Living in the metro is often synonymous with the inescapable noise of bustling cities and the poor air quality caused by pollution. With increased remote work opportunities following the pandemic, many are prioritizing a more comfortable life with their families, seeking homes with a serene and peaceful ambiance.
As a response to this growing need for a sanctuary, developer HOOGAH. Homes has announced the creation of Brook House, a structure merging the Scandinavian concept of hygge which pertains to coziness and comfort with the Filipino quality of maaliwalas.
Imbibing the two concepts, the Brook House will feature a home with comfortability and serenity in mind at the Barrington Place Town & Country Estates in Antipolo City.
The Brook House serves as the inaugural project of HOOGAH. Homes, which was established and co-founded by Nikki Boncan-Buensalido as well as Thess Palomo Marquez in partnership with Barchan + Architecture, the project’s designer, and Evermount Construction Corporation, its builder.
In an interview with Manila Standard Life, Barchan + Architecture Principal Chief Architect and Chief Design Ambassador Jason Buensalido said that what made Brook House unique was the way it combined both Scandinavian and Filipino qualities into one structure.
“Sa office namin we really believe in what we call… cross-polinatory design. So yes, we are in architecture pero what if we ask a musician to design a house? What will it look like? What if we ask an artist to design a house?… the cross-pollination idea is a practice that we do in the design office and therefore, the creation of this particular product [is the] cross-pollination of Scandinavian qualities and the Filipino qualities,” said Buensalido.
Filled with big spaces to comfortably accommodate families, the Brook House will have four bedrooms with balconies, five bathrooms, a family hall, a multipurpose room, and a garden. Its design maximizes open spaces which provides a cool and refreshing breeze as well as access to the stunning views of Antipolo, while also being close to areas such as hospitals, malls, and schools.
The idea behind the home was born from an encounter the Buensalidos’ had while traveling in Europe.
“We were observing how people lived like you know, sometimes you can somewhat say ‘anong meron sa kanila? What do we see in them that makes them have [a] higher regard for the quality of living?” said Nikki, noting that Denmark and Sweden were one of the countries that scored the highest on the quality of life and happiness index which made them wonder why.
“We were looking around and … there were a lot of magnets that said [hygge]… this Danish person said it’s like a philosophy that they developed over time… it’s a concept that they train their children, the next generations, that there is such a thing as a quality of life and you have to fight for that and you have to enjoy it because it’s a right that’s given to the citizens,” added Nikki.
President and CEO of Evermount Construction Corporation Mike Marquez said that the Brook House is set to start construction by May 2024 and its target completion date will be in April 2025.