Philippine IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HURRICANES Designer builds Futuristic 'cuboid' house'

An industrial designer built futuristic 'cuboid' houses devised to withstand super typhoons in the Philippines. Gil Bien created the prototypes after years of watching his hometown of Malilipot in Albay province constantly ravaged by typhoons. The Philippines straddles the typhoon belt in the Pacific, and sees an average of 20 cyclones yearly. Frustrated with the destruction caused by the seasonal storms, Gil launched a study to come up with a design that will better withstand nature's wrath. The result is a house with rounded corners instead of a typical square foundation. Speaking to local media, he said: 'What makes this different from the typical house is that I integrated the building's wall and the column so that the form is convex.' The designer had removed the houses' gutters and sharp corners as these were the first parts to be destroyed during a storm, he said. He added: 'The design makes it so that the stress isn't concentrated on a single wall or surface. 'The wind is deflected, and the air flow becomes better and more stable.' Currently, Gil has two cuboid house prototypes in Albay province measuring 36 square metres and 48 square metres each. Though the design has been engineer-approved, Gil faces a different challenge in having it take off, as a single house costs upwards of 1.8 million PHP (around 33,000 USD) in construction. He said the steep price tag is because of the sturdy construction materials used. He said: 'This is the reality. If you want a strong house, the materials also have to be sturdy. Do not compromise. 'In the long run, if you choose flimsy materials that would need to constantly be replaced anyway, the cuboid house would be a more economic choice. There's less maintenance. 'This project was born from my desire to give Filipinos a home that will never be blown away by the big bad wind. All my experiences as a designer were tested, but through these nearly two years of study, trials, and construction, I have never been happier.