Overview
This was our second time building the Sophia home, and for this project, the owner requested a few tweaks to make the receiving area feel warmer and more welcoming for visitors. Sophia is a modern two-story house with a 109 sqm floor area and an additional 46 sqm of auxiliary space. While it normally fits on a 95 sqm lot, the owner chose a spacious 190 sqm property to leave room for landscaping and greenery, giving the home plenty of breathing space.
Inside, the layout includes four bedrooms, a comfortable living area, dining space, a kitchen with granite countertops and built-in cabinets, three bathrooms, a lanai, balcony, paved carport, and a service area. The master’s bedroom in this build is also larger than the standard layout, adding an extra touch of comfort and privacy.
Challenge
For this project, the owner chose to keep the firewall in its original spot on the floor plan, which is on the left side of the house. Because the property sits close to the beach, this decision has a trade-off: the wall blocks a portion of the sea breeze, making the home a bit warmer during the summer. But there’s a flip side. That same firewall also shields the house from strong winds and rainbands during the rainy season, giving the owner extra protection when the weather turns rough.
Construction began on the leftmost edge of the lot, with a full fence and gate surrounding the whole property. The owner wanted a clean, modern gray theme for both the exterior and interior, but what seemed like a simple choice turned into a series of trial-and-error moments just to get the perfect shade. The paint had to match the tiles, too, which required even more tweaking to get everything just right. The house was financed through progress billing, and a slight delay in funds led to a fresh repaint, done intentionally to maintain that crisp, brand-new look.
Here are clear, concise bullet points highlighting the challenges faced in the project:
- The firewall’s position on the left side reduced natural sea breeze, making the home warmer during summer.
- Being near the beach meant dealing with strong winds and rainbands during the rainy season.
- Achieving the exact shade of gray required multiple rounds of color testing and adjustments.
- Matching the paint color with the tiles added another layer of trial and error.
- A slight delay in progress-billing funds caused schedule adjustments and required repainting to maintain a brand-new finish.
Solution
We decided early on to waterproof the entire exterior of the house, including both sides of the firewall, to make sure it could stand up to heavy rain and seaside weather. For the gray color scheme, we teamed up closely with our master painter, testing mixes, comparing tones, and choosing the right walls to highlight so the shade would look clean, modern, and consistent throughout the home.
The project was supervised by our licensed engineer, who made sure every step was executed correctly. And the moment the remaining funds were released, we mobilized our full crew on-site to finish the build without losing momentum. The goal was simple: deliver a home the owners could finally settle into comfortably, a house that wasn’t just finished, but felt like the dream space they had imagined from the start.
Testimonial
“We are truly happy and satisfied with the work done by Anota Real Estate Developer in creating our dream home. The entire process of building our home was smooth because of their creativity, style, attention to detail, professionalism, and commitment to quality. The result is not just a house that we dream of as a couple but a masterpiece that exceeds all our expectations. Every aspect was handled meticulously, from the design phase to the finishing touches that turned our dream house into reality. We highly recommend Anota Real Estate Developer to anyone seeking to craft a beautiful and elegant home.” — A&S Bibal
