A couple declutters their lives and transforms their ?80s bungalow into a modern, spacious retreat
THE SILENCE OF EMPTY space speaks volumes. About what might be. Or could be. What might have been, and could still be. Rather than suggest space waiting to be filled, emptiness implies limitless possibilities, the promise of things to come.

Perhaps that is why the minimalist modern design has such potent appeal to the young: their life histories have yet to be played out.

Paradoxically, as in the case of the owners of this house, the attraction of spatial emptiness lies precisely in another quality of that same silence?the silence of serenity, compatible with the winding down of life?s major battles and challenges, and the calmer horizons of retirement years.

Not that opting for a minimalist modern home is without its share of wrenching challenges, chief among which is the detachment and uncompromising discipline required in letting go of cherished objects from the past.

When the owners of this house (names withheld upon request) purchased the early-?80s bungalow from its former owner, they had arrived at that point of quiet, if reluctant, detachment.

?We agreed that it was time to un-clutter our life and let go of treasured mementos amassed over the years, such as antique objects and pieces of furniture, and retain only two ?relics??ourselves,? recounted the wife.

Actually, the couple kept more than a few ?relics.? These included a number of blue and white porcelain, some celadon pieces, and a handful of santo figures, including a large St. Michael statue which stands guard over the house, sword poised to strike and looming large at the far end of a corridor linking the bedrooms, directly facing the entrance door.

There are also masses and masses of books, threatening to disrupt the minimalist concept. ?What on earth do you expect to do with all those books?? wondered the contractor.

Closer inspection

At first glance, it would appear that the old house had been totally demolished to make way for the new structure.

On closer inspection, however, the original building was disclosed to have been totally gutted; the basic footprint and most of the walls had been retained but reconfigured and adjusted in spots, to maximize space and strengthen specific areas, both visually and structurally.

Surrounded by a well-kept garden, the original house consisted of three bedrooms, a foyer, main and secondary living areas, dining room, and kitchen, all enclosed and separated by partitions and walls, cutting the line of vision and reducing space perception. Stucco finish, grills, and a gabled entrance gave off an air of the past, propped up by ivy-covered walls.

Purchased by the original owner from a build-and-sell developer, the house showed numerous structural defects in the course of renovation. Sections of the living area and master bedroom flooring were found to have collapsed, due either to ground subsidence, poor foundation, or the failure of the developer to properly compact the earth during construction. As a result, floor levels were uneven, higher in the kitchen and living/dining areas, and tapering down in the private bedroom space.

The maid?s room, accessed via a short flight of steps from the kitchen and located above the garage, extended to the firewall in violation of the district?s building code.

Out front, a gabled roof defined the entry, with a short flight of rather steep steps leading up to ornately carved, arched double doors, which were especially crafted for the former homeowner in Betis, Pampanga. Inside, at one end of the auxiliary living area, was a massive glass and iron grill door that opened out to the lanai, or back porch and lawn.

Given these basic parameters, the architect and new homeowners collaborated on a scheme to maximize the layout while opening up and updating the character and quality of the existing space.

Until he undertook the project, the architect was partial to more traditional styles. This was his first major sortie into minimalist modern. And, even as the renovation progressed and the house began to take shape, the aesthetics behind straight lines and unadorned spaces escaped the contractor.

Armed with books, magazines and clippings of the type of structure and interiors they had in mind, the new homeowners presented a clear design brief. They specified black granite floors, simple straight lines, lots of glass, and a minimalist palette of black and white. Themselves late and gradual converts to modern minimalism, the couple already had in their possession a Le Corbusier chaise lounge and pair of Marcel Breuer armchairs. These formed the basis for their choice of other interior furnishings and fittings for the house.

Structurally, walls separating the different areas of the public space-mini foyer, main/secondary living areas and dining room were demolished to enlarge and open up space.

Glass windows

Grilled windows were replaced with stretches of clear glass, and a large fishpond was added, extending the line of sight to the exterior wall.

To conform to village building regulations, an attic was created to house a new maid?s room and storeroom above the kitchen and dining area, accessed via a stairway from the garage outside.

Replacement of substandard ties and additional beams and posts reinforced the structural integrity of the house.

In the private areas, the unobstructed flow of space in the hallway was maintained by recessing a display shelf-cum-bookcase into the adjoining guest room.

The short corridor, from which the three bedrooms radiate, also serves as a mini-gallery for a display of the homeowners? collection of paintings and remaining artifacts.

All three bedrooms open out into small pocket gardens around the house. Instead of standard doors, the architect specified doors and jambs rising to a height of 800 cm (2.4 meters), a high-impact device that visually underscores the stark simplicity of the unadorned white walls.

Outside, the exterior walls were stripped of their original stucco finish and resurfaced as smooth concrete. A section of the original bougainvillea fence was demolished, and the front portion replaced with concrete and steel bars, all done in white, to conform to the modern style of the house.

One structural element posed a major challenge to the architect, contractor, and homeowners?the gabled roof above the front door, a detail totally incompatible with the new modern look of the rest of the house.

The architect?s solution was to demolish the structure and replace it with two side-by-side, low, squared columns set at right angles to one another, creating volume when juxtaposed against the adjoining new attic.

Construction work was originally estimated to last two to three months. It took twice that time. But it was time well-spent, and made converts of both the architect and contractor.

Reprinted from Cocoon Magazine February-April 2010 issue