Cubo Modular Houses Made of Engineered Bamboo in the Philippines

Cubo has gained a lot of attention after its founder has been featured in mainstream media both local and abroad. The multi- awardee founder of Cubo Engr Earl Patrick Forlales, aims to solve the Philippines' housing problem by providing affordable modular houses. To achieve low construction costs, he uses bamboo, a widely available and renewable material in the Philippines, as his building material.

Cubo treats and processes bamboo into engineered bamboo that is standardized, making it a more workable material than raw bamboo. Cubo then manufactures standard panels, which can then be assembled on-site by the Cubo team. The prefabricated modular construction system Cubo implements allow them to assemble a house in a matter of days. 

Cubo offers three standard models, each with three types. The first is the origin type, Cubo's most basic unit with no bathrooms, partitions, and fittings. Then there is the standard type furnished with a kitchen, partitions, a bathroom, fittings, and finally, the loft-type, which adds a loft to the house, increasing its floor area. The smallest and most affordable unit they offer is the Batanes Origin, a six and a half square meter house that only costs eighty-nine thousand pesos. (Php 89,000.00) While their biggest model and the most expensive unit is the Sarangani Loft, with a floor area of forty-five and a half square meters and costs four hundred thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine pesos. (Php 499,000.00) If buyers want a custom-designed Cubo house, Engr Forlales has mentioned that they can build a custom-design house for a fee of one thousand pesos per square meter.

Each house kit is complete with finished flooring, walls, ceiling, electrical, and plumbing. What is not included in the house kit's cost is the lot development costs, such as the foundation and septic tank.

Cubo is a relatively new product in the Philippines. There are a few apprehensions on whether it could withstand a strong typhoon. From the information I have gathered, Potential buyers can be assured that these houses are structurally sound since a structural analysis is one of the requirements for a building permit. To know more about the technical details or how to acquire a Cubo unit, visit their website at www.cubo.ph.