TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES
928 AURORA BLVD, CUBAO, QUEZON CITY
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
MODULE 2: INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT #1
DIFFERENT PARTS OF A BAHAY KUBO OR THE CUBE HOUSE
SUBMITTED BY: SALOSAGCOL, JOSEPH M.
SBUMITTED TO: AR. RHOEL D. SAMSON, uap
DIFFERENT PARTS OF A BAHAY KUBO OR THE CUBE HOUSE AND INCLUDE LOCAL OR
VERNACULAR TERMS
Bahay kubo - A traditional Filipino house on stilts made of indigenous materials such as bamboo, sawali,
and thatched nipa. It has swing-out windows with a tukod to hold them in place, a high-pitched, airy roof,
and is raised from the ground to protect its owners from animal attacks and floods.
1. Batalan (open back porch) - rear part of house used for washing and water storage, with a
flooring often made of slatted bamboo; more a part of a bahay kubo (but may be present as well at
the rear of a bahay na bato)
2. Silong (cellar) - is used for most household chores. The space underneath the house; or the
empty space between the floor of the house and the ground.
3. Bulwagan (living room) - A Bahay Kubo usually has no partitions for rooms. It is designed for
family living and all household activities, like dining, recreation and sleeping, take place in one
single
4. Haligue (post) – are either set on flat stone slabs or buried in holes and kept in place by setting
rocks the posts. Among the wood species used for posts are: molave (vitex parvitflora), ipil (instia
bijuga), bahaba (lagerstroemia speciosa, pers.), yakal (shorea gisok), and bamboo.
5. Patukuran (beams) – tie up adjacent posts serve as the major structural support to the floor
system.
6. Yawi (secondary beams) – usually running in the direction of the shorter span support
7. Solera (joist) – upon which the actual flooring is laid.
8. Kilo (rafter) – the roof system is made up of pairs of rafters that cross each other at the ridge to
form a seat for a ridge beam (palupo)
9. Sikang (horizontal member) – holding a pair of rafters in place
10. Kahab-an (girders) – rafters are supported on both ends.
11. Palatpat (purlins) – which support the roofing materials are made of bamboo strips tied to the
rafters with rattan vines.
12. Sahig (flooring) – traditional flooring is made up of bamboo slats, two and a half centimeters on
centers leaving gaps between slats. This provided adequate ventilation even with windows shut.
13. Veranda (porch) – a porch is also an added feature of the “bahay kubo” located at the front and
sometimes also at the rear of the house.
14. Balkon (front porch) – the porch that opens to the living room or bulwagan
15. Silid (bedroom) – is a private room used for sleeping. Serves as the bedroom.
16. Bubong (apex of the pyramidical roof) – traditional roofing materials include cogon (a kind of
grass), and nipa palm leaves (made into shingles). The roof is pitched steeply to drain off rain
easily.
17. Ambubulan (support for the rafter) –
18. Paglutuan (gilir) – is the kitchen or cooking area
➢ Dapogan – is a table on top of which is the river or stone, shoe-shaped stove or kalan.
➢ Ban gahan – this was later called ban gguera or banggerahan and is used as a place for
drying and storing pots and pans, drinking glasses, plates and other kitchen utensils.
➢ Batakui – this is the unroofed area where water jars (used for drinking, washing, and bathing)
are kept.
19. Sagang – barrier to prevent children from falling from the stairs
20. Sawali (bamboo mat) – traditional wall sidings, include bamboo mat made by flattening bamboo
and weaving this into herringbone patterns, nipa leaves, coconut leaves and cogon grass.
21. Tumali (wall studs) – wall sidings are attached to wall studs that are seated on the floor sill. Wall
sidings are held in place by horizontal bamboo strips.
22. Amakan ( nippa shingles) – woven bamboo wall cladding
