Houses on stilts and tree houses are traditionally believed to be a practical solution in meeting design problems experienced in tropical residences. Today, these traditional design strategies are vanishing; thus the study aims to revive such strategy as a conceptual architectural form. The concept focuses on the natural supports used in tree houses. It is about the topology such natural entities possess. This topology is a geometric pattern of branched forms in which branches grow from other branches and create its totality as a tree. These natural structures have a certain development of form which helps them withstand environmental stresses such as physical, chemical and biotic stresses. In study, plant topology is considered as an architectural structure, wherein engineering analyses are conducted to extract structural information. Flows of forces inside and outside every structure are determined. Causes and forms of failure are identified for prediction of possible actual outcomes. In the end, the outcome is its structural integrity. The entire sequence is termed as biomimicry. It is about using natural entities as design bases for objects including structures that would benefit man. The main problems considered in the process are the structural integrity including the effects of scale to the strength of a structure ? the size effect. With this, architectural structures can be formed that they rise with supports based on plant topology.

Thesis (BS Architecture) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2012