The First Known Architect in History

Posted by Worthington Millwork on 3/25/13 1:19 PM

Thought to be the very first architect in history was Imhotep. As one of the officials of the
Pharaoh Djoser, he designed the Pyramid of Djoser (the Step Pyramid) at Saqqara in Egypt
in 2630 – 2611 BC.He may have been responsible for the first known use
of columns in architecture. As an instigator of Egyptian culture, Imhotep's idealized image
lasted well into the Ptolemaic period. The Egyptian historian Manetho credited him with
inventing the method of a stone-dressed building during Djoser's reign, though he was not
the first to actually build with stone. Stone walling, flooring, lintels, and jambs had
appeared sporadically during the Archaic Period, though it is true that a building of the
Step Pyramid's size and made entirely out of stone had never before been constructed.
Before Djoser, pharaohs were buried in mastaba tombs.

1. Main Building – University of Santo Tomas

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Designed by a Spanish priest-civil

engineer Rev. Fr. Roque Ruaño in
1920 to 1923, the main building of the
Philippine’s oldest university, located
along Espana Boulevard, is also the
first earthquake resistant building in
the country. The design was fine
tuned after the lessons learned from
the Great Kantō earthquake that
flattened Tokyo and Yokohama in
September 1, 1923.
2. Quezon Hall – University of the Philippines Diliman

(Image source: Wikipedia.org)

Designed by Juan Nakpil, the first

architect to receive the National
Artist award in 1973, Quezon Hall
houses the administrative offices
of the university located in
Diliman, Quezon City.
Constructed in the 1950s, the
building sports an eclectic style,
combining different styles into
one structure. The same style is
used for the university’s main library, also designed by Nakpil.

3. Nicanor Reyes Hall – Far Eastern University Complex

(Image source: FEU website)

Considered the largest body of work

done in Art Deco style in Manila, the
Nicanor Reyes Hall is part of the five
buildings in the FEU complex
designed by Pablo Antonio. Antonio
is the second architect to receive the
National Artist award in 1976, a year
after his death. In 2005, the five Art
Deco-style buildings earned a
citation from the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for
Cultural Heritage.

4. Philippine International Convention Center

(Image source: universepageanthall.wordpress.com)

An example of the massive, fortress-style Brutalist architecture, the Philippine International Convention
Center (PICC) is a brainchild of Leandro
Locsin, one of the greatest master
architects that the Philippines has
produced. For a state-of-the-art
structure, the PICC was surprisingly
completed within only 23 months from
1974 to 1976. It has hosted foreign and
local conventions, including the annual
Awards Night of the Filipino Academy of
Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS).
5. National Theater – Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex

(Image source: dianaabend.wordpress.com)

The National Theater or Tanghalang

Pambansa, formerly the Theater of
Performing Arts, is the CCP’s
flagship venue and houses its
principal offices. Like the PICC, the
theater is only a part of the CCP
complex, a sprawling 88-hectare
government owned structure.

The National Theater’s design is

another work by Leandro Locsin and
carries his signature style of the “floating volume,” which combines a heavy use of concrete with
elevated structures. The result is a startling contrast of a massive looking structure that seemingly floats.

If you’re building or renovating your house, are you always “lost in translation” when talking to your
contractor or finisher? It may sound like a secret construction code, but it’s quite easy to learn or
remember (so you’ll know exactly what they’re doing). Here are the common Pinoy constru terms and
their meanings:

TERMS

Alulod

Alulod means gutter. When preparing for the rainy season, tell your handyman: “Tingnan mo naman
yung yero kung may butas. At linisin mo yung alulod—puno na siya ng dahon.”

Anay finish

This is a rough concrete wall finish (so-called because it looks termites ate through it). It’s achieved by
flattening a rough concrete finish with a trowel (a flat-bladed hand tool), and was popular in the 1980s-
90s.

Asintada

Asintada is the alignment of the wall. “Wala sa asintada” means it’s not aligned. “Asintahin” is to align.
Workers might say, “Natayo na ba ang asinta?” to ask whether the wall has been put up.

Balbon

Not hairiness, but rater, a wall defect that is the result of uneven plastering done by an inexperienced
mason.

Dangkal

Length from tip of your thumb to the tip of your pinky finger (length depends on whose hand you’re
using).
Dipa

Another unit of measurement—the length of both arms stretched out (including torso).

Dos Aguas and Quatro Aguas Roof

A dos aguas has two sides or slopes (a gable roof), and quatro aguas has four sides (a hip roof). Use
either of the terms when you want to specify the type of roof, e.g. “Gawin nating quatro aguas ang
bubong.”

Dos por dos, etc.

When specifying the sizes of wood for rough carpentry, refer to these terms: dos por dos is a 2”x2” strip
of wood used in ceiling or cabinet framing; uno por dos is 1” x 2” wood, and de uno is a slim 1” x 1”
piece. Suppliers sell these wood strips at 8ft (2.4m) in length.

Ducco or duko

When designers want a durable finish for wood, they specify ducco–a type of paint finish. Painters
achieve this finish by applying putty, and sanding and painting in layers. This is more expensive than
your typical paint finish.

Hamba

Carpenters use wood for constructing the hamba, or jamb—a frame surrounding the door or window.

Hulog

When masons put up a concrete wall, they check the hulog—the vertical straightness of a wall with
respect to a plumb bob (a metal ball on a long string). Hulog has made its way to everyday lingo: “Wala
sa hulog” means a person can’t think straight.

Kapak

Plaster not bonding well with the wall produces a defect. Knocking on it creates a hollow sound—
probably why this defect is called kapak (the word itself mimics the hollow sound).

Masilya

When a wall is going to be painted, masilya (putty) is applied first.

Media Agua

A canopy over a window. In ancestral Filipino houses, the traditional media agua is a scallop-bordered
cloth; in a bahay kubo, it’s a nipa push-out or awning. In modern houses, it could be as simple as a ledge
shading the window.

Nagbubuntis

There’s reason to be concerned when a worker says, “May nagbubuntis dito,” and it doesn’t mean
someone’s gotten pregnant! It means a concrete column is bulging due to weak formworks.
Rebokada

When masons finish a concrete wall, they first apply a rough coat of plaster—the rebokada, or scratch
coat. This serves as a binder between the wall and the final layer of plaster, or the palitada. “Habulin na
lang sa palitada yan” is commonly proposed when wall defects (like an uneven finish or a misaligned
wall) need to be masked (by thickening the plaster).

S4S and S2S

These terms refer to the smoothness of the sides of the wood; they’re abbreviations for “smooth four
sides,” and “smooth two sides.” S4S pieces are used for exposed members such as some rafters (roof
supports). When sending your carpenter to buy wood, say, “Dalawa pang dos por dos, na S4S.”

Tabla

A wood plank, usually 5” or more in width.

Tambol

When unsightly pipes appear in areas like the underside of a bathroom it needs a tambol—not a musical
instrument, but a covering made out of plywood or gypsum to hide the pipe or eyesore. Say, “Lumabas
ang tubo sa pader. Tambulan mo na lang.”

Tanguile

This is a popular type of wood with a reddish color, fine-textured but with large grains. It is the most
common wood specified nowadays for rough carpentry such as door and window jambs.

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Tibag

To demolish.

So, the next time you feel like complaining about shoddy work on a concrete wall, instead of just
exclaiming, “Ang pangit!”, you can be more articulate and say, “Ang dami namang kapak nito. Balbon at
wala sa hulog. Nagbubuntis pa yung poste. At kulang sa pahid yung pintura.” If the mason replies,
“Habulin na lang natin sa palitada...” you can reply, “Huwag. Tibagin mo!”