Nipa Hut

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

Although there is no strict definition of the Bahay Kubo

and styles of construction vary throughout the Philippine
archipelago, similar conditions in Philippine lowland areas
have led to numerous characteristics "typical" of examples
of Bahay Kubo.
Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) at Kepaniwai Park,
Iao Valley, Maui, Hawaii

Three-layered structure
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
The traditional roof shape of the Bahay Kubo is tall and steeply pitched, ending in long
eaves.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. 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.
Silong
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. This section of the house is
often used for storage, and sometimes for raising farm animals, and thus may or may not be
fenced off.
Living Space
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
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 prebuild 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
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).
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.
Batalan
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
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 of nipa, anahaw or some other locally plentiful plant.
Cultural significance
Community 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 iron roofing 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.