DOMINGUEZ, Bryant J.

Engl 7 1:00-2:00 MWF P-103

BS MecE-III October 27, 2017

VERNACULAR HOUSES IN THE PHILIPPINES

I. FOREWORD OF VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AROUND THE WORLD

A. Description of Vernacular Architecture

According to Alomar (2013:1) vernacular' or 'popular' architecture of a

specific region is defined as 'the totality of man-made structures intended for
living or for other activities, which do not classify within any historic or
academic style in the classical meaning of the term but which are a part of the
tradition of that particular region'. The time in which these structures were
built is not significant, and the names of their builders are, generally speaking,
unknown for the vernacular or popular architecture is essentially an
"architecture without architects". It evolves more or less naturally, similar in a
way to the growth of plants of the indigenous flora.

In accordance with the above definition, the concept of vernacular

architecture is obviously inseparable from the people and their tradition within
a region. There may, however, be various sub-regions within the boundaries
of a region, each presenting minor differences in character. For instance in
Andalucia, Southern Spain, the dominant style is white-washed houses with
clay-tile roofs but differences of detail are readily observable from one town to
another.

Vernacular architecture may be rural, comprising buildings such as

farmhouses, wind or water mills, water wheels, covered wells, sheep-folds,
etc. It may also be urban, as in the case of small, agrarian town centres, towns
of fishermen or other, similar, less-developed communities. These settlements
represent another very important scale of the problem, that of vernacular or
popular town-planning. Vernacular architecture must be considered not only
through isolated subject's but also through small urban ensembles and,
eventually, whole settlements which, in all cases, should be studied within a
larger context, i.e. the surrounding landscape.

In addition to that, a definition of vernacular with regard to building

may be givenin terms of process-how it is designed and built. When building
tradesmen [such as carpenters and bricklayers] are used for construction of
most dwellings, we may arbitrarily say that building gives way to preindustrial
vernacular. The process of vernacular deign is, in most cased, that of
adjusting an existing model to particular needs, and the results are variations
of the originial mode. Another characteristic of vernacular is its additive
quality, its unspecilalized oped-ended nature, so different from the closed, final
form of most high style design (Klasses 1986:31-32)

B. Deterinants of Vernacular Architecture

The vernacular architecture of a region is determined basically four

groups of factors: geographic, historic, economic and social. The geographic
factors include climate, geology (i.e. abundance or shortage of specific building
materials), the aptitude of soil for agriculture and the appropriate way of
farming, irrigation, etc.

In relation with the historic factors, it must be stated that even though
not a product of high-level culture, vernacular architecture is often influenced
in one way or another by the sovereign rule. These influences may occasionally
last thousands of years. For instance, in the region of Provence, France, in the
Balearic islands or in the south of the Italianpeninsula the building types e.g.
dwellings, covered wells, shelters for livestock, surviving from prehistoric times
were 'still in use until recently. Furthermore, despite the subsequent Byzantine
and Islamic domination from 6th to 13th centuries, the current type of
farmhouses on the islands of Majorca and Minorca is the same as those
depicted in Roman mosaics.Prior to the Industrial/Revolution, building
traditions especially in the rural environment were strong enough to remain
indifferent to political changes.

Economic factors cannot be isolated from sod.ial ones and bothare very
important in the slow evolution of (Vernacular architecture which essentially
has an agrariWn basis.

C. Vernacular Architecture in Europe

In spite of widening eclcticism, the Roman and Greek forms popular

dunring the Napoleonic eara continued to be used. The round arhc, Florentine,
Romanesqu anf Byzantine as well as Roman, was a popular motif espacially in
Germany, where the term RUNDBOGENSTIL was coined to describe buildings
employing it. France was particularly influeantial, especially through the
publications of E.L. Boullees pupil, Jean-Nicolas-Louis Durand (1760-1834)
who, after serving as an Engineer in Napoleons Army, had been appointed
Professor of Architecture of the Ecole Polytechnique on its establishment in
1765 hisd system of design was based on the repitition of standard bays, both
in plan and elevation, which could be enriched with calssical, Mediaeval or
Renaissance motifs as desired, it provided a convenient, though often dull,
formula for the design of the large, complex buildings required by the age. In
principle, it had affinity with the bay system, pragmatically, adopted with the
introduction, of iron construction.
D. Vernacular Architecture in North and South America

European influence in both North and South America remained strong

throughout the period, although materials, local skills, social customs and
especially climatic conditions played their part, and buildings continued to
possess strong regional characteristics. In the U.S.A itself, a conscious striving
for a truly national architecture became evident sson after the war of
independence, and architecture in that country can be considered as passing
through three broad and loosely defined phases.

E. Vernacular Architecture in Asia

1. India and Pakistan

a. Buddhist architecture

Buddhist shrines are all designed for congregational use,

Monastaries, meeting halls(chaityas) and stupa are all planeed
to acoomodate large groups of worshippers. Roof structures were
of wood. In all three styles mouldings have a bulbous character,
often heavenly undercut. The height and brightness of the sun
produces strong shadow lines, and any subtlety of moulding wood
would be lost.

b. Jain architecture

b.1 early Jain

Sloping jambs, and a semi-circular arch with

carvings and a stone latticed architecture, or barrel vaulted
hall with a circular cell at the end with a central stone
latticed architecture, or barrel vaulted hall with a circular
cell at the end with a central doorway and a hemispherical
and a hemispherical domed roof with an overhanging cave
like a thatch.

b.2 late Jain

Jain Temples are found mainly in the norhtern

Central part of the peninsula. The Central Shrine, covered
bya adome or a spire, is introduced by a pillared portico,
usually in the form of an octagon set within a square.

c. Hindu Architecture

In all types, the fundamental plan consists of a small unit

shrine called the garbha-griha crowned witht the spire-shaped
Sikhara roof, formed of horizontal courses of stones, and
introduced by one or more porch-like halls (mandapas) used for
religious dancing and music. With roofs of flatter pyramidal
 coverings to the Mandap, the span is often reduced either by the
introduction of wide-spreading brackets above the column capital,
or by successive corbels as in the Jain buildings.

2. Sri Lanka

The earliest remains are the natural rock chambers, builts for the
hermits, with drip-ledges to carry away rain water. Later these were
developed with walls to form an enclosure (rock temples). Numerous
remains of moulded and dressed stone plinths, pillars and lintels
surevive as evidence of the framed structural system used and the skill
of masons and sculptures.

3. Afghanistan

Bamiyan, with its monastaries and temples is important, for its

relationship to Persie and Central Asia the hige griup is carved out of a
sandstone cliff face, the interior honey combed with sanctuaries and
assembly nails extending for nearly 2km with a painted niche at either
end, each sheltering a vast Buddha statue, hewn from the rock, the
features modeled in mud mixed with straw with a lime plaster finish
painted gilded.

4. Nepal

Stupas, temples, picturesque townships and intricate native

craftsmanship are her characteristic architectural heritage. Two kinds of
temple survive, the Sikhara and the pagoda. The first reflection
Indian and the second Chinese (Burmese) influence. In either case the
temple is a Shrine enclosing a cella for the god or divine symbol. A
typical formal feature of the Nepalese town is the monumental pillar
generally supporting a metal super-structure adorned with mystic
symbols groups of divibities ad specially, portrait statuary of royalties.

5. Tibet

The Monastery is an original expression of Tibetan Architecture,

fortress-like, sited on hillstops, often commanding magnificent views,
built of stone and sundried bricks, not to a regular plan, comprising long
lines of cells disposed about courtyards having high white-washed walls
and four gates.

6. Burma

The majority of Burmas important arhictectural monuments date

from the pagam period and almost all buildings of real distinction are
religious. The basic stupa (zedi, later pagoda) form and was a massive
brick cylindrical construction, built upon a plinth of three or five
diminishing terraces, the basic temple form was square in plan with birck
walls enclosing narrow vaulted corridors embracing a solid masonry
core, which had centrally-placed niches on each side to accommodate
Buddha satues, the walls decorated with frescoes or sculptured bas-
reliefs.

7. Indonesia

Timber is abundant and varied throughout Indonesia, and has

always been used for houses, the traditional dweling is a long house
generally raised on stilts, and often sheltering an entire clan. It is seen
at its architectural best in the Menang Kabau homes of South central
Sumatra, which are carried on carved and decorated wooden pillars, the
facades adorned with color patterns of intertwined flowers in white,
balck and red, the inward-sloping ridge (saddle back) roof with high
gables at each end prnamented with buffalo horns.

8. China

The roof was the chief feature, supported on timber uprights and
independent of the walls which were often useless for support as were
the largee traceried windows of the Europe and Gothic style. The
chineses rood-ridges are laden with elaborate ornamental cresting and
the up-tilted angles are adorned with fantastic dragons and grotesque
ornaments. Doorways are square headed, but varied in outline by
fretted pendants from the horizontal timbers. Windows are of similar
form, suiting the rectangular framing of timber posts or the lashing
together of bamboos. They are frequently filled in with the lining of the
oyster shell, which is as transparent as talc and admits an effectice
sbdued light. Rice paper was also used instead of glass in windows.

9. Japan

The architecture of Japan was largely derived from China, but at

all times maintained its own special characteristic of lightness and
delicacy. Refinement in Japanese architecture, combined with minutes
in carving and decoration are particularly notieable in timber
construction.

Notable are the dmonant roofs, whichh form a striking contrast

wuth practice in the Middleeast and India, whre flat terrace roofs
predominate. Characterized by their exquisite curvature, they are
supproted upon a succession of simple or compound brackets. The upper
part of the roof is terminated bya gable placed vertically above the end
walls, knowsn as an Irimoya gable, while the lower part of the main roof
is carried round the ends of the building in a hipped form.
10. Philippines

Architecture in the Pre-Spanish era was expressed in the bahay-

kubo style of dwellings, which was cool and cozy and wel adapted to
tropical climate. Even before the Spanish colonial period, the Filipino
lived in permanent homes and wore clothes and ornamental handicrafts.
Their houses were constructed of wood, bamboo and plam leaves (nipa
shingles). They were grouped into Barangays along river banks. In the
North, in the Cordillera mountains, the Ifugao built a one-room house
on stilts with pyramidial roof. The structural parts of the house were
built without nails and were joined together by lapping, etc (Salvan
1986: 568, 629-631, 639, 642-645, 650-651, 657, 662-664, 677, 704-
705).