Being in a tropical country like the Philippines makes your options of home design simple. Back in the old days, people only wanted two things in home design, (1)A home that is dry (floods don’t get inside) and warm in the rainy season and (2) A home that is cool and refreshing in the brutal Philippine summer months.
- Designing the house so that your bedrooms receive the breeze is a good idea and may save you from using air conditioning many nights.
- A more open floor plan allows the air to circulate better throughout the house than closed off rooms.
- Heat rises, so high ceilings are ideal for cooling rooms. In the Philippines, it doesn't cost that much more to make your room ceilings 10 feet high because the main difference is adding a few extra rows of concrete blocks.
- Ceiling fans will help you to feel much cooler, especially in the kitchen. If you have high ceilings, you'll need extensions to drop the fan down so that the blades are at about 8 feet for the best effect. Ceiling fans don't use much more electricity than a A/C window type unit.
- Window design should be as tall and wide as you can afford. This helps to let out the hot air as well as to let in the breeze. Bigger windows will also reduce your need for using lights during the day. Larger windows will add to the expense, especially if you plan to put iron bars over them, but weigh the expense against the extra comfort over time.
- A wide roof overhang helps to block the sun from the windows and help to prevent the rain from entering. To try plan for a few windows that can remain open during rainstorms, to keep the house cooler. The weather can be very humid when it rains.
- Have much green space around your house as possible. Concrete absorbs the heat of the sun and retains it for a long time. If you have space for trees on the west side of your house, they will serve to keep your house cooler in the late afternoon, the hottest part of the day.
- Plan your construction to allow for runoff water from tropical storms and prevent flooding. It's a good idea to elevate your home one to two feet or even more above ground level. Make sure that your landscaping slopes away from your home, not towards it and ensure that the water has some place to dissipate.
Planning to build a tropical home? Please give us a call SolidAce Construction & Development Corp. at Dr. V. Locsin Street Dumaguete City or call 035 422-9478,226-2880 and our team of experts can help in your home design.