6. Indigenous materials in the Philippines.pptx

Building Technology 1

1. Indigenous materials in the Philippines

2. What are these materials? Indigenous materials are materials that are naturally and locally found in a specific place such as timbers,  canes, grass ,  palms, and  rattan. Other  indigenous  raw materials in the country that are commonly known and used creatively in crafts and decoration are  capiz ,   pearls,   corals, and  seashells, being an  archipellago  naturally abundant in beaches and marine resources . As the architectural world is evolving, current  housing trends  in the Philippines opt to also follow the Western culture. While impressive, these forms are not exactly the best for our tropical climate, which establishes the importance of using indigenous materials in Filipino architecture. Using indigenous materials in your homes not only lessens the energy and operation costs that is much noticed with foreign style, but it also helps the sustainability of these materials and shows pride on our products. 

3. Narra A finely crafted piece of furniture can make all the difference in a fine home. With the country's wide abundance on a lot of types of wood, one specific wooden material that is best used as furniture for homes is Narra . Non-locals may not know this, but Narra is hailed as the country's national tree. Used as furniture and floor planks, Narra can be featured through lovely cabinetwork, sturdy headboards and beds, and even crafted into intricate details.

4. bamboo A versatile and highly reliable raw materials notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, South-east Asia and East Asia. Bamboo as a building material has high compressive strength and low weight has been one of the most used building material as support for concrete, especially in those locations where it is found in abundance. Bamboo as a building material is used for the construction of scaffolding, bridges and structures, houses.

5. Rattan Rattan is a naturally renewable palm that grows in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia, and is used for furniture, handicrafts, and building material among others. Rattan continues to be an invaluable part of rural people’s livelihoods in South and Southeast Asia . Because it is light, durable and relatively flexible, rattan is used for a range of purposes: Food: The inner core as well as the shoot of some of the rattan species is edible. Furniture: Furniture is the main end product of rattan. Shelter: Rattan is an approved material for house building in rural areas. Handicraft: Handicraft, besides furniture, provides the main income of the rattan industry. The skin of rattan strands is peeled off and used for weaving, while the "core" of the rattan can be used for various purposes in furniture making (wicker). Some rattan fruits exude a red resin called dragon's blood. This resin was once considered to have medicinal properties and was also used as a dye for violins.

6. Abaca The country’s premier fiber and known worldwide as Manila Hemp and the strongest among natural fibers. It has a natural high luster with colors raging from pure to white to ivory and dark brown. 85% of the world’s abaca from the Philippines.

7. Cogon roofing Cogon grass ( Imperata cylindrica ), also called silver hair grass or sword grass, belongs to the sweet grasses closely related to bamboo.  The rhizome or stem of this perennial plant reaches up to 1.2 meters high with a diameter of about 1.5 millimeters .  The leaves grow directly from creeping underground rhizomes, giving the plant a stem-less appearance . Cogon grass leaves have smooth or sometimes hairy sheaths, with a membranous ligule.  The leaves are slender, flat and possess serrated margins and an off-center prominent white mid-rib . Cogon grass can be very useful if it is used ecologically and sustainably. It settles in certain locations like roadsides, slopes and fallows and functions as floor binding agents or hedge rows that stabilise threatened surfaces and avoid soil erosion.  They can be allowed to naturally grow and regrow for years . The wooden stems of the cogon grass are very suitable for weaving mats, bags, carpets, etc.  The material applied to sustainable design, cogon grass has a very high potential.   Cogon grass is also traditionally used in Chinese medicine. Applying the material for products not only promotes sustainable development but also provides economic gains to communities collecting the cogon grass.

8. COCONUT WOOD One of primary uses of coconut timber is for building construction. Coconut timber is suitable for housing components like trusses, purlins, walls, joists, doors, window frames and jalousies. Low density coconut wood materials (from the centre of the stem) should be used only in non-load structures like walls and panels while high density coconut wood (from the perimeter of the stem) can be used for load-bearing structures like trusses and joints . High density coconut wood could also be used as posts, power and telecommunication poles, trusses, floor tiles (parquet), girts, floor joists, purlins, balustrades and railings and other load bearing structures. When coconut logs are to be used in ground contact under exposed conditions (e.g. as posts or as poles for electrical wires) they must be properly treated.