Green by Design: Sustainable Living through Filipino Architecture

If you want to go green, go Filipino.

This seems to be the not-so-subliminal message within “Beyond the Bahay Kubo: 16 Climate-Conscious Tropical Homes,” a new book featuring top-shelf residences designed in the contemporary Filipino style by the father-and-son design team of Bobby and Angelo Mañosa.

Published by the Tukod Foundation, the Mañosa and Company’s corporate social responsibility arm, the book focuses on design elements inspired by traditional Filipino houses that make these homes sustainable and environment-friendly, such as passive cooling through natural ventilation, natural lighting and the use of indigenous materials.

Many of the homes featured also make use of green technology, such as solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and high-tech glass that actually repels solar rays.  As a result, despite being high-end luxury living spaces, these houses consume much less energy and water than typical homes in the same price range.

Read the whole article here.