 What is Vernacular Architecture?

provides a closer connection to the architectural identity

that brings, at the same time, inclusion, identification, and
Vernacular architecture can be defined as a type of local or community engagement helping us define vernacular
regional construction, using traditional materials and architecture as an architecture that respects and adapts to
resources from the area where the building is located. the physical and technological limitations of its context,
Consequently, this architecture is closely related to its raised as the genuine result of its environment, its people
context and is aware of the specific geographic features and its history.
and cultural aspects of its surroundings, being strongly
influenced by them. For this reason, they are unique to  ‘Balai’
different places in the world, becoming even a means of
reaffirming an identity. Balay comes from balai, the Malay word for house, other
variations of which include bahay (in Tagalog). Perhaps,
Following this definition, Rubenilson Brazão Teixeira (2017) balai is also the root of balangai or barangay, which was
singles out two major attributes associated with how our ancestors’ communities were called. Thus, when
vernacular architecture: tradition and contextualization. we say housing is about building communities—not just
He states that every vernacular architecture is traditional houses—we are really harking back to the time of the
in the sense that it originates from specific ethnic groups great warrior Lapu-lapu, when our people lived
and is a result of a long process over time, always based on harmoniously as communities and helped one another in
familiar forms established by previous generations. times of need, whether it involved raising children or
Besides that, as already mentioned, vernacular repelling clueless foreign invaders.
architecture also respects local conditions, highlighting its Recently, the Housing and Urban Development
great sensitivity to the geographical context of the Coordinating Council (HUDCC) headed by Eduardo del
surroundings, including climate, vegetation, and Rosario appropriated the word balai for its tagline “Balai
topography. (or Building Adequate, Liveable, Affordable and Inclusive)
Filipino Communities.” The new “battle cry” (to use the
Especially because of the latter, vernacular architecture term of Secretary Del Rosario) aims to establish a unified
has been addressed and revisited in many contemporary vision for shelter agencies under the HUDCC’s supervision
architectural practices, playing an important role in today's and bring about a dependable brand of public service. This
society, as these buildings provide great bioclimatic effort is therefore a good preparation for the impending
characteristics and prove to be real examples of establishment of a Department of Human Settlements and
architectural sustainability. For this reason, ancient Urban Development, a move that aims to harmonize the
architectural approaches are being examined and functions of shelter agencies in order to speed up delivery
replicated in projects that aim, for example, at maximizing of housing solutions. The House of Representatives has
energy efficiency with passive noise and thermal control, approved on final reading the bill seeking to establish such
while reducing CO2 emissions to the environment. a department.

Beyond sustainability, vernacular architecture sheds light  Ivatan houses

on another fundamental issue today. It represents the
cultural identity of a certain ethnic group and becomes a Living in a tropical paradise isn’t all sunshine and beaches.
tool for strengthening the bond between the population The Philippines, for example, grapples with scorching
and its geographic location, fostering a sense of belonging temperatures year-round. But have you ever wondered
to the space in which they live. This bond is so important how some Filipinos stay cool despite the relentless heat?
today that there seems to be a tendency towards the The answer lies in the ingenious design of Ivatan homes,
fragmentation of the individual as a result of the ongoing traditional dwellings built on the island of Batanes in the
transformations of cultural systems (HALL, 2006). Philippines’ north. These aren’t just beautiful structures;
Ivatan houses are a fascinating case study in natural
This can be seen in an interview with the Angolan cooling strategies, offering valuable lessons for sustainable
architecture office Grupo BANGA, where the architects and comfortable living in hot climates.
claim that the use of local, cheap, and accessible materials
 Design for Comfort: Adapting to the Climate
Batanes experiences strong winds and heavy rains. To
combat this, Ivatan homes feature elevated foundations
that protect them from flooding. Slanted cogon roofs with
wide eaves efficiently channel rainwater away from the
walls, further ensuring their longevity. Tiny windows on
the windward side minimize drafts, while strategically
Image courtesy of iamdenise17 @ Tumblr. placed windows on the leeward side capture cool breezes,
promoting natural ventilation throughout the home.
The Ivatan Heritage These design elements showcase the Ivatan people’s deep
The Ivatan people of the Batanes Islands, located way up understanding of their environment. Their homes are not
north in the Philippines, are known for their tough spirit just shelters but expressions of a sustainable way of life,
and ability to live in harmony with a challenging perfectly adapted to the challenges and opportunities
environment. Strong winds and typhoons constantly batter presented by the Batanes climate.
the islands. Imagine, it’s more than 650 km north of
Manila, the capital of the Philippines! That’s a long way!  CORDILLERA HOUSE
Because of this harsh climate, the Ivatan people have built
unique homes called sinadumparan to withstand these  Vary in size and shape
tough conditions.  Common functions
 Provision of shelter from cold
Built to Endure: Sustainable Materials  Protection from dampness and humidity (w/c can
Standing strong against the typhoons and earthquakes destroy grains)
that batter Batanes, sinadumparan is constructed with  Offers defense / protection from hostile tribesman,
local, sustainable materials. Thick walls are built from wild animals, and vermin
limestone blocks, providing excellent insulation and  Homes are designed in relation to terrain to
thermal mass, which helps regulate indoor temperatures. mountains
Cogon grass, a fast-growing and renewable resource,
thatches the roofs, offering natural insulation and keeping ISNEG - KALINGA – BONTOC – IFUGAO - KANKANAY
the interiors cool. These locally sourced materials
minimize the environmental impact of construction and  ISNEG HOUSE
ensure homes can be readily repaired using readily
available resources.

✓ The Isneg, also Isnag or Apayao, live at the

northwesterly end of northern Luzon, in the upper half of
Bundles of cogon grass. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock. the Cordillera province of Apayao
✓ The term "Isneg" derives from a combination of “is” timbers that are strongly mortised, attached, and handled
meaning "recede" and "uneg" meaning "interior." Thus, it to hold the house together. In its entirety, no nails are used
means "people who have gone into the interior." for all connections

✓ The Isneg House Binuron, built slightly above the

ground, is also a one-room dwelling like the fale but has
more light and is bigger. Its bamboo layered, gable roof
ensembles an inverted boat, a design unique to the Isneg
who are boatbuilders.

SQUARE HOUSE (VULINAW OR PINALTONG)

✓ The poor man's dwelling among the Kalinga with four

main posts erected directly at the corner.

✓ Square house is compact, sophisticated and deceptive

in its simplicity.

✓ These square houses might on statistical grounds alone

be called the "typical" Kalinga house, it is elevated to
about shoulder height by four posts (tu'ud), around which
are fitted cylindrical or square stone ratguards.

 KALINGA HOUSE

✓ Kalinga houses are of two shapes, the octagonal house

and the square house

✓ The Kalinga house gives the impression to be nothing

but a square and octagonal mesokurtic structure resting
on four and twelve posts

✓ It is constructed out of carefully selected indigenous

  BONTOC HOUSE

AFUNG HOUSE

✓ Afung is the Bontoc house for married couples and

children up to eight years old.

✓ Afung is one of the houses in the Cordillera that is built

OCTAGONAL HOUSE (GILITOD/FINARYON) directly on the ground and its ground space serving as the
main living and working areas.
✓ binayon/finaryon, house - The traditional house in an
octagonal layout or plan. In Apayao, this house is called ✓ The traditional type of house in Bontoc, Mountain
binuron. Province comprised of perimeter wooden walls enclosed
in an open living space, and central granaries. It is covered
✓ It is the dwelling of wealthy families or the aristocratic by a steep, thick roof that is almost covering the perimeter
class and this type of traditional house could only be found wall
in some part of Tanudan, Tinglayan and Lubuagan.

✓ The octagonal house which is larger and older than the

square house is made possible by 12 short posts

BONTOC HOUSE BARBAREY VILLAGE

✓ Barbarey Village - The village usually consists of ator

(men's meeting place), afong (houses), pabafunan (boy"s
dormitory), chap-ay (open space with flat stone in circular
layout), and ahkamang (rice granary)
  IFUGAO HOUSE

BALE / FALE VILLAGE

✓ The traditional Ifugao housei an elevated square and

windowless one- room structure dominated by a high,
heavy, pyramidal roof.

✓ The exterior of the house seems to be nothing but a

pyramid resting on four posts, while the interior space is
BONTOC HOUSE enclosed by slanting walls and ceiling that appears to be
spherical that are formed by the loft.
Li-im, eating area

• The most spacious in the house since it contains only an

elevated stick rack (patyay) suspended on the wall, and the
water jar (panannom) in one corner

Tap-an, pounding area

• The section of the house with stone pavement and a

pounding hole where the task of pounding rice is done.

Ang-an, sleeping area

• The area utilized for sleeping with atag (reed mat) as bed
for the couple and children up to eight years old.

Falig, granary Soklut, cooking area

 KANKANAY HOUSE
✓ Traditionally, Kankanay village was set on the hump of
the hill whose elevation afforded a naturaldefensive
advantage to neighboring groups

"Kankanay", also "Kankanai," "Kankana-i" or "Kankana-ey,"

has no definite etymological [Link] refers to the
culture, the language, and the people who lived together
with a neighboring groupcalled Ibaloy, comprise the Igorot
of Benguet (the southernmost province of the Cordillera
region).

These communities appear to have existed long before the

coming of the Spaniards to the archipelago.

 The Bahay kubo

The roof provides vents over the storage platform over the
dapugan. In contrast to the cluster above, this house with The Bahay Kubo is a traditional Filipino home that
its runo fence prefers isolation symbolises the nation's resourcefulness The Bahay Kubo is
a house built using local materials such as wood, bamboo
KANKANAY HOUSE and nipa grass. The architectural principles of the Bahay
Kubo stemmed from the basic needs of the Filipinos. Its
BAEY / BABAYAN walls are fabricated with bamboo or kawayan, banded
together by tree strings. These materials are light and are
✓ baey/babayan, house An elevated, square, one-room very useful in places with tropical weather. The house is
house of the Kankanay and Ibaloi, with four thick posts usually raised two metres from the ground to avoid
supporting a timber upper floor and steep hip type roof of flooded grounds and animals like snakes. Through the
cogon grass. The lower end of the roof flared out similar to years, these quaint homes have evolved and inspired
the roof of the Bontocs and Kalingas houses. many of the country's modern architectural structures as
well.

The construction of the bahay kubo depends on the era

1. Bahay Kubo As A Catalyst For Filipino Bayanihan they come from. They are usually categorised into two: the
pre-colonial bahay kubo which features simple interiors
made of native materials like nipa, bamboo and coconut
leaves. And when the Spaniards came to the Philippines,
they infused materials like stones, bricks, tiles, and mortar
into what is often called the colonial bahay kubo.

3. The term "Bahay Kubo" means "Country House"

In English, the term bahay kubo roughly means "country

house". It was derived from the terms báhay ("house")
and kúbo ("hut" or "one-room country hut"). The term
báhay is from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian balay; while
the term kubo is from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian kubu (field
Pre-colonial bahay kubos were never cemented on the hut in rice fields).
ground. Because of this, many Filipinos are able to move
from one place to another depending on their choice or 4. It (usually) features a three-layered structure
needs.
Bayanihan (pronounced as buy-uh-nee-han), 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.

2. It has two (major) variations: pre-colonial and colonial

Bahay Kubo
ABOVE A Bahay Kubo with three layers ┃Photo: Jenny
Salvador on Flickr

There are three areas in the bahay kubo: bubong (roof),

silid (living space), and the silong (space underneath). The
traditional roof of the bahay kubo is made of long sleeves
stacked together to form sharp edges.
The living space, on the other hand, is designed to let in as
much fresh air and natural light as possible.
Meanwhile, the space underneath is a preventive measure
against natural calamities like floods and mud. It is also an
area where homeowners can store food, objects, and even
ABOVE The colonial Bahay Kubo is more sturdy as farm animals.
Spaniards introduced the use of stones, bricks, tiles, and
mortar. ┃Photo: Brian Evans 5. It has been an architectural inspiration to many
 planning and building regulations, and are often situated
in geographically and envi- ronmentally hazardous areas. It
is estimated that “in our world, one in eight people live in
slums” (UN-Habitat 2016, 2). Although mil- lions of slum-
dwellers are subject to numer- ous violations of human
rights, not all lack title deeds, fear evictions, are poor, are
undoc- umented migrants, or are involved in criminal
activities (Davis 2006; Neuwirth 2004). Many slum-
dwellers work in the formal economy, run legal businesses,
and pay taxes. If they are internal migrants, they can enjoy
PHOTO 1 OF 2 The Coconut Palace in the Philippines was partial or full citizenship rights; for instance, in the
inspired by native Bahay Kubos. ┃Photo: Shirley example of the hukou regime in China and war-driven
Sekarajasingham on Flickr displacement in Colombia. Slums may be upgraded or
regularized by local governments, and residents may be
The bahay kubo has inspired many architects like Francisco granted permanency. Informality may also last indefi-
Mañosa, the man behind the designs of the Coconut nitely and permeate formality, and vice versa, so it is
Palace. According to Mañosa, the traditional Filipino wrong to assume an essential opposi- tion between formal
houses are designed to ward off the heat from the harsh and informal activities (Earle 2014; Perlman 2007; Roy
summer, something he wanted to incorporate with his 2005).
work.

 Iskwater

“Informal settlers” is a broad concept that refers to

individuals and groups who estab- lish their principal
residence in mostly urban areas and types of dwellings
considered illegal or in discord with the dominant social
norms. Informal settlers are the main producers of the city
in the Global South, but they are also found in the Global
North.
To settle in a territory implies an act of foundation of a site
for dwelling and collective life – villages and towns,
originally. “Settler” applies generally to all new arrivals in
urban agglomerations. This embodies connotations of
colonizers who take over land previously held by
indigenous populations, who thus
k become dispossessed or displaced – some native tribes
in Australian and American cities still strive for their
landownership rights over already urbanized areas. “Set-
tler” also designates pioneers appointed or protected by
governments to occupy a disputed, frontier, or unexploited
territory.

UN-Habitat (2016) often conflates “infor- mal settlements”

and slums according to five
deprivations: (a) lack of access to drinking water and (b)
sanitation facilities; (c) non- durable structures; (d)
overcrowded houses; and (e) tenure insecurity that
facilitates forced evictions. Slum sites seldom comply with