After Ondoy, many people understandably fear their homes will fall victim to massive flooding. This lot, located near a creek, was prone to flooding well before the terrible catastrophe last year, so when the owners decided to renovate it more than three years ago, they decided to elevate the entire structure well above street level.

The lot was not only a challenge because of flooding, but because of its unusual shape—it has a wide frontage and virtually no “back” areas. The response to this was to create a layout that has a lot of corners, but still maintains an open plan.

(First published in Real Living, Real Homes section, October 2009. Photos by Jun Pinzon, styling by Issa Villar; adapted for use in Female Network)