Best Posts in Thread: Architect/Home Builder

Probably a difficult question, I imagine some members might be hesitant to share their recommendation for either an architect or a builder, since one good experience doesn't necessarily lead to a good experience for the next customer, and nobody likes to be the one that gets the "but he recommended" reproach on his plate.
That said, whoever you eventually pick to do the job, you better read up on "best building practices" yourself anyway, I know plenty stories about builders cutting corners without proper supervision, and the best supervisor is an informed principal.

 

But you prove it is not essential.

 

I agree with Dave1952 wholeheartedly - YAYFH!

I will qualify why I agree with Sir Dave1952 - IMO Filipinos in general possess very little, if any, business or organisational skills hence everything is left until the last minute or just doesn't happen (they can't even be bothered to answer emails). Even sari-sari stores go bust because they spend the takings before replenishing any stocks. Does the term "Sorry, no stock sir" ring any bells?

I have a friend who left his house to be looked after by the outlaws whilst he and his wife were abroad - on their return the house was full of extended family, chickens & dogs - and I can imagine similar, or worse, if you were to entrust them with running a B & B.

If you are really going to entrust the outlaws with running a B & B for you then I wish you the best of luck, but I still think Yer Aff yer Fecking heead!

 

yes yes it was DPX that I had the fortune/misfortune to get mixed up with

 

I lived in a detached house for 20yrs the solid dividing wall was done in clay bricks and this prevented any sound transfer between the two houses, I would guess a CHB wall would have much the same properties?

At one stage I had considered to build a couple of Semi Detached Studios adjacent to my house, these would have been rented out as B&B's, a service not readily available in PH I think? Perhaps this is a viable small business venture for someone? It is my opinion that by far the best way to build a house there in PH is the method I used, Steel Stud Walls, clad with Hardieflex and the cavity filled with cheap readily available Rice Hulls, so I gave some thought to the Firewall between these two Semi's, this I would build in more or less the same manner, only the cavity would be filled with concrete, there you have it; A solid concrete wall firewall where the shuttering Hardieflex, is left in place to provide a finish to it. I never did get around to experiment with this, but it had been my intention to try out a concrete mix using a high proportion around 50% of Rice Hulls within it, I'm sure they would be more resilient than your standard CHB and near perfect for the above application of this Fire Wall.

 

You are most probably right.

I just look to Europe and many people my age are actually selling their houses, buy an extremely expensive caravan or camper and travelling the world. In order to avoid high rates for rent and other costs as well as urban living they prefer to live on 15 or 18 sqm, but changing the place whenever they want. Summer time in Scandinavia, winter time in Spain or Portugal, whatever they like.

Many people getting more and more annoid about living circumstances in their country and trying to escape.

Camping business is booming. It started during the Pandemic and is still one of the best business around. If you want to buy a big caravan in Germany waiting time is more than a year and prices are starting around 100.000 Euro. Easy to spend 300.000 or more.

Despite camping is not my preferred life style I have a lot of understanding for people that are changing their life significantly just in order to have a bit more personal freedom.

 

Something to concider is water supply.
Are you close enough for the barangy or city water?
Without power how will you circulate the water, otherwise it will turn into a Florida swamp and the temp of a bath.....yuck!!!

If your not on city water, or power, you will be hand pumping your water fordaily usage (assuming you have a well on property, otherwise that is another project).
If you have a well perhaps concider connecting it to a jetpump and small generator. If you also have a reserve tank of 2000l or more then you may only need to fill 1 time a week.
Sidenote, even on municipal water an extra water is recommend for days when it is not working due to any of the following reason:
Power is out and the watetr company cant turn on their pumps.
Water company maintenance.
Somebody breaks the water pipe upflow from you.
Natural disasters making water unavailable or unusable for a time.
Water use limitations (See news in Manilla, it happens in other towns too trying to conserve).
And those are just the one's I have experienced, I am sure there are more.

 

The above Pic is of a portion of that 1000m2 roof at a pitch of 60 degrees

 

I for one agree with you 100% on this Bamboo structure, sometimes I wish I had gone down this road myself? I see no reason not to have an on Grid electric supply to this, not running AC will keep your Bills down to around P2K a month or even less, but there is one problem with a Kuba and that is the roof material needs replacing every few years, everyone will tell you this including your dumb Pinoys, unfortunately your average Pinoy Builder no longer has the skills of his forefathers, after they introduced the Fecking Dumb US idea of building with CHB, they lost what they once had, 100plus years ago when they were building this type of Bamboo house the roofs had a high angle slope to them of around 60 Degrees this sheds of the rainwater very fast and leaves little on and between the grasses to rot and thus extends the life of the roof for up to 30yrs so I have been told, this information I had from a Crazy German guy who had this type of roof over his 600m2 CHB house with the roof being 1000M2, this roof was done by a very Skilled Pinoy who takes pride in his work (one very rare commodity in PH) the splined and roped off joints being a work of art, I think it is very likely to have a lifespan of perhaps 30yrs until the Termites beat it, although again I heard the termites prefer young Bamboo and after a time they leave the old stuff? however soil treatment before the build may prevent this along with regular spraying around the house in the years that follow. perhaps the price to build this will be around 75% less than one in CHB? It is not all that wise of you to mention your crazy ideas here on DI, most of our members live in CHB Glass Houses and are liable to throw stones at you, Bamboo is great at resisting the forces of nature, Wind and Quakes.

 

Everybody should live like he wants. I have a different opinion of how to live but I don't say I am right.

If you are happy living in a Kubo then go ahead. If you want to live like asawas grandparents then go ahead.

For me personally it's not a desirable way of live.