AS urban cities and populations grew, so did the human impact on the environment and the effects and damages caused by natural calamities and climate change. Disasters, such as flooding—especially in low-lying areas or where bodies of water are nearby—have become more frequent, especially in recent years.
While the effects of flooding grow more serious, developers are forced to remedy the situation by thinking out of the box. Such a need became clear for residents when Typhoon Ondoy struck in 2009, causing P11 billion worth of damages across the region as torrential rains totaling 556 millimeters flooded Metro Manila cities and submerged areas under as much as 10 feet of water. Since then, Metro Manila has seen the worsening effects of floods on the public with infrastructures, roads and vehicles taking severe destruction.
While working on his first home project in 2009, Philippine Realty TV (PRTV) Executive Producer John Aguilar saw the magnitude of the widespread devastation the floodwaters had. Aguilar’s house-in progress was almost damaged if not for the higher area it was situated on. “The Ondoy experience got us thinking: Why not build a house that can adapt to flooding and is inspired by a time-tested Filipino home model?” Aguilar said. “That’s how the idea of Project: Smart Home was born.”
An inspired ‘bahay kubo’
Aguilar then partnered with the Buensalido + Architect firm for a flood-responsive home designed to have the ability to adapt into other flood-prone parts of Metro Manila.
“We used the concept of the traditional Filipino home—the bahay kubo—to design the Smart Home,” shares Jason Buensalido, the chief architect of the project. “Since the first floors are the first thing hit when floodwaters rise, we made sure that our homes are designed to start from the second floor up like the elevated bahay kubo.” The first floor of the three-story Smart Home has a space for cars, a covered multifunctional portion, a small pocket garden and the stairs leading to the main entryway. Instead of a communal area, the bedrooms are on the second floor, while the living, dining, and kitchen area on the top-most floor.
According to Buensalido, the open space of the communal area is where those who are stranded can stay while awaiting rescue. “With the kitchen on the top-most floor, stranded residents will still have access to food and water as it’s the least likely place that floodwaters will reach,” Buensalido explains. “Plus, it’s the best place to safeguard all their appliances and electronics, like the TV and refrigerator.”
Rising above the challenge
Among the features that differentiate the Smart Home from normal townhomes, the most interesting are its two floating platforms: the floating carport and the Regenerative Amphibious Floating Terraces (RAFTs).
The floating carport is a platform that one’s car sits on the moment it comes into garage. In the event of flooding, it will safely float with and above the rising waters. The RAFT, on the other hand, is a floating balcony connected to the second level that can be detached from the entire structure to provide a safe escape for residents.
Aside from the flood adaptive features, Aguilar also utilized a wall-panel system that contains an expanded polystyrene core—more commonly known as Styrofoam—to allow the house to retain a generally cooler indoor temperature. Solar panels and LED lighting, on the other hand, were also utilized to keep the carbon footprint of the smart home to a minimum. “By injecting technology and innovation into home designs to create out-of-the-box ideas, we are making homes in the country more flood and climate-responsive,” Aguilar said. “We can’t wait to see how homes across the Philippines can adapt our ideas, and how this kind of change can affect the country’s responsiveness to drastic changes in our climate.”