I've searched long and hard for these photos of a project I looked after for a friend a few years ago, and it's my first time posting to this community:)
Some of the perks of living in Southeast Asia, the Philippines to be exact, is that it's tropical, cost of living is cheaper, labour and materials to build your house might be cheaper, and it is safe to a certain extent.
The big question is:
Would you trade your conventional house for a luxury Nipa Hut - a native Filipino House?
For a friend of mine, a British citizen married to a Filipina, the answer was yes!
While he and family were residing and working outside of the Philippines, they purchased a basic house made of wood with thatch roof, walked me through the land and told me their visions were to have a pool, garage, a gazebo for outdoor dining and of course some landscaping.
In other words:
"Pimp My House, Keep It Native!"
Mission
- Apply for relevant permits (fencing and building) done through a lawyer for ease
- Building architecture plans and blueprints
- Source reliable and registered Engineers for pool and gazebo
- Get Contractors and workers
- Source a professional landscaper
- Familiarize myself with local hardware's, lumberyards and other merchants.
First Things First
- Securing the premises with a gate
That was a priority because all personal belongings of the family plus building supplies and materials would start arriving soon, and also, a Filipina caretaker would be living on the property as added security.
- Lodging for Caretaker
Privacy and Security
With that, the best option was to change these wired fences and build concrete walls around the complex for more privacy and better security.
Extension of terrace to the side of house and building a garage with Laundry at the back
The Land & Soil
The land and soil in this area is all limestone rocks. This can be troublesome and challenging as well as costly for digging and clearing of the land.
Still the plan is to excavate the land to build a swimming pool, a gazebo, and landscaping, to enhance the entire complex to give it a complete and homely feel.
Backhoe vs Jackhammer
Options for digging:
(Here is the only section that I'll include costs because these are flat and basic across the board:
BACKHOE w/ Breaker and Operator: PHP Pesos
Mobilization: 45, 000 set fee
Fuel Deposit 5,000
Fuel Usage (based on daily consumption)
Equip usage 12800 /day (expected 3 - 5 days, from 38,400 - 64,000) depending on the hardness of soil
Plus accommodation and food - A bunk house in the yard and food from the caretaker and a bed.
TOTAL between 88,400 - 114,000
OR
JACKHAMMER with Operator x 3 PHP Pesos
800 x 3 = 2400 daily
approx x 30 - 45 days depending on hardness of soil & weather
TOTAL between 72,000 - 108,000
That was a no-brainer: Of course we went for the backhoe and operator which meant that the job was done quicker and more efficiently.
Gazebo & Landscaping
The original plan for the gazebo was to make it all bamboo to look like an extension of the house, however the Gazebo Contractor improved the design for better durability to withstand the tropical, rainy, and sometimes stormy typhoon weather.
The result was a combination of wood, bamboo, tiles and unique columns made from Tugas (Molave) wood.
There are endless designs and options for investing in luxury Native Style Houses here in the Philippines. Whether you're using bamboo or wood, one of the key things is to source proper materials. For example, the bamboo needs to be mature and harvested during certain months in the year. It is customary for locals to treat the bamboo by tying them together and leaving them in the sea for about 10 days, then you still need to use the wood preservative Solignum to treat the bamboo and all wood, to prevent termites and insect infestations.
All workmanship by native Filipinos from across the Philippines
Do you have an answer to the big question?
Would you trade your conventional house for a luxury Nipa Hut - a Native Filipino House?
Wow, great work here. Love the transformation.
Thank you! It was few months of proper stress but nice experience.
I made some great friends and connection and spent a lot of time going into some rural areas to source quality wood and also some river boulders. It was a beautiful experience :)
Seems it was all worth it. I don't know much about architecture but I can imagine the process and the feeling of accomplishment when what you imagined and planned comes to fruition. It's lovely. 😃
😊 Thanks 😊
Are you on the discord? or Twitter/ IG?
Even if a traditional nipa hut or "Bahay Kubo", as it's called locally, is not as stable and aesthetically pleasing as a modern house, this type of vernacular architecture has its own advantages. Being economical and quicker to build, much easier to maintain, and being environmentally friendly are just a few of the benefits it offers. Above all, it's certainly not difficult to build it close to a white-sand beach - my favorite place!...haha!
I warmly welcome you @millycf1976 to the Architecture+Design Community! Feel free to make this tribe your home as we look forward to more awesome architecture and design content from you! Cheers!
Hello @storiesoferne Thank you for your nice feedback 😊
I believe that to be very true about vernacular architecture advantage. Homes can be created by the ingenuity of any average person who has the material to put a roof over their head.
A lot of local Filipinos tell me that they like nipa huts because they're cooler and I remember how estatic the caretaker was to have her own little nipa hut :)
Welcome @millycf1976 to Architecture + Design Community! I remember you mentioned this project in our conversations. I'm glad you managed to share them with us.
Oh to answer the question, I don't think I could trade a conventional home for a luxury nipa hut. I don't mind spending a few days in one for vacation. However, bamboo is a sustainable and versatile material, when properly treated is strong and durable. I love the swimming pool by the way. 😀
Haha! I think I could, in a nice remote location that was safe and close to a body of water :)
Thanks, I think the swimming pool shape and design matched the rest of the architectural designs of the property and also maximised the use of the space 😊
I like how you have incorporated outdoor living space around the pool. It's a nice space to entertain guests while keeping their nipa house private.
Thank you so much!😊
That's true and the furnishings outside are very comfortable, while the outdoor shower is fairly private especially now since they've acquired the land and built another property right next door, so no real need to go inside the house. The outdoor toilet is massive. The contractor wanted to make it smaller, but it's big enough for baby change and it has a vent too, and spacious towel racks.
I didn't show the interiors, but both the bathroom in the house and at the outdoor gazebo have luxury Japanese / Korean style toilets, so you can listen music or disguise the obvious sounds which you sometimes have no control over😅.
Haha, I adore Japanese/Korean toilets, remembering how the owners lived in Korea, this is definitely a must. 😀
😀
Thank you very much @discoveringarni
Yes, I'm happy I found most of the photos....sorry I didn't recover the ones with the backhoe driver and all of the team at the start of the exciting mission. I had a video with the backhoe in action and even the backhoe did break at the last finishing (I knew the jackhammers had no business doing this job 😂). Memories of being on this site and going into some rural communities and areas off the beaten track for the highest, and cheapest native materials was an experience that I will treasure forever :)
very good home !
Yeah! Not too shabby eh! 😊😁
Thank you!
Hello @ millycf1976. I greet you from Venezuela. Extraordinary work, beautiful, sublime, excellent ... very beautiful and spectacular. Congratulations. It really is a majestic, wonderful transformation. Thank you for posting it. Greetings and infinite blessings for you and your loved ones.
Hello @marcosmilano71 Greetings from Philippines to you too 😁
Thank you for your kind feedback!
Yes, this transformation really shows what possibilities there are.
Blessings to you and your family too:)
I remember how much effort you put into this and the results were amazing. You have so much untapped potential
Thank you 😊
Yes, there were endless challenges on all levels which I enjoyed as part of the entire process.
Met some lovely Filipinos during this time, and even now, it's always nice to hail each other as we go by:)
Fond memories!
It was an excellent transformation! A warm welcome to the Architecture + Design Community!
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😊😍 Thank you very much :)
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Thank you so much @crazy-andy and @tipu.😊 Much appreciated :)