Main Heading

• THE IDEA | 
• Warming up the group | 
• GATHERING THE MATERIALS | 
• Carrying back. | 
• Grass for the roof | 
• Time consuming | 
• The bamboo group | 
• Bamboo big & small | 
• Vines for string. | 
• THE FRAMEWORK | 
• Faking it | 
• Posts | 
• Crossbeams | 
• Men’s work | 
• Taking shape | 
• Nene’s right arm | 
• THE FLOOR | 
• Tying with rattan | 
• One strip at a time | 
• THE WALLS | 
• Weaving | 
• Instant walls | 
• THE ROOF | 
• Grass duty | 
• Taking shape | 
• The last stretch | 
• FINISHED | 
• Actual use | 

THE IDEA

It is early morning and here I attempt to explain what we are about to do today.

The idea was to build a small hut the traditional way, all with materials that can be found nearby.

I actually wanted to do some traditional handicrafts, to show how people in places like Candis can still produce many of their utility necessities from the land itself.

The people of Candis are not known for their handicrafts, but can and do build their own houses.

Warming up the group

This kind of activity is often done with the help of neighbors in the village, in which everyone chips in to help.

In the Philippines this kind of community work spirit it is called “bayanihan”.

I also thought is would be a good bonding exercise for the group

But this group was still sleepy from the previous night, and before we could start Ron had to wake them up properly with some adrenalin-pumping games.

GATHERING THE MATERIALS

The group was large and we split up into different groups to gather materials.

This group was tasked to get some posts.

Cutting a tree with a “bolo” (machete) is one of those skills that the Filipinos can do in less than a minute, but took about twenty times that for the Japanese.

The trees were small, fast-growing softwoods taken from scrubland on the farms, and not taken from the watershed forest by the way.

Carrying back

We needed four thickish posts, and a few thinner crossbeams.

Almost all materials for the hut were found within a couple of hundred meters.

Grass for the roof

The roof is made of vetiver grass, a non-native species introduced by Pat and Ernie as a cheap means of halting soil erosion on the battered land.

Vetiver grass roots go several meters deep and do a wonderful job of holding the soil.

Time consuming

Gathering the vetiver grass looked easy, but was surprisingly time-consuming and tedious work.

The bamboo group

Nene and his boys lead the group out to get the bamboo.

There are many kinds of bamboo, and today we use two.

This one is called “kawayan” and grows in tall sturdy thickets.

It will be split and used for the flooring.

Kawayan thickets are fairly prized, and you usually have to ask the landowner before you help yourself.

Bamboo big & small

Another kind of bamboo is the smaller “buho”.

It grows everywhere, whether you want it too or not; there is no need to ask anyone before you take this stuff.

It will be split and flattened, and woven into a mat arrangement for the walls.

Vines for string

We didn’t have any string to tie the bundles, but a nearby patch of vine did the job.

THE FRAMEWORK

Construction begins.

We didn’t have any string to tie the bundles, but a nearby patch of vine did the job.

Faking it

...for the camera

Posts

The posts arrive and are put on place.

Crossbeams

Rattan and some not-at-all-locally-grown nails are used to assemble the frame.

Men’s work

The local guys were so much more adept at this that the students gcould only make a show here and there of contributing.

It was a questtion of time too: we wanted to finish beofre sunset...

The frame

And very soon we had the framework of a small hut

Nene’s right arm

The sheer force and grace of Nene's right arm in action was a wonder to behold.

THE FLOOR

...is where the students could start to contribute.

Here Junya is shown how to split the kawayan bamboo for the floorboards

Tying with rattan

The "floorboards" are then simply attached to the frame with rattan.

Actualy we had to 'buy' some rattan from a neighbor because this is one local resource that is getting scarce.

It really only grows in a forest, and the forest is getting farther and farther away.

One strip at a time

Slow work, but the strip by strip the floor expands forward.

Rattan is a remarkable material for typing.  Unlike nylon or string, seems to have almost no slippage and once tied and tightened, stays fixed.

THE WALLS

...was girls work.

The thinner bamboo, buho is used. It is easy to work and just need to be hammered flat so it can be woven into a sheet.

Weaving

The sheets weave easily (sorry about the lighting in the photos!), and any rogue pieces are just hammered into line.

Instant walls

The walls are then simpy attached with rattan or whatever, to the frame.

Instant, pre-fab walls.

THE ROOF

...turned out to be the sticky part.

The vetiver grass started arriving in dribs and drabs, and was taking too long.

We would never finish at this rate.

Grass duty

As the sun began to sink lower, all available hands were drafted to help with the troublesome vetiver grass.

Taking shape

With the walls, floor and even part of the roof, the hut was in any case starting to look good.

The last stretch

Well, we did not have enough grass as it turned out, but time was running out.

FINISHED

...if you consider the roof as being mainly to protect from sun during the day and dew at night.

Anyhow it was a great exercise and the group loved it.

Actual use

The students used it as a sort of stargazing hangout for the rest of the program.

Afterwards Ernie and Nene used it as a store room.