BACOLOD CITY -- From Spanish colonial houses to Italianate ruins to a palatial Art Deco mansion to a minimalist contemporary abode, Negros Occidental's architectural home landscape is a diverse mix of creativity and art.

Negros Occidental is one of the Philippines' economically and historically rich provinces. Since the early 1500s, the whole island of Negros has become the center of sugar production in the country. Today, the island still produces half of the total sugar output of the country. That is why it is home to rich sugar barons, owning hectares of farmlands and, of course, magnificent mansions.

Negros Occidental, in particular, is home to some of the country's most fascinating houses. Exploring the different houses of the hacenderos is a remarkable tour on its own.

Seda Capitol Central, located in the province's capital, Bacolod City, recently organized a tour of the different houses or rather mansions of Negros Occidental for a unique experience of the “hacendero lifestyle.”

These houses, however, are not typical mansions because they have unique features that one would not find anywhere else. These impressive works of art also give guests a peek into the sweet life of a hacendero.

BALAY NI TANA DICANG

Located along Rizal St. in Talisay City, this Spanish colonial house is one of Negros' “most preserved” ancestral houses. Still owned by the Lizares family, it now serves as a lifestyle museum with a portion of the house dedicated as a modern art gallery.

Built in 1872, it's the ancestral home of Don Efigenio Lizares and Dona Enrica Alunan. It's a classic “bahay na bato” structure where the lower half is made of brick and stone while the upper half is made mostly of wood.

It took 11 years to build the house because, according to the tour guide, all of the wood that was used in the structure were soaked in saltwater for three years before being used in the house. A lot of the wood used in the house are Filipino hardwoods like molave, balayong, and narra.

The house has a total of 18 rooms and most of the furniture used by the family were preserved and sit as display elements in the house.

What's fascinating about the house is the intricate woodwork. The main stairs' handrail has a unique rose vine design. The owners believed that any negative or bad energy from anyone climbing the stairs are caught by the “thorns” preventing anything bad entering the main house.

There are also the hand-carved decorative panels installed on the walls. These beautiful panels also serve as “speakers,” freely allowing sound to flow through the walls, so music from an orchestra can be heard all throughout the house.

THE RUINS

Probably the most popular mansion in Negros Occidental, The Ruins is the remains of the Italianate mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson. Situated on a sprawling 440-hectare land in Talisay City, it is now an important landmark and famous tourist spot in the province.

Built in the early 1900s, its design was inspired by Italian architecture. It was razed by guerillas during World War II and burned for three days. What remains is a concrete shell.

It features interesting details from the shell elements at the crown of the structure to the “M” details on the posts in honor of the names of the couple. The builders added egg whites in the concrete mixture creating smooth textured walls and posts.

DAKU BALAY

Daku Balay, which translates to “big house,” is one of the most famous landmarks in Bacolod City. Located along Burgos Street, it is the ancestral home of Don Generoso Villanueva. It was constructed over the span of three years from 1933 to 1936 and was the first art deco structure in Bacolod City. It was designed by Don Generoso and was built by Cebuano engineer Salvador Cinco.

During that time, it was the tallest structure in the city with three main floors. The design was nautical-inspired evident in the curved corners, portholes, and other structural details. In World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese forces and was made as the headquarters of the Japanese empire on Negros island.

But probably its most interesting features are the details in the interiors of the house. It was the first building in Negros island to have its own elevator.

The terrazo floors were painstakingly done until the minute detail. The floors are made in different geometric shapes and vibrant colors, not following a particular pattern. Terrazo and hand marbling techniques were used in the flooring.

The same hand marbling technique was also used on the walls. But all throughout the house, different creative elements were created by Don Generoso, including embossed artworks on walls, animal shapes on the floors, intricately hand-carved wooden doors, and one-of-a-kind stained glass window designs.

The house now stands as an office by Marosvill Development Corp., owned by Don Generoso's granddaughter, Maria Lilia Villanueva, who is also responsible in restoring the house. Her company built a condominium building behind the house that follows an Art Deco design, honoring the legacy of Daku Balay.

PUNONG GARY'S PLACE

Surrounded by sugarcane fields and commercial fish ponds, Punong Gary's Place is an oasis of a place in Silay City. It was originally the rest house of architect Ed Ledesma and his family. Just a few months ago, it opened to the public as a restaurant, events place, and cabana accommodations, although the family decided to stop the overnight stays temporarily.

The place is tucked in lush farmlands. The space has beautiful garden landscaping and towering trees that provide shade to its outdoor dining and events area. It's very tranquil and peaceful, and the building structures have the Ledesma signature design.

But probably its most interesting feature is the modern cantilever structure. It's just a simple concrete and glass structure that juts out from the lush landscape of the area. The concrete block of a room hangs from a small mound over a commercial fish pond. It's an unlikely structure one would see in the middle of a farm. Similar modern structures can also be seen throughout the property including the cabanas. There's an unfinished cabana that was built within the dike walls of the fish pond.