Agro-Town: Creating the Super House

Location: Camarines Sur Province, Philippines

Status: Under Construction

Type: Master Plan + Prototype

Agro-tourism, which is the practice of inviting people to visit agricultural operations for enjoyment, education, or other engagement, has grown steadily in popularity over recent years. The Agro-Town proposal, located on fertile land at the convergence of two natural wonders, Mt.Iriga and Buhi Lake in the Camsur Providence of the Philippines, is primed to support a rich Agro-Tourism market. As an oasis from city life, Agro-Town’s adaptable kit-of-parts system of housing allows the built environment to wrap and weave around existing wetlands, creating dynamic spatial configurations that can be aggregated in various densities throughout the site.

Different village arrangements can define varying levels of formality in public and private spaces to support permanent residents and the projected influx of agro-tourists. The Agro-Town proposal suggests that organic gardens, sustainable processing facilities, and access to natural splendor will amplify the site’s tourism palatability and provide an economic, environmental, and social engine for the community. Places are processes, and the proposal’s flexible nature allows for the expansion of the local community without preemptively defining it.