Panay Island - Philippines
It is a gift to be able to work on family land held for generations.
Imperative that the design made the house look like it had always been there, rather than as an imposition, and blend together traditional Filipino/Bahay architecture with some Balinese and Japanese influences
Working with a crew of local builders and predominantly using hand tools, it was a humbling experience to return to the roots of construction
Timber-framed with locally-harvested and sustainably-grown Meranti and clad with bamboo
Despite having a shorter lifespan and routine maintenance than concrete and sheetmetal roofing, the utilization of bamboo and palm roofing drastically reduces the embodied energy cost of the structure as well as radically localizes the supply chain. When, after an estimated 5 years, it is necessary to replace sections of roofing, one could in the meantime simply grow and weave their own roofing, or source it from a local artisan. As for the bamboo, it grows abundantly in many areas of the island and is obtained simply and inexpensively.