Bent Space

Buck Sia takes simple massing out for a spin in a residence that constantly surprises its owner.

- Angel Yulo

In the evening, the house is a lantern illuminating the surrounding area. You may not see the verdant landscaping but the garden uplights throw lush leaf-shaped shadows to mingle with sharp edges. A thread of light running from one corner of the garage ceiling to the front door directs guests to enter and compels passers-by to gaze at the Distorted Box House by Zubu Design Associates.

The two-storey residence in Filinvest, Quezon City, is a part of a series exploring the distortion of pure masses. “The intent was for the architecture to affect the experience and movement of people,” Zubu principal Buck Sia tells us. Picture a rectangular prism bisected horizontally giving you two floors of the same shape. Then the form lying on top is bent, “distorted” the architect says, as if on an axis. The void created by the difference of angles was an opportunity for meaningful space—a connection of top and lower floor. It allowed a seven-meter-high living room and a secondfloor hallway open to below.