In Philippine mythology, Aman Sinaya is the revered goddess of the sea, wielding her power over the ocean and its inhabitants. This deity, therefore, serves as a fitting inspiration for the name of a sustainable beachfront home on the island of Mindanao known for its rollicking waves and white-sand beaches. Like a goddess facing the Pacific Ocean, the house stands tall, yet it remains true to Philippine vernacular architecture with its bamboo construction and grass roof.
The story of the house is intertwined with the personal journeys of its owners who were born to European fathers and Filipina mothers. They spent their formative years in Europe and the Philippines and traveled extensively before returning to their hometown to start a family. Explaining their decision to live in Mindanao, they say, “Our role as parents is to connect our children to nature as much as possible.”
The couple were keen to use natural materials to build their home, but as dedicated environmentalists who run a foundation that aids reforestation efforts in Mindanao, they were wary of sourcing wood from unverified suppliers. “We didn’t want to use materials that were counterproductive to what we were representing.” Eventually, the couple decided on bamboo as the main building material for the home. Its fast-growing nature and tough fibers make the grass an excellent choice for a sustainable construction material.
They traveled to different parts of Mindanao to source the bamboo. “We learnt how to harvest, to source bamboo, to find the farms that would sell us their bamboo, and to test it.” All in all, five different kinds of bamboo were used to build the house. Before bamboo can be used for construction it must undergo a treatment process to protect it from pests and decay.
The flow of the open kitchen and conversation pit creates a convivial and relaxed atmosphere that reflects the informal style of entertaining that the couple prefer. Aman Sinaya features an elevated structure where the main living area is raised above ground. “The feeling of being elevated gives you a grander view than being on the ground…it feels like you are walking between the trees.”
From the first floor upward, bamboo serves as the primary building material, forming the core framework and supporting the expansive roof. The couple estimate that building with bamboo cut their cement use by 60 per cent compared with traditional construction methods.
The house showcases various applications of bamboo design—from thin bamboo slats that are compressed to form the staircase steps, to the “skeleton” bamboo banisters. In the master bath, thin Japanese bamboo poles are placed as a ceiling accent.
The kitchen, living and dining spaces are on the second floor. A double-height entertainment and dining area has sweeping views of the ocean and treetops below, as well as the bamboo support beams and roof above. A Balinese door anchors the space with the drama it deserves. The great room certainly takes advantage of its spectacular setting.
“We wanted it to be a free-flowing house. We want to be able to see up and down and let nature come in”.
Wandering through the house is a tactile experience, inviting guests to touch and feel the different textures, nuances and imperfections that come with designing with natural materials. In the primary bedroom, a delicate leaf-motif screen by elegantly conceals the wooden Balinese bathtub from view. A sculptural rattan furniture set made by Locsin is an interesting focal point in the sitting area that faces the pool and ocean view. A hand-carved marble sink takes pride of place in the powder room.
“At the moment, it is the biggest residential bamboo house in the Philippines. I am proud of how daring we were to build this.” They hope that her home inspires others in Mindanao to build sustainably. “We wanted to highlight how beautiful it is to use native, indigenous, organic materials that belong to the area.” Their construction workers are now converts to bamboo as a building material. “Our workers are so trusting of their own work and so they are now all building their own bamboo houses,” she says.
The benefits of building with bamboo are most evident on a hot summer’s day, when the natural materials help to shield the family from the worst of the heat. “We appreciate the house because [the bamboo] is cool, on a hot day, everyone wants to be inside the house.” The fact that the house survived a 7.5 magnitude earthquake a year ago is another testament to the resilience of bamboo as a building material.
Their journey in building Aman Sinaya was by no means easy. The challenges of the pandemic and the steep learning curve of working with bamboo stretched the project to over four years to complete. But Aman Sinaya was well worth the wait.
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