- Jan 27, 2023
- 4 min read

PONT Studio: Creative Solutions and Responsible Architecture

Any well-made architectural project’s journey is as intricate as its product. This is what Ar. Jonas Pacifico, Principal Architect of PONT Architectural and Design Studio, brings to the table not just quality products but also a streamlined process to guide him and his team.

Established in 2014, PONT Architectural and Design Studio is a solution-driven team of creative individuals committed to providing sensitive Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design, and Ludic Art Installations. The firm has since expanded and evolved, responding to multi-disciplinary creative demands which is why they make it a point to deliver empathetic designs.

The Quartet

The usual challenge for architects, especially during collaborations, is the system. To address it, PONT Studio developed its own design process - The Quartet, to clearly define the different stages of design to serve as the backbone of their processes.

This allows them to easily streamline the tasks that must be accomplished, whether collaborators will hop in at any stage of the project. The system ensures that designers sequentially approach the different stages and determine the objectives of the design process. This process aims to achieve a consistent, appropriate, and excellent user experience output.

The Quartet process begins with empathizing with the needs of the client, then comes the design stage, next follows with collaboration, which finally ends with the execution of the project while following the ethics and principles of architecture.

This model can be followed whether for residential or commercial projects.

Amber Hotel

Other than its corner infinity pool, Amber Hotel’s most prominent feature is its façade.

The facade was designed with a few things in mind - with the client specifically requesting to not have a full-glass facade being one of them. Typically, the response would be to install glass windows horizontally to achieve a non-full-glass facade.

Though it has a lot area of only 566 sq. meters and a construction floor area of 6,645 sq. meters, the building is still noticeable since it sits on a corner lot and fronting a prominent road - Osmena Boulevard, Cebu.

The Facade was meticulously planned to take advantage of the visibility from the outside and to maximize the street view from the inside to further enhance the experience of the hotel guests.

The design approach was to vertically expand the height of the windows compared to a typical window height to allow better vistas and more natural light to come in and at the same time, form panels to conceal the A/C units while providing a distinctive facade to the building.

Besides addressing the natural lighting and air conditioning issues, the aptly distanced vertical panels also provide a marker for the hotel rooms’ dimensions. At 18 sq. meters for standard rooms and 54 sq. meters for loft units, the hotel rooms’ shape utilizes the hotel’s narrow build.

Another unique design feature that the hotel has is it has rooms that are connected vertically instead of horizontally, making Amber Hotel the first hotel in Cebu to offer loft units.

“There’s a line between pragmatic and being artistic. I want to emphasize that architecture is the merging of both. If you want to be purely creative and artistic, just be an artist. Architecture is a response to a certain context or challenge. Being responsible creatives is our stance as designers."

MLS-DOS

On the residential side, all the design elements of the MLS DOS residential building are responses to specific challenges posed by the client. As the clients are already in their golden years, different accommodations need to be implemented for the home.

The property covers a lot area of 450 sq. meters and a floor area of 925 sq. meters.

On the second floor where the master’s bedroom sits, an adaptable room sits directly underneath it as the guest room. The guest room is well-equipped to replicate the master’s bedroom layout and specification, from outlets to data points, giving the client the option to readily transfer if moving up the second floor becomes a difficulty.

As avid travelers, the clients also found the need to reinforce security and privacy in their home – where the façade is lined with louvers not only to secure the home’s entry points but to obscure the view from the outdoors as well.

Through responsible creativity, PONT studio is a strong advocate of appropriate and progressive design which pursue the merging of functionality and beauty, deeply rootedin the historical traditions of the Vitruvian Triad - "Utilitas, Firmitas, Venustas."

As Ar. Jonas puts it, “Architecture is not always a visual practice; it’s something that the end user can feel.”

For this reason, PONT Studio’s projects have a strong foundation for providing creative solutions that start and end with responsible architecture.

"Our design is an expression of our response to each unique characteristic of our clients and the contexts they inhabit. We focus on creating poetic & functional spaces and pieces that engage and complement such lifestyles. That is the aesthetic identity that our work has spoken and will speak of us through time.” – Ar. Jonas

For more information about PONT Studio, you may find them here:

Address: 201 AMP Bldg., Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Lahug, Cebu City

TeleFax: (032) 417 1086

Email: design@pont.ph

Website: www.pont.ph

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