TIPS ON BUILDING A TYPHOON-RESILIENT DESIGN

Being hit by typhoons an average of 20 times a year, living in the Philippines and most especially in the
island province of Catanduanes, we could never put our guards down.

So either if you’re just starting to plan on building your first home, or already have one but plans to
make it more resilient from typhoons, here are some tips that you might want to take note of in building
a typhoon-resilient design:

1. Prioritize Cross Ventilation and Wind Flow. Through cross ventilation, the outside air flows in
and out of the house as response to air pressure, breaking pressured wind flow brought by
typhoons.
2. Consider Elevation. By elevating your house, it makes the building flood-proof especially during
heavy rains by raising it above base flood elevation.
3. Installing Storm Shutters. Most especially for homes with glass windows or doors, storm shutters
would greatly help in covering and protecting these parts of the house as it lessens the pressure
during typhoons and prevents heavy damage. An example of a storm shutter is a louver-type
window frame.
4.