How a Century Old Church in Lazi Inspires Hive Modular’s Sustainable Home Design
During a trip around Siquijor, Hive Modular found inspiration in the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church and Convent in Lazi, a 19th century coral stone and hardwood structure that has stood the test of time. Its use of local materials, natural ventilation, and thoughtful craftsmanship reflects the same principles Hive Modular applies to modern prefab and modular housing in the Philippines. It shows that good design works with nature, celebrates local context, and endures for generations.
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Lazi, Siquijor, Philippines, November 03, 2025 – Three weeks ago, I spent a day motorcycling around Siquijor and stopped at one of the island’s most beautiful surprises: the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church and Convent in Lazi.
Built in the late 1800s by Filipino craftsmen, the complex is a masterpiece of coral stone, hardwood, and tropical light. It’s a fusion of European form and local ingenuity; a timeless reminder that design rooted in context can inspire today’s modern housing and sustainable housing approaches across the country. The stained glass panels, patterned floors, and ventilated corridors all reveal an architecture deeply attuned to climate, craft, and context, which we can continue to apply as we develop modular homes in the Philippines and explore innovative modular housing design concepts.
What struck me the most were the wooden floors, laid in chevron and herringbone patterns, still solid after more than a century. These local timbers have outlasted generations of builders who’ve since grown wary of using wood, fearing rot or termites. Yet here they are: warm, resilient, and alive. Proof that when material, design, and environment are in harmony, architecture endures whether in coral stone churches or contemporary modular build and prefab construction projects.
These spaces remind me that good design isn’t about resisting nature; it’s about working with it. At Hive Modular, we’re drawing inspiration from places like this as we explore new façade and interior treatments that celebrate honest materials, natural ventilation, filtered light, and a deep sense of place. This thinking shapes every aspect of our modular home design, from modular construction methods to prefabricated construction systems that bring craftsmanship and sustainability together.
Sometimes the best design lessons are centuries old, and they continue to guide how we build the next generation of modular homes in the tropics.
Let’s keep building. 🐝
Written by John Avrett.
CEO and Founder of Hive Modular.