I used to live with my grandparents till I was 10. Our house had what people now call - "efficient windows". It's very much different from these ones. They're not as grand as these.
They were huge, square and air - continuous "efficient windows". They're kept open all day long and even all night long. Back then, we were only scared of "aswangs" or the Filipino version of vampires or monsters. Back then there were no worries of thieves. Instead, the more open your windows are, thieves probably think, you have nothing to loose so why bother.
I only remember them closing on stormy nights. We've got plenty of storms in the Philippines on a yearly basis and that's the only time I see each bamboo poles that holds that cover of each window which is made of a pile of bamboo and stitched nipa leaves , come off. As naughty as any kid would be, we'd poke those dried nipa leaves to peek outside and check how high the water was.
I also remember, sitting on the sill so often and getting scolded that I might fall off it cause it wouldn't really be such a high fall but I'll surely get hurt. I also remember, roosters my grandpa owned, flying on each of the sills at dusk, sitting there to fall asleep while we wait for the right time to grab them and put them back their pens.
I don't think I'd see that happen on any of these, nor find someone sitting on the sill of each of these. Every time I look up at any of these grand windows, I can't help but compare. What was life here like back then? Was it lavish? If not, was this what they can call normalcy here back then?
Come to think of it, some of these are even more than a hundred year old or at least almost. Still, I'm soon turning 40 and my grandparents were in their past 60s when I was born so I wonder how capable the first owners of these windows were. Were they expensive? Were they handmade? Come to think of it, some of these are just attic windows, where old stuff are stock in to grow dust.
What amazes me the most is how all of these stood the test of time specially on countries with shitty weathers. These are just a few of the grand windows here and mind you, there's plenty of them.
It saddens me sometimes, to see an old building with such grand windows being put down instead of restored and renovated then replaced with box designs cause we're going after more space and efficiency.
I hope plenty of these still exist till hundreds of years later. They have so much "character" than what most windows look like these days and if we would just admit, it's nice to live on one with such no matter how inefficient, besides, led lights have already been invented. That thumbnail above, it looked like it was smiling at me while I was looking at it, sitting on a park bench.
Thank you for posting @englishtchrivy.
What a lovely story and photographs....oh yes...lets hope they will be restored rather than scrapped. Such a refreshment to the eye to see these older buildings and such.
Enjoyed reading about your interesting childhood life.
Here's hoping you are enjoying your weekend mon ami.
A bientot. xox
hi ya mon ami
nice to bump into you here
thanks, yeah, I hope they get restored
they sort of define life back here and then
I could put it as - Tenacity in style :)
perhaps I should have used it as my title for this post :)
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I love to image the people who lives their lives back to the old Grand windows. I agree with you, the old ones have more character of the new ones.
haha
it's good to know am not the only one curious about that :)
I love this old architecture, to think about who lived there, so much history behind those doors. Hopefully lots of little ones running up and down the stairs, playing hid and seek! Beautiful windows I think. Sounds like you had an exciting time living with your grandparents...roosters on the windowsill :) lovely post!
Here in my province we use what you call "efficient windows" large windows of glass distributed and celosia, we love natural light, as here heat predominates, these windows are very good, like your child at night you have a lot fear, here there are many legends and we are very superticiosos.
Undoubtedly, these old windows, no matter how many years go by, will continue to exist, we have seen that year after year they are imposed on architecture
excellent work as seimpre dear friend @englishtchrivy
I wish you a wonderful nights
Old type of houses are beautiful and their designs are also unique. :)
a house that has a high artistic value. minimalist building with beautiful windows that unite with the roof and beside the window there is a form of relif is amazing and beautiful .
indeed you have happy memories of the past.
that was spectacular to check out very different and unique shaped windows :)
Europe has such grand, old architecture. In the U.S. it is rare to have a building over 100 years old. They are torn down and new ones, more modern, are built.
In Holland I thought it was difficult to tear down old buildings and build a new one. Doesn't it need approval from the surrounding community?
I have no idea about how things are done here exactly
so am afraid I can't answer that but you must be right
I do hope they'd just keep restoring buildings here
just to make sure they don't suddenly crumble or anything like that
otherwise the place would no longer feel like Europe nor Holland
I think that's what makes Europe so magical and enchanting
aside from the overwhelming beautiful nature
the architectural heritages in each country
which shows life way back their great great 1000x ancestors :)
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Wowww, i always dreamed to have my own room on the roof with huge windows 😍😍😍. These windows look like in some old cool movie, just fantastic! Plastic windows can't be even be compared with this old piece of art!!