With 2.19M subscribers to boot, Architect Llyan Oliver Austria rose to fame at the height of the pandemic with architecture related video content. In November 2020, the Philippines experienced one of the worst typhoons, among many others. Situated in the Ring of Fire, the Philippines is no stranger to natural calamities. With this, Oliver uploaded a video on the typhoon-proof house he designed and included some tips to help prevent common problems that arise when typhoons strike, presented by his alter ego – Joel News Ibabaw.
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
Outdoor view of typhoon-proof house
The digital tour of the typhoon-proof house begins with the exterior. The Pinoy Architect utilizes a shipping container as the outer shell of the house, he explains that shipping containers are able to resist and withstand water as it is used for transporting goods via sea freight. The shipping container is elevated three meters from the ground so as to remedy possible flooding problems.
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
A cool feature he included to the sides of the house was rollers. In the event the flooding exceeds the allotted three-meter level, the house is able to float and roll upwards and still be able to avoid the flood. In addition, the patio space is not only used for that purpose but also can be turned into a protective shield when there is a typhoon.
Interior Tour
Minimalist Toilet
The viewer is greeted first by the toilet and bathroom. It bears a simple and minimalistic design with the monochromatic color scheme.
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
Minimalist Contemporary Kitchen
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
The kitchen follows the minimalist design of the toilet but is more of a minimalist contemporary design. The style offers varying materials such as wood and marble. Nevertheless, it is still simple.
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
The kitchen counter offers more space with a pull-out drawer-table. Having multifunction elements in the house provides opportunities for more space. The windows are very minimal in the house and they are small as it prevents water from entering the house. Windows are generally the problem area when it comes to water entering the house.
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
Multifunction Area
This area of the house doubles as a dining room and a sleeping area. The table and chairs are able to be stored vertically and can be pulled out when needed. Murphy beds are the same, they are stored vertically and can be hidden.
Typhoon-proof top tips
Roof Care
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
One of the most significant problem areas in a house during a typhoon is the roof. To prevent roofs from being blown away by strong winds is by using tekscrews to secure the roof in its place. It is recommended to use tekscrews as opposed to the langueta as it has a rubber feature that prevents water from entering the house. The screws are supposed to be spaced out correctly to prevent the roof from flying away.
Use Metal Trusses
Using trusses out of wood has a shorter lifespan than metal trusses. It is advised to use metal and to have either a civil or structural engineer to design it.
Clean Your Gutter
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
When the gutter gets clogged with things like leaves or trash, the water is unable to flow out and will then rush inside the house.
Use Silicone Sealant
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
One of the main ways water gets into the house is through the window. To remedy this, simply apply silicone sealant around the window. A secret tip shared in the video is not to seal the outer bottom part of the window as water needs to flow outside in the event water gets in.
Turn off main breaker
Source: Oliver Austria (YouTube)
If water does start getting into the house, most people turn off switches to avoid fires breaking out. Even when this is done, there is still a fire hazard as there are live wires even when the switch is turned off. Make sure to head to the panel box and switch off the main breaker –there is indication for the main breaker switch so you will be able to find it.
Cost of typhoon-proof house
Thinking about building your own typhoon-proof house? See rough cost estimates of Pinoy Architect’s design below.
The floor area is 15 square meters multiplied by PHP 18,000 is PHP 270,000. The shipping container on the more expensive side is PHP 90,000. The interior’s estimated total is PHP 360,000. The exterior improvement estimated cost is PHP 150,000. The estimated total cost for building the typhoon-proof house is PHP 510,000. Remember this does not include the cost of the property and the amounts are all rough estimates.
Watch Oliver Austria’s typhoon-proofing hacks in the video below.
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