Latest news with #Gelo
Tatler Asia
04-05-2025
- Science
- Tatler Asia
Ode to Earth: inside the family farmhouse of the architect Gelo Mañosa in Calatagan
Above In the living room are priceless mementoes including five scale models of the late Francisco 'Bobby' Mañosa's iconic works According to the architect, he did two experiments in designing this residence. One is the wind-catcher attached to the primary bedroom, which looks like an ordinary door at first glance. The air that comes through this narrow door flows through a 15-metre tunnel beneath the earth mass, which cools the air and then funnels it into the primary bedroom. 'By the time it comes into the house, the temperature has already dropped by about two degrees,' he says. This mechanism substantially minimises the use of air-conditioners. The second experiment is another pod a few metres from the primary bedroom. 'This one, the entire structure is covered in earth. So it keeps the rooms cool when it's cold, and warm when it's warm,' he elaborates. 'So when we close up the house for weeks, daylight bounces into the rooms.' The 'indirect radiation' from the daylight keeps the temperature inside the room warm. 'Then when we return, we open it up and run the air conditioner one night, and then the next day, it stays cold.' Photo 1 of 2 The farmhouse transforms dramatically at dusk with warm lighting Photo 2 of 2 The inviting guest casitas are framed by a tastefully put-together landscape To implement his architectural experiments, Gelo Mañosa and his team had to reshape the land, leveling a section and strategically moving soil to form a broad mound toward the back of the property. This mound served as an unconventional roof for the casitas and cleverly doubled as a natural privacy barrier. Around the property, Gelo and his team placed plants and trees that were endemic to the area. 'We did the landscape over time. It did not happen overnight. If we did it instantly, we would have spent millions buying plants. So we started propagating [plants] at the farm at the back [of the property],' Gelo says. The elevated soil also protects the entire house from strong winds and typhoons. Unlike many sustainable houses, the Mañosas' weekend home does not use solar panels for electricity. 'It's not a primary home, so investing in solar power didn't make sense. If you're using it as a primary home, then yes. But if you come here just once or twice a month, it's not practical,' he explains. He adds that electricity cost is not the primary issue in the area, but the quality of electricity. 'The [power supplier] gives us dirty electricity all the time. Here, electricity fluctuates from 180 up to 260 watts and so the appliances get busted easily.' To address this, he invested in a centralised automatic voltage regulator, which provides the entire property with clean, consistent power. Above The owners kept the original Indian trees for added privacy and protection from typhoons Above Gelo's plans for the farmhouse are never-ending In contrast with the Mañosas' place in Manila, which uses a rain harvesting system to recycle water and salt-chlorinated water for the swimming pool, the Calatagan home uses filtered deepwell water to keep wild animals away from the pool. '[With salt-chlorinated water] it becomes a watering hole for every lizard, snake and frog because it's water that they can use. The salt is not strong enough to make the water undrinkable for them. So [if we use salt-chlorinated water] we'll get every critter you can think of, bayawak , rats, snakes, even migratory birds–they'll all come here because it's a watering hole. The Mañosas also love the idea of recycling, as seen in using refreshed furniture pieces from Amanpulo. While constructing the farmhouse, they were concurrently redesigning the luxury island resort in Palawan, which was discarding much of their furniture. So Gelo Mañosa thought, why not keep some and refurbish them 'to give it a second life'? And so they did. The refurbished beds, headboards and nightstands found their second home in the Mañosas' primary and guest casitas, with some tweaks to fit the space. But more than being sustainable, the living space is first and foremost a home. Each spot is carefully planned to suit the lifestyle and activities of the family, and to keep mementoes he got from his parents' house. On the walls of the sitting room, for instance, hangs signed scale models of some of his late father's iconic projects: the Balara pool house, Pearl Farm Beach Resort in Samal, the Coconut Palace, and his father's own home. Above them is a taxidermy of a huge tamaraw that former Manila Mayor Tomás Earnshaw gifted to the older Mañosa. Generous plush seating allows the family to gather together. Above Recycled furniture from Amanpulo is heavily used in the primary bedroom Above Coral stones from Calatagan is widely used in the structure On the second floor is a game and mini gym area, which becomes an extra sleeping space when guests visit. Like the rest of the house, the second level has a high-vaulted ceiling and windows designed with a stack effect to help cool air come in and push hot air out. The couple also loves cooking and entertaining, so a working kitchen is essential. 'I only have one kitchen [here], a functional one,' he says, showing the simple kitchen cabinets made of thick plywood with coconut inlay and solihiya accents. Local marble was used for the countertop. 'I did not do any kitchen cabinet systems for this place because, if it gets damaged, we're in Calatagan, it's easy to repair.' Adjacent to the kitchen is an eight-seater dining area adorned with pieces from Mindanao such as the two Panulong salvaged from the debris of a devastated house in Marawi. Above Natural light and air bathe the dining room Above The kitchen is designed with practicality in mind The pool deck is designed so guests can opt to lounge by the couches or enjoy merienda cena al fresco, while the others can dip in the pool or enjoy cocktails by the poolside. There is a provision for a bar and grill set-up perfect for cosy barbecue nights. Beyond the pool area is a slope going up to an empty grassland initially used to feed the farm animals, including a horse, which Gelo sold a few weeks before the interview. 'That's big enough to be a football field for our son, but now my wife wants to make it a pickleball area,' he says. For a seasoned architect like Gelo, it is easy to think that building a sustainable home like this is effortless. However, he emphasised that like his other projects, constructing and designing their personal space is not one without a challenge, especially that it is located outside of Metro Manila. 'You've got quality assurance issues because skilled labour is very short. You've got delivery issues,' he says. And because delivery costs are pricier, everything needed to build the house exponentially becomes more expensive. Above The house's al fresco area turns into a cosy nook at night Another problem they encountered was that the water supply in Calatagan is predominantly brackish, which means it cannot be used to mix high-quality, strong concrete. 'We had to bring in our water during construction,' Gelo says. The property also suffers from multiple cracks caused by the earthquakes caused by the Central Mindoro Fault, which have become more frequent lately. 'Building a home in Metro Manila and outside of it are completely different. You must have local knowledge on things you can or cannot do…You always need redundancies. You need a backup to the backup,' Gelo avers. While the Mañosas feel content and happy with how their farmhouse turned out, the architect thinks there's still a lot of work to be done, including creating a yoga retreat. 'I've been toying around with that idea because Kat is a yoga teacher,' he says. The home was a labour of love, built slowly over years. Now, the Mañosas want to create memories with their loved ones, and revel in the stillness of time in the countryside. For them, there's no rush. NOW READ The second home of self-taught landscape artist and painter Ponce Veridiano is an ode to nature and the things he loves most Tastemaker Tania Fricke takes us to this eclectic and sentimental home in Makati Storied Stitches: What we need to know about Philippine embroidery Credits Photography: Aldwin Aspillera Production: Michelle Soriano and Maritess Garcia Reyes Videography: Kryss Rubio
USA Today
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
A begrudging review of LiAngelo Ball's follow-up track to 'Tweaker'
A begrudging review of LiAngelo Ball's follow-up track to 'Tweaker' It's still taking a second for me to get used to talking about LiAngelo Ball, well, really at all, let alone talking about him as a rapper and not a basketball player. But he's done it, folks! He's made the transition. The dude has a hit single, a record deal and an album on the way. Gelo Ball is a full-fledged rap artist. On Friday, he debuted a new single called "Law N Order." This is a big moment for Gelo. It's one thing to nail a single. But it's another thing to nail your follow-ups. This isn't the first single that followed "Tweaker." He dropped "Can you Please" with GloRilla earlier this month. The reaction was solid, but it didn't quite land like "Tweaker" did. So where does Law N Order land? Probably in about the same space. The beat is fantastic. Shoutout to ThomasM, who produced this banger. Similar to Tweaker, it sounds like a modern take on something you'd hear the Hot Boyz rapping on in the late 1990s and early aughts. You can't help but give it a foot tap when you hear it. What's unfortunate about it is Gelo is kind of dragging the beat down. His flow? Not great. The cadence is weird. It's also a very monotonous song. The energy isn't quite there. It's certainly not matching the ferocity of the beat. It's also hard to hear what he's saying on the hook. It's almost like he's putting on his best Brian Kelly impression with a fake southern accent. It's just not really working for me. Maybe it's the beat itself. Maybe it's because I know he's a kid from Chino Hills and he doesn't really sound like that. Who's to say? Regardless, I just don't think this works that well. This beat deserves so much better. Ultimately, the beat probably saves this song. Put it on some speakers and it almost doesn't matter what Ball is saying or what he sounds like — the people will get it popping. In the end, that's probably what matters.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
GELO EXCLUSIVE: 'Tweaker' Remix Feature, Def Jam's 'The Best Deal' & Family Fights?
Gelo became an overnight rap sensation when 'Tweaker' dropped, and today, he exclusively reveals to Billboard the star feature on the 'Tweaker' Remix. He shares how his hit came to life, why he chose to sign with Def Jam, debuting on the Hot 100, album plans and more!
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LiAngelo Ball is a genius for remixing 'Tweaker' with Lil Wayne and fans agree
Ever since LiAngelo Ball unveiled 'Tweaker' back in January, many have speculated about who might appear on a remix of the retro-inspired cut. Adding to that, artists like Moneybagg Yo and Boosie Badazz openly reached out to the baller-turned-rapper in hopes of contributing to the song. Notably, the Kunica and Glockie Cheez-produced banger remains on the Billboard Hot 100 after debuting at No. 29. Trending Only Lil Wayne can turn a Cetaphil advert into a 'Carter VI' announcement Eric Bellinger went from texting Chris Brown to a Grammy together – here, he explains how From 'Not Like Us' to the Super Bowl: Kendrick Lamar explains his unstoppable energy On Thursday (Feb. 6), Gelo revealed his collaborator for the updated release, which officially lands on streaming platforms this Friday (Feb. 7). 'We got Lil Wayne getting on there,' he told Billboard. 'Legend. The GOAT. You know I had to, for real. That's like hooping with Jordan. No cap.' The Chino Hills talent also spoke on connecting with his New Orleans counterpart after the remix was recorded. 'I hit him up on [Instagram and told him], 'Your verse hard as h**l. That's what we [were] missing on our s**t,'' he recalled. 'He was cool. He was like, 'I hope you mess with the verse.' He's cool. But yea – that verse is tough.' Fans on social media had a positive response to the news. 'Lil Wayne on the 'Tweaker' remix? Hold on, now. Gelo might be on to something,' wrote one user on X. Another shared, 'I knew Wayne was 'bout to kill that 'Tweaker' s**t. That's Cash Money [and] Young Money s**t all day.' Earlier this week, Weezy shared a cryptic Instagram Story promising a treat for his fans. 'Y'all know I'm not going to be [at the Super Bowl] this week, which means I guess there's a seat to fill,' he began. 'Shout out to New Orleans, but I've been working on something very special. I got something exciting coming for you Thursday... Until then, I'm chillin'.' Whether he was referring to his appearance on 'Tweaker (Remix)' is yet to be confirmed. Check out other reactions to Wayne's 'Tweaker' inclusion below. You Might Also Like 15 things you should know about fashion killa Kollin Carter RIP to Irv Gotti, the visionary who brought Hip Hop and R&B closer together
