Cultural Beliefs

in Housing
(Regional Characteristics)
  It is more advantageous if two faces of the house
take in the morning sun. This can be achieved if a
corner of the house takes in the morning sun. In
fact, most educated Filipinos are of the belief that
the more windows your house have, the better the
chances of your house absorbing natural and
spiritual graces.
 Bontoc
The front door of the house
must face against the flow of
a nearby river according to
ancient folk beliefs.
In Romblon, the roof of
the house must slope
following the direction
of the incline of the
nearby mountains.
In the Cordilleras, the
ridge of the roof is
always positioned at
right angles to the ridge
of the mountain on
which the house stands.
 Ibalois
It is customary to give adequate
space under their houses by elevating
their floors to accommodate the
future tomb of the owner to ensure
perpetual guidance over the house
the dead leaves behind.
If one is building a house within a family
compound or between two relatives, make sure
that the roof is not higher than theirs, otherwise,
their lives will never progress or will always be
worse. A sibling’s house must not be built so close
to that of his parents such that rainwater from the
eaves of the main house pours onto the roof of the
sibling.
POSTS
In Southern Tagalog, posts are erected ff this procedure:
posts are laid with their bottom ends at the footing on the
ground and the top ends pointing towards the east. The post
nearest the east is the first to be raised. The same procedure
is followed for the other posts, one after the other in a
clockwise direction as one reads the plan. This same
clockwise manner of raising the posts is practiced on the
island of Romblon and the belief is that it will make the
house windproof.
The Tausugs equate the building
of a house to the development
of a fetus. They believe that the
first to appear in a woman’s
womb is the navel. Hence, the
first post to be erected should be
the main post within the interior
of the house.
In the Cagayan Valley, the
first post to be raised is the
one positioned nearest to
the northeast. But this is
done after the footings have
been sprinkled with wine.
The old folks of Bataan
caution against having a
solitary post in the middle of
a room. It is said to bring
misfortune to the family.
The Yakans do not use
crooked wooden posts,
especially the ones with
knotholes in them because
it is said to symbolize
death.
 In the older communities of Bayambang,
Pangasinan, it is believed that termites
will not enter the house if the bottoms of
all wooden posts are first charred.
Informed master carpenters, however,
suggest that these bottoms not just be
charred but tarred as well.
 Others swear by the potency of rock salt
sprinkled in all footing excavations as
preventive measures against anay
infestation.

Old people also caution against cutting old

posts for reuse so as not to lose one’s
wealth.
STAIRS
Ilocanos position their stairs so that
they rise with the morning sun.
 In Pandi, Bulacan, they believe that a
stairway facing east is considered bad
luck because, they say, anything facing
the early sun dries up ahead of all others,
and in the same token, wealth taken into
the house will dry up much faster.
If there is no to make the stairs face east, at least make
them face any nearby mountain. If one’s lot abuts a river,
position the stairs in a way that they are facing upstream.
This is so in order that good luck from the house would
never be washed away by the river’s flow. In the same
way, if the house is beside the sea, or if one is building a
beach house, plan the stairs in such a way that they run
parallel with the shore. If the stairs are perpendicular to
the shoreline, luck may flow in but also flow out with the
tides.
The underside of wooden stairs of Ilonggo
houses are usually completely covered not
because of peeping Toms but because the Old
folks say so.
It is not advised to place a large window in the
wall directly facing the stairs so that good fortune
will not easily go out that window. Most Western
countries consider it bad luck to walk under a
ladder.
For business establishments, especially the
small ones, the cashier or the place where
money is kept should not be located under
the staircase. In homes, neither should rice
be kept there because it translates to
treading on the grace of God whenever one
goes up or down the stairs.
When planning a structure with two
or more storeys, the stairway
should not be positioned at the
center of the structure so as not to
divide the building into two equal
parts.
 It is believed that the dried
umbilical cord of a son or
daughter of the house
owner inserted in the
staircase will strongly bind
the stringer with its
supporting girder.
9.1 Pre-Design Servies (SPP Document 201)
 Architectural Programming
 Space Planning
 Space Management
Studies
 Value Management
 Design Brief Preparation
 Promotional Services
9.3 Specialized Architectural Services (SPP Document 203)
9.3.1 Architectural Interiors (AI)
9.3.2 Acoustic Design
9.3.3 Architectural Lighting Layout and Design
9.3.4 Site Development Planning (SDP)
9.3.5 Site and Physical Planning Services (including
Master Development Planning, Subdivision
Planning and Urban Design)
9.3.6 Comprehensive Development Planning (CDP)
9.3.7 Historic and Cultural Heritage Conservation and
Planning
9.3.8 Security Evaluation and Planning
9.3.9 Building Systems Design
9.3.10 Facilities Maintenance Support
9.3.11 Building Testing and Commissioning
9.3.12 Building Environmental Certification
9.3.13 Forensic Architecture
9.3.14 Building Appraisal
9.3.15 Preliminary Services
9.3.16 Contract Documentation and Review
9.3.17 Post-Design Services (including
Construction Management Services)
9.3.18 Dispute Avoidance and Resolution
9.3.19 Architectural Research Methods
9.3.20 Special Building/ Facility Planning and
Design
9.3.21 Building Components
9.3.22 Management of Architectural Practices
 9.4 Construction Services
(SPP Doc 204)
9.4.1 Fulltime Supervision Services (SPP
Document 204-A)

9.4.2 Construction Management Services

(SPP Document 204-B)
 9.5 Post-Construction Services
(SPP Doc 205)

9.5.1 Building and Facilities Administration

9.5.2 Post-Construction Evaluation

 10. PROJECT
MANAGEMENT (PM)
10.1 By his education and training, the Architect may perform any or all of the
services as stipulated under Section 2 above. However, when the Owner
hires an Architect or a firm to coordinate the whole range of Comprehensive
Architectural Services (CAS), this constitutes Project Management (PM).
10.2 Project Management (PM) involves management activities over and above
the normal architectural and engineering (A&E) services carried out during
the pre-design, design, and construction phase. The overall objective is to
have control over time, cost, and quality relative to the construction of a
project.
10.3 The presence of a PM does not relieve the designers and contractors of
their respective normal duties and responsibilities in the design and
construction of the project. The PM complements the functions of the
Architects, Engineers, and Contractors in meeting the broad and complex
requirements of projects.
11. THE PROJECT
MANAGER (PM)
11.1 The Project Manager (PM, whether individual or firm)
operates as a member of an Owner-Architect-Engineer-
Contractor Team. In the Team Approach, each member of
the team will have precedence in his own field of
operations or expertise. In accordance with this principle:

4.1.1 The Architect and the Specialist Consultants (SCs)

will have prime responsibility for the plan/design of the
project.
4.1.2 The Engineers will be responsible for their respective
engineering plans.
4.1.3 The Contractor shall be responsible for his men and
equipment and the delivery of the project.

4.1.4 The Owner makes decisions on the project and assures

that funds are available to complete the project.

4.1.5 The Project Manager (PM)’s primary responsibility is the

exercise of overall cost control. He will plan, program and
monitor the various activities, and will act as an adviser on
material costs and construction methods.
 4.2 SCOPE OF SERVICES
4.2.1 Pre-Construction Phase
As early as during the design development phase, perhaps even
concurrently with the Architect’s commission, the Project Manager (PM)
should conduct regular consultations with the Owner and with the
Architects and Engineers (for A&E services) on all aspects of planning
for the project.
4.2.2 Construction Phase

If the Project Manager (PM) also serves as the Construction Manager

(CM) to oversee time, cost and quality control during the construction of
the project, he shall provide the services detailed under SPP
Documents 204-A and/or 204-B.
 12. MANNER OF
PROVIDING SERVICES
12.1 Normally, the Architect enters into a contract with the Owner to perform
comprehensive architectural services. By the very nature of the services,
he assumes the dual role of the Project Manager (PM) and the
Construction Manager (CM), or effectively the overall coordinator whose
functions are outlined under this SPP.
12.2 To perform the variety of services indicated under the Comprehensive
Architectural Services, the Architect must make full use of his own
capability as well as of services offered by other professionals. He may
expand his staff by hiring the experts needed, or he may form a team
consisting of professionals such as but not limited to:
12.2.1 Architects 12.2.6 Real Estate Consultants

12.2.2 Engineers 12.2.7 Sociologists

12.2.3 Market Analysts 12.2.8 Planners

12.2.4 Accountants 12.2.9 Bankers

12.2.5 General Contractors 12.2.10 Lawyers

12.3 If a Project Manager (PM) is hired by the Owner, it
may be the responsibility of the PM to either hire the
Construction Manager (CM) to be paid either by him
or directly by the Owner on salary, or on the basis of
percentage of construction cost or to serve as the
CM himself. In like manner, the Fulltime Supervisor
can either be a staff member of the PM or hired
directly by the Owner.
 13. METHODS OF COMPENSATION
13.1 The Project Manager is compensated on a
percentage basis, as shall be described in the
Architect’s Guidelines.

13.2 If the Architect as Project Manager (PM)

performs regular design services for the same
project, he shall be compensated separately for
these services as stipulated in SPP Document
202.
-END-