RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

DESCRIPTIVE PAPER ON PRE-

COLONIAL BAHAY KUBO HOUSE
ARCHITECTURE

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the course

HOA 4 – History of Architecture 4 – Philippine Architecture

Submitted by:

TABINAS, RENATO MIGUEL F.

BS Architecture – CEAT-01-501P

2019-103082

Submitted to:

ARCH. MELDUARD L. HERNANDEZ, UAP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ................................................................... 2

THE BAHAY KUBO’S FEATURES AND PARTS .................................................... 4

TABULATION ......................................................................................................... 6

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 7

1
INTRODUCTION

Picture 1: Bahay Kubo

The bahay kubo, or nipa hut, is a typical traditional house found in most

lowlands all over the Philippines during the pre-colonial period. It is built with local

resources such as wood and/or bamboo, which is the vernacular of the area.

Typically, the bahay kubo is elevated for various of reasons. The lowlands

experiences flooding during the rainy seasons and very hot summers during the hot

seasons. Being in an elevated house helps in avoiding flood destructions as well as

let an efficient air flow when the climate is hot. Another reason is for natural lighting to

have an easy access inside the house from different angles.

Materials used for the bahay kubo are lightweight, making the actual house

itself light as well, which then enabled the house to be portable through the means of

bayanihan – the term for the teamwork of the small community to transport the bahay

kubo from one place to another.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The name of the primitive Nipa hut is actually based on the Spanish

phrase Cubo, meaning cube, probably because of its rectangular appearance

and Bahay is the Filipino word for house. An article from Jong (2010) states that by

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tradition this type of village dwelling is constructed out of organic materials, a perfect

example of a totally green structure, a showcase of extreme simplicity and

sustainability that has been around for a very long time. The construction of a Bahay

Kubo is totally based on the local needs and conditions. (Jong, 2010)

Picture 2: Bahay Kubo in Mindanao countryside

Construction of rural native huts has changed little in the centuries. According

to an article written by Noche (n.d.), design vary by region, but common features

include steep roof over a one-or-two room living area raised on posts or stilts one to

two meters above the ground or over shallow water. Some huts have balconies.

Floors may be of split bamboo to allow dirt and food scraps to fall through to pigs and

poultry. The space beneath the hut may be used for storage or as a workshop; it also

allows air to circulate and safeguards against flooding, snakes, and insects. (Noche,

n.d.)

3
THE BAHAY KUBO’S FEATURES AND PARTS

Picture 3: Parts of the Bahay Kubo

The bahay kubo is typically cubic in shape, thus it has a basic square plan. It

only has one, large, open multi-purpose room for dwelling, called bulwagan. A cellar,

called silong where most household chores are done. This area also serves as the

area for livestock pens, storage space, workspace, and granary.

The roof or bubong is tall and steeply pitched, ending in long eaves. The walls

are made of nipa and cogon leaves or sawali or woven bamboo, and there are large

windows on all sides, which keep the room well-ventilated. The dungawan or windows’

shades are opened securely with the use of a tukod or “legs” that holds it during the

day, and locks it close during the night. The bahay kubo also has a ladder or hagdan

4
which is detachable so to not let anyone in during the night or when the inhabitants

are out.

Some huts even have open back porch or batalan where household chores are

done and where the jars of water are placed. Others have a storage farm house that’s

detached from the main house called kamalig.

5
TABULATION

BAHAY KUBO a typical traditional house found in most lowlands all

over the Philippines during the pre-colonial period.

BAYANIHAN the teamwork of a small community to transport a

bahay kubo from one place to another.

CUBO Spanish word for “cube” word where the kubo is

based from

BAHAY Filipino word for “house”

BULWAGAN large, open multi-purpose room for dwelling

SILONG a cellar where most household chores are done

BUBONG Filipino word for “roof”; tall and steeply pitched for

bahay kubo

DUNGAWAN another term for “window”

TUKOD a short piece of wooden stick that holds the shades

of the window open during the day or closed during

the night

HAGDAN a detachable ladder that is placed before the

entrance of a bahay kubo

KAMALIG a detached storage farm house

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REFERENCES

Jong, R. d. (April 21, 2010). Bahay Kubo. Retrieved from ThingsAsian:

http://thingsasian.com/story/bahay-kubo

Noche, M. D. (n.d.). History of Philippine Architecture. Retrieved from GOVPH:

https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-
sca/architecture-and-allied-arts-2/history-of-philippine-architecture/