If you’ve ever wondered what typhoon resilience looks like, look to the Ivatan of Batanes and how their homes have been designed to withstand the strongest of elements. The traditional house of the Ivatan is called the Rakuh. It is the main house that serves as living quarters. Its ceiling is higher that could store jars, boats, and other household belongings. The house typically has two levels which are divided…
A roof is a roof, but for the Tausug traditional Bay Sinug, it is so much more. It is an expression via architecture, the roof not merely serving as protection from heat or rain. The Bay Sinug roof features horn-shaped finials called Tadjuk Pasung, an accent losing prominence in favor of the more modern galvanized roofing. According to some, the tadjuk pasung represents either the flight of bird or the…
Back in the days when we could regularly go to garden events, we would see vines crawl across a part of the venue. We sometimes mistake pergola for a trellis and the other way around but they are actually two different elements of hardscapes. While both involve the use of vines or similar plants, the difference is quite distinct. A trellis is simply a latticework built so that vines can…
We refer to that ledge or canopy that sits about windows outside Spanish colonial homes as the media agua. It was used in traditional houses in the Philippines and in ancestral Spanish Colonial houses. Usually, the Spanish-influenced window canopy is made from scallop-bordered cloth. In the bahay kubo, the traditional media agua is an awning type or push out or “tukod” type. In modern settings, the media agua is a…
Following our posts about verandahs, balconies, and terraces, let’s talk about the patio and the deck. Again, these things are not the same. As outdoor spaces, they may seem alike, but they are actually different. The Patio is a paved outdoor area of a house which is used for dining or recreational purposes. In Spanish, the word ‘patio’ means courtyard. The patio is usually made of concrete, stone, bricks, tiles,…
Nipa Roof Shingles are made from Nypa Fruticans, or nipa palms, which are not only abundant but also cost-effective in terms of indigenous construction materials. Nypa Fruticans grow beside the sea, in tidal flats or brackish swamps. They are often found in the Philippines and in many other parts of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The leaves of mature Nipa Fruticans can grow to as high as 9 meters. The…
People refer to a building where they get a doctor’s diagnosis or health checked as a hospital but it is actually called a Medical Arts Building. Not many people know the difference. The Medical Arts Building, also called Medical Office Building or Medical Arts Center or Medical Arts Tower of a Hospital, is the building that houses a lot of clinics or doctors affiliated with the hospital or medical center.…
Are familiar with this chair’s name? This is called a Butaka, a piece of furniture that is respite, birthing clinic, and time machine rolled into one stylish yet functional piece in traditional Filipino homes. The Butaka is a handcrafted chair usually the size of 70cm x 57cm x 118cm and made of Narra hardwood. Its long armrests weren’t really meant for arms; they were used for legs. It was commonly…
The history of the Kapiya can be traced back to the Spanish Colonial Era, where the simple piece of furniture evolved alongside the Philippines’ own history. What Cebuanos call ‘bangko’ is known as the kapiya, which traces its roots in the country’s spiritual influence by Spain. The Filipino Kapiya is a kind of a settee which was derived after a Church pew. A settee is a long upholstered or unupholstered…
Let’s try the difference between these four different things: the stairs, ladder, steps, and stepladder. These may be divided into two sets of classifications, depending on whether they are moveable or fixed. The ladder and stepladder are moveable equipment, while the stairs and steps are fixed to the building. A ladder has a series of rungs between two upright wood or metals and is always leaned against a wall or…
