BAHAY KUBO

Modern cities have been a venue for many technological developments that have paved the way for us humans to improve our way of living. Technology at this point in time surely is a huge influence among us especially in our lifestyle that reflects our traditions and cultural heritage. Filipinos are very attached to tradition. Our daily lives revolve around Filipino ways and up until now, we all rely on these traditions as the foundation of our Filipino family. Our lives also revolve around the simple Filipino home. Our lives are dictated by it and we are still fond of this tradition that started way back when the Tabon Man lived in the cold, isolated caves of Palawan.

As Filipinos we all know that the first inhabitants of the country were the Tabon Man or Taong Tabon in Palawan. Since then, they started to develop their ways in terms of usage of stone, and also in their dwellings. The very first dwellings were considered to be caves followed by the Lean-to then the ever famous Bahay Kubo. The Bahay Kubo is a symbol of Filipino Identity. It is not only a dwelling but also a reflection on how we Filipinos developed our Culture. The Bahay Kubo is truly a versatile structure. All the regions have a different version of the Bahay Kubo depending on the weather condition, use, and other factors. That is what I love about the Bahay Kubo, It is very Practical for us Filipinos because it comprises of everything we need. It is also Multi-functional unlike any other structure in other countries. It is Modular and can be put anywhere. It can adapt to certain conditions and can be of multiple uses or just a single room. It has an open floor plan allowing the user to have control on what he/she wants/ It can even be up in a tree. The fact that it can be for multiple uses makes it a lot suitable for our modern world. Taking the concept of the Bahay kubo, it translates to different modular housing solutions that we have today. Using its flexibility and versatility, The Bahay Kubo’s modern counterparts are High rise buildings, Condominiums and Modular housing. It is very important for Filipinos to live in a breathable environment, that’s why I thought of comparing Bahay Kubo’s concept in affordable, livable, practical housing.

Taking the Bahay kubo’s Modularity, I thought of building or designing a house that if also Modular. My design depends on the user’s needs, like a Bahay kubo. If the user has a certain need, then he can add on a part of the scheme. I think being able to study about the Bahay Kubo made me realize a lot of things. I used to think that our country has very little knowledge about things but it turns out, we have developed that technology that is present in other countries because of the Bahay Kubo. I really love how the Bahay Kubo made it’s simplistic values be an influence to today’s architecture and how the concepts are still present today.

For me, a cube is very versatile. This modular "Kubo" can be stacked up into a structure of multiple uses. It can be a house, commercial center or even a mall at the lower level and then translating into a Condominium at the higher levels, another concept from the Bahay Kubo which is Multi-functionality.