A FILIPINO TROPICAL KITCHEN AND DINING DESIGN USING A GARDEN A Residential Tropical Design in the Philippine Setting

By

Aileen Rachelle F. Fader

Submitted to the College of Architecture University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For Arch 75: Architectural Research Methods under Arch Dolores C.T. Madrid

March 2010

ABSTRACT

The demand for passive sustainable designs in architecture has increased alongside our awareness to the effects of climate change. Effective examples of such designs are the integration of plants and open spaces in the building plan which is exemplified by some of the local architecture from the past up to the present at the same time answering the needs of the Filipino culture. The research will be done to apply gardens and open planning to the given site by taking into account Filipino practices in the us e of gardens and open spaces

The research data was taken from 50 sample residential lots in Brgy. San Antonio, San Pedro, Laguna of side-by-side orientation . Questionnaires and interviews were utilized to ask those in charge of kitchen and dining spaces. The questionnaires were used to identify:
y y y

Activities done in the garden space Existing garden sizes and location within the lot Garden design including types of plants, furniture and fixtures

Research findings show that the similarity in kitchen -dining, and garden activities in Filipino culture make it ideal to in tegrate the two spaces. In doing so, the combination of these two was designed to be able to: 1. use the garden as a tropical eleme nt to the kitchen -dining design 2. to provide for a more effective ki tchen-dining space designed according to Filipino culture

The resulting design is an open kitchen -dining space that isaimed to serve as an entertainment area for both the family and its visitors.

ACKNOWLEDGENTS

This research paper is a part of the requirements for the completion of Arch75 under Arch. Madrid who also served as the adviser for the topic choice and proposal. Data gathering was facilitated by Ms. Marjorie Fader and the researcher.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page.i Abstract ...ii Acknowledgment.iii Table of Contents iv List of Tablesv

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1Background of the Study ..1 1.2Statement of the Problem .2 1.3Objectives of the Study .2 1.4Relevance of the Study .2 1.5Research Methodology ..2 1.6Scope and Limitation of the Study..2 1.7Organization of the Study .2 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY CHAPTER 4. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION

1-3

4-5 5 6-7 8

LIST OF TABLES

Less than No. of Household 12

Less than more than 1/3

More than 1/2

30

Table 4.1 Ratio of garden size to ground floor area

Front No. of household 9

Back

Two Sides of Lot

All around Lot

11 Table 4.2 Location of garden in site

10

16

Activity Reception for Visitors Play area Cooking Area Family Hang-out area Laundry

No. of Household 29 28 29 35 9 Table 4.3 Garden Activities

No. of Household Yes No 37 13

Table 4.4 Preference for a larger garden than existing

1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study Philippine vernacular architecture is an example of tropical design. One aspect of this is the outside location of kitchen -dining spaces in the bahaykubo. The use of fire in this space generates heat and endangers the structu re made of flammable materials. Eating was also done outside or at least near the cooking area. An advantage of this design was the effective entertainment of guests using food. Receiving guests was done outside the privacy of the hut, under t he stilts or in a shaded porch which would make it easily accessible from the kitchen-dining spacealso located outside.

Today, technology has enabled residential designs to forego passive cooling designs, at a cost. Lot sizes have also affected orientation housesmaking it hard to fully accomplish an effective tropical design. This poses a problem on a tropical design for regular lots of mid-income families in the urban setting.

The design for the residential of such characteristic must be able to answer the climate conditions and the Filipino lifestyle considering site conditions and the family. It can be achieved by drawing from our vernacular architecture, the open kitchen -dining space. The design of the garde n should be able to accommodate the kitchen-dining space and the activities within without forgetting the typical garden uses.

In doing so, this study should be able to create a tropically responsive design for a kitchen-dining space using a garden while being uniquely Filipino.

1.2 Statement of the Problem The research should create a garden design for the kitchen -dining space according to both garden and kitchen -dining activities in Filipino culture.

1.3 Objectives of the Study The study should:

y y

Identify garden activities in the Filipino culture . Find common kitchen-dining and garden activities in Filipino lifestyle to better integrate the two spaces and design for these.

Design an open kitchen -dining space using a garden for a tropical climate according to the site conditions.

1.4 Relevance of the Study Using open kitchen-dining design taken from the bahaykubo,the study serves as a way to understand our gardenuse as a manifestation of Filipino culture and certainly Filipino architecture. It is also meant to reaffirm vernacular architectures place in contemporary tropical design. Finally, it should provide an example of tropical desi gn.

1.5 Research Methodology Data gathering was done through surveys and observations over the period of 2 weeks from March 7 to 20, 2011 . Questionnaires were handed out to residents of observed similar oriented lots with relatively the same size as the site. The data is then tabulated and analysed. Data will be on garden location, size, and use of the garden of each house, and also preference of the garden users on an ideal garden which will be used to decide the design of the garden of the open kitchen -dining area.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

Gardens in this study refer to open areas for vegetation. Kitchen -dining spaces will include all food preparation and consumption areas. The data gathered will be based on lot of a small size approximately 200 square meters in a side-by-side location with other lots, location of which was chosen for the convenience of the researcher. The design will be user -specific with priority to the mother. The design will be focused on the activities of the open kitchen -dining plus the garden. Tropical design conside rations will be supplementary to the plan.

2.

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

THE FILIPINO KITCHEN Early Philippine architecture was characterized as stilted structures with pitched roofs made of thatch, bamboo and other light materials , making it susceptible to fire. The hut contained the private spaces for the family; visitors were entertained in a porch located in front or under the stilts. Kitchen-dining spaces were located outside or in another structure the paglulutan or gilir. (Zialcita; Tinio,1 ) The same was true during the Spanish occupation. The cocina or kitchen was separated from the main house and connected through the asotea or a balcony overlooking the river which can also serve as a dining area, the comedor or the main dini ng area was beside it. (Zialcita, 2) During the American period, the introduction of technology -- kitchen appliances included, influenced the architecture and lifestyle of Filipinos. The Filipinos had to adapt the western kitchen located inside the house. (Fernandez,3)

KITCHEN USE IN FILIPINO CULTURE The influence of American kitchens was integrated into the traditional Filipino through the concept of a dirty kitchen where most of the cooking is done and a main kitchen where the clean food preparation is done. The dirty kitchen would sometimes be separate from the house or located at the back, reminiscent of earlier kitchen designs in vernacular architecture. (Esguerra, 4) Also apart from food, kitchen -dining spaces serve other purposes for Filipino families. One of which is entertaining guests. Providing meals is a gesture of hospitality, which Filipinos are known for. Filipinos close-family ties are the main cause o f large scale family reunions where members bond through food and talk. (Zialcita,2)

OUTSIDE THE HOUSE GARDENS In the bahaykubo, the outside was a direct contrast to the inside of the hut. While the inside where the family sleeps is private, the outside becomes the place for the public. People still had protection from the heat and rain through the roof of the porch o r the floor of the hut and access to ventilation. (Scott,6) The outside also served as a place for the garden and a s the song Bahay

Kubo goes gardens were used to grow produce for the fami ly. It is still one of the foremost
reasons for gardening in Southeast Asia. ( Chrisanty,5) Tropical considerations also contribute to the benefits of providing plants. Gardens help r educe heat and provide fresh air passively. (Sustainable Residential Devel opment: Planning for Green Neig hborhoods)

3.

METHODOLOGY The design of the open kitchen -dining using a garden will be based on t he

implications of common ratio between groundfloor area and garden, location in site, common activities in the garden and preference of house owners. Sampling was done through observed regular lots of side -by-side orientation located in Brgy. San Antonio, San Pedro, Laguna. 50 respondents were interviewed thro ugh questionnaires. Analysis will be done on the data to determine how gardens in side -by-side lots are designed and used in present conditions. The analysis will serve as the guide in the design of the open kitchen -dining space.

4.

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS DATA

In table 4.1 more households answered that there is an area of 1/2 to 1/3 for gardens in the site, analyzing and connecting this to data in Table 4.2 shows that most of this area is along the setback of the house from the property line, arou nd the lot.Research data show that while there is a large allotment of area for the garden this is dictated usually by the setback of the house from the property line. This shows that planning the landscape is an afterthought to the houses design.

Less than No. of Household 12

Less than more than 1/3

More than 1/2

30

Table 4.1 Ratio of garden size to ground floor area

Front No. of household 9

Back

Two Sides of Lot

All around Lot

11

10

16

Table 4.2 Location of garden in site

In table 4.3 most of the activities in the garden that are marked most are done in a group of people, with Family hang -out being the highest. Guest entertainment is also marked more. Guest reception and cooking are also marked high, reflecting the Fi lipinos culture from way back to pre-colonial times.

Activity Receiving guests Outdoor Playing Cooking Family Hang-out Laundry

No. of Household 29 28 29 35 9 Table 4.3 Garden Activities

More households prefer a larger garden than the existing ones they have shown in table 4.4 . Since the data from Table 4.2 tells that existing gardens are usually the perimeter setback from the property line, this means that the spaces in the houses ground floor must either be moved or reduced in size if we were to increase the gardens size. Answer Yes No No. of Household 37 13

Table 4.4 Preference for a larger garden than existing

5.

CONCLUSION

Gardens and open areas are still integrated to Contemporary Philippine residential designs. Existing garden designs suffer from lack of space and being an afterthought to the building design. People do prefer larger sizes of gardens, but increasing it outright will decrease the ground floor area for the house. The solution is to integrate it into one of the spaces instead of displacing it. Since the kitchen-dining area and the garden share activities that are deeply ingrained in Filipino culture, close family ties and hospitality, combining them will provide not only the tropical benefit s of hav ing a garden but also the ability to better reflect and to design for the Filipino lifestyle.

REFERENCES 1. Zialcita, Fernando Nakpil and Tinio, Martin, Jr. Philippine Ancestral Houses 2. Zialcita, Fernando Nakpil. Manila 1571 -1898: The Western Orient

Manilas Houses
3. Fernandez, Doreen. Tikim: Essays on Philippine food and culture 4. Esguerra, PatreseNaida. 2007. A Study on the Function of the Kitchen -dining Areas of Middle-Income Filipino Families Today. 5. Christanty, Linda. Home Gardens in Tropical Asia, with Special Reference to Indonesia. 6. Scott, William Henry. Barangay Sixteenth -Century Philippine culture and Society 7. Friedman, Avi. Sustainable Residential Development: Planning for Green Neighborhoods . Chapter 4: High Density Neighborhoods