FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2

CASE STUDY 2: FLOOD RESILIENT HOUSE

ASUNCION, KURT MATTHEW S

2022073601

AR. ARJAY JOHN SECUGAL

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

 Floods are the most frequently occurring natural disaster. This disaster occurs when dry
land is submerged by overflowing water (World Health Organization [WHO], 2019). It is
commonly caused by heavy rainfall, storm surge, or tsunamis in coastal areas. Also according
to WHO (2019), there are three common types of flood. First is flash floods which are caused
by rapid and extreme rainfall that triggers a sudden rise of water. Second is river floods which
are caused by consistent rain that forces a river to exceed capacity. Last is coastal floods which
are caused by storm surges connected with typhoons and tsunamis.

The Philippines, being an archipelago and a tropical country, is one of the most
vulnerable countries to floods. There are various causes of floods in the Philippines. It may be
a natural or artificial cause.

Figure 1: Causes of flood in the Philippines according to PAGASA

The Philippines has a long history of flood incidents. A lot of areas have been
devastated by huge floods that causes those areas to be in a state of calamity. One of the major
floods in the Philippines was in Marikina during the typhoon “Ondoy” last 2009. This “once
in a lifetime” typhoon submerged almost all of Metro Manila including Marikina City which
is dubbed as the catch basin of rainwater coming from different areas (Jalea, 2022). This
typhoon ended with 464 dead, 529 injured, and 37 missing (Gregorio, 2019). It also destroyed
PHP 11 billion worth of agriculture and infrastructure according to The National Disaster
Coordinating Council’s (NDCC) final report, Gregorio added. 10 years later, Marikina City
was again devastated by a flood caused by the typhoon “Ulysses” that rose the water level of
Marikina River to 21.8 meters breaching the river’s water level during “Ondoy'' which was
21.5 meters (Patag, 2020). Most recent incident in Marikina City was just last year during the
13th anniversary of “Ondoy” when typhoon “Karding” ravaged the city by raising the river’s
water level to 18 meters (Jalea, 2022).
 Another flood prone area in the Philippines is Cavite. One of the major flooding that
happened in Cavite was last 2013. The 8-ft. flood was caused by a combination of relentless
rains and high tide (Sabillo, 2013). Sabillo also mentioned that numerous towns in Cavite such
as Kawit, Rosario, and Novaleta were swallowed by water due to the overflowing of all major
rivers in Cavite - Zapote River, Bacoor River, and Imus River.

Figure 2: Flood Hazard Map of Cavite

Moving on to a more rural flood prone area in the Philippines, Surigao del Sur. This
area is near bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and seas that’s why possibilities of flood are
frequent. One of the notable floods that occurred in this area happened last January of 2015.
According to Inquirer Mindanao (2015), the flood was caused by relentless rain that lasted for
a week. They also added that the rain caused landslides making the national highway between
Tandag City, the capital of the province, and Cortes obstructed, disabling vehicles to pass
through. Additionally, the news article stated that low-lying villages such as the poblacion area
in San Miguel town were flooded due to the overflowing of Tago River.

Figure 3: Flood Hazard Map of Surigao del Sur

 These are just some of the most flood prone areas in the Philippines. As stated earlier,
this country is one of the most at risk when it comes to floods because of its geography and
other artificial or man-made causes. In addition, a flood’s most common effect besides
devastation of life, is destruction of property. That is why it is important that structures such as
houses must be equipped with appropriate systems for managing such disasters (Nagendran,
2021).

A flood proof house design is concerned with base flood elevation (BFE) and design
flood elevation (DFE). A house must be elevated above the BFE to protect it from water caused
by flood and avoid damage from hydrostatic pressure on the home (Fontan, 2020). BFE refers
to the elevation of a potential flood which depends on the location of the site indicated in flood
hazard maps or flood insurance rate maps (FIRMS) (Fontan, 2021). On the other hand, Fontan
(2021) defines DFE as the elevation of building elements in a new establishment with regards
to BFE.

It is also important to incorporate flood damage resistant materials in designing and

constructing a flood resilient house. According to FEMA (2011), flood resistant building
materials can “withstand direct contact with flood water for 72 hours without being
significantly damaged”. They also stated that these materials will reduce the damage caused by
flood and cost of maintenance especially if they are used in walls, floors and other elements
below the BFE.
Most commonly available flood resistant materials according to FEMA are the following:

Flooring Materials

• concrete, concrete tile, and precast concrete

• latex or bituminous, ceramic, clay, terrazzo, vinyl, and rubber sheets and tiles
• pressure-treated (PT) or decay resistant lumber
• PT wood and cold-formed steel

Wall and Ceiling Materials

• brick, metal, concrete, concrete block, porcelain, slate, glass block,

• stone, and ceramic and clay tile
• cement board, cold-formed steel, and reinforced concrete
• polyester epoxy paint
• PT and decay resistant lumber
• PT and marine grade plywood
• foam and closed-cell insulation
• decay resistant wood
 In addition to materials, different architects, engineers, and designers from various
countries have invented technologies and techniques to build flood resilient structures. In
Australia, James Davidson, principal of James Davidson Architect (JDA), designed a floating
device for Queenslander houses using a pontoon structure (Wright, 2016). According to
Merriam-Webster dictionary (n.d.), a pontoon is a flat boat or metal structure usually used to
support temporary floating bridges. This pontoon structure, as Wright stated, raises the house
as water level rises through vertical columns that guide a coupling system attached to the upper
floor. The materials used in this technology are also flood damage resilient (Nagendran, 2021).
Nagendran also added that the design and planning of the houses enables water to transude
through the structure which makes it easier to clean up after the flood.

Figure 4: Sample Section and Axonometric View of Pontoon Structure

Figure 5: Sample Plan and Elevation

 A similar solution is being used in the United Kingdom. Historically, cities and towns
in the UK developed in flood plains just as other civilizations erected around bodies of water
such as rivers, canals, and docks (Wainwright, 2022). This is why Robert Barker and Richard
Coutts, founders of Baca Architects, created an innovative solution against flood by taking
advantage of the properties of water. As a result, they built the UK’s first “amphibious house”
located on an island on the river Thames. To address the issue of extreme flooding, Baca
Architects used three strategies. First, they utilized “hydroscapes” that acts as a natural flood
warning system. This carefully laid out garden consists of three levels of terraces that flood
gradually indicating the threat level of an incoming flood (Baca Architects, n.d.). Second, the
house used flood damage resilient materials such as concrete which was insulated with highly
buoyant materials that makes the house float during floods (Nagendran, 2021). It was also
mentioned that there are four vertical posts that assist the house as it floats during a flood. Baca
Architects (n.d.) also stated that the house stays on the ground during dry days and the floating
base is imperceptible. Lastly, the house is connected to its utilities through elephant cabling
which are flexible service pipes designed to stretch up to 3 meters protecting the utilities from
flood damage.

Figure 6: Sample Section during Flood

Figure 7: Sample Site Analysis for "Amphibious House"

 In Asian countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines, flood resilience
techniques in houses are very similar. They all use lightweight materials such as wood and
bamboo for the framework because of its buoyancy in addition to it being easily replaceable
after a flood (Nagendran, 2021). All of them also elevate the structure to prevent water coming
into the structure in case of floods. It was also mentioned that in Bangladesh, they use 2-meter
high stilts made from reinforced concrete which is also a flood damage resilient material.

Figure 8: Indonesia

Figure 9: Bangladesh

Figure 10: Philippines

As stated earlier, flood is the most frequently occurring natural disaster. That is why
the technologies and design approaches mentioned earlier are being used in different countries
around the world to aid in mitigating damage to properties and also preventing loss of life
(Gattupalli, 2022).

One example of a flood resilient development is the Blooming Bamboo Home located
in Vietnam. According to Gattupalli (2022), this flood resilient home developed by H&P
Architects was designed to withstand floods up to three meters as it is raised on stilts. It was
also mentioned that since such materials are abundant, flexible, and easily customizable, the
exterior of said structure is made of bamboo, fiberboard, and coconut leaves. In addition, the
area below the structure is used to keep plants and animals and as a filtration system that
collects and stores rainwater. The house is accessed through wooden ladders that lead to small
decks around the structure (Davis, 2016). Davis also mentioned that this structure can be built
for a minimum of 25 days and can also adapt to varying climate and site.

Figure 11:Blooming Bamboo Home, Vietnam

Another example is the LIFT House in Dhaka, Bangladesh. LIFT stands for “Low
Income Floor-proof Technology” which implies that this design approach aims to create flood
resilient homes for the lower-class people in Dhaka. This flood resilient structure was
constructed using a hollow Ferro-cement foundation integrated with a bamboo framed
foundation filled with plastic bottles to achieve buoyancy during floods (Gattupalli, 2022). The
house rises with the water and recedes back to the ground as the water level lowers.

Figure 12: "LIFT" House, Dhaka

The FLOAT House in New Orleans is also one of the few examples of flood resilient
houses. It is a low-income housing project by Morphosis Architects that can survive flood
waters caused by huge storms. It is developed to accord to the needs of families in New
Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward following the devastating hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Float
House sits on a 4-foot raised base that serves as a porch in which preserves the culture and
traditional context of New Orleans and acts as a raft during severe flooding. These rafts are
securely guided by steel masts that are attached to the ground. The house can leap up
perpendicularly and hover up to twelve feet as the water level rises in time.
 Figure 13: "FLOAT" House, New Orleans

With observance to the recent typhoons that struck the Philippines, several casualties
and properties were in shreds due to flooding. Whereas adequate knowledge regarding flood
resilient design and measures can notably reduce damages and prevent water ingress to a
building. This design approach could not only protect the structures and several areas from
rising sea levels, but rather, it could also serve as an opportunity to enhance the quality of life
and placemaking in communities all over the world. Architecture may not entirely prevent and
resist floods, but it can surely be of service in alleviating damages and in saving lives.
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