Chances are you won’t find anything like The River House anywhere in the Philippines, or in the entire world for that matter. Sure, the shell is modeled after a Bacolod plantation home that graced the cover of the 263-page coffee table book Philippine Ancestral Houses, but the interior style and the evocative atmosphere echo the singular sensibility of The River House’s creator, Matthew Brill.
“I bought the book in National Bookstore many years ago,” Matthew recalled, “because it had a large contribution of photos by Neal Oshima, who is my good friend.” The American-born Matthew, who first came to the Philippines at age 22 and stayed on to found the iconic furnishings brand Prizmic & Brill, was so fascinated by the hefty tome that “I kept it close to me,” he said, “as most treated a bible.”
He started to build his dream home around 2004, in a lot inside one of Angeles City’s once-upscale villages left in ruins by Mount Pinatubo’s epic explosion in 1991. As per Matthew’s original intention, The River House—so called because of the gentle stream at the back of the property— was patterned after the abode featured on the book cover; “four stories high, with a tower on top,” as Matthew described it. He scaled up the structure’s dimensions so that it is large enough to house the self-confessed hoarder’s collection of vintage cars and motorcycles, antiques from travels all over the world, as well as heirloom pieces from the Brill family. A long balcony on the second floor as well as a viewing deck were essential to the homeowner’s vision: he wanted a view of Pinatubo, “the infamous volcano,” and the surrounding Zambales mountain range.
It took about two years for Matthew to finish his dream home. The delay was partly caused by making decisions on the fly. “We (the homeowner and a Pampangueno architect) improvised finishes and materials as we went along,” he said. But he knew he had an advantage. “Being in the furniture business, I had access to great resources, finding both craft and natural materials around the Philippines, that includes recycled wood, volcanic stone, bamboo and terra cotta which became the main focus of the finishing details.”
Mount Pinatubo’s monumental explosion left so much damage in its wake that some parts of Pampanga became “one big salvage town,” according to Matthew. He was able to purchase a lot of his raw materials from what survived, including the entire flooring of a duckpin bowling alley partially buried in lahar. “What’s amazing about it is the combination of hardwood that they used - kamagong, molave and narra,” Matthew said, “which now covers the entire second floor.”
Close friends and relatives regard the finished house as Matthew’s magnum opus. “It’s all him,” his wife Carol said. The RIver House captivated guests, as well as editors who featured it in their publications. Apart from its spectacularly photogenic character, Matthew’s dream house epitomizes his persona: a man with an adventurous spirit and nostalgia for histories. The wistful mood envelopes the entire property, including a stylish bungalow that Matthew built for the loyal caretaker Jimmy Morales and his family.
After so many years as Matthew’s quiet and private haven, The River House is being readied as it transitions to its new role. “The time has come to allow The River House to be enjoyed by the public,” Matthew revealed. He plans to convert the space into a showroom for Kapampangan craft and design, with a part of it serving as “a gallery of sorts.” He’s considering opening it up for small events as well. By the end of the year, Matthew hopes to introduce his home’s next life as Third Street by Prizmic & Brill.
Matthew is in the middle of creating another haven for himself, a loft in one of Pampanga’s new high-rises. He intends to keep the master’s bedroom in his old home though, so that once in a while he can guide visitors to the chapters of his life as they unfold from room to room, one adventure at a time.
Click on the image below for slideshow
Photographs by Paul del Rosario
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