The Homes of Zee

This Asian-Inspired Home Designed by Ed Gallego is a Stunner

Architect Ed Gallego helps realize the dream home of Joseph and Cora Gandionco through a heavily Asian-inspired design.

This story is taken from our archives. Originally published in Inside Cebu.

Deciding to build their dream home, Joseph and Cora Gandionco harked back to a vacation they had in Phuket years ago for inspiration. That experience had left an indelible impression on them.

They decided they wanted an Asian-inspired home—something open, minimalist in design, and a place where their family could grow in a relaxed but secure atmosphere. Having four children and preferring the indoor/outdoor lifestyle, they wanted a layout that would allow the family to be within hearing or seeing distance from each other most of the time.

With the help of Architect Ed Gallego, they realized their concept. The result is a house that has a resort feel with water features playing a prominent role in the building complex. The cooling and calming element is found in the garden ponds and the infinity pool overlooking the city.

The Gandioncos being keen collectors of Filipino art and antique furniture, paintings by Filipino masters and artists adorn the walls throughout the house. “I patronize Filipino artists,” Cora Gandionco says. “My preferences are the modernists, especially Mauro Malang Santos, Federico Alcuaz, and Marcel Antonio.”

Additionally, sculptures and furnishings purchased during their extensive Southeast Asian travels can be seen in every room. A close friend, the late Sandy Deen, also contributed some unusual artifacts from Tibet and China.

When it comes to entertaining, the house provides many venues. The glass-encased dining pavilion, strongly Bali-inspired, makes an exotic setting for a sumptuous dinner. On moonlit nights tables are set up in the garden for the cocktail hour. Together with the pool area, these are places most preferred for the gathering of friends.

The master’s suite is a lesson in minimalism: the clean, crisp lines of the furnishings, the spaciousness of the room, the outdoor bathtub and shower area—all redolent of their Balinese experience.

The couple has found a completely new environment in a vibrant and modern home.

DETAILS
The couple chose Ed Gallego as the architect because his design ideas were in sync with their vision of how their house should look like. The resort feel of the house is achieved with free-flowing spaces, the ambient use of natural lighting, and water just about everywhere.

Related Topics:Beautiful Homes in Cebu cora gandionco Ed Gallego Homes Inside Cebu joseph gandionco

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IDr. Christa M. Cañizares, piid
Founding Member, Philippine Institute of Interior Designers – Cebu Chapter
Principal Designer, CMC Interior Design
Specializes in residential and commercial design.
A homebody and renovation aficionado.

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