Republic of the Philippines

WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City, 7000

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

A Research study on Vernacular Architecture

ABUD, AL-NEEZHAR R.
Project Proponent

AR. FAITH CARIDAD HERNANDEZ

Architectural Design Instructor

Western Mindanao State University

Normal Road, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur, Philippines
College of Architecture (CARCH)

November 17, 2022

 VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

Vernacular Architecture is a concept of architecture that deals with the use of traditional and

local materials to design a regional-based construction.

Vernacular came from the Latin term vernaculus, meaning “domestic and/or indigenous”.

This type of architecture concept is consequently resulted by a specific geological context and

factors that can be categorized as an awareness to its environment and/or surroundings.

Many structures built are classified as vernacular if it is erected under influence of some internal

conditions wherein, they have constructed the building with respect to the idea of either to avoid or to

confront, or sometimes both.

Vernacular architecture also tends to be strayed from standardized design, for instance, in local

vicinity, they may have been built without prior consistency and/or similarity, in terms of design

concept, from the outside places.

Vernacular architecture can be defined as a type of local or regional construction, using

traditional materials and resources from the area where the building is located. Consequently, this

architecture is closely related to its context and is aware of the specific geographic features and cultural

aspects of its surroundings, being strongly influenced by them. For this reason, they are unique to

different places in the world, becoming even a means of reaffirming an identity. (Ghisleni, 2020)

Accordingly, structures built in vernacular has an expressive lifestyle to meet and abide the

needs of site proximity – this way they can avoid such extreme conditions – i.e., typhoons, floods,

extreme heat, to name a few.

CULTURAL ISSUES OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

While it may seem to be enticing to look at the movement of vernacular architecture, it can

pose issues to others as well, this is why, this type of concept should not be widely and entirely replicate

since they have been specifically designed to meet certain conditions both internal and external.
 For instance, the architecture of North-South should not be entirely reproduced to some areas

of East-West since they may have been erected for certain purposes.

Another figure to look at is that this design concept has localized materials being used, it may or

may not be hard to get the resources and materials, depending on the availability.

Rubenilson Brazão Teixeira singles out two major attributes associated with vernacular

architecture: tradition and contextualization. He states that every vernacular architecture is traditional

in the sense that it originates from specific ethnic groups and is a result of a long process over time,

always based on familiar forms established by previous generations. Besides that, as already mentioned,

vernacular architecture also respects local conditions, highlighting its great sensitivity to the

geographical context of the surroundings, including climate, vegetation, and topography. (Ghisleni,

2020)

This is why, to some extent, vernacular architecture is famous since they have posed a clarity for

certain ethnicity and traditional construction that became widely renowned around the globe and is

continually imposing stronghold on history since they have been built with long process over time –

resulting to tour visits that caused it to become consistent and lively in today’s date.

However, we cannot still avoid the fact that some vernacular structures have been wiped out or

have been destroyed due to climatic changes or were not completely preserved because of external

factors.

TYPES OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

As we have already mentioned, there are many localized areas, or even country, that has

specific vernacular architecture.

Because of the usage of traditional building methods and local builders, vernacular buildings are

considered cultural expressions—aboriginal, indigenous, ancestral, rural, ethnic, or regional—as much as

architectural artifacts.

Each region poses different design concept, that is why, consequently, they are being

understood locally since it imposes naturality to the idea of construction but seems odd to others.
 The following but not limited to can be categorized as factors affecting the type of architecture

in different regions.

1.) Climate – one of the leading factors is the climatic changes that we constantly experience. Some

of the structures are conceptually designed to withstand certain weather conditions that may

damage the structure. For instance, since Philippines is in Typhoon Belt, accordingly, more than

20 typhoons visit the country each year leaving devastating damage.

2.) Resources – the availability of materials is what vernacular made unique. Each region poses

different resources that can be used to construct. The availability of these materials depends on

the area and taking advantage of it can make an advantage on how a structure is overall

designed.

3.) Vicinity – aside from the weather conditions, vicinity is needed to be considered. It is one of the

factors that affects the structure as to where it should be built. For instance, you would want to

make your house more fortified if it is located near shore.

4.) Adaptability – People adapt changes over time. It is common since we are constantly

experiencing climate change. Over time, flood rises, and intense scorching heat temperatures

can be certain conditions that result to structure to be built to combat and adapt these factors.

5.) Culture – In history of architecture, some tells what architecture should look like. It is one of the

traditions of every region what should be the design concept of the structure. It is to assert

dominance over others, or to preserve culturally diverse history in the world of construction.
 FACTORS OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN THE SOUTHEAST ASIA

South-East Asia is the proximity of scorching heat since we are located just right about the

equator that results to a more received sunlight.

In this part of continent, they experience no winter, and has only three seasons, hot, dry, and

wet. They do not have winter since of the near proximal to the equator, resulting to a more intense heat

and precipitation.

In Philippines, we have two seasons, hot or dry (sometimes a combination of both), and wet.

The concept of North-East Monsoon and South-West Monsoon makes it even more understandable.

In the Philippines, Amihan and Habagat refer to the two kinds of winds and seasons that occur in

the country every year. Amihan is known as the Northeast monsoon while Habagat is known as the

Southwest monsoon. A monsoon is a seasonal rain and wind pattern. "Monsoon" is from the Arabic

word, "mawsim" which means season.

A switch in wind direction is the primary indicator for the change between one monsoon to the

other. It usually takes place during nighttime. At some periods, the two monsoons switch several times

before settling into a pattern for the season. Amihan and Habagat are also characters in Philippine

mythology.

In Philippines, North-East Monsoon is what caused prevailing cold wind currents, and has on-set

moderate rainfall. The cold and dry wind is aftermath coming from Siberia and China. (Scotty's Action

Sports Network, 2023)

Amihan is the Filipino term of Northeast monsoon, which is a cool and dry northeast wind

coming from Siberia and China and blows down to Southeast Asia. This season is characterized with

slight to moderate rainfall and a prevailing cold wind that affects east of the Philippines. The monsoon

commonly occurs from October to late March, although occurrence may vary every year.
 Habagat, on the other hand, is the southwest wind characterized by frequent heavy rainfall and

humid weather. During Southwest monsoon or hanging Habagat, the high-pressure area is at the

Australian continent, and the low-pressure area is at North China, Mongolia, and Siberia. The gusty

winds from the west and excessive rainfall often turn to dangerous typhoons.

While the rain may ease farmers to irrigate the rice fields, the heavy rainfall may trigger floods,

landslides, and potentially endanger residents living near riverbanks. The typhoons that habagat brings,

unfortunately, cause millions, sometimes billions, worth of reconstruction damage and kill hundreds of

Filipinos.

The southwest monsoon affects the country from late June to October (occurrence may also

vary each year). Low season in the Philippines occurs during the habagat season because of frequent

rainfall and high humidity. A series of flash floods and landslides are regular incidents during this season.

Due to these two seasons, architecture in Philippines is maintained so that it has the utility to

these two concepts of climatic weather.

Dated back in Pre-colonial period of Spanish in the Philippines, two significant historical

vernacular designs are the Bahay Kubo and the Bahay na Bato.

The Philippine archipelago is characterized by its tropical climate and rich geographical terrain

which led to the diverse development of human settlements and distinct architecture that reflected on

the social and cultural aspect of the ethnic native inhabitants even before the Spanish colonization. The

arrival of the Spanish conquistadors greatly influenced the development of building design and

construction, including the development of the Bahay na Bato. (Arguson, 2021)

The research found that unlike description from mainstream literature, the Bahay na Bato  is

not foreign and that despite its foreign influences, it stems and identifies as Filipino. The  Bahay na

Bato  is a Filipino structure developed during the Spanish colonial era, adapted from the local Bahay

Kubo  as evidenced by its skeletal structure being a house on stilts. Proving that the Bahay na Bato is

Filipino was a step forward in reclaiming our independent existence as a people—one with rich culture,

tradition, and heritage long before our islands were colonized. The new Filipino nation that emerged

after three centuries of Spanish rule is not immune from outside influences. But foreign influences

should not eclipse what is native. Historical and cultural understanding allows us to affiliate with our
culture better, thus providing us a perspective that transcends the self and incorporate a larger social

dimension to our individual experiences.

Bahay na Bato literally means, “house of stone” or “stone house” has been consequently

designed to withstand and adapt climatic changes in the Philippines, for instance, the intense typhoons.

Bahay na Bato is an upgraded version of traditional house Bahay Kubo and is made of wide masonry

construction materials like bricks, stones, and other synthetic concrete rather than using organic

materials that consequently leads to a more fortified stronghold.

On the other hand, a weaker vernacular concept of Bahay na Bato is the Bahay Kubo.

The Bahay Kubo is a house built using local materials such as wood, bamboo, and nipa grass. The

architectural principles of the Bahay Kubo stemmed from the basic needs of the Filipinos. Its walls are

fabricated with bamboo or kawayan, banded together by tree strings. These materials are light and are

very useful in places with tropical weather. The house is usually raised two meters from the ground to

avoid flooded grounds and animals like snakes. Through the years, these quaint homes have evolved

and inspired many of the country's modern architectural structures as well. 

The said structure is not stemmed with a concreted foundation but rather an elevated platform,

this results to what they call the concept of Bayanihan.

Bayanihan is a Filipino tradition that refers to the spirit of communal unity, work, and

cooperation of the community to achieve a specific goal. Its concept can be traced back to the Filipino

tradition where the townsfolk (especially men) lend a hand to carry the entire house of a family who

wants to move into a new area.  (Moya, 2021)

The term Bahay Kubo, translated to English, means “Country House”. The word Bahay means

Balay in Proto-Malay-Polynesian that translates to House, and Kubo means Kubu in Proto-Malay-

Polynesian, that translates to Rice Field. Generally, Bahay Kubo means “A house in a rice field”.

Bahay Kubo, has only three significant parts that we can look at – the roof, the living space,

windows, walls, and the space underneath as stated herein.

 Generally, Bahay Kubo is a symbol of rurality in the Philippines, it is characterized as it is made

from the use of vernacular materials such as bamboo and woods dominantly. The following are some

parts of the said structure.

Bubong (Roof) - The traditional roof shape of the Bahay Kubo is tall and steeply pitched, ending

in long eaves. A tall roof creates space above the living area through which warm air could rise, giving

the Bahay Kubo a natural cooling effect even during the hot summer season. The steep pitch allows

water to flow down quickly at the height of the monsoon season while the long eaves give people a

limited space to move about around the house's exterior when it rains. The steep pitch of the roofs are

often used to explain why many Bahay Kubo survived the ash fall from the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, when

more ’modern’ houses collapsed from the weight of the ash.

Silong (Shadow) - Raised up on hardwood stilts which serve as the main posts of the

house, Bahay Kubo have a silong (the Tagalog word also means "shadow") area under the living space

for several reasons, the most important of which are to create a buffer area for rising waters during

floods and to prevent pests such as rats from getting up to the living area. This section of the house is

often used for storage, and sometimes for raising farm animals, [9] and thus may or may not be fenced

off.

Silid (Living Space) - The main living area is designed to let in as much fresh air and natural light

as possible. Smaller Bahay Kubo will often have bamboo slat floors which allow cool air to flow into the

living space from the silong below (in which case the silong is not usually used for items which produce

strong smells) A Bahay Kubo may be built without an atip (ceiling) so that hot air can rise straight into

the large area just beneath the roof and out through strategically placed vents.

Dingding (Walls) - The walls are always of light material such as wood, bamboo rods, or bamboo

mats called "amakan" (or "sawali"). As such, they tend to let some coolness flow naturally through them

during hot times and keep warmth in during the cold wet season. The cube shape distinctive of

the Bahay Kubo arises from the fact that it is easiest to pre-build the walls and then attach them to the

wooden stilt-posts that serve as the corners of the house. The construction of a Bahay Kubo is therefore

usually modular, with the wooden stilts established first, a floor frame built next, then wall frames, and

finally, the roof.

 Dungwan (Windows) - Bahay kubo are typically built with large windows, to let in more air and

natural light. The most traditional are large awning windows, held open by a wooden rod. Sliding

windows are also common, made either with plain wood or with wooden Capiz shell frames which allow

some light to enter the living area even with the windows closed. In more recent decades

inexpensive jalousie windows became common. In larger examples, the large upper windows may be

augmented with smaller windows called ventanillas (Spanish for "little window") underneath, which can

be opened for ventilation to let in additional air on especially hot days. (Caruncho, 2012)

In Indonesia, just like in the Philippines, also located in the equator. Their vernacular

architecture is much closely related to that in the Bahay Kubo. Rumah Adat is a type of vernacular house

in Indonesia. Rumah Adat means “traditional house” and is a form of vernacular community housing in

Indonesia. Its materials are the same as of that in the Bahay Kubo, and widely influenced in China, India,

Europe, and Arabia.

Generally constructed using a post, beam and lintel structural system, the buildings are designed

to carry a load directly to the ground. The use of non-load bearing walls made of wood is also an aspect

of the design. The construction does not use nails or metal joineries but prefers a more traditional

approach to wood joineries and wooden pegs to connect various joints. Materials like coconut, rice

leaves and sugar palm leaves are used for the thatch. 

That does not leave there, it also response to environment, Indonesia is an earthquake-prone

zone and a primary objective of Rumah Adat is to be earthquake resistant. These houses are hence

known to absorb shock waves due to the presence of stilts. The stilts also cleverly allow the architecture

to adapt to the hot, humid climate of Indonesia and being elevated protects the buildings from

moisture, floods, and the risk of water-borne diseases. It also means the houses can be built near

riverbeds and wetland margins without the risk of water, mud, or stormwater runoff seeping into the

buildings. But this is not the only way Rumah Adat responds to the climate. The vernacular structures

facilitate cross ventilation and movement of air to deal with tropical temperatures, the slant of the roofs

let water seep off during the monsoons, and the overhanging eaves provide shade and keep the

interiors dry. With material and construction, these community houses represent the significance of

local and sustainable architecture amid a rapidly changing urban landscape. (Zoeanna, 2022)
 In Malaysia, the vicinity community of vernacular housing of Malay is called Rumah Kampung.

Malay houses, or Rumah kampung, represent the beauty and wisdom of traditional architecture, of

sharing a home with others, and of living in harmony with nature. In its simplest form, the traditional

Malay house is a structure raised on stilts high above the ground, covered with thatched roofs, enclosed

with wooden walls, and perforated with windows and lattices. The size, form, and ornamentation of the

houses depend on the size, wealth, and status of the family in the community.

Traditionally, these settlements were a cluster of houses set in a compound — incidentally, the

word “compound” itself is derived from kampung. These dwellings were often surrounded by the

pastoral landscape of rice paddies, fruit orchards, and fishing jetties, which were the sources of

livelihood for the community.

Generally, Rumah Kampung is relatively the same as Bahay Kubo and Rumah Adat, as it also

features the same vernacular materials used, the areas found, and is functioning as one. However,

majority of the traditional housing in Malaysia does manifest different thatched sloped roof that leaves

out as different than the latter.

 VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF THE WORLD

Aside from South-East region, the other parts of the globe also offer indigenous concept of

design that adapts to the factors of their environment.

In Arctic regions, such as in Canada, there are somewhat primitive housing called Igloo, where a

group of people called Inuit originated. Igloo, or Igdlu, is a “house of snow” or “snow house”. The

concept sounds easy to build, however, it takes dedication and patience to construct – in addition to

extreme cold situation, it is more difficult to begin with.

Igloo is widely made from snow blocks, to build such house, you have adequate materials, wear

proper equipment and tools to aid with the progress, otherwise, you will die in frostbite or sheer cold.

The plan of Igloo is typically round-dome shaped to help with the heat retention and has a

mouth that acts as an entrance.

In modern days, those who live igloo are of temporary residents to aid them in travel.

Figure left shows what Igloo looks like. Figure right shows the interior.

In America, the rooves of majority of the townhouses, or residential community are high. The design is

not a mistake but is intentional. The reason is behind their cold weather – when winter comes, the

country experiences snow, worse it can lead to blizzard. While snow can be joyful, but over snowing can

lead to annoyance.
 The roof of American homes is so high, this is to avoid retention of weight load of the snow on

the apex. Additionally, it would be easier for the snow to just slide down to avoid damage on the roof –

and when summer comes, the snow melts and turns to water, it would just slide onto the gutter without

heavy work on scraping it down.

Aside from the high-pitched rooves, some houses in American homes have fireplace in them.

This is to keep the interior ambient with warmer humidity during winter.

However, fireplaces are of outdated version of furnace. Fireplace tends to be manually activated

as you need coal and firewood to operate, while furnace only needs fuel to run. Furnace is more

efficient to run and heat the home since it evenly distributes the thermal temperature – however, it is

more costly than fireplace.

Image above shows a typical fireplace located mostly in living rooms.

Image above shows the sectional view of a furnace distributed in a house.

TRADITIONAL FILIPINO HOUSE: BAHAY KUBO VISUALIZATION

 This section

shows the visualization

of a typical Nipa Hut

or Bahay Kubo in the

Philippines.

Figure Upper Left shows the perspective of the structure; Figure Upper Right shows the interior; Figure

Lower Middle shows the diagram of the structure.

TRADITIONAL FILIPINO HOUSE: BAHAY NA BATO VISUALIZATION

This section shows the visualization of a typical Bahay na Bato or House of Stone. Figure Upper Left

shows the perspective of the house. Figure Upper Right shows the interior.

TRADITIONAL INDONESIAN HOUSE: RUMAH ADAT VISUALIZATION

This section shows the visualization of Rumah Adat, a traditional house of Indonesia. Figure

Upper Left shows the perspective of the house. Figure Upper Right shows the interior. Figure Lower

Middle shows the diagram and floor plan of the structure.

TRADITIONAL MALAY HOUSE: RUMAH KAMPUNG VISUALIZATION
This section shows the visualization of Rumah Kampung, a traditional house of Malay. Figure Upper Left

shows the perspective of the house. Figure Upper Right shows the interior. Figure Lower Middle shows

the diagram and floor plan of the structure.

Figure above shows the typical parts found in a Rumah Kampung, a traditional house in Malaysia.

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN CONCLUSION

To sum it all, vernacular architecture is what makes every region unique in terms of

their architectural design with respect to their climate, culture, socio-economic, to name a few. That is

why we should be not hasty with pointing their differences thus these odds can make an impact, not

only culturally but comes with an aesthetically pleasing visuals that make everyone to visit. We may not

be unified but these differences can have a greater result in the world of architecture.