The Zaguan is one of the major elements of a bahay na bato. It is the space where the family’s carriages are stored. This area is usually finished with Piedra china or Chinese stone. In modern times, this would be the carport. During the Spanish Colonial Period of the Philippines, families often go to churches and participate in processional carriages. That is why carriages are an important part of the…
Most urban and rural home canopies or extensions in the Philippines use a roofing material that can cover the space from rain but not block sunlight. These are translucent materials that home makers are very fond of. Usually, we use either Fiberglass or Polycarbonate Roofing. So what’s the difference between the two? First of all, fiberglass roofs are roofing made of a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber.…
Let’s talk about prevalent designs. We often refer to the light palette design that is very popular and in fact has become the design trend of 2019 as Scandinavian design. We also refer to it as Modern. They are actually similar but are not quite the same. The trick to determining the design uniqueness of these two kinds of trend is in the color palette. Scandinavian design has a lighter…
There are more than one kinds of sliding doors. Here, we discuss the Bypass Doors and the Pocket Sliding Doors. These two types of sliding doors are often interchangeable because they seem alike but actually quite different. Bypass Sliding doors are doors that slide on in front of the other. They have two openings on both sides because two doors can pass from one another. These types of sliding doors…
Tall enough to keep children and pets at home, but short enough to maintain a view, the picket fence has often been associated around the world as a symbol of comfortable suburban living. Picket fences are evenly spaced vertical boards attached to horizontal rails. In popular culture, picket fences are famous in the United States and they symbolize the suburban middle class. Traditionally, picket fences are made of wood but…
In a traditional Filipino Bahay na bato, there is a space called an entresuelo. The entresuelo is a mezzanine that divides the function room and home office and the guest rooms. It is where the clients, tenants and estate managers wait prior to getting into the home office. It literally means “intermediate floor” or “between floors” and is located underneath the main living area of the bahay na bato. Reference:…
Throughout history, the narrative of Philippine Architecture and built heritage has been limited into oversimplified constraints. This is compounded by the influence of geography and dominant faith. We would like to tell the story of Philippine Architecture better and are doing a study on current understanding. May we ask you to fill out a short survey for our study? The survey answers aim to gather information on how much our…
Araal or teppei slates also called “crazy cut” slates. These are slates quarried from the Southern Philippines. These are used as wall cladding for exterior and sometimes interior use. The average size of each piece is from ½ to 1 square meter with thickness up to 3 inches and it is both hard but quite brittle. Some designers have used this as a substitute for stones to mimic the idea…
Nope, terraces and balconies are not synonyms of each other. Apart from the size, the terrace and balcony differ in terms of location and construction. A terrace is typically built from the ground floor which is then elevated or structurally fixed from the foundations upwards. In modern times, terraces can be found on upper floors or on the rooftop called Rooftop Terraces. These are open spaces that are typically fixed…
The traditional Blaan house is known as “Bong Gumne”or Long House. The House is constructed on stilts and a gable roof with only two sides having a window. There is a wall that serves as both a wall and a fenestration. Instead of partitions, the dwellers determine the spaces of the Bong Gumne by its elevation. There are at least six platforms, with varying heights. The Blaan Cultural Community is…
