VILLA BOE

KIE

• Architects

Villa Boë is positioned at the top of Tampah Hills, on one of the highest and steepest lots of the development. The terrain itself informed much of the design — its steepness encouraged a vertical stacking of functions and created the opportunity to build something that feels more like land art than a traditional house.
The structure unfolds over several levels, adapting to the contours of the hillside. At the base, the garage and main entrance are tucked in. From there, the house opens up to the communal areas — kitchen, living, dining — all connected by a series of steps and platforms that lead further up to the more private quarters: two distinct sleeping wings, each designed for a family. At the very top, a circular yoga and contemplation platform looks out over the surrounding hills and ocean — a quiet place to pause and take in the horizon.

The floor plan is built around a system of concentric circles and radial segments, all oriented around the natural hilltop. This geometry defines how the roofs open up and how the various volumes are positioned in relation to each other. The house reads less as a stacked mass and more as a continuous, terraced landscape.
Rather than trying to make the building disappear, we focused on how it could speak a clear but humble language — one that acknowledges the vastness of the site while remaining grounded and composed.

The indoor–outdoor relationship is central to how the building works. The pool, for example, isn’t just a separate feature but part of the overall living landscape. It flows from the inside out, broken up by level shifts and soft transitions.

Materials were kept restrained — teak wood for ceilings and soffits, off-white walls, and white Palimanan stone underfoot. These elements help tie the building back to the climate and natural surroundings without trying too hard.

Some of the roof gestures may recall the influence of mid-century architecture — especially John Lautner’s way of shaping views and embedding structures in their environment. In that sense, architecture becomes a frame through which the landscape is experienced, rather than a form that tries to dominate it.
Designing Villa Boë was about creating a structure that is both expressive and respectful. It stands at a visible point in the landscape, so every gesture had to be deliberate — not to shout, but to sit with confidence and calm.