Architect Romolo Valentino Nati, the president and CEO of Italpinas Design Corp (IDC) is a lover of nature. When he arrived in the Philippines in 2009, the native of Rome immediately fell in love with the natural beauty of the Philippines.
Just like the typical Italian, Nati would exclaim bellissima to the wonderful sites that he had seen during his several visits to the various provinces in the country.
Interestingly, Nati was also smitten by the symmetry of the country’s beaches. Being a beach lover, Nati dreamed of owning a beach house in his adopted country.
“I have always dreamed of owning a beach house. My dream became a reality when I arrived in the Philippines in 2009,” Nati said.
After searching for the location of his dream beach house. Nati found the Anvaya Cove in the province of Bataan as the perfect location for his dream house by the sea. “My house, fondly called Casa Al Mare (House by the Sea), is a lovely place for me to relax, with my family during weekends and holidays,” Nati said.
In terms of the design, Casa Al Mare was designed to have a space that will have harmony with the surrounding where the indoor and outdoor divisions disappear. “I want to emphasize that the use of natural materials is an important element of the design.”
As an advocate of green architecture and sustainable development in all his projects, Nati integrated increased natural ventilation, shading and abundant natural green which highlighted the green features of Casa Al Mare.
With a property size of 574.8 square meters with a gross area of 400 square meters, Casa Al Mare has three floors with an attic and a terrace. The interiors are designed in a tropical minimalist, elegant and functional style. Overall, the house is a combination of Asian and Italian architecture featuring passive green strategies which have been manifested in all his projects.
Nati always believes that natural materials connecting the home to its surroundings have an important role in the design process. “You will notice the Italian-inspired tiles, sustainable African wood for the pool deck, and Bali stones in a blue-green color for the pool tiles are distinctly connected with each other,” he said.
Just like its previous projects, Casa al Mare gives importance to sustainability complemented by impressive striking architecture approaches. Upon observing the design, Nati said people will appreciate the natural materials, open layout, and sustainability credentials that he integrated resulting in a modern tropical design. “We decided to use a simple open plan living space to provide a clear connection between the indoor and outdoor areas,” Nati explained.
Nati admitted he was fortunate to draw inspiration from a broad range of influences, both past and present. Earlier in his career, Nati created automotive designs, which broadened his design perspectives. In the early part of his European career, Nati worked across extremes of climate within that continent. These working stints honed design skills to the different climate conditions.
A milestone
The location of Bataan is very lovely as it is closely located to Manila and can be accessible through the first-class expressways. “Moreover, I like Bataan as there are lots of beautiful mountains, pristine beaches and verdant rice fields and Subic Bay. All those things together make the location unique,” Nati enthused.
Nati added a feather to his cap when Casa Al Mare was awarded the Architecture Single Residence for Philippines” in the 2022 Asia Pacific Property Awards.
“It is extremely important for me because it recognizes my efforts in the design and construction of Casa Al Mare from a prestigious organization such as the Asia Property Awards,” he said.
“For me, it is a great achievement and it makes me proud of my work. It is also a reaffirmation of my vision that when you pursue it with passion the result exceeds the expectations.”
Awarding ceremonies were held last June 23 at the Marriott Grosvenor Square, London. Lord Best of the House of Lords in the UK, Head of the Judging Panel, together with BBC Presenter Etholle George presented the award.