Housing in many varieties

Adjustments to the climate and financial possibilities

One of the things in which a tropical country differs
from countries of other climate zones, is housing.
The architecture as well as the used construction
materials, show a clear adjustment to the specific
climate conditions. A more important aspect that
influences the architecture is the financial position of
the family.
With less financial possibilities the
architecture and visible construction
materials are more simple and more
derived from the natural surrounding.
Wooden planks, board, bamboo and
straw are the basic materials for the
traditional houses. Geographically, the
more remote the region is, as mountain
areas are, the more the natural
environment delivers the construction
materials for the houses.
Click on the pictures to go inside the
houses


House after replacement of the wooden construction
materials, Red Cross Village, Place: near Ormoc
City, Leyte
Pictures: E.C. de Schoolmeester
House, build with wooden en iron
construction materials, Place: alongside
an outgoing road of Ormoc City, Leyte



In the mountain areas and villages the traditional
bamboo houses are still common. Because bamboo
has a rather good isolating quality, these houses are
rather cool. The open windows and - common -
open structure, makes a good circulation of air
possible. This makes these houses quit comfortable.
Picture: jarsoftware.com
The houses of the Ifugao, 'Bale', people in
Northern Luzon have specific features.
Like the bamboo houses, they are build on
piles, about three meters high. The roof is
made of long straw. Typical is the
traditional, pyramid -like, shape of the
roof.

Picture: Mluijten@hr.nl



You may remember Abraham Maslows famous hierarchy of needs. The popular pyramid (first
published in 1943 and still a regular fixture in classrooms and corporate teambuilding exercises) puts
forth a basic argument about humans psychology: that we satisfy our needs in a well-defined order.
First come the basic bodily needs, things like not starving and not freezing to death. Then, once those
are sorted out, we can worry about the next level of needs, safety, and so on. At the pinnacle of
Maslows pyramid is self-actualization the need to reach your full potential, and to lead a fulfilling,
creative, and purposeful life.
Now four psychologists have come along with an update to Maslows pyramid, and theyve created a
controversy a somewhat confused controversy, but still about what it is that we really need. This
new pyramid scraps self-actualization outright. At the top of this pyramid? Parenting. That comes in
right above finding and then keeping a mate.
The update is designed to bring the famous pyramid of needs more closely in line with what weve
learned over the last six decades from fields as diverse as neuroscience and evolutionary
anthropology, according to the researchers who designed. For obvious reasons, not everyones
thrilled with the proposed updates, which were published earlier this summer in Perspectives on
Psychological Science. For some people, sure, parenting is the most fulfilling thing they will ever do.
You might even claim that parenting can be dare I say? self-actualizing. But there are some
people out there who just dont want kids. And that seems to mean, in fact, that no small number of
people out there find it pretty silly to think that parenting is the highest class of need that humans can
fulfill.
As much fun as it might be to mock the new pyramid, this swirling controversy seems, alas, to
be more of a misunderstanding than anything else confusion over whether the needs are things
that people should want to do, or whether theyre merely things that evolution tells us members of the
species will do. Writing earlier today in response to some of the critics, study author Douglas Kenrick
explains:
Maslows goal of self-actualization was seen as something to which we should all aspire. This fit with
his humanistic inclination to emphasize higher ideals. Indeed, Maslow chose an elite set of highly
accomplished, highly sensitive people to demonstrate [in his examples] what he meant by self-
actualization. Thats all nice, and its part of why we love Maslow.
But Maslow also believed that the goals in his hierarchy were human universals, and that they
unfolded in a particular developmental order. Our renovation is concerned with those assumptions.
Based on inclusive fitness theory, we argued that human motives are, like all psychological
mechanisms, designed to facilitate reproduction, and that Maslow largely overlooked that. Based on
research and theory on evolutionary life history theory, we argued that, developmentally, parenting is
the goal at the top. This means parenting goals will come to the fore only after other social and
reproductive goals have been accomplished. But in our renovated pyramid, the pinnacle is NOT
designed to be aspirational.
So we are NOT saying that everyone should aspire to have as many children as they can, or even to
have any children at all. My personal belief is that the world is already more than sufficiently
overpopulated
There you have it. Whether you prefer writing poetry over changing diapers is irrelevant. This new
pyramid shows a humans needs for individual reproductive success and those arent necessarily
the same things that you need to be happy.
Shelter is one of our basic needs: it is a place that can protect us from the elements, keep us warm
and safe, and give us the encouragement to satisfy our other needs. According to Maslows Hierarchy
of Needs, shelter is one of the requirements for addressing our physiological needs (along with the
need food, water, air, sleep, sex). Maslow represented the humans physiological needs as the base
of a triangle to show that meeting these needs are the most important in our lives. If these needs are
not met, the individual may only be able to focus on meeting their physiological needs and not feel
motivated to move towards self-actualization.

Luxembourg mansion (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Mans shelters, though, come in many different forms depending on a persons social status or
circumstances. The wealthy provide many bedroomed mansions for themselves and their family. The
rooms are richly decorated and the spaces within are light, large and airy. The occupants do not
worry about running water, or warmth on cold winter days. Everyday they are able to concentrate on
other activities besides the daily need to feed themselves, or the worry whether they may lose their
shelter at any moment.

A shanty town in Soweto, South Africa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On the other end of the scale are the shacks found in squatter camps and shanty towns: pieces of
corrugated iron are placed together to form a shelter that houses a group of people. Running water is
unavailable so, even though their need for shelter has been met, the occupants of squatter camps
need to concern themselves everyday on where to find water to drink, cook, and wash. Speak to an
occupant of one of these shanty towns and you will hear they are concerned, not only of being
removed from their space, but also of other occupants in the town coming to steal their meagre
possessions.

An apartment building in Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Many of us live in apartment buildings or in three bedroomed houses. We work to pay the rent or
mortgage to ensure that we have a roof over our heads so that we do not have to worry about the
elements or losing our space (unless we lose our ability to receive a pay check every month). With
our physiological needs having been met, we can then focus on our need for safety, belonging, and
self-esteem. Eventually attaining our need for self-actualization.
We often change the shelter in which we live. We leave home once we are of age and set up our own
space. We marry and have children, thus requiring a larger space for the added members of our
family. There comes a time in our lives when we downsize and no longer need so many rooms and
spaces in which to live. But no matter what time in our lives we are, we all search for a shelter to call
our own.
Everyone shares the right to a decent standard of living. Essential to
the achievement of this standard and therefore to the fulfillment of
human life beyond simple survival is access to adequate housing.
Housing fulfills physical needs by providing security and shelter from
weather and climate. It fulfills psychological needs by providing a
sense of personal space and privacy. It fulfills social needs by
providing a gathering area and communal space for the human
family, the basic unit of society. In many societies, it also fulfills
economic needs by functioning as a center for commercial
production.
The human right to adequate housing is the right of every woman,
man, youth and child to acquire and sustain a secure home and
community in which to live in peace and dignity. The right to
housing is codified as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his
family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to
security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his control." (article 25(1))
Population growth, migration to urban areas, conflicting needs for
existing land, and insufficient financial and natural resources have
resulted in widespread homelessness and habitation in inadequate
housing. In every country children, men and women sleep on
sidewalks, under bridges, in cars, subway stations, and public parks,
live in ghettos and slums, or "squat" in buildings other people have
abandoned. The United Nations estimates that there are over 100
million homeless people and over 1 billion people worldwide
inadequately housed.
These statistics are evidence for the difficulty governments have in
guaranteeing access to housing for their citizens, but they also raise
complicated questions about the extent of the obligations of
governments to do so. The fact of shelter as a human need does not
imply that governments must provide each one of their citizens with
land, four walls and a roof. Controversy can therefore emerge over
exactly what governments should do to help people exercise their
rights and obtain housing. Government action is usually country-
specific, and is dependent on a variety of economic, cultural, and
social factors. In some cases, increasing access to education or to
the labor market is the best way to ensure the right to housing,
because the realizations of those rights mostly lead to greater
access to housing. In other cases, it is necessary for governments to
provide physical shelter directly to people. But regardless of past
government action, in all countries there exist people who, because
of personal issues such as physical or emotion incapacity,
environmental issues such as natural disasters or famine, or social
issues such as war or political instability, are unable to obtain
housing for themselves. In those situations, governments are
obligated to help make housing accessible. Governments are
obligated to function as fair and stable systems through which their
citizens can achieve the satisfaction of their rights, and to provide
the means for the realization of the right to a decent standard of
living which their citizens may utilize through their own free
initiative.


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Rights at Stake
The right to housing is included in several international legally-
binding documents. Among the most significant of these is
the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (article 11.1), which
determines that
"The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for
himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living
conditions."
In order to clarify the meaning and scope of the right to housing as
expressed in the Covenant, in 1991 the Committee on Economic,
Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR), the body that monitors the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
issued its General Comment 4.
The right to adequate housing applies to everyone. The phrase
"himself and his family" does not refer to any limitation in the right
to housing to individuals, female-headed households, or other
groups. Furthermore, individuals, as well as families, are entitled to
adequate housing regardless of age, economic status, group or
other affiliation or status, and enjoyment of this right must not be
subject to any form of discrimination. (paragraph 6)
The right to housing should be interpreted in a broad and inclusive
sense as the right to live in "security, peace and dignity" rather than
a narrow or restrictive sense. The right to housing is inextricably
linked to other fundamental human rights and should been seen as
referring to not only housing by adequate housing (paragraph 7).
The right to adequate housing must be viewed in conjunction with
other human rights included in the two International Covenants and
other international instruments (paragraph 9).
While the definition of "adequacy" with regard to housing is
influenced by social, economic, cultural, climatic, ecological, and
other factors, certain aspects of the right are applicable in any
context. These are:
Legal security of tenure. Security of tenure means that all people in
any living arrangement possess a degree of security against forced
eviction, harassment, or other threats. States are obliged to confer
this security legally.
Availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure. To
ensure the health, security, comfort, and nutrition of its occupants,
an adequate house should have sustainable access to natural and
common resources, safe drinking water, energy for cooking, heating
and lighting, sanitation and washing facilities, means of food
storage, refuse disposal, site drainage and emergency services.
Affordability. Affordable housing is housing for which the associated
financial costs are at a level that does not threaten other basic
needs. States should take steps to ensure that housing costs are
proportionate to overall income levels, establish subsidies for those
unable to acquire affordable housing, and protect tenants against
unreasonable rent levels or increases. In societies where housing is
built chiefly out of natural materials, states should help ensure the
availability of those materials.
Habitability. Habitable housing provides the occupants with
adequate space, physical security, shelter from weather, and
protection from threats to health like structural hazards and disease.
Accessibility. Adequate housing must be accessible to those entitled
to it. This includes all disadvantaged groups of society, who may
have special housing needs that require extra consideration.
Location. The location of adequate housing, whether urban or rural,
must permit access to employment opportunities, health care,
schools, child care and other social facilities. To protect the right to
health of the occupants, housing must also be separated from
polluted sites or pollution sources.
Cultural adequacy. The way housing is built, the materials used, and
the policies supporting these must facilitate cultural expression and
housing diversity. The development and modernization of housing in
general should maintain the cultural dimensions of housing while still
ensuring modern technological facilities, among other things
(paragraph 8).
The Commission on Human Settlements' Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year
2000 (1998) provides another definition of adequacy:
"Adequate shelter means ... adequate privacy, adequate space, adequate security, adequate lighting and ventilation,
adequate basic infrastructure and adequate location with regard to work and basic facilities - all at a reasonable cost."
The additional human rights referred to in the CESCR's General Comment
4 are rights without the enjoyment of which the fulfillment of the
right to housing is threatened or impossible. They include:
- the principle of non-discrimination;
- the right to freedom of expression;
- the right to freedom of association (such as for tenants and other community-based groups);
- the right to freedom of residence (and the right to freedom of movement);
- the right to participate in public decision-making;
- the right to security of person (in the case of forced or arbitrary evictions or other forms of harassment);
- the right not to be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with one's privacy, family, home or
correspondence.
In addition, the right to housing provides a foundation that increases
the likelihood of the achievement of other human rights. For
example:

- the right to family;
- the right to participate in government;
- the right to work;
- the right to rest and leisure;
- the right to food and water;
- the right to the highest attainable level of physical and mental health;
- the right to education;
- the right to participate in the cultural life of the community.
he Benefits of Building Your Philippine Dream-House
You probably found on the Internet some houses with some features that you like but none of
them are 100% what you are looking for?
BUILDING a HOME in the Philippines has many advantages; maybe you already have a lot
somewhere so you save on that and you can design your 'dream house' to fit your lot and
wishes and budget.
Most Philippine architects and contractors do not offer a 'standard designed house' (model home) because
it can never be exactly what you want; it will not fit your lot and the floorplan is not as you like it etc.
Therefore they design a UNIQUE house to fit your LOT, WISHES and BUDGET.

House construction cost in the Philippines depends on the total floor area, the exact location,
the logistics/accessibility, regulations/restrictions of the local government or subdivision, soil-
type, neighbor-buildings, availability of local skilled labor, source of electricity/water etc. plus
you have to select what level of finishing you want:

A) 'Budget' or 'Low Cost' (ordinary ceramic tiles or vinyl, ordinary paint, G.I. galvanized steel long span
roofing, steel casement windows)

B) 'Average finish' (ceramic- and granite tiles or wood floor panels/parquet, good quality paint, insulated
G.I. galvanized steel long span roofing, steel casement windows, cabinets in kitchen and bedrooms)

C) 'High-end first-class finish' (imported tiles or wood floor panels/parquet, Decore- or Multiflex paint,
wall-mouldings, insulated G.I. galvanized steel long span roofing or clay tiles, aluminum or PVC framed
windows, laminated cabinets in kitchen and bedrooms, hot and cold water)

"GOOD WORK IS NEVER CHEAP, AND CHEAP WORK IS NEVER GOOD"

A Philippine contractor can only give you an EXACT price for construction if he knows all details
(so he knows exactly what is included and what quality etc.) and he has to see the lot.
You do not like 'guess-work'.
The price does not come from 'out of nowhere'. In getting the EXACT cost of construction, it is necessary
to itemize all scope of works and materials based on complete plans from architects and engineers and
you ofcourse.

* They collect all data available for the design of the house.
* Inspection of the site (lot) where pictures are taken to E-mail you if you are abroad.
* Evaluation of the exact location, the logistics/accessibility, regulations/restrictions of the local
government or subdivision, soil-type, neighbor-buildings, availability of local skilled labor, source of
electricity/water etc. because this effects the design/price.
* Draft a short report for owners info and evaluation.
* Make a schematic design and floor plan for owners approval subject to relevant revisions incorporating
owners requirements and actual condition of the lot.
* Make the blueprints, apply for a building permit and start construction; if you are abroad you will be
send pictures every week to see the progress.

Construction takes roughly 5 months but before that about 6 weeks is needed for blueprints and building
permit.


Shopping for houses means looking through
countless of listings on the Internet, in the classifieds, or in MLM
listings. Many times these lists dont come with pictures, so you
have to simply imagine how the house looks like through the
written description alone.
Most descriptions come with key words such as, a spacious
bungalow, a cozy villa, or a practical row house. If you are not
familiar with these terms, you might just be thinking about a
different type of house entirely.
In order to eliminate the confusion, below are the eight most
common types of houses. Before you buy your house check out
some things your broker wont tell you or how to buy a
foreclosure!
1. Bungalow A bungalow is classically defined as a one-story
house, cottage, or cabin. Traditionally, bungalow style houses
are associated with small square footage. Though you can also
find larger, generally newer bungalows. Bungalows generally
do not have basements, and they were originally designed to
provide affordable housing to the working class.
2. Single Detached A single detached is actually any house that
stands on its own, and its four walls are not attached to
another house. It is structurally separated from the
neighboring houses and is surrounded by open land. Basically,
a bungalow, cottage, or even mansion can be termed as a
single detached house, as long as it is not connected to any
other property through the same wall or tenement.
3. Duplex The term itself refers to a two-fold apartment or
condominium where there are separate entrances for the
dwelling units. Usually a duplex comes in the form of a two
story house where a common wall separates the two areas. A
duplex can then be extended to make three units or more,
and then it would be termed as a three-plex, four-plex, five-
plex and so on. This is also referred to as a semi-detached
home.
4. Row House Row houses are modern type of homes that are
located in the same area and have the same architectural
design and appearance. They are situated side by side, and
the units share a common wall. These houses are usually
priced less than single detached households in closed
subdivisions.
5. Colonial House This type of house features designs that are
related to the United States colonial period. Several types of
colonial houses exist such as the French colonial, Spanish
colonial, Dutch Colonial, Georgian and German Colonial.
Houses that are built in the colonial style takes their designs
from houses, government offices, and churches that were
built sometime during the 16th to the 19th century.
6. Farm House No particular design is associated with the style
farm house, but it is a term that describes the main house
that is situated on farm land. These houses are more practical
than aesthetic, but they are often well equipped in terms of
insulation and food storage.
7. Villa A villa was once used to refer to as the upper class
country homes of ancient Romans. Today, the term villa has
evolved to refer to a beautiful, tasteful, upper class country
home. The term villa can refer to the houses of the elite, and
properties with the description of villas are usually larger
homes with landscaped gardens and perhaps a view of the sea
or the countryside.
8. Mansion A mansion is the word used to describe a very large
house. In the US, real estate brokers define mansions as
houses with an area of 8,000 square feet or 740 square meters
or more. Traditionally, mansions are characterized by having
a large ballroom and numerous bedrooms. Today, however,
there is no particular requirement as to what makes a
mansion, aside from the fact that it should be a large and
well endowed home.
These are only some of the most common types of houses that
can usually be found in real estate listings. Some of the many
other types of houses include end of terrace, colonial houses,
chattel houses, deck houses, log cabins, gambrels, and more.
However, many of these terms are not as popular or as common
as they once were (like castles for example). Whatever the
purpose may be, learning about different types of houses gives
us insight into different architectural viewpoints. It also helps us
decide which type of house would be most suitable for our
personal use.
LEARNING FROM TRADITION. Traditional Ivatan houses in Batanes feature
storm shutters protecting windows and doors from winds. Photo by Pia
Ranada/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines More than 360,000 houses in Eastern
Visayas were totally destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda,
highlighting the importance of typhoon-resistant architecture.
On Wednesday, November 20, prominent Filipino architects
announced that their organization is surveying the affected areas
to come up with appropriate designs for new homes. They are
doing the designs for free, in coordination with the National
Housing Authority and the Department of Public Works and
Highways.
They also discussed features of a typhoon-ready house. Here are
their recommendations:

1. Highly replicable
Willy Coscolluela, the architect behind the acclaimed Zuellig
Building in Makati and SM Aura in Taguig, takes inspiration from
a housing project in Guam which survived a storm and convinced
stubborn locals to move in.
"It was very simple in design and very easy to do. In two weeks'
time, you can already have 6 units."
Topy Vasquez, who has designed more than 100 buildings in the
Visayas, shared his ideas for cubic permanent shelters.
Similar to giant concrete cylinders often found abandoned under
bridges, they are hollow concrete cubes which can stand alone as
single-room homes or be combined together to form bigger living
spaces.
"It's just like Lego. It can be a two-story structure. It can be a one-
story house. Filipinos can use their creativity to customize it
whichever way suits their needs."
2. Uses durable materials
The days of patched-up metal sheets and crudely-stacked hollow
cement blocks are over as far as the architects are concerned.
"You should use materials that can withstand the water and the
wind. Concrete is the most logical for permanence and for
strength," Coscolluela said.
Concete is also highly abundant in the Philippines, a country with
lots of sand and volcanic ashingredients for the building
material.
3. 4-side slope roofs
"Quatro aguas" is a Spanish architectural term meaning a roof
with 4 sides instead of just the two-sided A-frame design.
QUATRO AGUAS. Four-sides roofs or hip roofs are less likely to get lifted off
by strong winds. Image from Wikimedia Commons
A 4-sided roof is more typhoon-resistant because it gives wind
less traction to pry the roof away, a horrific phenomenon
witnessed by people living in houses with two-sided roofs during
the storm. A 4-sided roof is more streamlined and sealed against
buffeting winds.
Eaves should no longer be a feature of typhoon-resistant homes.
Eaves, which are the edges of a roof which jut out beyond the
walls of the house, only give the wind more surface with which it
can lift the entire roof.
Slab roofs made of concrete can also be effective. Homes with
roofdecks survived the storm.
4. Stilts
The riverside-dwelling Badjaos built their houses on stilts because
of the possibility of flooding, Royal Pineda of Budji+Royal
architecture firm said. This can serve as a basis for flood-resistant
and storm surge-resistant homes.
They can be built on legs. Even if the elevation is not that high,
the force of rushing water will be lessened when it is allowed to
go under the house and not just around it.
5. Tempered glass with protective sticker
Videos of Yolanda winds smashing windows are enough to make
anyone shudder at the thought of being near those windows
during the storm. The flying jagged metal pieces can no doubt
cause serious injury to anyone in the vicinity.
But tempered glass will not have the same fatal effect, assured
Coscolluela. When glass is tempered, it falls in tiny pieces like
"monggo seeds," pieces too small to cause serious injury.
But combine the tiny glass bits with 300-kilometer-per-hour winds
and you're talking of another matter entirely. That's why Pineda
recommends adding a protective film or sticker over tempered
glass. This would keep the glass in place even when shattered by
high-velocity winds.
The best case scenario would be tempered glass that is also
laminated but this can be pricey.
6. Storm shutters
If you can't stop glass windows from breaking, why not protect
them from the storm as well? Pineda recommends installing
storm shutters over windows and doors, thus effectively sealing
the house from winds and rain.
7. Safe, elevated location
Location is everything in typhoon-ready architecture. Coastal
communities should be moved further away from the shoreline to
lessen the risk of storm surges (flooding due to abnormal sea
level rise). The vacated shoreline can then be converted into a
public park, a place of leisure that won't be a big loss in case of a
storm surge.
Before Yolanda, two schools, a hospital, and the Tacloban city
hall were located near the shoreline. (READ: What made
Tacloban so vulnerable to Haiyan?)
They should not be constructed in areas assessed to be
vulnerable to landslides and flooding.
8. Revise building standards
The Philippine Building Code must be updated to keep up with
storms that are getting stronger, the architects agreed.
The Code requires that walls of buildings should withstand at
least 250 kph winds. Because Yolanda's winds went over 300
kph, this item must be revisited. Also, the practice of building
drainage systems to last for "x" amount of rainfall should be
changed since rain and typhoons are becoming more frequent.
Rappler.com
Super Typhoon- and Earthquake Proof House? Try
a Concrete Roof Deck!
The latest 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Cebu plus the Super
Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that hits Central Visayas are also lessons for those
who consider construction as an ordinary thing Its MANDATORY to build a
house in the Philippines with a durable technology and seek services of only
professionals
Most Pinoys will probably rebuild their home exactly the same way; and wait
for the next devastating storm. The Philippine government hopefully will build
SUSTAINABLE and AFFORDABLE housing for them.
But what makes a house Super Typhoon- and Earthquake Proof?
Forget about a corrugated steel sheets roof. It appears to be
technically IMPOSSIBLE to construct any concrete home with a corrugated
steel/zinc sheeting roof (whether with wooden frame or steel purlins) that will
withstand a direct hit from a Super Typhoon like Yolanda without substantial
damage.
Contrary to popular belief, most homes are NOT blown over during a Super
Typhoon. Instead, you will most likely hear a strange sound coming from
the ceiling for a while after which the complete roof will explode outwards
followed by your appliances and maybe the cat.
A corrugated steel/zinc sheeting roof might also be slowly eaten away piece
by piece.
Thus; consider a concrete roof deck
Waffle Box Building Technology has it all.
It is a reinforced concrete shell design; concrete floor, walls and roof deck
(ceiling), reinforced with steel bars and monolithically poured in one-go. Using
one form only (How do we do that?? Just ask us by E-mail)
It lacks the (weak-) connections of wall-panels or hollow blocks between posts
and/or pre-cast roof panels.
It has the structural integrity of an aircraft fuselage or a ship hull.
It has portal frames every 60 centimeter distance; they are steel bars inside
the poured concrete which look like a door jamb:

Each portal frame consists of a ring of steel bars which is casted in one-go
inside your concrete floor, walls and roof deck (ceiling). Using one form
only (How do we do that?? Just ask us by E-mail)
The walls plus roof is 6 inch thick where needed (portal frames); 2 inch thick
in between, to save about 50% concrete/weight.
PS: we build apartments, hotels, schools etc. exact the same way, typhoon-
and earthquake proof
A secure safe room? Evacuation shelters in the Philippines
Instead of making your complete house typhoon- and earthquake proof, you can opt to
put one Shelter Waffle Box (20 square meter) in your garden, to protect you and your
family against flying cars Adjusted with steel doors and window shutters.
- See more at: http://sibonga.com/construction-
blog/?page_id=1630#sthash.X0pOqiaK.dpuf