Professional Documents
Culture Documents
List Parts of Bahay Na Bato Filipiniana 101 PDF
List Parts of Bahay Na Bato Filipiniana 101 PDF
List: Parts of bahay na bato
The turn of the century bahay na bato or "stone house" the Old Manila Nostalgia blog correctly renames it
the bahay na bato at kahoy is practically extinct. Except for Las Casas de Acuzar, which dismantles bahay
na bato from their original context and reconstructs them in a resort near the shore of Bagac, Bataan, no one
builds them anymore.
Although nonindigenous, the bahay na bato (at kahoy) has become "authentic Filipino," to go by Fernando
NakpilZialcita's argument, because the original Spanish architectural design has been repurposed to suit the
native climate using the native architectural idiom, in particular construction ideas from the bahay kubo. The
Old Manila Nostalgia blogger observantly notes these ingenious adjustments:
making the structure more earthquakeproof
allowing more light into the house
allowing more air
shielding the house from the rain and heat of the sun
raising the floor as a precaution against flood
Bahay na bato researcher Maria Cecilia Sunico Atienza lists the following as among the most distinguishing
features of the bahay na bato (in no particular order): portico, porte cochere, volada, loadbearing walls,
pilasters, engaged column, stainedglass windows, capiz sliding ventanas, and ventanillas.
Note that, just like everything else in Filipino culture, the bahay na bato also has several variations along
ethnic lines, or so Imelda Marcos' Nayong Pilipino educated us long ago. The bahay na bato in Cebu, for
example, has differences from the one in, say, Samar. Augusto Villalon, in support of this observation, has an
interesting compareandcontrast essay on the Vigan (Ilocos Sur) bahay na bato versus the Taal (Batangas)
bahay na bato. (Unfortunately, it can't be found via Google.)
Other observers point out another distinguishing feature: the unprecedented mixing and matching of
architectural styles, such that a bahay na bato can have neogothic and neoMudejar (neoMoorish) details in
the same corners that is, on top of the baroque (which may be of particular style, e.g. the spareby
comparison Viennese Secessionist style). These quaint mixes give the bahay na bato an architectural style
that evolved from both East and West and thus making it truly Filipino.
One can't help but think the bahay na bato should be a source of identity and pride among Filipinos, and yet
the realities on the ground contradict this assumption. Instead of continuing with the construction of our
houses in this tradition, which is perfectly suited to the tropics, we now mostly prefer the "modern Asian" or
Japanese style. What we do with the fine cultural fusion that is the bahay na bato is consign it to the status of
a museum artifact, to be visited and relished only as an afterthought. Apart from this, we obliterate it for
commercial purposes, if not leave to selfdestruction.
Why has the bahay na bato fallen into disrepair and disfavor? We can only speculate. Maybe the reason is
economics: it's simply too expensive to build the bahay na bato in the original style using original materials.
Could the reason also be sociopolitical in nature? Could it also be that its death is only a reflection of the
death of the feudalistic structure of Philippine society? Let's not forget that, in its time, the bahay na bato is a
status symbol, and because of that, the Filipino masses could only associate it with a social status and a way
of life way beyond their means in their whole lifetime. Do the Filipino masses regard the bahay na bato with
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 1/7
5/10/2015 List: Parts of bahay na bato | Filipiniana 101
hate, resentment, or disdain? Maybe the leftleaning do, but I have yet to actually meet such a resentful
bunch among fellow ordinary Filipinos.
With the bahay na bato inevitably vanishing from our culture, except as museum artifacts and themedresort
structures, these architectural and interior design terms have practically vanished along with it. All we can do
now is make this quick requiem of a list:
Bahay na Bato at Kahoy Architectural and Home Furnishing Terms
Accessoria "apartmenttype dwelling characterized by common party walls shared by adjoining units with
separate door each in front"
Aljibe cistern
Antesala see Caida
Aparador de tres lunas "armoire with three sections"
Arko arch
Azotea "openair balcony beside the kitchen that housed a cistern (aljibe) and the bathroom and was
usually a work area" (Bambi Harper)
Atlas, Atlantes "a column in the shape of a man"
Balconaje balcony
Banggera " a wooden dish rack that extends outside the kitchen window. After the dishes are washed, they
are placed here to be airdried. The inverted cups are placed on the ends of the wooden sticks and the plates
are placed in between or above the slats. On the far left is a tapayan/banga, an earthenware jar that keeps
water cool." (Old Manila Nostalgia blog)
Bañera bathtub
Baño bathroom
Barandillas (usually wooden) railing or balustrade
Barrigones "buntis" (pregnant) grillworks to accommodate planters
Butaka "a version of silla perezosa with no leg rests"
Caida landing on the upper entrance hall; "foyer of the second floor"; also called Antesala
Calado lacestyle fretwork or latticework used to adorn room dividers and to allow air to circulate
Capilla "long bench, a staple item in the caida"
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 2/7
5/10/2015 List: Parts of bahay na bato | Filipiniana 101
Capital "topmost member of a column (or pilaster) mediating between the column and the load"
Capiz window (often) sliding window made of capiz shells cut into squares
Caryatid "a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a
pillar supporting an entablature on her head"
Clerestory "any high windows above eye level for the purpose of bringing outside light, fresh air, or both
into the inner space"
Cocina kitchen built separately from the house
Colonette "a small, thin decorative column supporting a beam (horizontal timber) or lintel (beam spanning a
door or window)"
Comedor dining room
Comun toilet; also called Latrina
Cornice a ledge or "generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building or furniture element"
Court, Courtyard "a space enclosed by walls and is open to the sky; has azotea or balconaje"
Cuartos rooms
Cuatro aguas "hip roof, which has more corners and angles, making it stronger than the dos aguas (gable)
or highpitched roof due to stronger aerodynamics (i.e., more wind resistance); also has the advantage of
providing an overhang, which is effective for protecting the house from rainwater and from direct sunlight"
Dapugan "a platform in the kitchen where the 'kalan' or clay stove is placed"
Despacho office; also Oficina
Dispensa pantry
Dos aguas "gable or highpitched roof"
Eave "bottom edge of a roof"
Engaged column column in support of the roof above
Entresuelo mezzanine; "literally meaning 'between floors´, this is the area where clients, tenants or estate
managers (if the owner was a rich landowner) wait before being admitted to the oficina (office)"
Escalera stairway
Escritorio "a large chest of drawers, commonly adorned with inlay work"
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 3/7
5/10/2015 List: Parts of bahay na bato | Filipiniana 101
Façade front
Finial "a usually foliated ornament forming an upper extremity"
Gable "the part of a wall that encloses the end of a pitched roof"
Gallinera literally, "chicken seat"; "usually found outside the oficina of a landowner; coming from the
Spanish word 'gallo' (chicken), this church benchinspired settee is used for farmers to place chickens on the
cage underneath in exchange for paying cash" (Old Manila Nostalgia blog)
Gargoyle "a carved stone grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the
side of a building, thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar
between"
Gingerbread trim, Running trim "a fancifully cut and pierced frieze metal sheet attached to the eaves, a
trimming that instantly transforms simple windows into a piece of art"; "usually attached to the eaves to make
it more decorative and to curving iron rods that help support the media agua"
Kama typically meaning fourposter bed
Kama ni Ahtay "a once popular signature four poster bed design that was carved by a famous Chinese
furniture maker named Eduardo Ah Tay. To have this bed was considered a symbol of status during the
Spanish era." (Old Manila Nostalgia blog)
Kantoneras (Brackets) "either plain calado cutouts or fully carved embellishments usually placed where
beams and columns intersect especially under the "soffit" or overhanging ceiling outside house; also seen to
decorate door or window openings, hallways or simply dividing spaces"
Lansenas kitchen sideboards
Latrina see Comun
Loadbearing wall wall used in place of posts to bear weight
Machuca tiles (formerly known as baldozas mosaicas) colorful Mediterraneanstyle cement tiles used for
the zaguan flooring; manufactured by the Machuca company; another brand is Majolica
Media aguas canopy or roof shed, consisting of "a piece of metal roof that protects the window from rain or
heat"; not to be confused with awning
Mirador lighthouse
Moulding, molding "a strip of material (such as wood or metal) with some design or pattern that is used as
a decoration on a wall, on the edge of a table, etc."
Oratorio prayer room with an altar of santos
Painted metal sheet ceiling "tin or copper ceiling from maybe late Victorian to early American colonial
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 4/7
5/10/2015 List: Parts of bahay na bato | Filipiniana 101
period, to prevent decay by moisture or worms (or even mouse)"
Paminggalan "a cabinet where leftover food and preserves are stored. The doors of the cabinet have slats
so that it can absorb air and room temperature inside. To avoid ants from coming up and getting to the food,
the legs of the cabinet are placed on containers filled with kerosene or any liquid." (Old Manila Nostalgia blog)
Pasamano window ledge
Persiana louver window
Piedra china Chinese stone used to pave the floor of the zaguan
Pilaster false pillar "used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall,
with only an ornamental function"
Platera aparador or cabinet for kitchenware (chiefly china)
Porte cochere horse carriage porch or portico at the main entrance
Portico "(from Italian) a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof
structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls"
Puerta "door of the entrada principal (main entrance)"
Puertita "small cut door that is part of the puerta"
Pugon clay oven
Punkah ceiling cloth fan
Sala mayor main living room, place for lateafternoon parties called tertulias and dances called bailes
Sala menor secondary living room
Sillas Americanas "American chairs, considered the Monobloc chairs of their time (due to ubiquity)"
Silla perezosa lazy chair
Solihiya typical weave pattern in furniture
Stained glass "glass colored or stained (as by fusing metallic oxides into it) for decorative applications (as
in windows)"
Transom "transverse horizontal structural beam or bar"
Trompe l'oeil "a style of painting in which things are painted in a way that makes them look like real objects"
Tumbatumba Philippine rocking chair
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 5/7
5/10/2015 List: Parts of bahay na bato | Filipiniana 101
Ventana "wooden window panel that uses a grid pattern with flattened capiz shell panes"; often in sliding
style, as opposed to flinging out
Ventanilla literally 'small window'; "sliding panels between the floor and windows" to allow more air and
light; "usually protected by balustrades which can either be wooden or wrought iron grills"
Volada "an enclosed overhanging balcony"; "a gallery (along the elaborate system of windows) which
protects the rooms from the heat of the sun"
Yerong pukpok see Gingerbread trim
Zaguan ground floor (literally "passageway" in Arabic) to accommodate horse carriages and carrozas
(processional carriages)
Webliography:
English Oxford Dictionary
Wikipedia
http://www.scribd.com/doc/28427065/PhilippineSpanishInteriorDesign
[http://www.scribd.com/doc/28427065/PhilippineSpanishInteriorDesign]
Bahay na Bato by Rodrigo D. Perez (2007) http://www.librarylink.org.ph/featarticle.asp?articleid=110
[http://www.librarylink.org.ph/featarticle.asp?articleid=110]
Old Manila Nostalgia Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/oldmanilanostalgia
[https://www.facebook.com/oldmanilanostalgia]
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/122223/taals19thcenturyhousehistorymadeinteresting#ixzz2vGohlJ7D
[http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/122223/taals19thcenturyhousehistorymadeinteresting#ixzz2vGohlJ7D]
Philippine Ancestral Houses (18101930) by Fernando Nakpil Zialcita and Martin I. Tinio, GCF Books (1980)
Arkitekturang Filipino: A History of Architecture and Urbanism in the Philippines by Gerard Lico, UP Press
(2008)
Philippine Heritage Homes: A Guidebook by Jaime C. Laya, Cristina V. Turalba and Martin I. Tinio, Jr. (2014)
Ancestral Houses in the Philippines Facebook page members Maria Cecilia Atienza Sunico, Chris Chan, et al.
Posted 20th March 2014 by R.O.
0 Add a comment
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 6/7
5/10/2015 List: Parts of bahay na bato | Filipiniana 101
Enter your comment...
Comment as: Google Account
Publish
Preview
http://filipiniana101.blogspot.com/2014/03/listpartsofbahaynabato.html 7/7