Nipa hut

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A classic image: a Nipa Hut under the cover of coconut trees

The Bahay Kubo or Nipa Hut, is a type of stilt house indigenous to most of the lowland cultures of
the Philippines.[1][2][3] It often serves as an icon of broader Filipino culture, or, more specifically, Filipino rural
culture.[4]

Contents
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1 Characteristics
o

1.1 Three-layered structure

1.2 Roof

1.3 Silong

1.4 Living Space

1.4.1 Walls

1.4.2 Windows

1.4.3 Batalan
1.5 Construction Materials
2 Etymology

3 History
o

3.1 Precolonial Era

3.2 Colonial Era

4 Cultural significance

5 In Arts and Popular Culture

6 External links

7 References

Characteristics[edit]
Although there is no strict definition of the Bahay Kubo and styles of construction vary throughout the Philippine
archipelago,[5] similar conditions in Philippine lowland areas have led to numerous characteristics "typical" of
examples of Bahay Kubo.

Three-layered structure[edit]
With few exceptions arising only in modern times, most Bahay Kubo are raised on stilts such that the living
area has to be accessed through ladders. This naturally divides the bahay kubo into three areas: the actual
living area in the middle, the area beneath it (referred to in Tagalog as the "Silong"), and the roof space
("Bubungan" in Tagalog), which may or may not be separated from the living area by a ceiling ("Kisame" in
Tagalog).

Roof[edit]
The traditional roof shape of the Bahay Kubo is tall and steeply pitched, ending in long eaves. [2] A tall roof
created space above the living area through which warm air could rise, giving the Bahay Kubo a natural cooling
effect even during the hot summer season. The steep pitch allowed water to flow down quickly at the height of
the monsoon season while the long eaves gave people a limited space to move about around the house's
exterior whenever it rained.[2] The steep pitch of the roofs are often used to explain why many Bahay Kubo
survived the ash fall from the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, when more modern houses notoriously collapsed from the
weight of the ash.[2]

Silong[edit]
Raised up on hardwood stilts which serve as the main posts of the house, Bahay Kubo have a Silong (the
Tagalog word also means "shadow") area under the living space for a number of reasons, the most important of

which are to create a buffer area for rising waters during floods, and to prevent pests such as rats from getting
up to the living area.[2] This section of the house is often used for storage, and sometimes for raising farm
animals,[5] and thus may or may not be fenced off.

Living Space[edit]
The main living area of the Bahay Kubo is designed to let in as much fresh air and natural light as possible.
Smaller Bahay Kubo will often have bamboo slat floors which allow cool air to flow into the living space from the
silong below (in which case the Silong is not usually used for items which produce strong smells), and the
particular Bahay Kubo may be built without a kisame (ceiling) so that hot air can rise straight into the large area
just beneath the roof, and out through strategically placed vents there.

Walls[edit]

Close-up of a Nipa Hut

The walls are always of light material such as wood, bamboo rods, or bamboo mats called "sawali." As such,
they tend to also let some coolness flow naturally through them during hot times, and keep warmth in during
the cold wet season.
The cube shape distinctive of the Bahay Kubo arises from the fact that it is easiest to pre-build the walls and
then attach them to the wooden stilt-posts that serve as the corners of the house. The construction of a Bahay
Kubo is therefore usually modular, with the wooden stilts established first, a floor frame built next, then wall
frames, and finally, the roof.

Windows[edit]
In addition, Bahay kubo are typically built with large windows, to let in more air and natural light. The most
traditional are large awning windows, held open by a wooden rod). [2] Sliding windows are also common, made
either with plain wood or with wooden Capiz shell frames which allow some light to enter the living area even
with the windows closed. In more recent decades inexpensive jalousie windows also became commonly used.
In larger examples, the large upper windows may be augmented with smaller windows
called Ventanillas (Spanish for "little window) underneath", which can be opened to let in additional air on
especially hot days.[2]

Batalan[edit]
Some (but not all) Bahay Kubo, especially one built for long-term resicence, feature a Batalan "wet area"
distinct from other sections of the house - usually jutting out somewhat from one of the walls. Sometimes at the
same level as the living area and sometimes at ground level, the Batalan can contain any combination of
cooking and dishwashing area, bathing area, and in some cases, a lavatory.

Construction Materials[edit]
The walls of the living area are made of light materials - with posts, walls, and floors typically made of wood or
bamboo and other light materials. Topped by a thatched roof, often made out ofnipa,anahaw or some other
locally plentiful plant.

Etymology[edit]
The Filipino term "Bahay Kubo" literally means "cube house", describing the shape of the dwelling. The term
"Nipa Hut", introduced during the Philippines' American colonial era, refers to the nipaor anahaw thatching
material often used for the roofs.

History[edit]
Precolonial Era[edit]
Nipa huts were the native houses of the indigenous people of the Philippines before the Spaniards arrived.
They are still used today, especially in rural areas. Different architectural designs are present among the
different ethnolinguistic groups in the country, although all of them conform to being stilt houses, similar to
those found in neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries of Southeast Asia.

Colonial Era[edit]
The advent of the Spanish Colonial era introduced the idea of building more permanent communities with the
Church and Government Center as a focal point. This new community setup made construction using heavier,
more permanent materials desirable. Finding European construction styles impractical given local conditions,
both Spanish and Filipino builders quickly adapted the characteristics of the Bahay Kubo and applied it to
Antillean houses locally known as Bahay na Bato (Literally "stone house" in Tagalog).[5]

Cultural significance[edit]

Communty members practicing "bayanihan", working together to move a house to new location.
Note that the nipa hut in this case has a thatch roof, but also has an underlying layer of galvanized
ironroofing material, making the roof more waterproof than a simple thatch roof.
A nipa hut is an icon of Philippine culture as it represents the Filipino value of bayanihan, which refers to a
spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective. [4][6]

In Arts and Popular Culture[edit]

A famous folksong often sung in schools which mentions a small house surrounded by vegetables goes like
this:
Bahay kubo, kahit munti,
ang halaman doon ay sari-sari:
singkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani,
sitaw, bataw, patani,

Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa,

At saka mayroon pang labanos, mustasa,
sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya.
Sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.[7]

The Architecture
Also known as Nipa Hut, this architecture can still be found along the countryside. It is
constructed of indigenous materials that can easily be found in their local surroundings
wood, planks, grass, bamboo and large logs. Normally cubic in shape, this shelter is
raised on stilts or posts of one to two meters depending on the area where the said
shelter is constructed it may be on solid ground, on a hillside or mountainside, or in
shallow water. Raising the interior from the ground safeguards the shelter's inhabitants
from flood, and from snakes and other wild animals.

Nipa hut along the Pasig River in Manila.

A typical bahay kubo only has one, large, open, multi-purpose room for dwelling,
called bulwagan. It has a cellar, called silong where most household chores are done.
This area serves as the area for livestock pens, storage space, workspace and granary.
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 interior well-ventilated. The windows
have tukod or legs that hold the swinging shades open during the day, and secure it
back in place at night. Another feature of the the bahay kubo is ladder or hagdan which
can easily be removed at night or when the owners are out. Likewise, some huts have
an open back porch or batalan where household chores are done and where the jars of
water are placed.