating panoramic view of the outdoors.

It was the owners who picked the furniture pieces, which are mostly made of wood and natural materials. The items have a casual cozy feel that blends well with the aesthetics of the space. Popi used sandstones mainly as the flooring option. “I want to use the more natural version of the look I’m going for”, she explains. Decorating the house are artworks painted by the owners themselves. “I love their paintings”, says Popi. “They bring in that personal touch that gives a home its own identity and style.”

People have asked Popi what her design style is. “I really don’t have an answer,” she explains. “There is no specific look or style that is related in any of my projects. It is never the same site, never the same client, and never the same lifestyle.” The end goal in Popi’s designs is creating that unique style that is purely about the client. “If you don’t see me in my works, then I did a good job,” explains Popi.

The owners are so happy with their vacation house that they commissioned Popi to do their home in the city, too.

Featured Project:

Morris Las Quintas Residence

Tueres Ayala Alabang Residence

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Jeppesen Peninsula de Punta Fuego Residence

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a two-storey weekend home adjacent to a golf course with a sloping terrain. The very open modern design incorporates a considerable number of built-in elements in terms of furniture and storage.

Project Details

Agbayani Molave Residence

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Design and Build House Lot 43

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a three-bedroom House maximizing the assets provided by the subdivision design and site location. House design targets a young family or the retired lifestyle that enjoy a home full of natural light and air.

Project Details

Other projects for Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.:

Sta. Elena Properties Civic Spaces

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Sta. Elena Banahaw Village

Playground

Design of a Village playground featuring traditional Filipino children's games together with more traditional playground equipment and playful landscaping.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Designing with Nature

Sta. Elena Banahaw Village

Fairway Park

Design of a park along the easement between a golf course and residential lots. Design incorporates trails for walking and running as well as lounging areas.

Project Details

Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Village

Riverside Park

Design of a Village playground running along both sides of a flowing river. The design features environment and installation art together with more traditional playground equipment and lush, playful landscaping.

Project Details

Sta. Elena Banahaw Village

Sports Park

Design of a Village playground featuring tennis and basketball courts as well as lounge areas and support facilities.

Project Details

Other projects for Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.:

Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Village Management Office

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

Design incorporates the theme of environmental conservation and sustainability that the village design addresses. Spaces were designed for flexible use, to accommodate the possible changing needs that these structures will have to accommodate for the community in the future.

Project Details

Other projects for Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.:

Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Village Clubhouse

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:00:00 GMT

The design of this village clubhouse is made to complement the exclusive and very personal design of the neighborhood community. It is meant to function as an extension of the homeowner's houses by providing inviting lounge and recreation areas and swimming facilities.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Designing with Nature

Other projects for Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.:

Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Village Collateral Design & Imaging

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Design of graphic imaging associated with the village, guardhouses, street support structures, street signaging and bridge railing.

Project Details

Other projects for Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.:

The Aesthete and Logician

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Metro Home & Entertaining

Vol. 7 No. 4, August – September 2010, pages 53-54

By Clarisse Lee

Photographs by William Ong

THE ARCHITECT WHO CRAFTED HER OWN SENSE OF STYLE BY NOT FOLLOWING THE TREND AND BY JUST ‘BEING ME’.

IT’S ALL SMILES and hellos when architect Popi Laudico greets you at the door. Accompanied by her excitable black Labrador Una, she ushers you into her office and almost immediately engages her guests in friendly animated chatter. You can’t help but like her already.

“This is my office but I don’t have a desk,” Popi says laughing. Her workplace is a typical of what one would expect from an architect’s office, Open yet allowing for privacy with no solid dividers, the space is bathed in natural sunlight. With its collection of paintings, pottery and sculptures, and use of unfinished solid wood planks as countertops and accents, Popi’s studio feels more like an intimate art gallery than an office.

Popi gravitates towards a wall with framed sketches done in pencil. “I asked for these drawings when I helped Bantay Bata”, she says affectionately. “These were done my Jesse Boy, the first child the organization rescued.” The drawings are scratchy and detailed, with a depiction of depth that is uncommon in young artists. “Excellent drawings,” Popi says, “like Picasso.”

“There were no architects in my family,” Popi says. “I really didn’t know what architecture was until college,” she admits. Only after an almost equal score in both science and art in an aptitude test taken in high school brought out a teacher’s suggestion that she try architecture.

Growing up surrounded by artists, Popi realizes she showed early signs in her interest for the profession. “When other children were drawing flowers in art class,” she says, “I was drawing kid versions of these houses na section… I’d cut a house through and through, and show the stairs, bed, dog, lamp… in a section. And I’d draw it over and over… until the art teacher had to ask me to draw something else!”

She attributes her artistic skills to her mother, artist Yolanda Perez, and her scientific brain to her father, a surgeon. “Architecture requires you to think very logically and scientifically, and at the same time express the aesthetic,” Popi says. Spending six months training in the United States in her first job fresh out of college exposed Popi to infinite possibilities in design. “There, because of the work, the clients and my boss, anything was possible. I was taught never to settle for anything less than what you think is the best solution… because that’s the right solution,” she says emphatically. “And anything that’s not right is just wrong.”

Each day is an atypical day for Popi. Aside from the constants like yoga sessions and walking Una, her agenda can range from meetings to site visits, to weddings and writing classes, at any given time. Keeping her practice at a comfortable level allows her the flexibility to keep on doing the things she loves. Her individuality is reflected in how Popi presents herself. “I hate suits,” Popi says, “I want to be comfortable in jeans and a shirt any day.” And her uniqueness directly translates to her work and her designs.

“I’ve been practicing for 12 years,” Popi says. “And what I specialize in is not whether it’s residential or commercial. I specialize in the design, where everything’s unique and no two places will even look the same.” She continues, “The two elements that will play a recurring role in my work are light and air.”

The combination of Popi’s ability to interpret a three-dimensional space and allowing her imagination to fly gives her the advantage in bringing to life what is in her head. “I’ve drawn things that I’ve had to explain to engineers and contractors because they couldn’t interpret it,” she says. She cites Johnson House as an example. “I would not cut a tree,” she says adamantly, “so I designed the structure in such a way that the bundok would not have to be leveled, and the points of reference were the trees.

Imagination and investment

This kind of approach to her work is, in her words, “a sense.” The culmination of varied experiences and an incredible curiosity in all things mesh to become inspirations for Popi’s designs. “A lot of the things I design don’t exist,” she says, “it’s not like I can show them a picture, because it’s designed specifically for the client, the site and their needs. Those three things are almost never repeated in the same combination anywhere else.”

For Popi, there is nothing difficult about designing. “I enjoy the challenge,” she says. She stresses the importance of extensive pre-design research in her work. Aside from her clients being made to commit their wants and needs on paper, “I spend weeks just gathering as much information by meeting with and observing my clients,” she continues, “and then… I hit the design in one shot,” she finishes. “My favorite projects are the ones where the work process between the client and me is good,” she says, “I want the clients to be as invested in the project as I am.”

An avid scuba diver and photographer, Popi talks about these things that inspire her. “Scuba is like an out of body experience,” she says. “Photography takes you places you normally wouldn’t go or do.” Her influences also stem from people encounters. She recalls her experience at a Smoky Mountain photography show at the Metropolitan Museum. “I was listening to the way the subjects of these photographs were reacting to their own Photographs depicting their life, so it’s the things they say… I’m influenced more strongly by honest things like that.”

“When you ask about inspiration,” Popi says, “I end up with really good teachers. For some strange reason, I find the mentors that can take weirdness… I’m lucky with that!” Luck is seemingly in abundance for Popi. “My staff is excellent, I don’t have to be in the office all the time. I’m so lucky,” she continues, ‘for the amount of output we do, this set-up was only possible in the last 10 years.”

As she contemplates her future, the petite Popi says, “I don’t ever want to be a big player. I just want to keep on being me.” She concludes happily, “I don’t want to be big; I just want to be small… and still do what I like to do.”

Goto King Consultancy

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Design consultation to address solutions for a particular challenging location. Drawing from experience in designing actual Goto King branches and being familiar with the aesthetic that the company wishes to project, direction was given to the franchise designers.

Project Details

Related Projects:

Goto King Restaurants & Kiosks

Sta. Elena Sierra Madre Design and Build House Lot 91

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Project Details

Other projects for Sta. Elena Properties, Inc.:

Rizal Tower Rockwell Condominium Residence

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Design of the Interior Furnishing of the Living and Dining areas, Master Bedroom and entrance hallways.

Project Details

Rodriguez Le Domaine Residence Renovation

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The project involves the renovation of the kitchen and powder room to incorporate the client's more modern design taste.

Project Details

Laranas The Residences at Greenbelt Residence Renovation

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The project is the redesign of a typical three-bedroom unit into spaces that suit the client's more personal style and way of life. The design took into consideration the imitation of the existing structure as well as the regulations of the building and yet still achieved a very unique approach to the otherwise standard space.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Home Body: Urban Comfort

Loo Terrazas De Punta Fuego Residence

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for an addition to an existing vacation home in an adjacent lot in an exclusive resort subdivision. Design takes into consideration the subdivision aesthetic design requirements as well as the clients own personal architectural tastes and lifestyle needs while maximizing the potential scenic views of the site.

Project Details

Purple Oven Store Pasig

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a store located within the factory of a pastry supplier. Design provides for all the functional needs of the unique retail location while providing a relaxed and personality driven ambiance.

Project Details

Morris Dasmariñas Village Residence

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a week-long house for a young family incorporating a suite of rooms for the wife’s mother that accommodates her various interests. The home design also provides for the various art collections and existing furniture of both families.

Project Details

Feature Article:

A New Old House: A Home of Many Stories, Undefined by Trends and Time

Tanmantiong Greenhills Residence Renovation

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Renovation Design of an existing home to accommodate changes in lifestyle and priorities as the family continues to grow and mature. Renovation is being done in stages initially in the kitchen and entertainment areas moving to the bedrooms.

Project Details

Additional Tanmantiong Renovation Project

Lingayen Pangasinan Maramba Boulevard and Capitol Beach Front Development

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Shades of White

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Asia Spa Mag

2008

Up above Shanghai’s charming French Concession area, and with views out over the tops of the trees, is Shui Urban Spa. A study in white, with water features and waves, the interior of this Art Deco building is a world away from the city outside. Treatments use Dermalogica products and include their signature Shui Deep Relaxation Massage and Shui Essential Facial, which starts with a back massage. Full of surprises, the spa also has a charming Moroccan-style outdoor terrace, for relaxing post treatment.

Featured Project:

Shui Urban Spa

Creating a Spa with a Neighborhood Vibe

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

SpaChina

2008

In 2002, BJ and Geraldine partnered with Mandala Spa in the Philippines’ world renowned Boracay Island to expand it into a full-scale resort spa, which has since received numerous accolades. In 2005, BJ moved to Shanghai where she soon identified the need for a professional day spa. Shui Urban Spa was born. Located on the top floor of Ferguson Lane in the middle of the tree-lined French Concession, Shui Urban Spa is a modern, hip city retreat that does not sacrifice substance for style, and where much thought is put into customers’ overall comfort.

Who put forward the interior design ideas for Shui Urban Spa?

Shui Urban Spa’s stunning contemporary design is a departure from the traditional, tropical-style theme of most spas in China and throughout Asia – our look is quite unique and we believe it is more representative of a hip, fashion-forward city such as Shanghai. The end result is collaboration between the founders’ vision and the excellent execution of two other key people – our architect, Ms Popi Laudico, and our graphic designer, Mr John Macatulad. Our design theme is “white-on-white-on-shadows”, combined with playful references to our name, “shui”. We chose white because it is clean, pure and calming, much as a spa should be. Emphasis on textures, shadows and mood lighting make the spa more inviting. There are also numerous references to our name “shui” in the design – some very obvious, and others a bit more tongue-in-cheek! We also introduced the rubber ducks to the design because they’re fun and welcoming – sometimes, design-conscious spas have a tendency to become too serious and intimidating. The ducks remind us not to take ourselves too seriously, and to have fun.

Why did you choose to open your spa in an old Western-style mansion?

We chose this building in the French Concession because we think its character and personality make it more interesting from a design perspective. Equally importantly, we think the location gives the spa a very inviting “neighborhood vibe” that guests would want to come back to over and over again. We are aiming to set Shui Urban Spa apart as the favored urban spa escape for Shanghai’s resident local and expatriate community, so it was important to us that our guests feel comfortable and at home enough here to want to come on a regular basis.

Who are Shui’s main clients?

Shui Urban Spa targets discerning spa enthusiasts, those who go to spas regularly for face and skin maintenance and relaxation. We cater to both local and expatriate residents, male and female, and the occasional tourist groups. We believe our menu is one of the most comprehensive in Shanghai, and attracts a wide variety of guests to Shui Urban Spa. In addition to facials, body treatments, waxing services and nail care, we also have treatments that are customized for gentlemen and pregnant women – very few spas in Shanghai have all of these treatments under the same roof. Because we aim to provide “affordable luxury,” our guests do not have to spend a lot for spa treatments. Our very popular Essential Facial, which uses Dermalogica products, is very affordable at RMB 450, especially since it incorporates almost half an hour of massage in the treatment (back, arms and hands, neck and shoulders). Our Four Hands Massage, wherein two professional massage therapists work together in a choreographed manner to heighten the massage experience, for double the relaxation and tension relief in half the time, priced very reasonably at RMB 690.

What teas do you serve your guests as you welcome them?

We serve calamansi, which is similar to a lemon but is smaller, round and green in color, with a slight hint of sweetness. It is a fruit that is indigenous to Southeast Asia.

Featured Project:

Shui Urban Spa

Organic Retreat

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Tatler Magazine

2008

When the American architecture legend Frank Lloyd Wright wrote, “The great nature-masonry we see rising from the great mesa floors is…not architecture at all, but is inspiration,” he could have been describing this getaway on a hilltop in Mindoro Oriental. From a distance it looks like a mini-castle with pitched, thatched roofs, rugged, curving profiles and stone materials. On site the size of the living area is the same as that of a house in Quezon City or Valle Verde.

Architect Melinda Minerva Laudico says her client, an expatriate businessman from Metro Manila, fell in love with the view from Mount Malasimbo, just off the tourist town of Puerto Galera. For a year, Laudico spent her weekends on the site studying the direction of the winds in different seasons. She and her client were inspired by the dramatic, rugged topography. They visualised a vacation home that would represent their concept of a natural structural design, which develops from and fuses with the scenery.

The hilltop property is about a hectare. A steep driveway gently winds up to the peak, which is 108 meters above sea level. The architecture is organic – it translates nature’s principles in a lifestyle context. Thus, the house has become a product of the place, not an outcome of an imposed style.

In a technology-driven world, anything handmade has become more valuable. Laudico underscores that every part of the house was quarried and manipulated manually by the locals. Only the stainless-steel products and bathroom fixtures were imported from Manila.

Hauling stone and wood, the native workers erected the house, which looked as if it evolved from the soil. Natural stones -- slate, Mindoro marble, limestone and smooth river stones – were fashioned into a variety of geometric shapes and sensuous textures. Concrete and slate shells were combined with crushed limestone for the interior finish.

“The local workers know how stones work. When chipped, they crack a certain way. When the white Mindoro marble is young, it is a geen slate that is smooth and you can walk on it without getting hurt,” says Laudico. Because of this local knowledge, the façade resulted in a beautiful stonework characterized by the horizontal striations. Combined with beige cogon roofing, the structure blended seamlessly with the lush foliage and sky.

Because of the closeness to the sea, the narra floor planks were pegged, not nailed and old-fashioned hardware that would not be corroded by the elements was installed.

Aerodynamic Shape

“After a year of studying the site, I realized that the wind traveled in a circular direction, not in one like some beach properties, because it is on the peak of a hill,” says Laudico.

Taking advantage of the windy site, the architect designed a house with smooth, curving forms. The aerodynamic shape insulated the house from the outside cold. Temperature currents also performed better in curvilinear interiors, thus heat was more evenly circulated. On a cold, windy night the house is warm, needing no heaters. In the summer, the house is cool having no need for fans.

There’s logic to the curved shape of the house which makes it a “green” building. The architect instinctively followed natural laws. The sun moves in an elliptical path across the sky and yet most buildings are rectangular—their direction, arrangement and vertical facades reducing the maximum advantages of natural lighting. For cooler climates, however, a curving sun-facing frontage, which holds the sun throughout the day and the seasons, is the best design solution.

The house has become a product of the place, not an outcome of an imposed style.

The 360-degree orientation of the house takes a maximum advantage of the views. “There’s no formal front or back side although the beach side can be considered the front, the back facing the mountain,” says Laudico. Since her client belongs to a family of cooks, the kitchen has a prominent location with a beautiful view of the Mindoro Straits and Minolo Bay.

Laudico adds that another reason for the curvilinear shape of the house is the pitched cogon roof, a requirement of the client. Cogon holds moisture and has natural fire-retardant properties. The roofing looks like giant tepees. There are no nets or galvanized-iron sheets, just pure cogon bundles nearly three feet thick. “The pitch of the roof is high so that the wind presses the cogon down. If the pitch is low, the wind will blow up the roof,” she says.

Another interesting facet is the use of space. There is no direct access to the powder room and bedrooms from the public areas. “The bedrooms don’t open into the inside of a house as in a normal house. They open to nature. Everything is surround by open space.” she says. Says Laudico, “Since the house is very open, the owners aren’t worried about theft. At most, robbers can steal the chairs that are over 50 years old. Why bring creature comforts like a 60-inch flat TV when you can savour the fantastic view which you can’t get in the city?”

Featured Project:

Johnson Mindoro Residence

Yola Johnson Revels in the Freedom to be

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Town and Country Philippine Edition

December 2008, pages 86-97

By Rita Ledesma

Photographs by At Maculangan

Olazo One Mckinley Residence

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Design consultation for the furnishing of a new condominium unit for a master artist and his wife. The design takes into consideration the unique needs of a couple close to their retirement years as well as spaces to feature and show various art works.

Project Details

El Nido Resorts Projects

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:00 GMT

El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island Rooms

Design for additional rooms and facilities for the upgrading of an existing beach front resort. In keeping with the resort’s reputation and established aesthetic, the new rooms provide an upgraded standard while still maintaining the warmth and cozy island feel that has been its signature for over 20 years. The rooms are to provide a basis for the direction of future development within the resort.

New Beach Front Rooms

Project Details

Feature Article:

Life's A Beach

New Seaview Rooms

Project Details

El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island Master Development Plan

Design of the Master Development Plan for the resort considering all existing elements that can no longer be relocated or removed and the future plans and programs for the resort as well as the best way to take advantage of the many wonderful natural features of its location.

El Nido Resorts Lagen Island Guest Room Renovation

Related Project:

Ten Knots Development Corporation Offices

CAS Projects

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 16:00:00 GMT

CAS Jupiter Branch

Implementation of the Design Program Template in an actual school facility.

Project Details

CAS Design Program Template

Design and Construction Standards for a school specializing in providing alternative income generating skills. The template provides guidelines for the franchises' in the design and building of this school's branches.

Project Details

Bacchus Wine Shops

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Bacchus EDSA Shangri-la Hotel

A more casual approach was incorporated in the design targeting the younger wine drinking clientele living in the nearby residential areas. The store features a 24-hour temperature-controlled wine cellar and retail area.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Two Brothers to Launch New Wine Showroom

Bacchus Makati Shangri-la Hotel

Design of a retail wine shop. Design features a 24-hour temperature-controlled cellar and retail area. The ambiance caters to the upper market serious wine buyers.

Project Details

Feature Article:

The Gods Must Be Happy

Bacchus Showroom Office

Design of an office and showroom for a food wholesale and retail business. Design features a working kitchen to showcase the many applications for their product line.

Fiesta Wines at DFP

DFP Wines and Cigars

A joint venture between Bacchus and Tabac, a cigar company, the shop retails both product lines in the same area. Maximizing display space in such a limited area was the priority as well as security measures enforced in the airport.

Bacchus Duty Free Gourmet Shop

Bacchus Pan Pacific Hotel

A more casual approach was incorporated in the design targeting the restaurants in the area as well as clients who purchase wines in bulk. The store also features a 24-hour temperature-controlled wine cellar and retail area.

Bacchus Duty Free Fiesta Mall

Straightforward retailing with very minimal embellishments was the design concept for this shop addressing the very high traffic experienced in this mall.

City Spawns New Spas

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Shanghai Daily

Body & Soul

December 25, 2007

By Patsy Yang

Today, it seems many salons portray themselves as day spas but lack that day spa feel. However, one of the city’s newest spas Shui Urban Spa surprises and satisfies even the picky spa goers with its cutting-edge retreat of tasteful and functional design, first-class amenities, and painstaking attention to detail.

Shui is a jewel cleverly tucked away amidst the trees, chic shops and cosmopolitan cafes in Ferguson Lane on Wukang Road. On the fifth floor of the charming Art-deco-inspired building, step through the doors of Shui and enter a different world where time ceases to matter — a 350-square-meter sanctuary filled with soft lights, soothing, eclectic music, and inviting fragrances. Slip into a pristine white robe, escape into private treatment rooms with relaxing views, enjoy the face or body indulgence, daydream or read a magazine in his-and-hers lounges — and experience some of the best services in Shanghai.

There is even a spacious outdoor terrace where Moroccan-style daybeds invite guests to lounge and linger amidst the lovely tree-top view of the old former French concession area. The design theme is “white-on-white-on shadows” combined with playful references to its name, “shui.” The white theme is clean, pure and calming, much as a spa should be. Emphasis on textures, shadows and mood lighting make the spa more inviting. “Shui (water) reflects the origins of the spas we have come to know today. Also, we deliberately chose a Chinese name because we want to reflect the fact that we are a brand born in China, to signify Shanghai’s entry into the world-class urban spa industry,” said owner BJ Macatulad, a former investment banker from New York. The Filipino partnered with Geraldine Acuna-Sunshine, a corporate lawyer in Boston. Macatulad handles day-to-day operations and oversees the marketing strategy, while Acuna-Sunshine is in charge of product and service development. The two met as university students in Harvard.

Both have been spa devotees for many years and eventually decided to turn their passion into businesses focused on providing luxury services for harried professionals and those in search of greater balance in their lives. The duo got into the business themselves in 2004 when they partnered with the well-known Mandala Spa Resort and Villas in Boracay Island, the Philippines, which has since won many awards such as Best Destination Spa by Baccarat Asia. “Shui” is their fourth spa venture. “Our contemporary design here is a departure from the traditional, tropical-style theme of most spas in China and throughout Asia — our look is quite unique and we believe it is more representative of a hip, fashion-forward city such as Shanghai,” Macatulad said.

For example, the duck is one of many design elements here because the rubber ducks are fun and welcoming — sometimes, design-conscious spas have a tendency to become too serious and intimating, according to her. “ We merge the ‘best in class’ from what we believe to be the best spas we have tried around the world — we combine both Oriental and European techniques with some of the best products from the US and Asia,” she said.

The spa uses Dermalogica because their products are consistently rated the top choice of spa professionals worldwide, year after year. The caring and meticulously trained Filipino therapists each have up to 10 years experience at some of the best spas in the world.

There are over two dozen treatments to choose from, including the Shui signature deep relaxation massage, or the Shui essential facial, a cleansing, exfoliating, and soothing treatment that unexpectedly starts with a back massage to melt away stress.

Targeting frequent spa-goers, Shui provides a world-class experience at a relatively accessible price. The spa hopes to become the favored destination for local and expat “spa experts” who go to spas regularly and expect excellence and consistency.

Featured Project:

Shui Urban Spa

Bizu Patisserie Glorietta 4

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a new French inspired pastry kiosk also meant to provide meals and snacks. The design incorporates the multi-functional requirements of the kiosk as well as its strong graphic design developed for its labeling. The design aims to provide a modern conceptual translation of a traditional classic icon.

Project Details

Feature Article:

French Fling

Renovation of Bizu Patisserie Glorrieta 4

Ten Knots Development Corporation Offices

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Ten Knots BA Lepanto Building Office

Retrofitting of existing office facilities to accommodate the new offices of the Ten Knots Company. Also designed to accommodate their sales reservations offices as well as other departments.

Project Details

Ten Knots Trafalgar Building Office

Project Details

Related Project:

El Nido Resorts

Steps Dance Studio

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a dance and fitness studio, which aimed to provide a serious and well-equipped venue for the local ballet dance groups as well as various other dance related endeavors. The design carefully considers all the requirements of the activities performed within its studios in order to inspire the creative and demanding process.

Project Details

Steps Dance Studio Renovation

Renovation of the existing dance studio facility to incorporate a newer more colorful look as well as the upgrade of worn out finishes.

Zobel-Elizalde Dasmariñas Residence

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a new children’s playroom incorporating learning as well as playing facilities.

Project Details

Ong Anvaya Residence

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 16:00:00 GMT

Design development for a weekend house taking into consideration the numerous trees located on the site that used to be an orchard. This gave the design a unique ability to allow as much of nature into the flow of the design.

Project Details

Shui Urban Spa

Sun, 31 Dec 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Design of an Urban Day Spa in a renovated building in the French Concession Area of Shanghai. Design aims to provide a clean and warm ambiance for the high-end service the facility will provide.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

City Spawns New Spas
Creating a Spa with a Neighborhood Vibe
Shades of White

Designing by Feel

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday

INQUIRER Magazine Feature

2006

By Alya B. Honasan

Architecture and Interiors by Melinda P. Laudico

For architect Popi Laudico, building a resort—an extended home—means bringing everything that you are into the effort. That’s why she keeps her own life multi-faceted

WHEN you realize that she loves to scuba-dive, spends her free weekends in a gorgeous Mindoro house with a drop-dead view of the ocean that she built herself, and is quite comfortable visiting job sites in her bikini, you no longer wonder why architect Popi Laudico is fast becoming known as a builder of resorts. Not just any resort, but delightful ones, built with durable Filipino materials, huge windows, airy spaces and natural light.

“Last year I gave a talk to the graduating batch of architecture students at the University of the Philippines (UP),” says Laudico, “and the best advice I could give them was, ‘Don’t work all the time.’ The architectural profession is a personal service. You need to cultivate yourself, the person doing the service, in order to have a thriving practice. Basically I think I am able to design resorts and vacation homes because they’re so much a part of my life. I’m credible when it comes to making it real for other people. I’m just lucky, I guess.”

Lucky indeed, but just because Laudico’s working amidst the sun and sand of Boracay, as she was most of the time when she designed the venerable Friday’s resort, doesn’t mean she’s not taking the business of leisure seriously.

“The factors in resort design would be similar to that of house design, only magnified a hundred times, since it’s a lodging for guests who would consider it their ‘home’ for a few days,” she explains. “You need to consider safety, comfort and a certain level of luxury that the guests may not normally provide for themselves in their own homes.”

Laudico recently finished a house in Terrazas de Punta Fuego, but the 36-year-old’s expertise doesn’t end there. She also designed the high-end restaurant of her brother Rolando Laudico, Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, at the Fort, along with another restaurant in Salcedo village called Apartment 1B. Then there’s a spa in Shanghai, a wine bar in Legaspi Village—who knows what’s next?

Design was part of Laudico’s life growing up, as her mother, designer Yolanda Johnson, was an art scene fixture. Prodigious at drawing as a child, she enrolled in Architecture at the UP, and followed that up with a stint in Los Angeles in 1992. Today, she also does designs for the family business, Soumak Collections, a home accessories hub and a favorite source for some of the city’s finest bath linens and beddings.

Like many designers, Laudico can’t pinpoint the moment when she decides upon what to build for her client. “After all the factors come in—site inspection, client’s input, developer guidelines, etc.—inspiration needs to kick in. I really don’t know how it happens, but the visuals start coming in and it’s like I’m imagining the building like it already exists. I just go back to the details to work out the kinks. I once read that Mozart could hear the whole concerto in his head before he even hit a key. It’s sort of like that. Kapal ba? (Am I being presumptuous?)” says Laudico with a loud, infectious laugh.

Neither does Laudico identify a particular style that characterizes her oeuvre. “None of my projects really look alike,” she recounts. “But once, a client told me that someone went into a house that we built, and asked them if their architect did this other house, which I also built. My client asked the person if the two houses looked the same. The answer was, ‘No, they don’t look the same, but they feel the same.’ So I guess I don’t have a particular ‘style,’ but a particular ‘feel’ that people pick up. Maybe it has to do with light and air. There’s a lot of passive lighting and passive cooling in my designs.”

“Feel” is paramount to Laudico, who takes very seriously the idea of being well-rounded. In her favorite working clothes of jeans and T-shirts, the ultra-petite Laudico is often mistaken for a high school kid—not a problem at all, she reveals. “It’s the best advantage in the world!” she exclaims. “Nobody can ever say no to a little girl!” When she’s not driving her big SUV to sites or working on projects, Laudico scuba-dives, does pottery, teaches at the Iyengar Yoga Center Manila, and spends time with the love of her life, a black Labrador named Una (who’s 3 years old today).

Which brings us to Laudico’s dream projects: “not so much exercises in architectural design, but structures and facilities that would make the world a better place. That’s the ultimate responsibility of all architects.”

Top of that list is a spectacular, comprehensive Dog Park, “where Una and his friends can gallivant off-leash, safe and completely in their element.” The park would include a space for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), of which Laudico is a staunch supporter. There will also be an Olympic-sized pool for therapy and play for dogs as well as special kids. “I want kids to have a place to go to learn to love animals.” That much you can say about Popi Laudico: If it feels good, she’s going to build it.

Projects mentioned in this Article:

Johnson Mindoro Residence
El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island Rooms
Ong Terrazas De Punta Fuego Residence
Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino
Apartment 1B Salcedo
Shui Urban Spa
The Wine Club Greenbelt Radissons

Beyond Power Breakfasts

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Metro Magazine

2006

By Alya B. Honasan

MEETING PLACE: A favorite nook at 1B; the best selling Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon and Spinach.

POWER breakfasts may be best for your health, but sometimes the term conjures images of tasteless mounds of grain and a lot of bland, boring stuff. Happily, even the power breakfast at Apartment 1B, the newest stop for “gourmet comfort food” in Salcedo Village, Makati, is a treat, a granola parfait ringed with fruits and topped with delicious yoghurt. But you won’t be blamed for straying into the other offerings to kick-start your day, including pancakes, hearty servings of Canadian ham and bacon, and the bestselling Eggs Benedict served with potatoes, more bacon, spinach, smoked salmon, and more.

“The idea of ‘gourmet comfort food’ is food I would cook in my own home to serve my guests, with quality ingredients,” says owner-chef Marivic Diaz-Lim, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and was involved with such restaurants as triBeCa, the Spanish resto n, and Gram’s Diner before opening this new “baby.” Diaz-Lim had actually thought she was done with the restaurant business for a while, living in Sydney with husband Bobby and becoming a mom to 19-month-old Mauro.” Then I realized that I missed this—that food was my passion.”

Fortunately, earlier apprehensions about juggling time between domestic bliss and kitchen joy were unnecessary, as ‘things just fell into place.” The location is a short walk from where the Lims live, and Diaz-Lim found the ideal sounding board in architect Popi Laudico, who designed, built and helped decorate the two-story space that fits some 60 people, plus another dozen al fresco.

Laudico created what she calls a “homey, cozy space that would feel just like Marivic’s own apartment,” thus the name. With comfy couches, mismatched chairs picked up in Evangelista St., and durable jute-sack walls decorated with changing art---Laudico’s stoneware ceramic tiles with different glazes are currently on display---the place is indeed an extension of home for both the hostess and her guests.

And that goes for what’s on the menu. True to the quest for quality, Diaz-Lim serves first-class steaks, throws authentic shaved parmesan cheese and pancetta into her Caesar’s Salad, and tops her grilled blue marlin with tomato relish that’s laced with chorizo.

Neighbors are already trooping to Apartment 1B for daily meals, and its cozy tables have become favorite meeting places. Which is just fine with the hostess, who’s more than ready to accommodate special requests. “I’m not fixated on what I want to cook,” Diaz-Lim says. “Tell me what you’re craving for, and we’ll see what we can do.” It will be worth your while to take her up on the offer."

Apartment 1B (Unit 1B, G/F One Lafayette Square, Leviste corner Sedeno Streets, Salcedo Village, Makati, tel. no. 843-4075) is open from 7am to 11 pm from Mondays to Thursdays, and 70 to 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Featured Project:

Apartment 1B Salcedo

Earthbound Haven

Sat, 01 Apr 2006 16:00:00 GMT

A mountain sanctuary beautifully straddles the earth and sky

BluPrint Magazine

2006 Special Issue 1

By Juana Manahan

Photographed by Emilio Esguerra

Approaching Puerto Galera on a bangka, one can already spot this sanctuary of four casitas. The Popi Laudico designed thatched-roof cluster cuts a distinctive silhouette against the famous port’s verdant backdrop.

Linked by white pebbled walkways and made in perfectly cylindrical shape, the casitas create an illusion of a bigger space. The use of large windows enhances the illusion of openness. Factor this into the shape of the casitas and you get a panoramic view of the beaches below and the hills that surround the property.

A T-shaped pool is accessible by going through a white-pebbled walkway, lined with beautiful native flowers, and then down a set of stairs. It is from this vintage point that one can truly appreciate the view of the entire house and the landscaped property with the oceans and mountains on either side.

The floors of the main house are built with a deep mahogany-colored wood, while the walls done in a lime finish provide a clean bright surface. All the furnishings in the living room are by interior decorator Yola Johnson. Known for using native materials in her furniture, Johnson incorporates them into modern shapes and when one sits in a chair that she designed, one does not get up. This is the entire feel of the whole living area where comfortable couches and large pillows are strewn across the room.

The living are descends into the dining are, which turn, opens out to a large terrace with views of the beach below. It seems then, that the living casita was placed right in the middle of a beautiful view. A small passageway connects the living are to the kitchen, whose fixtures in their modern and stainless steel glory cast an ironic twist when juxtaposed with the native delicacies prepared inside.

One finds two themed guest rooms downstairs. The first is built as if a Badjao princess lives there. The main bed has a frame of what looks like an old southern Badjao boat Canopies cover the beds, as there is no air-conditioning in the rooms because of the cool breeze that goes through the entire property. The second room, on the other hand, is smaller and is primarily built for a single guest. This room has raw silk drapes with a gold and green weave. Both rooms are infused with an enticing scent of sampaguita that draws one to sleep amidst the greenery.

The master bedroom is a structure on its own. A curvilinear concrete wall stemming up almost, three-fourths to the ceiling separates the bedroom from its bath area, which comes with a freestanding bathtub set in rattan. The bathroom floor here, as with the other bathrooms in the house, is in stone making these area cool.

Despite the normally windy conditions of the area, the house remains stable as its main frame is built with solid stones. The vaulted roof, on the other hand, is thatched with beams made from coco lumber. And on a clear day, one can truly see forever (or at least to the cost of Batangas) from this beautiful mountaintop sanctuary.

Featured Project:

Johnson Mindoro Residence

Life's A Beach

Fri, 31 Mar 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Put your home on vacation by getting that tropical resort look

Real Living Magazine StyleFile Section

April 2006

By Marina H. Fernandez

Photographs by Willy Saw & Ocs Alvarez

El Nido in Palawan is one of the best resorts for a summer getaway, made even more inviting with their new beachfront cottages (designed by architect Popi Laudico) that open to sun, sea, and sky. But for those who don’t have time to go on a vacay, you can still turn your home into your own private resort, with reservations for one (or two). Put your dark, heavily upholstered furniture into storage and lighten up your interiors with neutral colors, natural materials, and breezy fabrics.

Achieve this look

1. FLOORING You can’t step on sand but you can bring a bit of nature in with araal-like tiles. The natural texture and color will definitely cool down your home, plus they’re durable, too. “Seronera” 30x30cm Ceramic Tile, from Libertystile.

2. WALLS For a quick fix, wash your walls in white or beige paint. If you want a fab accent, add wall panels (or a headboard) in tightly woven sawali panels (available at some provincial roadside hardware stores) or raffia (this one’s raffia wallpaper from Larry’s Curtains).

3. WINDOW Don’t make your fenestration rustic—choose sturdy wooden frames in a dark stain that will lend a contemporary touch to your resort look. Stained wood sample, stylist’s own.

4. FURNISHING AND ACCESSORIES Rattan and bamboo are an absolute must for the ultimate tropical look. Get a bed or sofa with a chunky bamboo base, and chairs with delicate rattan legs and arms (check out E. Murio and Union Square for great tropical furniture). Throw in natural-theme accessories for accents (bamboo reeds from Kultura Filipino).

5. CURTAIN FABRIC Sheer fabric will let the breeze in yet screen you from prying eyes. This cotton voile is from Larry’s Curtains, but you can also use traditional Kulambo (mosquito netting) bought from the local market.

6. ACCENT FABRIC Add color to your natural palette with hints of bright orange and green on your pillows, armchairs, and throws. Orange damask is from Skreja, green taffeta is from Kamuning market. Another way to add color: buy tribal fabrics in bright hues (available at the Narda’s branch in Makati City, and other native handicrafts stores).

Interiors shot on location at El Nido Miniloc Resort. For more information, contact El Nido Resorts, Ten Knots Development Corporation, 2/F Builders Centre Bldg, 170 Salcedo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, tel. (02) 8945644, URL www.elnidoresorts.com.

Featured Project:

El Nido Resorts Miniloc Island Rooms - Beach Front Rooms

Don’t cook for your dog, BARF IT

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Cook Culinary Lifestyle Magazine

March 2006, pages 66-68

By Rube Bloom C. Rule

The “raw” factor

It used to be that home-based canines ate whatever leftover food was thrown at them by their masters. But dogs do have needs that are quite different from humans. Though their food intake has similar components like protein, fat, carbohydrates, water, vitamins and minerals, dogs need more protein but less carbohydrates than humans.

The convenience of modern living has introduced commercially produced dog food in wet (canned) and dry (kibble) forms which are advertised as being a complete balanced diet for dogs. Such foods however can accelerate your dog’s growth at a fast pace that can be detrimental to its health.

For instance, two-year old Una, a beautiful black Labrador used to be on a steady diet of kibble since he was a puppy. But at six months old, his owner, Popi Laudico, found out he had hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a degenerative disease common among big dogs like Labradors, that makes the dogs limp due to the abnormal development of the hip joint.

The disease could cripple Una if it was not attended to. And Popi was apprehensive that Una’s diet of commercial dog food could worsen his condition since it allowed him to grow at a rate where his bones could no longer cope with his weight.

Although hip dysplasia can only be set by surgery, diet plays an important role in the dog’s long-term health. One such diet is the Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food (BARF). BARF is based on the principle of the evolutionary or natural diet of any given animal.

Evolution history points to wolves as the ancestors of domesticated dogs. Though dogs are not as fierce as the former, they do have the same food patterns and body needs. Wolves are natural hunters and scavengers; they eat what they can hunt or find. These can vary from dead animals to vegetables and fruits – all of them raw. Such a diet has kept wolves and wild dogs healthy for centuries; so it is only logical that such a diet can be beneficial to domesticated dogs.

BARF diet

Dr. Ian Billinghurst, advocate of the BARF diet, has written several books on BARF. He says that the BARF diet doesn’t really require each meal to be completely balanced. However, such balance can be achieved over time in the variety of food that can be given every day. A BARF diet can consist mainly of any raw food: meat of all kinds, fruits and vegetables, milk or milk products, seafood, eggs and oils. Bones are important as well since they are loaded with essential calcium. Billinghurst does not recommend grain, which also includes rice, arguing that grain was never a part of the evolutionary diet of dogs since they can’t eat uncooked grain off the plant.

However, Una’s vet, Dr. Marga Dela Rosa-Carpio says it’s okay to feed rice since it’s sometimes difficult to go on a purely meat diet. “I personally feed rice to my dogs… because it’s still an energy source.” She relates that the kind of food for this diet really depends on the family’s budget for the dog and the available food at hand. The same can be said about kibble.

As for Una, well, he still eats at least one cup of kibble since it’s quite expensive to feed on a purely BARF based diet and he could still use the nutrients in the commercial dog food. Dr. Dela Rosa-Carpio explains that kibble is still a healthy feed for pets as long as it’s not the main or only source.

The rest of Una’s daily diet is a cup of raw chicken or beef, a cup of raw liver and gizzard, an egg (including the ground eggshells for calcium) and one to two cups of raw vegetables and fruits, often flavored with virgin coconut oil (a good source of fat that helps keep his coat beautiful). He doesn’t get rice but he gets his carbohydrates from the vegetables. Occasionally, Una gets a treat of yogurt and cottage cheese.

Another aspect of BARF is the amount of feeding. Owners may be a little overzealous when it comes to feeding their pets, particularly puppies. However, this can be harmful as feeding them too much can lead to fast paced growth that their bodies could not cope with. Thrice a day is the normal feeding frequency according to Dr. Dela Rosa-Carpio, but make sure they are of the right proportion to your dog according to its weight, activities and age.

The Benefits of BARFing

Information from BARF advocacy websites claims that switching to BARF diet improves the teeth, breath skin, and coat of dogs. It improves the immune system since BARF contains a good balance of essential fatty acids and other nutrients. It reduces problems from degenerative diseases while keeping the dog lean due to the absence of extra body fat. The stool volume of pets and their odor also decreases.

Popi has observed these changes in Una when she switched him to the diet. Aside from easing his weight that helped him recover from his hip dysplasia surgery, his teeth are free of tartar left from the kibble residue, his bad odor has lessened and his saliva has become clean. His stool volume was reduced by half and its odor has improved. Una is also free from skin diseases and maintains his shiny and clean coat.

Making the shift

Although BARF can be used on any healthy dog, Dr. Dela Rosa-Carpio still recommends that you consult a veterinarian first. This is because some dogs may have specific health problems that may need special diets. Also she asks owners to do a bit of reading on BARF first so they could properly apply the diet.

The acceptance of BARF varies with different dogs. some dogs adapt to the change in their menu easily, but there are some “kibble junkies” that have more difficulty. the shift can also trigger detoxifying symptoms like vomiting or worsening skin problems in some pets so it’s important for the owner to be knowledgeable about them.

The Wine Club Greenbelt Radissons

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a Wine Bar and Retail Store featuring the inventory of an importer of American Wines. Also serving as his office and showroom. An ambiance for serious wine aficionados was designed.

Project Details

Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a Fine Dining Restaurant featuring local finishing materials complementing the innovative take on Philippine cuisine.

Project Details

Ong Terrazas De Punta Fuego Residence

Sat, 31 Dec 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a vacation home in an exclusive resort subdivision. Design takes into consideration the subdivision aesthetic design requirements as well as the clients own personal architectural tastes and lifestyle needs while maximizing the potential scenic views of the site.

Project Details

French Fling

Fri, 07 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

BluPrint Magazine

Vol. 5 2005, page 122

Photo by William Ong

Featured Project:

Bizu Patisserie Glorietta 4

Central Park Hotel Projects

Thu, 06 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Central Park Hotel Studios

Retrofitting design of an existing hotel room into a studio for sale to long staying clients.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Luisita Beckons

Central Park Hotel

Interior design for a hotel catering mainly to Japanese expatriates in the area.

Project Details

Dive Zone Ortigas Bazaar Center

Wed, 05 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

The design of this Scuba Diving shop aims to professionalize the look and feel of this sector of the industry. Special display modules were designed to fit the product lines unique display requirements. An equipment/gear maintenance area was provided based on the needs of its technician. Spaces for classroom instruction, inventory storage and client meetings were also provided.

Project Details

Macatulad Shanghai China Residence

Tue, 04 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Furnishing of a condominium in Shanghai.

Project Details

Clusters @ Planet Dive Anilao

Mon, 03 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a new beach front dive resort that focuses on providing its clients with high-end facilities both on the resort amenities side as well as the dive requirement side. The aesthetic and ambiance lend itself to the relaxed yet activity charged trips made by various diving enthusiast from photographers, tech divers, check out divers to the weekend fun divers.

Project Details

Fridays Boracay

Sun, 02 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Design for additional rooms and facilities for the upgrading of an existing beach front resort. The design considers all the improvement to standards and conditions specified by the resort owners and managers as well as the phasing requirements for the execution of the project. While designs are different, they do not deter from the original aesthetic of the existing rooms so as to maintain the "look and feel" that the resort is known for.

Project Details

Ignacio Ayala Heights Residence Renovation

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design of a structure adjacent to an existing house intended for entertaining and enjoyment of the family's various interests and hobbies. Aside from a variety of areas for hosting small to substantial gatherings the design also features a pottery studio, sound proofed music room and guest room.

Project Details

Vicencio Quezon City Residence

Fri, 31 Dec 2004 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural and Interior design for a three storey week-long home for a young couple with three children. The design takes into consideration the modern yet cozy taste of the owners. The needs of the children were always a priority in the design.

Project Details

Playroom For Healing

Sat, 10 Jul 2004 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Daily Inquirer

July 11, 2004

By Constantino C. Tejero

Photos by Romy Homillada

Paraiso ng Liwanag in Norzagaray, Bulacan, was founded on the kindness of strangers. It sprawls on a 2.5-hectare lot donated by Meralco.

All structures and halls have been built from donations of private individuals and corporations. The music room, for instance, was sponsored by singer-composer Jose Mari Chan; the meditation room by Ayala Corp.

Constructed for P85 million, with a capacity of 200, this Bantay Bata Children’s Village has six cottage clusters; a kindergarten; a home nursing care; an organic farm and poultry; an administrative building with offices, dormitories, clinics and seminar halls.

Architect Ning Encarnacion Tan’s lively overall design is imposing yet blends well with the environment. The off-white three story structures, even the tiled pathways and colorful playground, adapt tot the undulations of the rolling landscape.

From the look of it, so spic and span, one wouldn’t associate the place with violence and dark secrets. But here are housed 99 victims of physical and sexual abuse.

Inaugurated in November last year, the village is still unfinished. More donations are needed to put the finishing touches to the landscape architecture, construct a swimming pool, and add four more cottage clusters.

The newest addition is the toddler’s playroom; a project of the Lifestyle Network undertook to celebrate its fifth anniversary.

Designed by architect Popi Laudico, it is a sunshiny, asymmetrical, 60 sq.m. room with narra flooring, walls and ceiling painted a soft yellow, and curtains of yellow abaca gauze stirring in the breeze.

Cool and stimulating

Arranged on the sides are 30 chairs, a table and shelves of playthings. All the furniture pieces are narra.

There’s a playhouse of pink sheer buntal draping in the middle of the room, and a tent of blue cotton gauze in one corner. The toddlers play under these dreamy canopies.

“This is not really a playroom but a therapy room for ages 5 and below,” says Laudico. “Para kumalma sila, para masaya sila, and therapy should be positive. So we have pink, yellow, blue – but more of the shade than the actual color – cool, relaxing, but at the same time stimulating, para hindi sila makatulog.”

The room’s sections are designed fro one on one or group therapy of pre-kindergarten kids. Though only 15 attend the session, the whole area is meant for 30.

“They spend 1-2 hours in the morning here, that’s why I make use of the sunlight,” continues Laudico. “It is a morning room, so hindi ko talaga binago ang yellow (painting of the wall and ceiling). We consulted the psychologist on this.”

A graduate of the University of the Philippines, Laudico has been used to designing buildings, houses, stores and restaurants, yet this little room still posed a challenge.

“This used to be a spare room with a weird shape,” she says. “Gagawin ko ang kwarto from scratch. So architectural pa rin, and not just a job for an interior designer.”

She designed the place in one day and executed it in a week.

Natural and Organic

Another challenge was to realize the concept based on the philosophy of German educator Rudolf Steiner and his study of spirituality and anthroposophy. The Waldorf-Steiner method is being used in the education of these children.

“The parameter is that, we use only natural and organic materials,” says Laudico. “No plastic as much as possible.:

Thus, the furnishings of wood, mats and baskets of natural materials, ceramic pieces, soft toys and pillows and soft cloth draping.

“I chose the playthings,” she continues. “These are therapy dolls of cotton, with no faces, so the children would just have to imagine how they’d look.”

Even the playhouse is imaginary. With no defined features, it’s just a strip of clothing draped pyramidically on a wooden frame.

“They will just have to use their imagination,” she says. “It can be turned into a kitchen, a bedroom, sala or dining area – kung saan mo gusto ang stove, saan ang kama. I took the suggestion and guideline from their therapist.”

Donations came from Cardrian Builders, Ace Paints, Soumak Collection; Nanette Kagaoan (sewing of fabric and dolls); Osmundo Esguerra and Patrick Delanghe (wood for furniture).

The room was inaugurated two weeks ago. At the end of the blessing performed by Fr. Efren Borromeo, the toddlers had fun taking turns with the leafy twig in sprinkling holy water around and at one another’s face.

Chinky de Jesus, managing director of Creative Programs, Inc., welcome the guests. Gina Lopez, managing director of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc., thanked donors and sponsors.

It is hoped that the place would be an ideal healing environment where the children can just be, and relish the joys of the childhood they have been deprived of in the outside world.

Featured Project:

Bantay Bata Children's Village Pre-School Therapy Room

Little Girl, Big Ideas

Sat, 31 Jan 2004 16:00:00 GMT

Metro Magazine

Vol. XV No.1, February 2004, pages 72-73

by Alya B. Honasan

Photograph: Marlon Despues

You’re building a house, fixing up a posh condo unit or opening up a restaurant, and you’re set to meet for the first time with Popi Laudico, the in-demand young architect behind some of the hippest homes and establishments in the country; she has, in fact, just flown from Boracay, where she’s giving a face lift to one of the island’s pioneering high end resorts, and has built a most atypical branch for a leading fast-food chain up north.

If you were expecting a corporate raider, though, brace yourself. “My idea of working wear? Jeans and a T-shirt”, giggles the bubbly Popi, whose petite 4 foot 9 frame and little girl voice makes her appear even younger than her 33 years. “In fact, I’ve gone to business meetings in pigtails and my gym clothes, because I usually proceed to my pottery class after that!” If it isn’t pottery, it’s t’ai-chi, yoga or meditation. Despite a work schedule that can get insane and days that are never predictable, Popi is adamant about pursuing her other passions and keeping her life well rounded. “People complain that they never have time for things. I say, you have to make time for what you want.”

Home base for Popi is the office of Soumak Collections on Metropolitan Avenue in Makati, the home accessories store she co-owns with her sister and her mother, designer and artist Yolanda Johnson. (Her brother Rolando is a successful chef.) An offshoot of this haven of fabrics, lights and other accents, made mostly of Filipino materials from the designs of Yola and Popi, is Soumak Bed and Beddings in Greenbelt 3.

Although she doesn’t put a label on her style, Popi makes sure “I never repeat myself. I am not going for any one look that can be associated with me. I don’t see a project as a way to express myself; it’s all about giving you, the client, what you want, what you’re dreaming of.

The working relationship begins with Popi asking the client to fill out a long, detailed questionnaire, with questions covering such details as bathroom habits, to be able to capture one’s personality. “For me, the biggest compliment you can give my work is when people walk into a place and tell my client, ‘It’s so you!’”

Popi and her two siblings grew up surrounded by art, as their mother was an art scene fixture; a luminary like modernist Roberto Chabet, for instance, was simply “Tito Bobby” to the kids. “We were the children who were always running around the art gallery openings,” Popi recalls. Even as a child, however, she was curiously keen on drawing houses in cross-section, which prompted her to enroll in architecture at the University of the Philippines before she fully comprehended what the vocation was all about. Fortunately, she learned that she enjoyed it immensely. She graduated in 1992 and worked in Los Angeles for six months before coming home to be on her own. Soumak (whimsically named for “South of Makati,” a la SoHo) was opened four years ago.

As for the condominium unit she calls her own home, Popi’s design philosophy is “anything I like, as long as they go together. I have everything form vintage furniture to plastic dolls, but they somehow work. I like walking into people’s houses and finding them oozing with the owner’s personality, even if it’s not picture perfect.” Her house does include a lot of art – “my weakness!” – and often big works, like murals by Chabet and Jonathan Olazo, or photographs by Angelo Cruz, and pottery by the Pettyjohns.

Popi is usually out of bed by 7, as she likes to meditate, water her plants and take her time preparing for her day. “My secretary owns my time from 9 to 5, and that means a maximum of four to five meetings a day.”

Other than the regular yoga and t’ai-chi, the aversion to smoking, and the constant effort to eat healthy, Popi admits to being a low-maintenance girl, whose beauty routine is confined to lipstick, regular haircuts with Teng Roma and daily slatherings of virgin coconut oil, which she swears by.

Is it a disadvantage in her profession to look so much younger than her age? “Are you kidding? It’s the best advantage in the world!” Popi laugh heartily. “Nobody can ever say no to a little girl! In a male –dominated field, it’s great – I can get anything I want. The bottom line though is that I am the architect so they have to do what I want. People have told me that if I had been a guy, they would have dropped a hollow block on my head already! I don’t lose my temper, but I do get mad. I’m very professional; work is work.”

Popi travels regularly for both work and pleasure, including one major scuba-diving trip a year; she toured Spain with friends last year, and dreams of trekking to Nepal and Egypt. She’d love to have a family one day, but surprisingly, the very single Popi doesn’t date actively. Is life too full for love? “Actually, I’m scared,” she laughs. “Well put it this way: I am not going to look for him, he is going to have to find me – and he might have a hard time!”

Bantay Bata Children's Village Rooms

Sat, 03 Jan 2004 16:00:00 GMT

Bantay Bata Children's Village Pre-School Therapy Room

Design of a therapy room for children 5 years old and below. It takes into consideration the special requirements of psychologists and therapists for programs specially designed for the children in this facility. The design aims to provide an optimum environment for the children's development and well-being.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Playroom For Healing

Bantay Bata Children’s Village Meditation Room

Punta Fuego Projects

Fri, 02 Jan 2004 16:00:00 GMT

Punta Fuego Clubhouse Rehabilitation Consultancy Service

Design consultation meetings were held for the improvement of existing facilities in their existing club and casitas. Actual improvements were subject to the board's evaluations and implementation schedules.

Project Details

Punta Fuego Spa Renovation

Renovation of an existing Resort Spa.

Project Details

Zen Zest Glorietta 3 Ayala Grand Mall

Thu, 01 Jan 2004 16:00:00 GMT

Evolving into its first stand-alone store from an already established reputation in the kiosk format, the project aims to take a well patronized personal care brand’s image into a bigger space. The design aims to highlight the product line through lighting and use of specially design shelving systems.

Project Details

Firenze Greenmeadows Residence

Wed, 31 Dec 2003 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a four-bedroom week long home for a young family. The design of this home is a collaboration between the designer and owner in order to produce a unique structure that showcases the personalities of those who are to live their days in it.

Project Details

Designing Women. Divine Women.

Sat, 04 Jan 2003 16:00:00 GMT

My Home Collector's Edition

2003, 3rd Anniversary Issue, Vol.5

by Imee Balandra

I was motivated to become an architect because I like to draw since I was a kid. I like art and it led to applying for a course in Architecture in college.

A good design is not imposing the architect’s design style but successfully implementing the client’s vision and making her dream house come true.

I had my formal training at University of the Philippines College of Architecture. I worked for prominent interior designer Waldo Fernandez who is based in Los Angeles.

I admire Frank Lloyd Wright and the way he designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The exterior deceives the eye making it look like a six-story building yet inside it’s just one floor. The building itself is a work of art.

My favorite place in the home is the bathroom. It says so much about the owner’s personality.

I love designing furniture and accessories. I am inspired by what I can created with the use of locally accessed materials.

My fashion style is to wear jeans and a simple shirt. I want my clients to feel comfortable with me.

I get my mind stimulated by doing meditation. Architecture is a stressful job and the mind needs calmness so creativity can set in.

I source my home accessories from different shops depending on my client’s choice. I enjoy shopping with my client and finding the right items that they like for their house.

I am grateful to my fellow workers – from the carpenters to the draftsmen. Architecture and design is not a product of one person but people collaborating and making a project possible.

My advice is to make sure that you want to be a part of the Architecture field. When you love what you do, you will be inspired with so much good design ideas. You have to solve design problems impeccably because these solutions affect the people who will be living in that house.

I Am

Fri, 03 Jan 2003 16:00:00 GMT

A concept store which features retail display for foot ware targeting a young upscale market. All products are imported from Europe and the US.

Project Details

Emphasis Salon Peninsula Manila

Thu, 02 Jan 2003 16:00:00 GMT

Renovation of an existing Salon to conform to the new locator’s image and function.

Project Details

Grams Diner Rockwell

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a modern American diner inspired restaurant. Iconic elements were used and given a more modern twist to suggest the cozy welcoming atmosphere that diners projected during their prime.

Project Details

De Venecia Rockwell Residence Renovation

Tue, 31 Dec 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Renovation of a three-bedroom condominium unit to accommodate the client's personal taste and lifestyle.

Project Details

Zobel Calatagan Residence

Wed, 09 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a vacation home featuring multiple structures on a high point of the property surrounded by natural water features from the sea to mangroves to natural waterways and lakes. The design creates a symbiosis of the wealth of natural features as well as the unique personality and taste of the client. Spaces are warm and personal owing to the intimate nature of how the client enjoys spending her personal time.

Project Details

Goto King Restaurants & Kiosks

Tue, 08 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Goto King Harrison Plaza Branch

Redesign of the image for an existing fast-food chain. Addressing the appeal to the specific target market of the restaurant was the primary concern for the design, as well as ease in maintenance and cost-effective construction costs.

Project Details

Goto King Shangri-La Annex Branch

Goto King Kiosk SM Megamall B

Supermarket Branch

Goto King Metropolis Star Mall Alabang Branch

Goto King EDSA Central Branch

Goto King Cagayan De Oro Branch

Goto King SM City Davao Branch

Goto King V. Luna Branch

Goto King Big R Robinsons Place Novaliches Branch

Goto King 7-11 Edsa Kamias Branch

Goto King Kiosk Cainta Branch

Goto King Novaliches Branch

Goto King Kalentong Branch

Goto King Waltermart Calamba Branch

Related Project:

Goto King Consultancy

Amazon Greenmeadows Residence Renovation

Mon, 07 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Architecture and Interior Design for a four-bedroom week-long house for a young family. Design features spaces that are specific to the family's active and social lifestyle providing for personal spaces together with intimate areas for entertaining close family and friends.

Project Details

In Style Retail Stores

Sun, 06 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

In Style Shangri-La Plaza

Project Details

In Style Glorietta 3

An apparel and accessory shop housing three prominent brands from the US namely Banana Republic, Old Navy and Gap. Design considered the marketing scheme established by the retailer of mixing the brands in the display racks instead of sectionalizing designated areas for each. There were also limitations to the site that were addressed that posed challenges to the design such as a post in the middle of the small frontage, very low ceilings at the front half of the store and a duct chase that cut the site in half. The uses of water treatments help address these challenges.

Project Details

Torres Las Casas De Cala Buena Residence Renovation

Sat, 05 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Furnishing and interior renovations in a weekend townhouse unit in an exclusive resort. The design features cozy and flexible pieces that can be enjoyed when the whole family vacations and at the same time still be peaceful as a retreat for one.

Project Details

Central Maquillage Retail Stores & Kiosks

Fri, 04 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Carbon Greenbelt 3

Design for a bag retail shop. Design concept aimed at showcasing black bags, which will be the primary product line. A strong visual store front continues into the shop's structured interiors of basic cement and black.

Project Details

Voyage Power Plant Mall Rockwell

Design for a retail store specializing in travel bags and accessories.

Project Details

Central Maquillage SM Megamall Department Store Branch

Design of a cosmetics retail kiosk in a department store.

Prestige Landmark Department Store Branch

Design of a cosmetic retail kiosk in a department store. Incorporating existing design characteristics of the retail line, the design aimed to create unique features in a highly competitive location.

Pancake House Restaurants

Thu, 03 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Pancake House Salcedo Branch

The first of a series of new restaurants designed with a newer fresher take on an old reliable restaurant concept. Taking into consideration the appeal of elements of the existing restaurants and creating a newer younger market appeal. The design has since then been the basis for succeeding store design concepts.

Project Details

Pancake House Pearl Drive Branch

Pancake House Greenbelt Branch

Mama Rosa Restaurants

Wed, 02 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Mama Rosa Eastwood Citywalk Branch

A new take on the previous branch design, this concept was developed to appeal to a young corporate crowd. The use of color and graphic art elements add to the character of this particular branch.

Project Details

Mama Rosa Eastwood Citywalk Branch Extension

Project Details

Mama Rosa Timog Avenue Branch

Design for a new Filipino restaurant concept. A more casual, everyday dining ambience was achieved by the use of color and simple design lines. The unusual site conditions also dictated much of the restaurant's design elements.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Mama Rosa: Good Lookin' Home Cookin'

Mama Rosa Timog Branch Extension

Project Details

Mama Rosa Retail Kiosks:

Mama Rosa Shangri-La Branch
Mama Rosa Robinsons Galleria Branch

Johnson Mindoro Residence

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural and Interior Design for a vacation compound for a couple. The design features multiple structures using locally available materials with a modern twist on indigenous architecture. The client's unique personality and tastes play a vital role in the design. The home is designed to be a get-away for the couple and a place for their children to come together.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

Felfina Realty Corporation West Greenhills Residence

Mon, 31 Dec 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Trendspotting

Mon, 02 Apr 2001 16:00:00 GMT

BluPrint Magazine

Vol. 2 2001, pp. 96-97

By Gigi Gonzales

Featured Projects:

In Vino Veritas Alabang Town Center
Store Co., Inc., Alabang Town Center Branch

Wine Cooler

Sun, 01 Apr 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Cosmopolitan

March 2001

Sanctify your soul with something smooth from the vineyard.

Headed south? Then check out Alabang's latest chill out spot, In Vino Veritas. Located on the ground floor of Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center. This cozy wine bar allows you to choose from over two hundred different wine labels from all over the world. Not a wine connoisseur? The full bar, light menu and helpful staff still make it the perfect after-work pit stop. Open from 10 a.m. daily.

Featured Project:

In Vino Veritas Alabang Town Center

Bags with a Twist

Sat, 31 Mar 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star - Star Mode Section

April 8, 2001

Business and designing mavericks Cristina Tuason and Raul Francisco have caught Manila by storm with their fabulous new store called Twist. Since it opened last December at the Glorietta III, this stylish bag store can't keep its products on the shelf long enough!

"The reception to our bags has been phenomenal!" marvels Raul. "People cannot believe that we can come out with chic and well-crafted bags at such affordable prices."

"We spend a lot of time in R&D," shares Cristina. "We also have our own factory so we supervise each item closely. As artists, we often take trips out of the country in order to source new materials and to immerse ourselves in new designs."

The duo believes that today's woman still looks for classic designs but demands slight variations to match her many moods.

"Everything is about merging style and functionality," Tuason insists. "With our obsession for both - we believe we can satisfy every modern woman!"

Featured Project:

Twist Glorietta 3 Branch

Luisita Beckons

Sat, 24 Mar 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday Lifestyle Section

March 25, 2001

By Cathy Babao Guballa

Photo by Mike Alquinto

Hacienda Luisita has forever been synonymous with two things-the Cojuangco clan and its vast sugar plantation. Longtime residents of Tarlac still refer to the 6000-plus hectare property as the Central whose origins date back to 1957 when Jose Cojuangco Sr. and Sons acquired Hacienda Luisita from Tabacalera. The sugar refinery was completed in 194 and for the longest time, sugar milling was its main business.

Today, Hacienda Luisita has evolved into an industrial, commercial and residential area. Two technoparks, central Luzon's first integrated shopping and multi-cinema complex, and a golf and country club all make their home in Hacienda Luisita. Its latest addition is a relatively small and charming hotel that boasts of warm, hacienda-style hospitality and surprisingly five-star amenities. Central Park Hotel, Hacienda Luisita's newest resident, makes for an ideal stop-over for families on the way to Baguio, young families looking for a short break away from the city or for avid golfers eager to conquer new fairways on a fabulous course designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Park in the Central

Driving to Tarlac one weekend, I was initially apprehensive of what to expect from this new hotel. Though my husband had stayed at the hotel a couple of weeks earlier for a business conference and was impressed by what he saw, there was always that male-female perspective thing so I continued to be a bit wary.

Leaving our Quezon City home at 7:30 a.m., we arrived at Hacienda Luisita shortly after 10. Driving past charming Luisita Plaza, and the newly built Aquino Center, we entered the gates of Luisita. Security here is very good. You need to pass through two gates, the guars ask for proper identification before you are finally let into the area that houses the hotel, the industrial park, the sugar mill and the private residences of the Cojuangcos.

From a distance, the hotel itself looks simple and unimpressive. To be honest, it looks like a brand new modern schoolhouse. Provisions have been made fro bougainvillea to crawl up metal railing s but until that time when it blossoms (probably next summer), the building itself is very basic.

However, it is when you step into the small but charming lobby that the hacienda-style warmth becomes evident. As soon as you step into the cool comforts of the hotel, you immediately feel relaxed and welcome. A very lean staff of 13 mans the 39-room, two-story hotel.

Central Park's young and amiable general manager, Jaime Berenguer, tells us that everyone in the hotel has been trained to do multitasking. "It's also because of the leanness of the staff that makes it possible for them to know practically every guest staying in the hotel by name," he proudly says. "We'd like to run it like a home but with first-class amenities-a five-star (hotel) in quality minus the stiffness."

Thus, over here, the warmth is genuine, the smiles natural. One wonders if efficiency is not sacrificed when all rooms in the hotel are occupied. Berenguer tells us they have experienced full house several times during company conferences. "It's an exciting time," he says. "Everyone's on their toes and we really try our best to make sure everything goes smoothly."

Beside the lobby is the dining area, Bistro Azucar, run by the same people who own the popular grill and seafood restaurant Coconut Grill, located a few meters down the road from Hacienda Luisita. Right outside it is a small, sunny patio with navy blue parasol-covered tables here people can take lunch or dinner al fresco or sip cocktails early in the evening.

Amenities

The 39 rooms are small, cozy and comfortable, configured with either two double beds or a queen-size bed. A family with two young children would fit comfortably, but larger families would be better off in two adjoining rooms. Being three months old, everything is naturally spanking new and very clean. Rooms are designed very simply, in muted colors of white, beige and black, somewhat Japanese-inspired.

Berenguer, whose previous experience was with the Kowloon Panda Hotel in Hong Kong and Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas, makes sure that materials used are first-rate. "We try to maintain high standards," he says with a smile. However, Berenguer is quick to add that it's "high-end casual-in keeping with the hacienda-style atmosphere that the hotel wishes to maintain."

Deluxe rooms come with a bathtub while Superior rooms have a shower. Both types are fitted with, to my surprise, detachable showerheads, which is not usually the norm in provincial hotels. There is, of course a centralized hot-water system. In additions, the usual laundry, dry-cleaning and pressing services are available and requests may be made for smoking or non-smoking rooms.

My children immediately felt at home at Central Park. The 10-year old sank into a chair and read. The 2-year old surrounded himself with pillows and parked himself in front of Cartoon Network. After an hour though, they were both itching to take a dip in the pool.

The hundred-meter pool is located in the Las Haciendas de Luisita Clubhouse, which is also equipped with a covered tennis court and basketball court. The clubhouse is a five-minute ride from the hotel by car. On weekdays it is open to the public but made exclusive for hotel guests when the hotel is fully booked. There is a small kiddie pool cum Jacuzzi where one can sit and soak one's cares away.

Since it is safe in Luisita, biking, hiking or jogging around the Hacienda is a good form of exercise. Just do it very early in the morning or late in the afternoon as the sun can get really nasty between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Tours

Arrangements to tour the hacienda by car can be made at the front desk but prior arrangements are necessary. On the afternoon we were there, we were able to view he two bustling Technoparks - Luisita Industrial Park, which is Tarlac's first industrial park and Luisita Business Park which caters to all types of business offices.

From the technopark, we passed through the various phases of Las Haciendas de Luisita, a golf residential estate located along the fringes and peripheral areas of the golf course.

Each of the phases is named after a daughter of the late Jose Cojuangco Sr., the most notable being that named after former President Cory Aquino. A quick breeze past the fringes of a wall where one can take a glimpse of the private homes of the Cojuangco clan. The weekend we were there, a private boys school was holding a camping trip within the hacienda itself.

Past the private homes, we were brought to the sugar central whose administrative offices still are housed in buildings of Spanish architecture. We were told the buildings date back to the time when Tabacalera still owned the property. It's a good thing he Cojuangco family has managed to preserve these old buildings, which have become such a rarity.

At the edge of the sugar central is a quaint decades-old chapel, designed by Jose Cojuangco Sr. and Pacing Calma. It has a unique design such that its steeple seems to appear like it juts out of a rock. Called Our Lady of Fatima Church, it is where, we were told, most of the Cojuangco children and some grandchildren have chosen to get married. Deep in the heart of the hacienda, it is very private and solemn.

Before heading back to the hotel, we passed by the Aquino Center, a gray marble and glass edifice, which is currently in the finishing stages where Ninoy and Cory's memorabilia will be housed. Last stop was the charming Plaza Luisita commercial center, which is lined by centuries-old trees. The commercial complex boasts of a mall and several restaurants (Max's, Jollibee, Pancake House). Within the mall itself are several shops and cinemas and a great Japanese restaurant (Sakura) whose only downside is its poor exhaust system (common to most Japanese restaurants, anyway) but nevertheless, it's still so much worth the food trip. So if malling continues to be your thing even while on vacation you can still get al little bit of that at Luisita.

Golf Club

The best form of recreation at Luisita, however, still remains to be the golf and countless golfers from Manila have returned again and again to get their "fix" on Luisita's fabulous golf course. Robert Trent Jones Jr. has designed many fantastic golf courses in Manila, but his father, the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr., designed only one in the Philippines and that of course is in Luisita. The elder Trent Jones has the most number of courses designed in the Top 100 Golf Courses in the United States.

A visit to the Luisita golf course is simply breathtaking-even for a non-golfer like myself. Standing on the balcony of the golf club, you have a view of a lush green fairway that seems to stretch on and on. Even on a summer day, one can find shade beneath the majestic and centuries-old Balete trees that are in abundance. The sound of water coming from a nearby fountain is most refreshing; the gentle rustling of leaves and the happy humming of birds who have made their homes on the trees delight one's soul. Perhaps it would be safe to say that this is one golfer\s paradise, thus many a golfer has found himself/herself returning to this course.

Central Park has golf packages, which they have found to be quite popular among the golfing set. For P3,000/person/night on weekdays, one can get a room with breakfast and 18-holes on the fabled course. Spouses who are non-golfers can accompany their hubbies, and the kids can tag along, too, with no extra charge. Golf package rates on weekends are slightly higher.

But if golfing isn't your thing, you can still come to Luisita; drop by for 24 hours and break journey to or from Baguio or even for a brief break from the frazzle of the city. Plans are afoot to offer spa/massage services for the ladies, too. Rooms are currently at P2,299/night for Deluxe or P2,631 for Superior.

"Home experience and value for money is what we're all about," Berenguer says. Add to that the warmth and graciousness of hacienda-style living. That's certainly one vacation I'll take anytime, golf or no golf.

For inquiries, call Central Park Hotel at (045) 985-1912 or 24.

Featured Project:

Central Park Hotel Studios

Creative Pottery Greenbelt Mall

Sun, 14 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

A high-end retail kiosk was designed to feature hand thrown pottery pieces by the students of Jon Pettyjohn. The Kiosk was designed to emphasize the uniqueness and value of each piece as a true works of art. Careful attention was given to lighting to enhance the nuances of every piece. Security was also a prime consideration in an otherwise very open space.

Project Details

Panlilio Forbes Park Residence Renovation

Sat, 13 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Interior furnishing of an existing house made to suit the new tenant's lifestyle and taste.

Project Details

Kenny Rogers Roasters Restaurants

Fri, 12 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Kenny Rogers Roasters SM City Davao

A new take on an existing fast food chain. The design aims to bring the look of the restaurant to a more contemporary feel and image.

Project Details

Kenny Rogers Roasters Gaisano Mall Davao

A new take on an existing fast food chain. The design aims to bring the look of the restaurant to a more contemporary feel and image.

Project Details

Jollibee Restaurants

Thu, 11 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Jollibee Agoo Branch

Designed to incorporate the unique character of the town of Agoo, which emulates Old Spanish architecture. The site provides vistas of the local church, town plaza and tree lined avenues. The approach was to provide a modern fast-food with in an old rustic structure.

Project Details

Jollibee EAC - Taft Avenue Branch

Designed to address the unique conditions of the site having two entrances at opposite ends of the restaurant with a take-out counter in the middle. The colors and ambiance also project the new image that the fast food chain in aiming to project.

Project Details

Jollibee Caedo Batangas Branch

Project Details

Jollibee SM Southmall 2 Branch

Project Details

Jollibee Filinvest Branch

Designed to give a unique identity to this particular outlet, the design aims to create a high-end identity for the food chain.

Project Details

Jollibee Alabang Town Center Branch

Designed to give a unique identity to this particular outlet, the design took into consideration the taste and personality of its franchisee while keeping within the established design criteria of the food chain.

Project Details

Jollibee Makro Branch

Design of a fast food outlet based on an established design guideline set by the client.

Project Details

Jollibee Tagaytay Branch

Design improvements on the existing look established for the restaurant.

Jollibee SM City Manila Branch

Design improvements on the existing look established for the restaurant.

Jollibee BF Paranaque Branch

The second application of the design character established in the Filinvest branch.

Jollibee Las Pinas Branch Renovation

Renovation designs for their existing toilet facilities established new and higher standards for the fast food chain.

Jollibee Retiro Branch

Jollibee Valenzuela Branch

Fur Robinsons Place Metro East

Wed, 10 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a children's clothing retail store. Design incorporates unique ways to showcase children's wear, which keeps up with the hip and trendy nature of the product's design.

Project Details

Franck Provost Alabang Branch

Tue, 09 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a beauty salon catering to a high-end market in an existing structure. Design considered elements from an existing salon and adapted the look to project a more contemporary and progressive outlook. The unique conditions of the site such as the double floor ceiling height and floor to ceiling curtain glass walls also played an important role in the design.

Project Details

Related Projects:

Luna Restaurants

Mon, 08 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Luna Pizzeria Power Plant Mall Rockwell

A streamlined version of the look developed for the restaurant. The challenge was to incorporate the demands of the kitchen into a very limited space.

Project Details

Luna Pizzeria & Tapas Bar Malate Manila

Design for a restaurant in the Malate area took into consideration the very unique character of the locale. The dining experience should lend itself to the old-world charm and cozy, relaxed dining ambience. The restaurant features two takes on this concept, one more modern than the other, as well as a balcony area with a character all its own.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

Katigbak Rockwell Residence

Sun, 07 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Interior furniture layout and design for a one-bedroom condo unit.

Project Details

Cruz Urdaneta Apartments Residence Renovation

Sat, 06 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Interior design for an existing three-bedroom condominium. With emphasis on the client's distinct personal style and display and storage of a wide range of collections and art pieces.

Project Details

Etage-Franck Provost Makati 2nd Floor Partial Renovation

Fri, 05 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Renovation design to fit a retail area into an existing salon. The retail area features a wide variety of changing product lines.

Project Details

Related Projects:

Franck Provost Alabang Branch
Fabio Salsa Power Plant Mall Rockwell

Tickles Retail Stores

Thu, 04 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Tickles Robinsons Place Manila Branch

A retail store for personal accessories targeting a young market. The challenge was to incorporate all the store requirements into a uniquely shaped site. The extensive frontage was maximized as the site's best feature.

Project Details

Tickles Shangri-La Plaza Branch

A trimmed-down version of the Robinsons Place Manila store was adopted for this smaller site.

Fresh Body & Bath Market Glorietta 1

Wed, 03 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a kiosk retailing natural soaps. The character established for the kiosk is that of a "market" concept where the soaps are merchandised and sold as "produce".

Project Details

Fabio Salsa Power Plant Mall Rockwell

Tue, 02 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a beauty salon catering to a younger market within a mall. The design took into consideration elements from the French mother company, and gave the design an approach more appealing to the local target market.

Project Details

Related Projects:

Chaa Tea World Robinsons Place Manila

Mon, 01 Jan 2001 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a tea cafe catering to a younger crowd. The ambiance is decidedly modern and simple, complimenting the presentation of the product line.

Project Details

Isaac Building

Sun, 31 Dec 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a four storey medium rise studio and office facility for a photographer. Very specific space requirements as well as unique traffic flow specifications brought forth this personal design, which caters to very specific needs quite unusual for a medium rise structure. Aesthetic design features also serve as backdrops and inspirational settings for the client's creative process.

Project Details

In Wine We Trust

Wed, 27 Dec 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle Section

December 28, 2000, page C4

By Gem Padilla

THEY say bad times boost beer sales. If this is true, beer companies are probably making a killing right now. Surprisingly, despite the current political and economic upheavals, bars, restaurants and all kinds of clubs are sprouting left and right. These entrepreneurs probably heard about the beer sales, too. Or maybe, Filipinos just like to drink.

Enter In Vino Veritas wine shop and tasting room. Its owners claim that it is the country's first wine bar.

But a wine bar? Here? Well, hey, who would have thought that with the warm climate, Manila would become coffee-drinking city?

New Concept

The concept of a wine bar is fairly new in the country. Owners John and Carla Maramara and Yvette and David Almendral though of opening one after noticing that there were no places in Manila that carried really wide variety of wines and doubled as a place to meet and talk with friends. So with that, In Vino Veritas formally opened December 9.

Something new indeed. But that isn't the hook. Upon setting foot in the small shop at the Alabang Town Center, one finds the minimalist interior elegant and relaxing (also code for non-threatening, which is a plus for those who are ignorant about wine). Praises for this feat should go to Popi Laudico.

The food, wine and wine accessories are reasonably priced, the staff, a friendly bunch. The music ranges from chill-out to acid and classic jazz, which is fantastic for conversation (why shout at each other?) and quite good for meeting up with friends. This is and excellent place to bring a date to.

"Life is complicated," according to David Almendral, one of the owners. "Let's simplify it. That is why we chose the name In Vino Veritas, a Latin saying for 'In wine there is truth.' We'd like to take wine drinking down a few levels. Most people tend to be intimidated by all the formalities and etiquette regarding wine drinking. We think it should be much simpler than that. Really all anyone needs to know is that if it tastes good, drink it."

Not just wine drinking but a a culture of wine is what these young entrepreneurs would like to introduce here in the Philippines, having taken note that many Alabang residents are from countries where drinking wine is an everyday occurrence. For them, "wine is no something you consume when you're out with friends at night but something you can have in the middle of the day with lunch or whenever you want to unwind. It's great to walk by during the day and see someone reading the paper, enjoying a glass of champagne. It is like the wine version of the café.

Situated right beside Starbucks at the Alabang Town Center, In Vino Veritas, it seems, would like to do to wine what its neighbor did for coffee. "Well there's no doubt Starbucks helped introduce Filipinos to the coffee culture," says Yvette Almendral. "About three years ago, most people drank coffee in hotel lobbies late at night. They didn't care if it was served as a cup of hot water and a bag of instant ground. The difference is that Starbucks took coffee and made it a status symbol. We're taking the status symbol of wine and saying hey, it's for everybody."

Widest variety

In Vino Veritas is primarily a wine shop. According to the owners, most wine shops carry only their own labels, or wine they import themselves. "Our idea was and is to offer the widest variety of wines possible. This meant bringing in some of our own brands but sourcing a great deal locally to ensure we had the widest variety possible."

In their shop is a 24-hour temperature controlled wine storage, a wide variety of gift packages and wine accessories, competitive retail prices plus free delivery for purchases over P750.

There is no full kitchen in In Vino Veritas because the owners "never wanted to try and compete with the restaurants around," but they have developed a menu that compliments wine and is very consumer friendly. Rather than offer pre-selected cheese plates, they let the customers choose from a variety of meats, cheeses and tapanades, as well as some foccacia sandwiches and pastas. Their salmon lasagna is popular. They also have a full bar for those who'd like to try something else. Their lychee martini is turning out to be a crowd-pleaser.

So what's the big fuss about wine and how are we catching on? "Actually, there has been a huge trend toward wine since the early '90s. Over the past few years, wine drinking has caught on in Hong Kong. I think the Philippines is just now catching on," says David.

Wine bars have been hugely popular in Europe and in the US. A number of recent studies have boosted the public's perception of wine as part of a healthier lifestyle. Wine, after all, has very few calories and plenty of antioxidants, and has been linked to reductions in the risk of Alzheimer's disease, lower arthritis pain, cancer and neurological diseases, kidney problems and strokes.

Taken in moderation, it may even help prevent ulcers. The Harvard School of Public Health reported that wine was more effective at reducing kidney stones than any other beverage they tested. Harvard also sanction drinking 8 oz. Of wine per day as part of a healthy diet.

Perhaps the healthiest thing about wine drinking is that those who take time to smell the roses and savor the wine also enjoy their lives. At In Vino Veritas, keeping things simple seems to be the rule.

The last word from David: "We'd like to give people a nice place to relax in, whether it's the middle of the day at the tail end of a dinner-movie-drink date. In other words, take time to enjoy your day. Simplify life. The first step is to get the cork out of the bottle-we'll even do that for you. Get the wine in your mouth and if you like the taste, have more. Oh yeah, and if you don't like it, get another bottle and repeat steps one through three." Amen.

Featured Project:

In Vino Veritas Alabang Town Center

Two In One

Sun, 03 Dec 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Blu Print Magazine

2000 Volume 6, Pages 60-67

written by Honrado R. Fernandez

photographed by Philip Escudero & Ava Lugtu

This two-story 1950s house was meant for a very large family. It had at least six bedrooms, and plenty of interior and garden spaces for receiving and entertaining guests. The couple that currently owns this classic post war abode in a posh section of Makati felt that the lace was just too big for comfort. And so, they decided to divide the house and the garden into two: one part for themselves, and the other to rent out.

Today there are two cozy homes in what appears to be, and still remains a single structure: a house of wood and concrete completely finished in white except for the floors, beige marble anon the first level and reddish mahogany wood on the second floor. Except for the bedrooms, which have enclosures to provide their occupants privacy, the rest of the house has spaces that conveniently connect all adjoining areas. Only the arrangement and the layout of the furniture delineate the function of each space. Both homes have large picture windows that allow outdoor light to filter through gauze-like panels of indigenous hand woven fabrics.

The quality of space that pervades in both homes is light and airy-never humid nor damp-because of an abundance of light that dramatically filters in. The rooms look spacious, not cramped, even though they are not that large in scale. The occupants of both houses are collectors, but the rooms never seem to be cluttered. But despite the single architectural setting, the distinct personalities and lifestyles of the two couples are reflected in the manner in which their homes differ.

The leased part of the house is the abode of Yolanda and Patrick Johnson. Patrick is an American businessman who has lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years and his wife, Yolanda Perez, is an artist who divides her time between doing creative work and running Soumak, an enterprise that exports some of the country's finest hand-woven rugs and window coverings. Understandably, this couple's home highlights the artist's works and the couple's love for products showcasing the dexterity and artistic sensibilities of our local craftsmen. Their Filipino collection includes tribal earthenware and heirloom furniture, as well as works by other contemporary artists like Constancio Bernardo, Roberto Chabet, Antonio Austria, Jaime de Guzman, and John Pettyjohn.

A lush tropical garden surrounds the Johnson home. In one area, a vine-covered trellis serves as a venue for candlelit and incense scented meals for breakfast, lunch or dinner (lighted candles drive away house files during the daytime and provide the only illumination available for quite evening meals, while incense keeps mosquitoes and other pesky insects away). In another area is a cogon-thatched Ifugao-inspired lounging hut. Both garden structures were creatively built of discarded, second-hand hardwood, and executed by one of the house help, who, until then, never realized that he had an artistic streak.

Except for the bedrooms, which have enclosures to provide their occupants privacy, the rest of the house has spaces that conveniently connect all adjoining areas.

Rustic Assemblage - Johnson & Laudico Homes

Sat, 02 Dec 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Tropical Living Coffee Table Book

December 2000

Modern artist-turned-craftswoman, Yola Perez Johnson has created a rustic but gracious home from such natural materials as bamboo, abaca, and rattan, a garden space, and a lively imagination. Re-designing the basement of an ordinary apartment in a rambling 1950s Makati house and utilizing its best asset-a spacious backyard-has been a labor of love. Today, she and her husband live in what were the servants' quarters, and nurture the spirit of the old mansion with Nature's own materials. Similarly, when Yola's architect daughter, Popi Laudico, moved out - with just one aparador, one bed, and a collection of paintings by Roberto Chabet, Jonathan Olazo, and Tam Austria - she reinterpreted her mother's abaca fiber arts in her new 95 sq-m, two level loft. The result is an equally spirited living space.

The Johnsons' small sala is a rustic black-and-white suite dressed in French doors, abaca woven curtains, and Yola's creative touch with textures and textiles. A wide collection of "primitive" ebony-black furniture from the Philippine Cordillera is fitted in white ramie upholstery and ivory silken throw pillows All around are baskets from the Cordillera or ceramic bowls of interesting seeds or pods; design magazines; and abstract modern artworks by Roberto Chabet. The dining room comprises a modern-minimalist two-piece table made old dark and rare supa wood; crowned by a fantasy candelabra that is lit by tea lights. A vibrant red abstract (above) by Roberto Chabet hangs over a dark table made of rare supa wood.

Popi Laudico's new flat is fashioned with the same attention to detail as her mother's. Gauzy abaca weave curtains drape the east-facing windows, and also act as "walls" that delineate the spaces within. The "living room" is a wide expanse of thick woven abaca carpet defined by the drapes and veils of abaca separating it from the "dining area." The furniture is ethnic, minimal and modern-three soot-black chairs from the Cordillera. Says Popi of her artistic abaca atelier: "The translucent layers delineate the space, without compartmentalizing it. And they let me feel secure -like being under a kulambo (mosquito net)."

Native Collection

Fri, 01 Dec 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural Digest

AD at Large December 2000

“I've been fortunate to discover my country's natural fiber products," shop owner Yolanda Perez Johnson (below) says of the fabrics made in her native Philippines. Perez Johnson's Manila space, SouMak, a favorite of Conrad Onglao's, has textiles made of abaca, raffia, buntal, ramie, silk, linen and sisal. The shop also carries traditional wood, rattan and wicker furniture. SouMak, 101 Bormaheco Condominium, 1046 Metropolitan Avenue, Makati City, Philippines; 63-2-896-4266.

Picture-Perfect Home

Thu, 30 Nov 2000 16:00:00 GMT

My Home Magazine Maiden Issue

December 2000, cover feature and pages 42-49

Photographed by Ava Lugtu

In an upscale subdivision in Quezon City, an exceptional abode stands, reflecting the stylish sensibilities of owners Larry and Nini Gutierrez. A showcase of the couple's mixed tastes, it is at the same time the ideal home for their seven-year-old daughter, Bea.

The architecture and interior design by Popi Laudico reveals simple, modern lines that permit each accessory to breathe and take center stage. While the volumes of space vary, the geometry remains faithfully angular, except for a curved stairway that offers a welcoming contrast.

The exterior package - geometric shapes in relaxing earth tones bordered by growing greenery - alludes to the rich elements within. The main door opens to a processional corridor that allows a glimpse of the various areas of the home. Rustic, neutral-colored ceramic tiles set off white walls, and floor-to-ceiling picture windows emphasize the extra high ceiling. While diaphanous hand-woven abaca blinds let in abundant sunlight, suspended fans manipulate cross ventilation.

To the left of the foyer is the sun-dappled living room. Awash with natural light, it unveils a mix of Filipino antique pieces. Down the hallway to the right is a horseshoe shaped space that holds the breakfast nook and series of shelves that display the couple's cherished collections. Adjacent to the nook is the functional kitchen with gleaming black counter tops matched with bleached wooden cabinets. The formal dining area repeats the look of the living area with its mix of soft and hard, old and new.

A curved stairway leads to the second floor leading to the library-cum-family room. A more personalized space, it vividly captures the character of its inhabitants. Built-in floor to ceiling cabinets and shelves, which are framed by small windows, encase the family treasures-from choice reads to travel mementos-and serve as this area's major feature. The winding steel staircase, meanwhile, leads to the couple's private study.

Three bedrooms dominate the second floor. The master bedroom features a king-size stainless steel bed covered with crocheted spread while Jonathan Olazo's paintings are sandwiched between large windows that give the couple a full view of the living room below. Even little Bea's room is stylish in itself, with a large wooden bed blanketed with crisp white sheets and teddy bears sitting on top.

Larry and Nini aimed to make Bea feel really at home, making sure they built an abode where their daughter wouldn't mind running around, surprising herself with simple home treasures. But more than just a dwelling the house is really like the couple's second "child" with the suave blending of their tastes creating a beautiful and enduring testimony of a fruitful and loving family.

Featured Project:

Gutierrez Grandvillas Residence

Popi Laudico Redesigns Bayo

Fri, 24 Nov 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star Modern Living Section

November 25, 2000, page ML-26

Bayo, the fashion store of dream summers all year round, has redesigned its store at SM City North EDSA. Its lit pink doorway is a fitting gateways to the many candy-colored delights inside.

Architect Popi Laudico designed the packed 90-meter square.

"We wanted to create an easily identifiable look. In the retail industry, usually when you reach five stores, you freshen your look. We already have 3 so we thought is was time for something new," says Yvette Dizon-Lejano, manager and co-owner of the family-owned fashion chain.

The eye-catching candy pink entrance sets the overall tone. "It's a color we want to be associated with," says Lejano. "It's not just pink, it's not just red, it's us." The lighting is bright, the better to highlight the clothes. While the mix of basic walls, enlarged photographs and mannequins are still there, it is the way these elements are put together that's new. There are more and bigger visuals, and mannequins are not just used in the window display but everywhere. The clothes, as in the past, are arranged according to colors. The new lines are usually displayed out in front.

The customer-friendly arrangement has been adapted to coincide with Bayo's new marketing direction: to sell a lifestyle more than just clothing and accessories. The photographs of image model Stephanie Zubiri show the young lady wearing Bayo's clothing in school, on the streets, hanging out in the park, emphasizing that Bayo is comfortable, fun, functional, and practical. Bayo has also opened its newest outlet in SM Manila.

Featured Project:

Bayo SM City North EDSA Branch

Inner Harmony

Tue, 31 Oct 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Mega Magazine Home Section

November 2000, pages 182-186

By Joy O. Comia

Photographed by Ava Lugtu

She was obsessed with this house," reveals Architect Popi Laudico of her client, Nini Gutierrez. "She even memorized its floor plan, down to the minutest details." The result is a lovely home in an upscale subdivision in Quezon City that is a reflection of Larry and Nini Gutierrez' intermingling tastes. The geometric shapes in relaxing earth tones, bordered by growing greenery, suit even the precocious taste of the couple's seven-year-old daughter, Bea.

Larry relinquished the nitty-gritty of planning and interior design to his wife, who owns Puppie Club, a line of maternity and children's clothes. "He trusted me that much to make our dream house a reality," Nini enthuses. "It's nothing grand-just a simple house which is easy to maintain."

(Top) The main door opens to a long corridor that allows a glimpse of the various areas of the home. Rustic, neutral colored ceramic tiles set off white walls, and floor to ceiling picture windows emphasize the double height ceiling. A large artwork by Jerry Tan, entitled "Painting with 'X'," highlights the generous expanse of wall. Diaphanous hand-woven abaca blinds let in abundant sunlight, and suspended fans allow for cross ventilation.

To the left of the foyer is the sunny living room-awash with natural light, it unveils a mix of Filipino antique pieces. Arranged on an abaca area rug are plush white couches, pangangnak chairs and an Ifugao coffee table. An antique wooden banca is tastefully transformed into an indoor plant box. Nini's Christmas touches are minimal: a gilded angel by the sofa and a large bowl filled with red balls.

Down the hallway to the right is a horseshoe-shaped space that holds the breakfast nook and series of shelves that display the couple's collections. Although the ceiling in this area is not as high as that of living room, it is still above the standard requirement. Adjacent to the nook is the kitchen, with gleaming black counter tops matched with bleached wooden cabinets.

The formal dining area repeats the look of the main living area with its mix of soft and hard, old and new. A 10-seater curved solid wooden table is matched with cushioned rattan chairs. Carved wooden figures, modern candleholders, a shallow wooden dish and a capiz window frame on an antique console table artfully accent the otherwise bare wall. The wooden-framed uway-weaving that rests between the aluminum windows provides a contrasting texture.

A curved stairway leads to the second floor, which opens to the library-cum-family room. A more personalized space, it reveals more of the character of its inhabitants. In lieu of big picture windows, built-in floor-to-ceiling cabinets and shelving hold the family's favorite items-from choice reads to travel mementos. The winding steel staircase, meanwhile leads to the couple's private study.

Three bedrooms dominate the second floor. The master bedroom boasts of a modern king-size stainless steel bed, covered with a crocheted spread that provides a beautiful contrast of texture. Two of Jonathan Olazo's paintings are sandwiched between large windows, which afford the couple a full view of the living room below. Jerry Tan's 6' x 4' masterpiece rests on the other wall.

Even little Bea's room is stylish in itself. With a large wooden bed blanketed with crisp white sheets and teddy bears sitting on top, Bea is quite made to feel like Goldilocks.

"What's important is for our daughter to feel really at home here, for it to be a place where she wouldn't mind running around and surprising herself with our home's simple treasures," Nini explains. But the house is really like the couple's second "child", with the suave blending of their tastes serving as a beautiful and enduring testimony of a fruitful and loving family.

Featured Project:

Gutierrez Grandvillas Residence

The Hottest New Restos In Town: Luna Restaurant

Fri, 08 Sep 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star Leisure Section

February 9, 2000

Luna Pizzas and Tapas on Orosa St (near the corner of J. Nakpil) is the brainchild of Vanna Calalang, Annie Tuazon and Manet Dayrit. Legend would insist that on some moonlit night, these three dreamed up the concept of combining Italian and Spanish cuisine under one roof. With meticulous attention to detail, they conceptualized the menu selections, the design of the menu, the interiors, the signage, the firewood-fueled brick oven and took the best from their wealth of experience. Vanna has an impressive pedigree as daughter of restaurateur Conrad Calalang of Seasons, Intermezzo and Barasoain fame, and thanks to the time spent in Italy pursuing cooking credits, lords over the Italian dishes. Annie's domain over the Spanish section of the menu is traced back to her lolo and her stay in Barcelona. Word-of-mouth is ultimately the best arbiter of restaurants, and people I know are unanimous in singing praise to this unassuming, unpretentious gem of a place.

Was Luna dreamed up by Vanna Calalang, Annie Tuazon and Manet Dayrit on some moonlit night?

Featured Project:

Luna Pizzeria & Tapas Bar Malate Manila

The Gods Must Be Happy

Mon, 31 Jul 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Design & Architecture

August-September 2000, pages 68-71

By Leah Elain P. Forteza & Imee Balandra

Photographed by Bernard Lugay

"We are the premium wine merchants," Bacchus owner Alex Lichaytoo says it all with pride and dignity. Indeed, he has every right to say this of the business that sprang from his passion. He has a wine cellar at home and has been a wine collector for a long time. Friends would sometimes offer to buy from his collection if a particular wine was unavailable elsewhere. This gave Alex the idea of opening place (with his brother, Clifford) where people can purchase premium wines. The store was named Bacchus, after the mythological god of wine and pleasure. The first store opened in 1996 at Shangri-La Hotel in Makati.

This one contains premium wines mostly from the Old World (France Italy, Spain, Portugal). Since then, another store has opened at Shangri-la EDSA Plaza, which contains the wines mostly from the New World (North and South America), and another one is in the works in Alabang. However, the Makati shop has remained its flagship store.

A classic-contemporary motif designed by Architect Popi Laudico sets a mood of elegance and casualness in catering to variety of people. Its neutral colored floors and lacquered wood walls harmonize the delicately displayed wineglasses on the divider. A mask of Bacchus, believed to have brought good luck, hangs above the administrative area. A table with rattan chairs, placed at the center of the shop, creatively encases paraphernalia for serious wine collectors. Wrought iron seen by the display window and the entrance creates a 16th century setting reminiscent of chateaus nestled in the vineyards of the French countryside. A banga from Italy and engraved wooden crates behind the glass wall of the cellar add authenticity to the entire area.

A trip to the shop is an educational one for the uninitiated. It was cozily designed so as not to intimidate. People are welcome to just walk in, even if only to inquire. In fact, according to Lichaytoo, the thrust of the shop is not merely to sell premium wines, but more importantly to educate the public on the intricacies of wine. By merely conversing with Lichaytoo and store manager Nikki Navarro, one can learn a lot regarding the proper storage of wine, the proper way of drinking it, the different glasses used for the corresponding wines and even the health benefit of wine.

Wine bottles are tilted when stored to make sure that the wine touches the cork enough to keep it moist. It the cork dries out, oxygen enters the bottle and affects the quality of the wine. To fully appreciate its flavor, the glass must be of pure crystal, and the shape depends on the flow of the liquid and air that a particular wine requires. For example, the glass used for light, dry champagne is a tall, narrow one so that the tingle of the bubbles that it is famous for is felt on the tip of the tongue. The thinness or the thickness of the glass also makes a difference. Contrary to some beliefs, wine can actually be good for a person's health if taken moderately, particularly the red wines. It is good for the heart, enhances circulation, and has a cathartic effect. It is also anti-carcinogenic because of the substances from the skin of the grapes.

Bacchus has been leading in the industry because of its innovations and its commitment to its goals. What started as a shop selling only wines ahs now evolved into a "family" shop. Bacchus now carries the Le Creuset line of cast iron cookware and the Jivara gourmet chocolate. Soon, the Lichaytoo brothers plan to include coffee and cigars to the store's merchandise. By then, it would truly be a gourmet / "pleasure" shop befitting the name Bacchus.

Featured Project:

Bacchus Makati Shangri-la Hotel

Mama Rosa: Good Lookin' Home Cookin'

Wed, 31 May 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Preview Magazine

June 2000, page 1

Serving excellent Filipino food in an urban, pinoy-chic setting Mama Rosa offers traditional favorites made fresh with innovative as of cooking and serving. With its café-deli look, its has none of the "fiesta-style" trappings of your usual Filipino restaurants. Instead, the yellow-orange and blue décor, along with the bright and funky painting son the walls, convey a mood that is both classy and cozy.

A cool and refreshing start to any meal is the Pako at Suha salad. Served with a honey-fish dressing, the salad is a combination of pako (a native fern), ubod, sinkamas, and suha. Another sumptuous starter is the Longanisa Platter one of our personal favorites; it includes Vigan, Lukban, Pangasinan varieties.

For your main course, there's Pinangat na Gabi, which is ground pork, alamang and taro wrapped in its own leaves, cooked and served with coconut milk. Try some old favorites like Kari-kari (spelled with an "i"), Crispy Tadyang, or Lechon Kawali, which they serve with a squash sauce (an interesting concoction which is smoother and lighter, but still has the tang of the sarsa we all love).

If you're a seafood only person, the Suaje Kebabs come highly recommended. Its' served with a super yummy coriander sauce that can only be described as matamis-maasim-maanghang. For dessert, a definite must-try for the first time visit is the Frozen Dayap Pear Mousse. Made with a sweet crumb crust, this mousse is cool and light, and goes down especially well after a good meal.

If you're having a tricky time deciding among all these delicious dishes, just look for Manager Rosa Dula-Laurel, who I'm sure, will be happy to help you at your task.

Perfect for anything from a first date to a lazy Sunday lunch with the family, Mama Rosa is located at 55 Timog Avenue corner Tomas Morato, Quezon City. Tel. 414-5111.

Featured Project:

Mama Rosa Timog Avenue Branch

Two Brothers To Launch New Wine Showroom

Tue, 29 Feb 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle Section

March 1, 2000, page C2

Brothers Alex and Clifford Lichaytoo, collectors of premium wines from the best regions in Europe, have branched into the importation and selling of fine wines to devout connoisseurs in the Philippines through their wine shop Bacchus International, Inc.

The Lichaytoo brothers' natural appreciation of fine French wines and other European vintages stems from having spent and inordinate amount of time in the oldest cellars and wineries in such places as Bordeaux and Burgundy regions in France, elsewhere about the Napa Valley in the United States, as well as those in Italy and little known regions whose produce are locally celebrated.

From their frequent visits abroad, they slowly built a choice collection and, as a logical offshoot, wine aficionados hereabouts started to make purchases from them, suggesting the existence of a premium wine market in the Philippines. Taking a decidedly bold foray, Alex and Clifford agreed that the market was viable and with what Alex candidly terms as a "calculated risk," they opened their office in Alexander House on Amorsolo Street.

A year later, they opened their first wine shop at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, initially stocked with Grand Cru from the Bordeaux regions in France. Since then, Bacchus as we know it today, has been ably responding to a growing populace of discriminating drinkers of premium wines here and throughout Asia, as well as those from several continents.

Bacchus' new store recently opened at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel and its well-stocked showroom boasts of a collection of only the finest wines and vintages, with close to 400 wines in their portfolio, on an exclusive basis.

The newest showroom will have a grand opening on March 15. Some 700 wine connoisseurs, celebrities and guests to the by-invitation-only affair, will sample 720 bottles of wine from several Grand Cru vineyards all over the world. Exclusively for this occasion, Bacchus will fly in 150 kg of the best cheeses from France and Italy. Guests will be dancing to the music of Jay Cayuca and his band.

In line with the momentous occasion, the brothers will also launch the Bacchus Foundation. Rare bottles of vintage wines will be auctioned during the wine and cheese event, proceeds of which will be used as seed money for the foundation's various projects. According to Alex, the Bacchus Foundation will work with different charity institutions. Special bottles will also be earmarked at the Bacchus stores and will be called Bacchus Foundation wines, from which a portion of its sales will be donated to charity.

The fastidious care and attention that went into the gradual completion of Alex's and Clifford's exquisite collection continues with Bacchus' importation of its excellent wines: shipping is done strictly through refrigerated containers, stored in refrigerated confines, as in the vans that transport their precious cargoes to 24-hour temperature-regulated shops.

The Bacchus showrooms are likewise staffed by individuals competent and knowledgeable in the nuances and character of fine wine. They assist in developing the market for what the Lichaytoo brothers hope will be "the proper enjoyment of wine." Bacchus has even envisioned weekly wine tasting for the public and can even schedule private training seminars for groups. Bacchus' campaign to satisfy the market has it even stocking its wide array of wines with reasonably ranged wines, such as those within the P300/bottle and upscale.

Bacchus also publishes its own magazine, Bacchus World, to update its patrons of the company's continued refinement of its selections as well as related issues.

Featured Project:

Bacchus EDSA Shangri-la Hotel

The New Luna Restaurant - Not Strictly For Lunatics

Mon, 31 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Mabuhay Magazine

February 2000, page 12

Newly opened only last December 7, Luna is the latest addition to the cute restaurants and bars lining hip Orosa Street in Malate area. This place is a creation of five friends - Vanna Calalang, Annie Cacho, Manet Dayrit, Vera Cacho and Rachel Ruiz. And quite a place they have created.

The cuisine is Mediterranean with a strong Spanish and Italian representation. There is a serious attention to detail in their food preparation. For instance, an Italian expert was even brought to Manila to supervise the installation of their brick oven for their pizzas. Being wood-fired, the pizzas retain their rich flavors. Try their "Vanna pizza" (bresaala, asparagus, roasted eggplant and capers) priced at P295 ($7.40) which two to three people can share. Try also their "Tapas Borquerones" (marinated smelt) in olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. A glass of Spanish or Italian house wine costs P90 or a little less than $2.50. The restaurant stays away from fusion cooking and strives to be as authentic as possible.

Physically, the place is very tastefully done as can be expected from a group of upper crust young people who are well educated, well traveled and obviously, have been around. And it shows in the way that they have fixed the place. Everything is just right-Mediterranean touches here and there without going overboard or as some joints make the mistake of-trying too hard. There are two levels for dining. A nice touch though is their terrace on the second floor for those who want a change and watch the free "street show" below-the colorful characters of bohemian Malate.

Managing partner Vanna Calalang is no stranger to the food business as her family is responsible for creating successful restaurants like Mongolian Grill, Seasons (now at the Security Bank Center at Ayala Avenue in Makati City) and Intermezzo (looking for a new location). Vanna herself formally trained in the culinary arts in Manila and in California.

The ambience is a bonus in this new place. Go for the food. It is safe and worth checking out. You can't miss the place. It is the only one along Orosa Street that hangs cute lanterns on the tree with what else, a quarter moon.

LUNA

180 Orosa Street, Malate, MM

Tel. 400-9820

Featured Project:

Luna Pizzeria & Tapas Bar Malate Manila

Toque! of the Town

Tue, 25 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle

January 26, 2000, pages C5-C6

By Chelo Banal-Formoso

Architecture and interiors by Melinda P. Laudico

If you'd rather dine in a bright place with a high ceiling instead of something that resembles a cave, go to Toque! (pronounced "tok", meaning the tall hat worn by chefs; exclamation point theirs). With apologies to Alfredo's Steakhouse, this new fine dining café and restaurant in the Tomas Morato area in Quezon City is located on Lazcano Street, right behind, well, Alfredo's.

Lightbox

Two years ago, the Picaches decided to come home from years of living in South San Francisco, California.

The family has a passion for good food and their daughter Gretchen happens to love to cook so when they were brainstorming on what business to go into-as loaded balikbayans are wont to do-the most obvious choice was to open a restaurant. Tita Picache was adamant that the location be in the Tomas Morato are where she grew up. When they started scouting around for a place, they discovered that quite a few other restaurateurs were homing in on Morato, even those who don't have Tita's sentimental reasons. So upon finding this house right behind the steakhouse, the family went full blast into converting it into Toque! in time for pre-Christmas soft opening. Formal opening is on February 6.

How much of the old house has been retained is hard to guess but Toque! is a gallery of glass. And then the walls that are not glass are painted white so the result is a light-filled room. It is amazing how the design admits in so much natural light and allows for translucency without sacrificing comfort.

The ground floor has only two or three tables for guests who cannot negotiate stairs, a definite plus point for Toque! Upstairs, standing in the middle of the main area is a divider highlighted by a tall vase of flowers arranged by Gretchen, who had definite ideas on how she wanted the place to look so she went ahead without professional help and followed her heart. The white walls are punctuated by shelves of interesting bottles and jars that provide spots of color. There's a long counter behind which coffee is invariably brewed or blended, frapped or frothed. Toque! also has a citrus shake that the photographer rates as five-star.

Food fair

On the menu are appetizers and salads with unexpected twists. The oysters are baked on a half shell with sautéed spinach and hollandaise sauce. One salad has prawns seasoned with curry and lobster oil vinaigrette and shiitake confit. Smoked salmon is served with wasabi dressing.

For soup lovers, there are four kinds of soups, plus a soup of the day that is included in the Daily Special, which includes all the works (from soup to dessert) and costs less that an arm and a leg. The cream of carrot soup is colorful and wonderful with crusty bread, but the seafood soup with essence of anchovy and sherry wine might be more your cup of soup if you're partial to the ocean's bounty.

The entrees don't come in large servings, as they never do in fine-dining restaurants perhaps to leave you wanting for more. The baked black cod, seared salmon and prawns combine the flavors of the sea and the penchant of French cuisine to indulge in a good sauce. The meat offerings include mustard-crusted tenderloin of beef, grilled Black Angus rib eye infused with balsamic vinegar and herbs, and grilled lamb chops.

The chefs are on the youngish side. Allan Mathay, the 24-year-old chef d'partie, studied culinary arts in London, while Noel Pilar, 30, sous chef, is a graduate of the school of hard knocks. Out of their cooking clothes, both look more like strapping young boys who love to eat rather than to cook. But they are able to concoct exceptional dishes in the Toque! kitchen. One example is warm chocolate cake on the dessert list. Served with berry coulis and vanilla ice cream, this is one dessert you cannot order for takeout. This one you will not want to share.

With Toque! the Picaches are out to prove that Makati and Malate do not have the monopoly on good food.

For more information, call 374-4597 or 373-4737.

Featured Project:

Toque! Restaurant

Twist Glorietta 3 Branch

Tue, 11 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Design for a bag retail shop. The design has a unique feature that allows the look of the store to change with the look of the bags.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Bags with A Twist

Store Co. Inc. Retail Shops

Mon, 10 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Store Co. Inc. Alabang Town Center Branch

The second branch in the chain was designed to incorporate the store, cafe, and garden components. The site was unique in that it was partially inside and outside of the commercial building structure. This provided unique environments to showcase the store's products.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

CARLO TANSECO: Something familiar - with a twist
Trendspotting

Store Co. Inc. Glorietta 4 Branch

Design of a lifestyle concept store and cafe. Design features a symbiosis between the very basic product line and the unique marketing strategy required by the store. The whole package aims to target a clientele who have particular styles and tastes.

Project Details

Store Co. Inc. Alabang Town Center Cafe Renovation

Further design changes were done to incorporate client demands.

Store Garden Glorietta 4 Branch

Design of a garden store featuring live flowering plants and gardening accessories. Special design features to simulate greenhouses and other outdoor effects were incorporated.

Store Co. Inc. Furniture Design Collection

Design of a furniture line consisting mostly of tables for the store.

Kitchen Kraft Alabang Town Center Branch

Sun, 09 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

A retail kiosk featuring cooking and baking accessories.

Project Details

Koh-Cabaluna Residence Renovation

Sat, 08 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Renovation design for an existing kitchen to accommodate changes in lifestyle.

Project Details

Bayo Retail Stores

Fri, 07 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Bayo SM City North EDSA Branch

An apparel accessory store featuring casual to semi-casual wear targeting young female clients. Design considered the existing look of over a dozen stores into the new identity development so as not to alienate the existing clientele while attracting new ones. The design is a trimmed down version of the SM City Manila branch, which was adopted for this site.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Popi Laudico Redesigns Bayo

Bayo SM City Manila Branch

Project Details

Fairmart Cubao Rehabilitation Consultancy Service

Thu, 06 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Design Consultant for the renovation of the anchor department store for the Farmers Plaza mall.

Project Details

Tokyo Tokyo Restaurants

Wed, 05 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Tokyo Tokyo SM City Manila Branch

Design improvements from the company's existing image, incorporating changes in its food service. A distinctly graphic approach was used with a very edgy young take on the Japanese look and appeal.

Project Details

Tokyo Tokyo Greenbelt Branch

Project Details

Tokyo Tokyo Glorietta 2 Branch

Project Details

Tokyo Tokyo SM City North EDSA Branch

Tokyo Tokyo SM Centerpoint Kiosk

Pre-Feasibility Study of a Mixed-Use Development Projects in Caloocan

Tue, 04 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

In Vino Veritas Alabang Town Center

Mon, 03 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a retail and wine bar. The design targets a more casual wine drinking crowd and aims to encourage a more relaxed approach to drinking wine. The shop features a 24-hour temperature-controlled wine cellar wall display.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

Mongolian Grill Kiosks

Sun, 02 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Mongolian Grill Glorietta 4 Foodchoices Branch

Design of a fast-food kiosk serving eat-all-you-can, grilled, and ala Carte meals. The serving and portioning system for the stall dictated the lay-out of the design. The need for sanitary and secure access to very high traffic conditions was also addressed.

Project Details

Mongolian Grill Alabang Town Center Food Court Branch

Alabang Town Center Food Court

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 16:00:00 GMT

Design of the relocation of the food court facility within the mall. Since the mall is located adjacent to high-end residential areas, the food court ambiance was geared towards enticing residents to eat out in the mall. The mall's "mission style" architecture was also incorporated into the aesthetic design of the food court.

Project Details

Carlo Tanseco: Something Familiar - With A Twist

Fri, 31 Dec 1999 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star Saturday Lifestyle Section Modern Living

January 1, 2000, pages ML-1 to ML-6

by AA Patawaran

In Carlo Tanseco's Store Company, Inc. - at least in its newly opened branch at Cortes de las Palmas Alabang Town Center - mornings are what they used to be, a dawning on what seems to be a small-town world. Without frenzy, but nevertheless full of energy, the day begins to unfold with familiar things, such as a butterfly, albeit electronic, hovering over pot and pot of fresh mums. It's nice to start the day sipping freshly brewed coffee from an oversized cup while checking out the store's wide array of merchandise -everything for the home, the body, the heart, the mind and the soul.

Just as Carlo envisioned it, Store Company has everything for everyone: father, mother and child. No wonder, apart from everything else, the store in Alabang offers familiar scenes of family life: a little girl drawing on her breakfast table, pubescent boys exchanging views on a novelty item, a young couple holding hands over glasses of iced tea, a grandmother smelling the flowers.

A recipient of a number of KATHA awards for product design from the Center for International Trade, Expositions and Missions (CITEM), Carlo put Store together with a winning formula: Something familiar -with a twist.

"When a product design is too alien, the customer or the spectator has a harder time connecting to it," explains the 32-year old designer. "So I make sure that everything I do, no matter how pioneering or innovative, retains some kind of familiarity."

Moreover, Carlo has strong faith in what he calls a "total, holistic design," the very principle behind Store, which he runs with a little help from his mother Yoya and his sister Keena.

"I try to address all the senses with whatever I come up with," he says.

Hence, Store is more than a store. It is a café, bar, restaurant, flower booth, gift shop, meeting place a little corner for you and me. What's more, every item in Store is an experience, not merely a commodity.

Even the cuisine, says chef Marivic Diaz, follows the formula. Its nothing fancy, yet if offers the diner quite a unique experience simply by rehashing age-old recipes or reinventing old-fashioned ways of cooking-something new out of something old or the other way around. Top sellers include blackened tilapia with caper sauce and Store Burger, the good, old sandwich generously packed with an extra thick patty, bacon and mushrooms.

"Nice store!" customers exclaim every now and then. Though, as opposed to other shops, there is little attempt to showcase products. Instead, Store is more like a bodega, a stockroom, with the merchandise stacked together in repetitive fashion a design technique Carlo has always admired.

Store was established in 1997 in response to the proliferation of brands whose name recall sometimes tended to overshadow the products' more intrinsic properties. Now with three branches, -- the other two are at Glorietta and Rockwell, Makati-Store is helping address market desires to return to more basic lines, to do away with the unnecessary frills.

Though well thought out and tirelessly pursued, aesthetic value in Store is only one of its many components. In not so many words, functions is still what defines design, which is why it is given due respect in the premises, whether in its scented candles or flower vases, its pillow cases or storage boxes, its breakfast tables or canopy chairs.

As a designer, Carlo has a long-standing affair with function. He counts among his many influences his father, the late Manny Tanseco, who told him every now and then never to stop being a child.

"A child is always open-minded," explains Carlo. "His sense of wonder is his greatest tool. For him, everything is possible."

Thus, in pursuit of design, Carlo returns to nursery, unlearning, removing this biases seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting, smelling things, as if for the first time.

"My Dad stimulated me to work with my hands," recalls Carlo.

No wonder many of his toys back then were of the do-it-yourself variety, conceptualized in the factories of his young mind.

"I had plenty of those sand-powered stuff," he muses.

Carlo's mother, on the other hand, gave him a sense of style, a sense of moderation, which he finds indispensable in his creative pursuits. Like most artists, Carlo has a tendency to rework a design endlessly to suit his insatiable standards.

"Mom used to tell me when to stop and I'd still keep my lessons in mind,"he says.

Carlo earned a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of the Philippines. He has never practiced, however.

"They say architecture is an old man's profession," he says. "Sometimes, it takes a lifetime before you begin to enjoy the fruits of your labor."

Young and impatient, Carlo was not willing to wait. Instead, he chose a path that led him to product design, establishing fresh from college, Kaizenhaus, an export company he co-owns with friend Steve Araneta.

"We started out with wrought-iron accessories from Pampanga-and they're still doing good in the export market."

Business is a logical choice for Carlo, who had always been exposed to it. The family enterprise, Tickles, established in 1978, foretold his current retail venture. Also, Carlo is creative director of Figaro, a café well entrenched in today's consumer landscape. His architectural background is a great help in keeping him grounded when he feels his mind is going in all directions, especially with the kind of work that he does, the kind that draws from life for there is so much in the work that stimulates his passion to create. His love for movies, like Star Wars, The Last Buddha, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Last Emperor, and the Devil's Advocate is enough to fire up his imagination. So is a few minutes worth of music videos, which he finds brimming with fresh and brave ideas.

There are many others sources of ideas for Carlo, such as books - his favorites are Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist - and magazines, but the greatest of them all is travel. For the young designer, nothing opens the shutters of one's mind better than a journey to a strange, faraway places. Numerous trips around the world surely had a lot to do with his current ventures. Felissimo, a Zen-type store in New York, for example, was among his greatest inspirations for Store.

Of course, Carlo looks up to many icons of design, drawing from their work and work habits whatever he may incorporate into his own. Among his idols in the field are Philippe Starck, Frank Lloyd Wright and Fornasetti.

For Carlo, indeed, to live is to learn. All he ever needs to do in his search for inspiration is to keep breathing, to keep all his senses alert, ready to receive life's infinite gifts. For Carlo as for most other designers, creative work is a torturous, tormenting mental exercise.

"I never really work on a sketchbook," he says. "I put is all together in my mind and only put it on paper when, more or less, I have a complete mental picture of it."

When Carlo stumbles on an idea, everything else such as packaging the product has to follow at once. Such a work habit is both a blessing and a curse.

"There are times when I wake up in the morning with a great idea and right there and then, without getting out of bed, I have to work it out, from start to finish," he muses.

No doubt, Carlo's creative process works considering that together with other export designers such as Carlo Aguas, Ann Pamintuan and Milo Naval, he is scheduled to travel the world next year to showcase Filipino design. Dubbed Movement 8, the group will visit the world's most influential trade centers: Paris, Milan, Valencia, Hanover.

So when does Carlo stop?

"Actually, I'm afraid I'm not as hardworking as I should be," confesses the young designer, who loves to spend his time lying on his back and dreaming lazily in some remote, preferably deserted beach. Indeed, nature, especially water, is Carlo's refuge, his little world away from it all.

"When I begin to lose objectivity, that's when I need a break," he says. "I like water-related sports, especially white-water rafting in Cagayan de Oro. I wish I could take everyone there just to share the experience."

Carlos was also a triathlon athlete champion once, one of the many things he simply wanted to experience.

"I found it very spiritual," he recalls. "I learned my limits. I found out what it was like to compete with myself."

So is Carlo still competing with himself as a retailer and as a designer?

"I'm afraid yes, " he says without a moment's hesitation. "You'll never stop, I guess, because as soon as you reach a certain standard, you up the ante yourself. Otherwise, you get bored."

Meanwhile, Carlos is working on a dream, to come up with a studio, which will enable him to make drastic, dramatic changes in the field of design.

"I want to break the rules," he says.

But Carlo is wise. He knows it's not only a matter of being brave, bold, defiant. "I know I have to master convention first before I begin to challenge it."

Featured Project:

Store Co. Inc. Alabang Town Center Branch

Home Alone

Fri, 26 Nov 1999 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star Saturday Lifestyle Section

November 27, 1999, pages ML-1 to ML-9

Young and innovative architect Popi Laudico is one of a growing legion of single, upwardly mobile women who are opting to leave their parents' home and go out and find a place of their own.

It's about time.

Not too long ago, you mother thought your were too young to get married. Now, you're pushing 30, and your mother thinks you're too old to stay single-and perhaps too old to be staying with your parents.

"When you reach a certain age and a certain financial status you want to explore that side of yourself," Popi declares. "Of course, there's that comfort zone when you live at home with your mom and dad. That's easy, that's not bad, OK lang, but sometimes, you get to a point where you tell yourself, 'Let's see, what's it gonna be like if I actually go on my own.' Now that you're earning pretty good money-with a pretty good mind of your own-you can afford a certain lifestyle, you want to be on your own."

Popi's on her own, finally, at 29. "But Americans leave home when they're 18," Popi notes. "So you can say that based on American standards, I'm too old to be living with my parents."

Popi's loving mom, Yola Perez-a stylist, culinary expert, furniture exporter, and artist, among other things-certainly misses having her little girl around her all the time. Fact is, mother and daughter share a passion for all things beautiful such as what you'll find in their SouMak Collections of native handicrafts and furniture. Their showroom in Makati is a showcase of this dream team's limitless creativity. For her part, Popi has lately been doing a lot of stores. "Recently, I did the Store Company, Inc. in Alabang which has an outlet in Glorietta, too," Popi updates on her projects. "Owned by Carlo Tanseco, it's a lifestyle store selling furniture and personal items. It has a café and garden area."

Popi is the creative spirit behind the new Tokyo Tokyo restaurant which, indeed, provides a feast for the eyes and the belly. And the latest buzz is that Popi is giving Jollibee an altogether different look. "I'm doing Jollibee at Alabang Town Center," says Popi. "It's Aga Muhlach's baby, he's the franchisee. We're putting up a graphic mural of Aga and Jollibee."

Now, it's time for mother and daughter to live their separate lives. Yola knew it was time to let go of Popi.

"My mom was quite open to the idea," Popi smiles. "And it's not because she's tired of having me around."

In the same breath, she adds: "It's an idea whose time is long overdue. It's slowly become a trend for Filipino single girls to live on their own. Especially when you hit the 30s, and suddenly you feel you just can't live at home anymore."

Now that you've decided to go on your own, what's the next step?

"Don't procrastinate," Popi shares this first important tip. "Start house-hunting while you're still excited about it. Otherwise, you might lose interest."

But first things first. "Decide on a budget," Popi notes. "I decided I wanted to spend like P15,000 on rent, more or less. Even if I could afford more, this amount would already get me a nice studio which was what I was aiming for-something small, easy to clean, easy to maintain for somebody just starting out. Because I'm working and would be out most of the time, I just needed a place to come home to at the end of a hard day's work, yung uwian lang talaga."

Now that you've decided on how much money you'd be willing to allocate for the monthly rent, what's next?

"Decide where you want to live," Popi points out. "When I was deciding, I told myself I wish I could find some place that was strategically located, that is, near my work. During the day, I have to go down to Alabang and up to Quezon City because of my work, my projects. I need a central location, a place close to my work. Choosing the location has a lot to do with your lifestyle and how you like to have fun. Or if you go out of town a lot or go to your parent's house during the weekend. Of course, you wouldn't want a place that's on the other side of town."

And the house hunting is on. Popi will tell you that looking for one's dream house is harder than looking for a dreamboat of a boyfriend, but it's certainly more fun. "I actually looked at maybe a dozen," Popi recalls. "But I couldn't find what I wanted so I felt kinda depressed. As you know, P15,000 will get you just a 20 x 25 sq.m. studio-it looks more like a hotel room. I realized when I was looking that very, very few studios were unfurnished. A lot of them are furnished simply because it's easier to rent them out."

And a lot of them look like they're designed for bachelors, not single women. "In the Philippines, we haven't quite gotten used to the idea of single women living by themselves. Ninety, if not 100 percent of the time, the place being rented out would be for single men, it's a bachelor's pad and the ambiance is different. So it's a little tricky for a girl to find a place of her own."

One day, just when Popi had given up, she stumbled on the Expat newsletter given away in the villages. "I saw this address in the Classified Ads section while I was fiddling the time away between two meetings. It was near the place of my meeting. So I said why don't I check it out? It was not easy finding the place, medyo nawala-wala pa nga ako. When I found it, I met up with the landlady, a very sweet German lady who was like a mommy I liked her instantly. She treats me like family-I think it's very important to find a place that gives you a semblance of your own home."

Popi stresses: "Safety and security are very important considerations. You have to be very careful when choosing a place. Especially for somebody like me-I'm a girl and it's my very first time to live on my own. This place I found has a guard you can trust, he knows everybody going in and out of the building; nothing escapes his eagle eyes. The atmosphere is that they care about you, not that you're just some tenant."

The German landlady showed Popi all the units available-one bedroom, two bedrooms, small units because she was single and alone-from the ground floor up. "Until we reached this unit on the fourth floor-I fell in love with it at first sight," Popi gushes. "Omigosh, look at this wall, all this space for my paintings. Walls for hanging paintings are an important consideration for me because I have a lot of paintings. So when I saw this unit, I sort of blocked off the space for my paintings."

Popi is quick to add: "Truth is, when I decided to go on my own, I looked at the stuff that I actually own, that I bought, because they were all over my mom's house. And you know what? I have all these paintings and they're big. So when I was apartment hunting, I'd ask, 'Where will I put my Olazo, my Austria, my Chabet?' Because other than these, I just had a bed and an aparador."

Popi's biggest problem was space. Quite a big problem in this no-space age we live in. "Siguro, it's because I'm an architect and I'm having a hard time reconciling my heart to living in a shoebox. So I was talking to some friends and asking if they wanted to share a bigger place with me. This was another option."

The other option is to live with a friend or share a condo with her. "I have a girlfriend who lives in a condo," Popi relates. "She invited me to move into a vacant unit one floor below hers so that we can be neighbors. My friends were worried for me because it was my first time to go on my own. I was the youngest in the group and most of them were either married or engaged and getting married. My friend's condo was just walking distance to her place of work which is another factor you should take into account when house-hunting. But then, all the studios I looked at are too small."

This place she found says Popi was simply heaven-sent. "Parang hulog ng langit," she enthuses. "It was totally unfurnished and had all these white empty walls waiting to be filled."

Thus ended Popi's long search. From the time she found her dream apartment, it took only a week for her to move out of her mother's house and into her own. But first, Popi had her mom and friends check out the place for themselves, if it was really safe. "I had them come over and I showed them just this unit. I just walked into it and fell in love with it. It's got natural light; it faces east so you get the morning sun. There are windows that provide natural air-you don't have to use air-con all the time; an electric fan will do. There are two balconies where you can put plants. Plus I can cook here!"

There's this other side to this multi-faceted artist you'll be delighted to discover. She can wield a slide rule with the same flair as she can a ladle. "My specialties are salads and pastas," she says. "But just tell me what you want and I'll cook it for you."

Moving-in day: The place was like an empty canvas waiting for Popi's creative hands to transform it into a work of art. "It had nothing but water heaters which was good because these are the hard things to connect," she describes. "I had the place repainted-it was white already to begin with, so I just retouched it. It took only one day-the building had it's own maintenance crew to do it."

It took only one day-actually, eight hours, three trucks, 15 boys and five drills-for Popi to turn an empty house into a home she can call her very own. "But I knew exactly what to do," she says. "I already had a mental layout. As soon as the furniture walked through the door, I knew where to put it. After all, being an architect, that's what I do."

Even her landlady was amazed at the transformation. "Kaya love na love nya ako," Popi says with a giggle. "The funny part was I only had one day to do the whole condo-it was the only time I had. It wasn't slow-it went from empty to this."

Popi's friends who are getting married and looking for a place of their own have fallen so in love with this house they tell her, "Popi, thank you for furnishing our house, you can move out already."

So how was Popi's first night living alone?

"Funny but my first few nights were not as scary as I expected them to be," says Popi. "I felt secure. There are actually three police stations within five minutes of this place."

When you enter Popi's apartment, guess what you'll see first. Why, it's the kitchen! "Kain na tayo kaagad," says Popi. "Your house reflects your personality; it's an extension of yourself. As for me, nobody would come to my house if you're not really a good friend. Plus, I needed more space to work in the kitchen which will be filled up when my cooking stuff arrives."

For now, the kitchen is sparsely equipped with a refrigerator, a microwave oven that doubles as a convection oven and a mineral water dispenser. "I consume one container a week," says Popi "My mom supplies me with the mineral water."

Popi's meager eating paraphernalia includes a Jon Pettyjohn 15-piece tea set carved in clay by the master craftsman himself; clay bowls that serve as plates; a set of spoons, forks, knives for six which Popi bought at Shoemart for only P800; and plastic plates costing P30 to P50 each. Then there are Popi's own miniature clay works, products of her pottery class with Jon Pettyjohn.

"I hardly eat here," says Popi. "Which brings us to another important tip: Don't buy food unless you really plan to eat at home. It's only when I have friends over that I cook. Para fresh palagi. Because I live near the groceries and supermarkets-another important consideration when looking for a place of your own-I can always whiz by a grocery and buy what I'm gonna cook. So there's nothing in my ref but ice."

On top of the ref sits a bear lamp from Tickles, a friend's gift to Popi. "There's no such rule that you can't mix antique stuff with stuff from Tickles," says Popi. "How you fix your own place depends on your lifestyle, your imagination."

For the dining table-for two for now-Popi has this beaten , bugbog, wooden dining table that used to be in their garden. The chairs may look new but they're really old chairs from a flea market in New York. "They were so black and grimy but I liked their shape," says Popi. "So we stripped them of their thick wax or lacquer and it turned out to be this wood. We just waxed them and reupholstered them."

Fact is, except for the new two-door ref, not much else is new around here. "I just made use of what I had in my old house," says the peso-smart Popi. "I did not have to buy anything for my new house."

The living room is set off by blinds made of fine abaca and raffia. "We carry a unique line of fabric that's woven especially for SouMak," says Popi with a glimmer of pride. "At night, this is really nice-we turn on the lamps and light the candles; and you can't see the kitchen anymore. Candles don't only light up the room-they also freshen up a room that smells stale because the air doesn't move."

At night, you light the scented candles and they send a refreshing whiff across the room to soothe frazzled nerves after a hard day's work. "The warmth makes the room really cozy," says Popi. "My friends tell me that the abaca blinds are making the living room look small. I tell them that's the whole point-para it's cozier, di ba? It's like kulambo. My friends feel so at home they fall asleep. They can sleep over, I like having my friends around."

Popi doesn't have a sofa in the living room where an abaca rug is sprawled on the floor. "What I like to do with my friends is we just lie down on the rug or get cozy on the floor. Kasi I don't entertain people I don't know. By the time you get here to my place, you're really my friend. And you're comfortable enough to just relax."

The new homeowner elaborates: "Of course, this rug is from Soumak, we got it from Mindanao. My mom has a patent for the weave. She's been exporting this rug for 10 years now. Every piece is a unique work of art. It's also a labor of love as only one person weaves the whole thing so the design is consistent all throughout. Every thing is done by hand. It's a family thing-the weavers do it at home while taking care of their kids. The small kids are the ones who brush the abaca while the mothers and grown-up kids are the ones who weave. It's soft, not itchy at all and you can vacuum it. I vacuum it myself. No need to worry about spilling something on the rug. You can always blot off the stain with tissue paper. I have friends who come here with kids who accidentally pee on the rug. OK lang, it doesn't even get stained; abaca is a very sturdy material."

On the floor are picture frames with pictures of Popi's friends and family. "That's my brother Rolando, he's a chef, a really good one," Popi points to a frame. "That's my sister Liza Vicencio who's a businesswoman. There's my mom; there's my step dad Patrick Johnson. And these are my friends from high school, we're like brothers and sisters."

There are lots of big throw pillows around. "That's because I don't have a sofa," says Popi. "So you just sit on the floor or grab a throw pillow. They're nice and comfy-the cases are made of silk and hand-woven ramie which were the retasos left over at Soumak."

Popi also doesn't have a table in the living room. "it will just get in the way," she explains. "Besides, I have these trays where I can serve food or drinks."

The furniture in the sala simply consists of three wooden chairs. "These three chairs came from my mom's house," says Popi. "I just made halungkat and I saw these and said, 'They're mine because they're small, they're just right for my size.' Like most of our furniture at Soumak, we got them from the Mountain Province where we find really special pieces. If my mom and I like the way it looks and feels, we buy it."

Popi has a really compact CD player consisting of three little boxes which she bought at Shoemart. Boxes made of nito serve as nifty CD containers. A baul made of nito hold more of Popi's precious personal stuff. Then there's an antique baul her mom gave her.

Popi has a small TV set in the living room. "I brought it down from my bedroom," she says.

There's an aparador made of antique wood where Popi puts all her books and important papers. "it serves as my compact library," says the space conscious Popi.

In the living room are a pencil sketch series and a watercolor series (titled "Windows") by Roberto Chabet. All over the house are more artworks-a blowup by Angel Cruz, a portrait of two street urchins by an unknown Mabini artist, a pen and ink portrait of a 12 year old Popi by her mom, Popi's "Popig" portrait by her brother Rolando, and Popi's own works which include a drawing from her schooldays of a couple kissing with their heads wrapped in bags, and angel cross stitch works.

As you climb the winding stairs, you find more artworks. There's a teeny-weeny sketch by Tam Austria of his bigger painting titled "Ilaw sa Gabing Madilim." Jonathan Olazo's oil titled "Peonies" serves as a colorful headboard for Popi's mattress (no wonder Popi dreams in Technicolor). "I don't have a bed," says Popi. "All I have is this mattress with a white bed sheet of fine quilt."

Beside her bed is a life-sized mirror which Popi got from her glass supplier Metropole. Beside that is a cabinet made of teak which Popi bought from Komodo. Here's where Popi puts her hairbrush, face towels and medicines among other things. "I like the fact that my banyo and bedroom are just in one place," says Popi. "I don't close the bathroom door na."

Popi has a nice, clean bathroom with hot running water which was one of her strict requirements when she was apartment hunting.

Popi's practical working wardrobe fits just right into one big closet. "I'm not a clotheshorse," Popi asserts. "I dress very casually; I go for the basic stuff. I'm sure Sharon Cuneta won't be able to fit all her clothes into my little closet. But I've made closets bigger than this house for my clients."

Small is beautiful and easy to clean and maintain. "It takes me only 15 minutes to vacuum the whole place on a Monday which is my carless day," says Popi.

This brings us yet to another important tip. "Don't get stuff you don't like because you will only add to what you're gonna clean," Popi advises. "They have to be things you love. Never mind if you don't have a table yet-go through life without a table. One day, you'll find a table you really like. There shouldn't be any excess baggage-they should be things you want to have because you want to keep them."

Now that Popi is living alone, who's going to do the laundry, do the dishes or wash the car?

"Easy," Popi says with a beatific smile. "I bring the laundry to my mom's place. Of course, I can do it at the deck of my place but why bother? As for the dishes, I can always use paper plates so I don't have to wash. And as for the car, my mom tells me to bring it over to her place for cleaning. My mom's always looking for an excuse to see me."

Thank God, for mothers, living alone need not be a drudgery.

Popi is pretty content with what she has. "What I don't have is a boyfriend," she quips. "My ideal man is someone who'd make me laugh, make me think, yung ganon. I'm not even looking for someone who is financially secure. And I certainly hope he finds me."

A workaholic, Popi finds time to unwind. "I don't have to go out on dates or go to a bar," she says. "My work is not a nine-to-five thing. Sometimes, I work the whole day; sometimes, I can take the whole day off. You can't keep working. You have to say 'OK, to day, I'm not working. Let's have fun Let's eat out. I love to eat. Or I can just stay home and watch Ally McBeal. What matters is the company I'm with. We can always just stay home and eat some strange food. Or sometimes, I go to my sister's house and play with my niece and nephew."

Two months on her own, Popi has learned to be a budgetarian. "For the first month, my electric bill amounted to only P700, my water bill was P55, the phone bill was P200 and the cable P200, for a grand total of P1,155," she enumerates. "Including the association dues and parking, I pay P17,000 for rent which is pretty good because for a place of this size (93 sq.m) in Makati, I'd easily be spending P25,000 (P20,000 for rent, P3,000 for association dues and P2,000 for parking).

"Getting a place of your own is a sort of commitment," says Popi. "It's like getting married." For now, Popi is home alone, but she's certainly not lonely.

Hip Shop Glorietta 2 Branch

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 16:00:00 GMT

Design consultation for a kiosk retailing trendy accessories targeted for a young market.

Project Details

Big Red Hen Kiosks

Sun, 03 Jan 1999 16:00:00 GMT

Big Red Hen Alabang Town Center Food Court Branch

Design of a fast-food kiosk serving roasted chicken. The very competitive nature of the industry and the desire of the client to have an "edgy, chicken with an attitude" appeal prompted the unique and eye-catching design. Using unconventional design elements and color combinations made the kiosk stand-out in the food court atmosphere.

Project Details

Big Red Hen Shangri-la Food Court Branch

Project Details

Big Red Hen Robinsons Galleria Food Court Branch

Big Red Hen SM Megamall Food Court Branch

Big Red Hen Landmark Branch

Big Red Hen Glorietta 4 Foodchoices Branch

Haze Boutiques

Sat, 02 Jan 1999 16:00:00 GMT

Haze Boutique Glorietta 3 Branch

Design of an inner wear retail shop. Design features a unique way of merchandising the product line by providing a flexible display wall.

Project Details

Haze Boutique Robinsons Place Manila Branch

The design of the Robinsons Place Manila branch is a trimmed down version of the Glorietta store, which was adopted for this small site.

De Guzman Woodside Residence Renovation

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 16:00:00 GMT

Interior design for an existing three-bedroom townhouse. Minimum construction to produce the optimum results to turn the existing unit more to the client's liking.

Project Details

Toque! Restaurant

Thu, 31 Dec 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a fine dining restaurant concept using very clean lines and minimal coloring. The restaurant features a variety of dining areas, from indoor dining to an enclosed balcony. The restaurant also has a function room.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Toque! Of the Town

Yola Perez: The Dream Weaver

Fri, 13 Mar 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star Saturday Lifestyle Section

14 March 1998

by Ching M. Alano

If you see Yolanda "Yola" Perez's baskets, you're bound to go crazy (as in become a basket case?). They're so beautiful you'll say Yola doesn't just make baskets - she weaves dreams.

Turning a dream into reality, Yola's baskets and other native beauties have found their way into posh shops in the US, London, Australia, and Japan. Why, even Prince Charles is a proud customer of SouMak!

"He bought this rug," Yola relates. "His order read: 'Please make this rug perfect."

Another VIP customer is a sheik from Jeddah. Yola's products are certainly fit for kings and sheiks.

Helping Yola scale heights and flights of artistic achievement are the Ifugao people of the Cordilleras and the Mangyans of Mindoro.

Unearthing the richness of our indigenous materials such as our abaca, nito and rattan, it is not just the hand that weaves, carves and molds. Undoubtedly, it is also the soul.

Since you and I can't go to the mountain, Yola has brought the mountain to us via her SouMak (short for South of Makati) Collections with its showroom located at 101 Bormaheco Condominium on Metropolitan Avenue corner Zapote Street in Makati. Look what she found!

"I was in search of materials and I stumbled upon our Filipino artisans," says Yola, her eyes gleaming with pride. "When I graduated from UP Fine Arts in 1972, I went into the arts-visual arts, exhibitions, installations, artworks. Then I went to France on a scholarship grant to study museums and museum procedures. When I got back, I wanted to go back to the arts so I started looking for materials. I sought the mountain tribes of the Cordilleras. I went as far down as Davao Oriental. I sat with the tribal folk, talked with them and wove with them."

She breathed the air they breathe, ate the food they eat, and yes, dreamed their dreams. Only beautiful works of art can come out of such a fine meshing of lives as shown on this spread.

"This is really a labor of love for me," Yola gushes. "The satisfaction get from my work is enough compensation for me."

She adds: "We give everything back to the people. For them to continue working for you, you have to give them an incentive. But sometimes, if you pay them too well, if they have the money, they don't want to work anymore because for them it's not important to have so much. Their lives are simple. All they want is to send their children to school and have a roof over their heads."

The Ifugaos have their own traditional crafts, "most of which are surprisingly sophisticated," Yola points out. Pointing to fine handiwork on display at her shop, she enthuses: "Look at this Ifugao desk-look at the way the handles were designed. Look at that barrel over there. It's all very modern and yet it is supposed to be primitive art."

The hardy Ifugaos are so receptive to what's new they may well be as resilient as bamboo. They're very modern, not constrained at all. "I saw these life-size carvings of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe up there in the mountains," a bemused Yola recounts.

At the same time, they're such sticklers for traditional practices/rituals. For instance, if somebody died or got married, they have to kill a pig.

"What I really found awesome is the fact that they put their hearts into what they're doing," Yola heartily observes.

And thus does Yola continuously discover new materials and old souls. It's amazing how such an old art has survived the ravages of time and technology. "Yes, everything is done by hand," says Yola. "Actually, the weavers are addicted to this process, it's very meditative. In fact, if there are no orders, they get sick. I was told it has a very therapeutic effect. I think it's the oil in the abaca that has a therapeutic effect on the body."

There are those unbelievable stories people love to spin. One story goes that there were two maidens with their face full of pimples. After three months of working the looms, their pimples disappeared. Yola hastens to explain: "They say it could be the oil in the abaca because when you weave, you hold the fibers and comb them with your hands. The weaver continuously touches the abaca for like eight to ten hours."

Then there was this talk going around that one weaver who was mute from birth was able to talk after weaving for several months. "They were so shocked when he started to talk," says Yola. "At first, he called out the name of the person beside him. And then he pronounced his name. Now he can converse with people."

Yola's SouMak continues to weave miracles out of our indigenous materials. Among the bestsellers abroad are the abaca rugs. For instance, some of these rugs have stepped into man a sophisticated home in New York.

Always a step ahead, the Binding Fibrous Matting weave, which Yola designed, swept for her the grand prize for floor covering at the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) at the Jacobs Javitts Center. Today, Yola covers floors all over the world with her abaca-raffia mats.

"A 6ft. by 9 ft. rug would take a single weaver one month to make if he works for 10 hours a day," says Yola. "A bigger one could take three months."

Visit SouMak and stumble on a gold mine of native products. Sitting in a conspicuous corner is a long table designed by Yola's daughter Popi Laudico, an architect. "It's made of wood from an old, old house in Binondo that was torn down," says Yola. "It’s very, very old and very, very hard. In fact, it's the only existing piece of supa this wide. And even if it’s thin, it is so heavy because of its density. It took seven to 10 men to lift it. Malacanang has a collection of this."

The environmentally conscious Yola adds: "For our wood, we only choose fallen trees that have finally cut their cords from the earth. The government has given the people of the Cordilleras the right to cut down dead wood because it's their livelihood."

The Ifugao carver painstakingly etches forms echoing the send to the rain forest, converting the lowly wood into an object desired by kings.

Then there are the nito baskets. Go ahead, open the baskets. They're not only decorative but functional, too. "Some are used by Ifugaos for storing their rice," Yola says, pointing to a big circular basket. "Our nito baskets are fast becoming popular here and abroad. And they're not that expensive compared to those Indian baskets which were auctioned off at Sotheby's for a princely price of US$19,000 apiece."

Yola rues: "The works of our indigenous tribes are sadly forgotten and ignored. I think Bea Zobel tried to push the nito baskets of the Mangyans but they were just ignored by the public. We have to educate our own people to love our own products. And because our colonial mentality is so ingrained in us, I think we should let people outside see our products first so our locals can appreciate them."

According to Yola, she has young designer clients who are forever in search of things outside the country. When they come back, they see those things here. Bewitched and bewildered, they ask: Dito pala yan ginawa (So it was made here)?

Yola's works adorn many a tony office and home in Makati. Yola's clients include Maritel Nievera of the Cabalen chain of restaurants, lawyer Tunting Cruz-Matters, Lizzie Zobel, Reimon Gutierrez, Doris Magsaysay-Ho and Gretchen Barretto.

"Not that we cater only to the rich and famous," says Yola. "I want every Filipino to be able to afford us."

Aside from its Makati showroom, Artemis also carries SouMak items.

"It's been a learning experience for me," Yola waxes ecstatic. "I've learned a lot from our very talented local artisans."

Keep on dreaming, Yola!

Café Elysee SM Fairview Branch

Wed, 07 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Redesign of an existing restaurant chain, to redirect its image to a much younger clientele.

Project Details

Mama Rosa Retail Kiosks

Tue, 06 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Mama Rosa Shangri-la Branch

Design of a retail food kiosk featuring local delicacies. A homey character was incorporated with a feel of "Mom's homemade goodness". The kiosk was relocated in 2003 to another site in the mall and the design updated.

Project Details

Mama Rosa Robinsons Galleria Branch

The design of the Galleria branch is the same with the Shangri-la branch but with a few on-site dining facilities.

Mama Rosa Restaurants:

Mama Rosa Timog Avenue Branch
Mama Rosa Eastwood Citywalk Branch

Tanmantiong Belle View Residence

Mon, 05 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Furnishing a three-bedroom weekend condominium unit for a family who enjoys weekend trips to the area. The home is filled with entertainment and recreational amenities put together in a very relaxed and fun manner. The ease of maintenance was also considered.

Project Details

Energie and Miss Sixty Glorietta 2 Branch

Sun, 04 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a franchised apparel retail shop based in Italy. Design specifications from the original stores were incorporated. A main design requirement was to feature both labels in one space.

Project Details

Sy Ritz Towers Residence

Sat, 03 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Interior design for a three-bedroom condominium unit renovation. Taking into consideration the client's existing space and possessions, a renovation design was done to accommodate changes in their lifestyle since they moved in.

Project Details

Slimmers World Projects

Fri, 02 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Slimmers World

Alabang Branch

Renovation design of existing fitness facilities to accommodate growth and expansion.

Project Details

Slimmers World SM North EDSA Branch

Project Details

Slimmers World Robinsons Galleria Branch

Project Details

Slimmers World Tycoon Center Branch

Project Details

Gutierrez Grandvillas Residence

Thu, 01 Jan 1998 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural and Interior Design for a three-bedroom week-long home for a young family. The design maximizes the play of natural light in a modern structure while providing maximum passive cooling. The growth and development by the resident family was also kept in mind when the spaces were developed.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

Inner Harmony
Picture-Perfect Home

Morris Las Quintas Residence

Wed, 31 Dec 1997 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural and Interior Design for a three-bedroom weekend home for a young family. The design takes into consideration the picturesque location and panoramic views, while maximizing the potential for fresh air and natural lighting. Provisions were also made for the client's visiting friends and family that are part of their lifestyle.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Thought Through

A '50s Inspired Cabalen Opens At Robinsons Place

Sat, 29 Nov 1997 16:00:00 GMT

Philippine Star Sunday Life Section

November 30, 1997, pages L-1 to L-3

Architecture and interiors by Melinda P. Laudico

A 50s-inspired restaurant in a Nineties' shopping mall?

Hmmm. Such a cool idea can only come from someone like young and innovative restaurateur Maritel Nievera who keeps the dining public guessing what she's cooking up next.

Of course, we're talking about Maritel Nievera's new Cabalen Restaurant in Robinsons Place Manila, which has been the talk of the town since it opened last week.

Maritel, the beauty-and the brains-behind the successful Cabalen chain of restaurants, commissioned young and vibrant architect Melinda Minerva "Popi" Laudico to design the new Cabalen as a modern food haven perked up by the piquant flavor of the Fifties.

Why the Fifties? "Why not?" Popi counters. "The Fifties were the golden era of Manila, it was the time when Ermita was at its peak. When life was gentle and genteel."

Only 27, Popi feels she has lived in the '50s. "I grew up in the '50s house of my grandparents on Shaw, Mandaluyong," she waxes nostalgic. "I lived there until I was 12. I remember the grillwork on the walls and the granulitic floors."

Popi Laudico has been drawing houses since she was in Grade III. With a little push from her mom who raised her amid a very creative environment, Popi decided to take up architecture. She knew it was her line-her lifeline, to put it pat. Today, Popi looks up to such towering figures in the world of design as Frank Lloyd Wright who designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York and Norman Foster who did the almost perfectly feng-shuied Hong Kong Shanghai Bank in Hong Kong. She has no local idols only because there's not much literature you can read about local architects.

"I tend to idolize not so much the end product as what goes into its building," Popi beams. "This is my first high-end project. I'd done houses, office buildings and shops. I'd done fast-food outlets like Jollibee inside Makro in Cainta. Doing fast-foods is pretty cut and dried. What I enjoyed was that they let me do the mural. Now I'm doing the house of the owners of Jollibee and a store cum café in Glorietta."

Little did these creative soulmates - Maritel and Popi - dream that their paths would cross one day. Maritel herself was an interior designer before she turned to the fine art of cooking and put up her own restaurants. "I met Maritel through my mother," say Popi.

Popi's mother, Yolanda Perez Laudico runs the Soumak collections which is in the business of exporting high-end custom made home and office furniture, some of which have found their way into the homes of Hollywood celebrities.

Popi adds: "Maritel was looking for furniture for her house. No, she was not building a new restaurant at the time. She would come to my mom's office and would see me work, pa konti-konti. Most of the things in our shop you can't find anywhere else because I and my mom design them."

When Maritel and Popi sat down to discuss plans for the new Cabalen restaurant, Maritel told Popi she wanted a restaurant that people can easily identify with Cabalen, and yet distinct enough to separate it from the three other Cabalen restaurants, each one of which is a success in its own right: Cabalen West Avenue, Cabalen in SM Megamall on Ortigas and Cabalen in Glorietta, Ayala Center, Makati.

Says Popi: "You will notice that all Cabalen restaurants look alike, as if they were fashioned out of the same mold. They all exude feeling of a period in the history of the Philippines. For instance, Cabalen in SM Megamall depicts the Bahay ng Gobernador as designed by Pampanga-based artist Claude Tayag. The place echoes that time in Philippine history, from the furniture to the floor tiles that seem to have leaped out of the 30s. On the other hand, the Cabalen in Glorietta, Makati designed by young architect Reimon Gutierrez, has a modern Filipino ambiance. Maritel herself designed her first restaurant on West Avenue in Quezon City, which is her only stand-alone restaurant. So Maritel and I were saying that since this Cabalen is in Malate, Manila, why don't we take a period from Manila's history when it was booming?"

Popi fondly pictures the nifty Fifties: "By then, people were becoming modernized already. But they did not want to let go of the old elements. They embellished their homes with grillwork that was round, somewhat geometric. The grillwork I grew up with in my Lola's house is the same thing you'll see in the new Cabalen. Probably the only characteristic of the '50s we had a hard time duplicating here was the wood paneling. So you see, we did not just copy from the '50s; it had to be functional, too. After all, we were building a restaurant, not a house."

For the sake of authenticity, Popi asked her lola to share with her some tattered notes from the cherished era of the '50s. She showed me her old pictures as well as her old, dog-eared magazines," Popi relates. "There's more documentation on the '20s, '30s, '60s and '70s than on the '50s. Not much was preserved of that somewhat ambiguous period unlike perhaps the '20s to the '70s, which were defined. The '50s marked a kind of transition."

When you enter the new 130 to 140-seat Cabalen restaurant in Robinsons Place Manila, you get that glorious Fifties feeling. You walk on floor made of, hold your breath now Murano tiles-yes the same Italian source that produces Murano crystals. What catches the eye next is the impeccably riveting food counter made of black granite where you see stainless steel bowls resting on native nito rings.

"The bowls were designed and made by Popi's mother, Yola Perez," says Maritel. "They are surgical stainless and made especially for Cabalen. In the same way that our bowls in Cabalen, Glorietta were especially made by Lanelle Abueva from Pinatubo ceramic."

And the non-stop feasting continues as your eyes turn to the colorful mural by young UP artist Jet Melencio behind the buffet table. "Abstract art was in full bloom in the '50s," says Jet Melencio. "Abstraction was a mode of expression in the art of the '50s. In period dining rooms, there were plate collections with abstract designs."

For the new Cabalen in Robinsons Place Manila, Jet is dishing up 11 individually designed plates, mostly in the shades of orange. "It's a usual Pinoy practice to display plates inside glass cabinets in the dining area," Jet points out. "These plates are just for display and are hardly used. Now we're using the plates as part of an artwork."

It was Jet, along with two other artists, who did the 70-foot mural in the lobby of Evercrest in Batulao. Like Popi, Jet is a disciple of the minimalist, spare look.

No need to hang anything on the walls because they're made of glass. "We thought that old photos would just gather dust," says Popi. "So we opted for glass walls."

Now comes the most important part-the heart (or should we say the belly?) of the restaurant, "I was very particular, scrupulously exact when I designed the kitchen," says Popi. "Before I did it, I interviewed the entire kitchen staff, from the head cook to the one who chops. It's Maritel's smallest but she says it's her best planned kitchen so far. The flooring is made of non-skid ceramic tiles. It's very compact which is what a kitchen should be. At any one time, eight cooks can cook. Remember, everything is cooked fresh in this restaurant. Everything one needs is just an arm's reach away. Which makes the flow of traffic and time management efficient, resulting in less accidents."

The '50s-inspired wooden chairs and tables tastefully blend with the ambiance of the place. With the new Cabalen, Maritel aims to hit the A, B, C markets. "Everybody's welcome," she says with a smile.

It's certainly welcome news that the new Cabalen is offering the same old Cabalen favorites that Pinoy diners have queued up for over the years. For starters, to tickle the taste buds is the array of salads like burong mustasa salad, labanos salad, fermented rice with shrimp salad, mango and repolyo salad, ensaladang talbos ng kamote and ensaladang talong. Then you start picking up steam on side dishes like ginataang kuhol, crablets, pork kilawin Capampangan, and chicharon Guagua. With your taste buds now at full throttle, you move on to the main offerings: asadong dila ng baka, kalderetang baka, tapang kalabaw, kare-kare, bopis, Cabalen morcon stuffed with pork and beans, chicken hamonado, adobong wild duck, adobong snipes, inihaw na hito with fermented rice, inihaw na gindara, rellenong bangus, tiyang ng bangus steak, ginataang alimango and aligue sugpo, among many others. You cap your affair with good old fashioned Pampango home cooking by giving in to sweet temptations like ginataang halo-halo, halayang ube, tibok-tibok kalamay and buko pandan salad. "Oh yes, we're offering in the new Cabalen our eat-all-you-can buffet for the same price of P198," says Maritel.

As if you hadn't had enough, there are goodies for taking home at the Pinoy Deli, a staple of Cabalen restaurants that carries a hearty mix of Pampango goodies from Cabalen taba ng talangka to sugar cane vinegar to pastries and sweets and Cabalen native chocolate.

Surely, the Fifties never tasted this good!

Featured Project:

Cabalen Robinsons Place Manila Branch

Even The French Love Pampango Cuisine

Thu, 20 Nov 1997 16:00:00 GMT

Manila Bulletin Life & Leisure

November 21, 1997

architecture and interiors by Melinda P. Laudico

Think about food that whets the appetite and stirs the imagination and you think 'Pampanga'.

From this province comes such exotic dishes originating from the richness of its fields and waters. Lahar may have buried many of its historic landmarks but the century-old food recipes of Pampanga remain the province's source of pride.

One of the well-known purveyors of Pampanga cuisine is Maritel Nievera, whose Cabalen chain of restaurants brings to Metro Manilans exotic Pampanga fare such as adobong camaru (rice field crickets), batute (stuffed frog), adobong snipes tapang usa (dried venison), adobong wild duck, adobong ugo, tapang kalaaw, sizzling sisig and inihaw na hito with burong isda sa mustasa.

In 1983, Maritel opened her first eatery along the Gapan-Olongapo road in what is considered the regional center of Northern Luzon-San Fernando, Pampanga. Called "Ituro Mo, Iluto Ko", her restaurant became a favorite food stop of motorists seeking a "taste of Capampangan cuisine".

Maritel then decided to bring Pampanga cuisine to Metro Manila by opening Cabalen Restaurant-first at West Avenue in Quezon City, then at SM Megamall in Ortigas Center, followed by Cabalen at the Glorietta in Makati and now Robinsons Place in Ermita.

Like the first three restaurants, the newly opened Cabalen at Robinsons Place offers authentic Pampanga cuisine, served in a quaint '50s setting.

"Cabalen at Robinsons Place Ermita was designed by UP architect Popi Laudico to evoke that old Cabalen feel, but with a '50s twist," Maritel elaborates as she explained that each Cabalen resto is reminiscent of a specific period in Philippine history.

To enable Metro Manilans to savor as many exotic Pampanga dishes possible in one meal, Cabalen offers a P198 eat-all-you-can, eat-all-you-want buffet where one can dig into dishes like sinigang na ulang, kare-kare, rellenong bangus, kaldereta, bistek tiyan ng bangus, ginataang hipon, chicharon from Guagua. Desserts include halo-halo, bibingkang malagkit with latik, buco pandan and cassava cake.

A Pinoy Deli counter, inside every Cabalen restaurant, sells delicacies from all over the country such as variations of longganisa, vinegar, bagoong, pickled fruits, fish and vegetables and kakanin sweets such as pili from Bicol, durian from Davao and pastillas from Bulacan.

What is amazing is that Pamapanga's exotic dishes appeal not only to Filipinos. Regular Cabalen diners include expats, particularly the French.

Maritel notes - "They probably see an affinity between Pampanga and French cuisine - after all, don't the two cuisines boast of stuffed frogs and delicate snipes and quails, not to mention escargot for appetizers?"

Featured Project:

Cabalen Robinsons Place Manila Branch

Saka Mo - '50s Inspired Cabalen Opens At Robinsons Place

Mon, 27 Jan 1997 16:00:00 GMT

Women's Home Companion

January 28, 1997

architecture and interiors by Melinda P. Laudico

Cabalen Restaurant brings its famed Pampango home cooking to Manilans in a 1950's-inspired setting, which opened recently at Robinsons Place in Ermita, Manila.

The 130-seat new Cabalen located on the 2/F, Robinsons Place, is designed by UP-trained architect Popi Laudico who drew her inspirations from the 50's.

Laudico made use of '50s-inspired geometric grillwork, minimalist wooden finish and Murano floor tiles. She also designed a very compact kitchen.

The new Cabalen certainly veers away from the predictably ethnic look of many native restaurants. It has very Filipino touches but with a very '90s global ambiance of modernity.

"It has that old Cabalen feel but this time, there's a 50s twist," says Maritel Nievera, Cabalen president. "But like all other Cabalens, it is reminiscent of a period in the history of the Philippines. For instance, Cabalen in SM Megamall, designed by Claude Tayag, is inspired by the Bahay ng Gobernador. The Cabalen at the Quad in Makati, done by Reimon Gutierrez, is modern Pinoy, while Cabalen on West Avenue in Quezon City is classic Pinoy.

As a backdrop for the buffet table, UP artist Jet Melencio designed a mural that incorporates elements of the 50s when abstract art was in full bloom. This will carry individually designed plates that are conversation pieces in themselves.

The bowls for the buffet table were especially designed for Cabalen by Yola Laudico of Soumak Collections.

"With the new Cabalen, we hope to hit the A to C market. We will offer our eat-all-you-can buffet for the same price at P198," stresses Maritel whose buffet offerings include Pampango delicacies such as sizzling sisig, camaru (rice field crickets), sinigang na ulang, adobong snipes, tapang usa, crispy pata, inihaw na hito with burong isda sa mustasa, kare-kare, kaldereta, bopis, batute (fried frog), chicharon Guagua, bistek na tiyan ng bangus, dinuguan, ginataang hipon, paksiw na bangus, lumpiang sariwa, ginataang kuhol, nilasing na hipon, among others.

The dessert buffet spread includes halo-halo, halayang ube, tibok-tibok, maja blanca, palitaw, ginataang halo-halo, leche flan, buco pandan, pandan cake, bibingkang malagkit and fresh fruits.

Nievera also runs a chain of Pinoy deli outlets offering practically all the food offerings from sweets to biscuits, to all kinds of vinegar, bagoong, and longganiza from all over the Philippines.

Featured Project:

Cabalen Robinsons Place Manila Branch

Cabalen Robinsons Place Manila Branch

Wed, 01 Jan 1997 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a Filipino restaurant featuring a modern take on the local 1950's flavor of architectural home designs. The design features a fixed buffet table with specialized features and settings.

Project Details

Feature Articles:

MRT Corporation President's Residence

Tue, 31 Dec 1996 16:00:00 GMT

Furnishing a three-bedroom condominium unit for an expat executive to be based in Manila. While offering all the other amenities for comfortable living, the design was taken a step further. Rather than providing generic accommodations, a distinctly Filipino flavor was injected with a lot of custom designed furniture and accessories. The resident executive's personality and taste also determined the selection of the furniture pieces.

Project Details

Autosport Shop Projects

Tue, 02 Jan 1996 16:00:00 GMT

Autosport Shop SM Megamall Branch

Renovation of an existing store specializing in high-end car accessories. Design provides an image of quality products in a "car shop" ambiance. The store also features a listening room for automobile sound systems that the client imports exclusively.

Project Details

Perfect Circle Display

Design of modular display systems that can be used in exhibitions.

Autosport Shop Honda Dealership Branch

Design of modular display systems that can be incorporated in a car dealership showroom floor.

Autosport Shop Mazda Dealership Branch

Design of modular display systems that can be incorporated in a car dealership showroom floor.

Pre-Feasibility Study of a Mixed-Use Development Project in Kawit, Cavite

Mon, 01 Jan 1996 16:00:00 GMT

The Master's Butcher Meatshop

Sun, 31 Dec 1995 16:00:00 GMT

Design of a meat shop. Lay-out and coordination of owner supplied equipment and accessories formed the main design features.

Project Details

Clark Development Corporation VIP House

Tue, 03 Jan 1995 16:00:00 GMT

In conjunction with a local furniture supplier, the project entailed furniture lay-out designs for an existing house unit to serve as housing for visiting government guests.

Project Details

Display Logic Trafalgar Plaza Office

Mon, 02 Jan 1995 16:00:00 GMT

Design for office and display areas featuring the company's main product line, this being exhibit display systems. Efficient personnel space planning and warehouse-type storage had to be considered to accommodate the company's extensive requirements.

Project Details

Hinrichs Forbes Park Residence

Sun, 01 Jan 1995 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural and Interior design proposals for a home to serve as a base in Manila for a couple normally based in Hong Kong. In the design, taken into consideration were the client's jet-set lifestyle and the need for entertaining in their home.

Project Details

Johnson Las Quintas Residence

Sat, 31 Dec 1994 16:00:00 GMT

Architectural and Interior design for a split-level vacation house for a couple. The design takes into consideration the picturesque location and panoramic views, as well as the unique tastes and lifestyle of the client. The design maximizes the circulation of fresh air and natural light.

Project Details

Neutral Order

Wed, 31 Aug 1994 16:00:00 GMT

Mega Magazine

September 1994, pages 84-86

By Annie Z. Nisce

Photographed by Philip Escudero

Architecture and interiors by Melinda P. Laudico

When you've got an artist for a client and she happens to be your own mother, this could easily mean handling a real time bomb. Luckily, young architect Melinda "Popi" Laudico turns out to be spunkier than mama ever was. Close dealings with real explosive egos of the celebrity kind while working with Cuban interior and furniture designer Waldo Fernandez in LA has toughened her up for future jobs. And Popi literally ended up with the office floor - not to mention the walls and the ceilings - all to herself.

Everything in MASTABA, Inc., an architectural and interior design company that exports home accessories, is a work of art. That's about all Popi's proud mom could say. The office's collection of artworks by Alfredo Liongoren, Roberto Chabet, Gerry Tan and Constancio Bernardo obviously are; but with the meeting of two generations of creative minds - mom's personal and professional requirements seen through a daughter's eyes - function suddenly takes on an aesthetic twist.

"White is versatile, flexible," begins Popi. "It's the best color to show off your products. And besides, if the company will come up with new items, then all we have to do is replace the old products with new ones. The space still works."

No first timer can tell the real office accessories from the display samples. And no one's saying unless you ask. The clean and orderly space allows a harmonious display of select accessories. And the choice of finish and wall fixtures cleverly matches the basic Filipino flavor of the export items on display. One is pleasantly free of the cramped, commercial feeling that standard showrooms usually give.

"I like natural materials," says Popi, referring to the office's capiz doors, old wood tables in natural finish and rattan accents. "But I take elements from these materials and then place them out of the usual context. I don't usually like defining my design style, but I would say it's a fresh, contemporary approach to available materials." One look at those cleverly rigged katsa (canvas) curtains and decorative woven rattan covering the air vents, and I can't help but agree.

Featured Project:

Mastaba / Fibex Office Renovation

Encanto Vista de Loro Residence

Sun, 02 Jan 1994 16:00:00 GMT

Interior design for an existing two-bedroom townhouse to be used as a vacation home for the family. The challenge was to provide comfort with easy maintenance for such a small area. To accommodate three maturing daughters in one 12 sq. meter bedroom, two custom-made bunk beds were joined by a raised platform that could be used as a sleeping or "hanging-out" area. This proved to be a favorite room for the family.

Project Details

PRSP & IEDC

Sat, 01 Jan 1994 16:00:00 GMT

Pimentel, Rodriguez, Simbulan and Partners Interior Exterior Design Consultant

10th Floor, Athenaeum Building,

106 Alfaro Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City

Work Experience 1994 to 1996

Worked as a project architect responsible for coordination of architecture and interior designs and drawings with corresponding engineering and construction trades.

PLDT Center

Madrigal Business Park Office Building

Equitable Bank Tower

Citibank Tower

Renaissance Tower

Renaissance 2000

SM-KS Tower

Paragon Plaza

6811 Ayala Avenue

For the same company, the following projects were also commissioned:

Anta Educational Therapy Center

Licuanan Residence

Wise & Company Headquarters Building

PRSP, IEDC & IDS Office

Hinrichs Residence

Magallanes Commercial Center Redevelopment

Architecture Research for Built Environment

Fri, 31 Dec 1993 16:00:00 GMT

University of the Philippines, College of Architecture,

Melchor Hall, Diliman, Quezon City

Work Experience 1994

Worked as a research assistant for university projects:

University of the Philippines Integrated School Relocation Plans
Diliman, Quezon City
University of the Philippines Shopping Center Relocation Plans
Diliman, Quezon City

Mastaba / Fibex Office Renovation

Thu, 31 Dec 1992 16:00:00 GMT

Renovation design for a former residential and office unit that was merged into one space functioning as an office for two companies. Design features individual spaces for both companies alongside common areas that they share, as well as providing spaces for each company's unique storage requirements.

Project Details

Feature Article:

Neutral Order

Waldo's Design

Tue, 31 Dec 1991 16:00:00 GMT

620 North Almont Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Work Experience from 1992 to 1993

Worked in the architectural department of a design firm as job captain to mostly high-end residential and office projects. Responsibilities included design, drafting, site inspection, and coordination with clients, contractors, and suppliers.

Carol Little Residence
Blueridge Drive, Beverly Hills, California
Leonard Rabinowitz Residence
Beverly Grove Place, Beverly Hills, California
Lyn Konheim Residence
North Alpine Drive, Beverly Hills, California
George Konheim Residence
South Olive, Los Angeles, California
Cinema Line Additional offices
South Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California
Elizabeth Taylor Residence
Beverly Hills, California
Mark Booth Residence
Adelaide Drive, Santa Monica, California
Rick Caruso Residence
Mapleton Drive, Los Angeles, California
Peter Neuwirth Residence
Ptarmigan Ranch, Telluride, Colorado
Shaul Gafni Residence
North Bundy Drive, Brentwood, California
Melvin Peters Residence
North Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, California

Laudico Quezon City Residence Renovation

Sat, 31 Dec 1988 16:00:00 GMT

Design of an extension to an existing residence to provide an additional entertainment area as well as a bedroom and bath. Space features the maximum use of passive cooling and natural lighting by providing "walls" that breathe and allows even the rain to enter until the pocket gardens along the perimeter.

Project Details