Origin: A traditional house form of many ethnic groups in the northern highlands, Central Highlands and river regions.
The stilt house stands on posts with its floor raised above the ground, the space below used for storage or left open. Many ethnic groups in the northern highlands and Central Highlands have this form, each with its own shape. Its main benefits are escaping damp and flood, catching breeze and keeping out animals and insects.
In lowlands such as humid coastal regions, modern stilt houses are usually a timber or steel frame with a timber floor, used as retreats, garden houses and homestays. Post bases need careful damp and termite protection, timber or steel needs anti-rust or preservative treatment, and floors need waterproofing. On the coast allow for typhoons: solid footings for each post, diagonal bracing and a modest roof height to reduce uplift.
