Pre Colonial/Historic Architecture in the Philippines

The need for Housing

1. Maslow’s Heirarchy of needs

2. Dwellings as a physical manifestation

3. Houses as social investment

Prehistoric (2.5 M to 1200 BC)

immediate safety, nomadic, away from threats

Cave System

easiest from of available natural shelter

Tabon Cave

system of 200 caves named after a prehistoric bird that lived in the caves

Manunggul Jar

pottery depicting the concept of rowing to the afterlife

Callao Cave

-a system of 300 caves

-in Cagayan Valley

-first excavated in 1980

Homo Luzonesis

found in Callao cave in 2019

Lean-to

-a precursor to wooden and organic vertical construction

-portable lean to which has both roof and wall used by Negritos

Arboreal Shelters or Tree houses

due to violent inter-tribal conflict and nocturnal raids

Gaddang

used these three houses as their areas were also prone to flooding due to location

Pre-Colonial

prior to the Spanish

Apayao House

also known as balai which linguistically morphed into bahay.

It is elevated, rectangular in construction with one room

A barrel vault style thatch roof with a high pitch

Bahay Kubo

multiple regional iterations that vary on layout, materials used, stilts and columns, heights, storeys, and other factors

usually made of indigenous materials such as wood, bamboo and nipa grass.

An a frame shape and has a single door and windows flanking majority of its sides

Customizable

Ivatan House

made of a lime, stone, wood and thatch process found to be pre Hispanic

wave of trades, Maritime culture sharing

Fayu/Afung

also called Heap top House

often found in mountain side of hillside

traditionally built of wood and stone

comparable to Ivatan houses maintaining their roofs

many types of Bontoc Houses

Tinokbob

a Sagada House similar to Bontoc house and covered from top to bottom possibly due to climatic and terrain challenges

windowless

Bale/Fale

a ritual is observed in building the Ifugao House. it brought up by 4 strong, hardwood posts and built together with just joinery.

it provides a cellar for the harvested goods and the same model is used as the granary of the community.

has only 1 entrance and 2 sides for Male and Female

Beyoy

Square house type with rooted foundations.

Types:

Square/ Pletong
Octagonal/Guilitob

Square/ Pletong

Wooden square shaped type of Kalinga House

Octagonal/Guilitob/Binayon

For rich Kalinga Families as well as having 12 posts type of Kalinga House

Norberte

a barrel vault thatch roof style with a high pitch

Stone Floor

Wall

Post

Storage

Post

Queenpost

Ridge

Loft

Floor

Rafter

Roof Beam

Platform

Diagonal Post

Tukod

Halipan

Kuling

Mundilig

Galob

Huklub

Bughol

Ibat

Ambubulan

Bubong

Atop

Taknang

Patie

Wanan/Bagat

Pamandingan

Gawaan

Hagbo/Dotal

Architectural Characteristics: Pre-Colonial Architecture

• Thickened and high-pitched thatch Roofing

• The use of joinery and ropework / vinework

• The use of indigenous materials

• The multipurpose quality of space

• The reflection of social hierarchy in space

Torogan

Ancestral house of the Maranao, as a house of an elite status—someone with a high social role, such as the sultan or datu.

Badjao House

Houses by a community whose lives are centered around seafaring, and with roots in Indonesia and Malaysia.