The Filipino island of Cagbalete is getting a unique beachfront property soon – one that combines native industries like farming and fishing with an element of recreation and tourism.

The Cagbalete Sand Clusters, designed by Carlo Calma Consultancy Inc., was created for a client looking to build a second home during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. With a goal of “farm leisure,” the 9.4-acre property will contain a four-bedroom residential unit for the owner, a farm-to-table restaurant, ponds for growing and harvesting mud crabs, a garden for fresh vegetables, a lighthouse, multi-story walkways and performance spaces, and lower-level swimming grottos.

The actual structure is made up of a series of hyperbolic pods that can assembled in multiple configurations. “The units can be stacked like LEGO blocks or pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. One unit consists of five modules that you can rotate, flip, or move around in different ways. You can make different spatial arrangements out of them. Every unit will be unique,” added the London-trained Calma. The curving shape was inspired by the ocean coral found just off-shore from the property.
Each module will be fashioned from noncorrosive materials, including glass fiber reinforced concrete and glass fiber reinforced polymer rebar, to combat the destructive influence of salt air. The design also integrates local hapa nets as shade, sunbathing hammocks, and mosquito protection. “They have...