These two roofing materials are the crowning glory of every home. What is the difference between them? For starters, a shingle roof is a roof composed of individual overlapping elements. These are typically flat and rectangular-shaped tiles that are laid in courses overlapping each other over flat sheeting. A metal roof on the other hand are roofs in corrugated tin, zinc, aluminum, galvanized metals, and even copper panels. Some metal…
In Filipino construction, there are terms so common that it has surpassed generations, from the Spanish-speaking elders to the everyday construction personnel working on roofing. These are the Dos Aguas and Quatro Aguas Roofs. A common sentence for these terms would be, âGawin nating quatro aguas ang bubong.â What does it really mean? A dos aguas roof is a roof with two slopes. Its english term is a gable roof.…
Did you know that you shouldnât nail two bamboo poles together? In some construction, we see this way of joining uncut bamboo poles together in typical huts in the Philippines. We often see that these poles are being nailed together. While this is commonly done, this can actually damage the bamboo. Thereâs a better and more sustainable way of connecting two bamboo poles together. The better option is tying the…
Filipina Architect of the Month: Mary Catherine Diaz For Filipina architects like Cat Diaz, the cities must learn from the barrios, and not the other way around. Itâs a controversial statement, coming from someone who teaches several courses of architecture in schools like the University of Mindanao. How indeed do you question centuries and centuries of architectural history, when it works and has proven to be so effective? But when…
Balay Ukit is a kind of transom tracery unique to the Philippines and found in pre-WWII ancestral homes. The term was coined in the book âBalay Ukit: Tropical Architecture in Pre-WWII Filipino Housesâ by Maria Virginia Yap Morales. This architectural element was an ingenious way of applying Green architecture during pre-World War II. It helped diffuse sunlight coming into the living spaces of the house while providing ventilation and aesthetic…
If you spent your early education in public schools, chances are youâre school looked a certain way. Thereâs a name for this kind of schoolbuilding: the Gabaldon. Among the byproducts of American colonial rule during their time in the Philippines is their cultural and architectural influence, including how schools everywhere in the country looked. It was an objective of the American settlers to build schools and educate the Filipinos with…
So, I came across this very interesting post on facebook by the Max Limpag, a journalist and blogger in Cebu City. It talked about how the word Gi-atay was from the Ah tay bed. So,in this video I will be talking about Architectural furniture specifically about the wonderful bed design called the Ah Tay bed. We usually see this bed in old houses and maybe your grandparents still have this…
If youâre a Filipino, chances are you may have lived in a house that had a portion called the âsilong.â Homes in the Philippines have a hollow portion at the lower level used to store farming implements, and livestock such as pigs, chickens, and dogs, root crops. Sometimes, the silong is used for the storage of firewood. But there is another function of the Silong in terms of tropical design.…
If you are a Filipino, it is very likely that you have already come across the Bajau in the streets begging for food or selling used clothes. But did you know that originally they are living in the sea? Did you know that the Sama Bajau Lautâs are indigenous tribes in Southeast Asia who are seafarers and sea dwellers and have known to have practiced boat building for generations? Did…
Not much is known about the Japanese influence of architecture in the Philippines. However, in the Southern part of Davao City, there is one barangay that is known as Little Tokyo. This barangay is called Mintal. Mintal was historically occupied by the Japanese and the Bagobos, an indigenous tribe in Davao during the pre-war period. They lived harmoniously. It is believed that Japanese built structures in Mintal that resembled the…
