TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-MANILA

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND FINE ARTS

RESEARCH PAPER: PROJECT TONDOMINIUM AS A

COMMUNITY ARCHITECTURE
DEVELOPMENT

In partial fulfillment of requirements

in ARPL2-M

Submitted by:
Vienci Haya T. Alba
BSA-4C

Submitted to:
Ar. Vernie Christy B. Popes-Bisda
INTRODUCTION

Urban development envelopes many themes. May it be functional, or community centered,

urban design is still directed toward the accomplishment of a variety of needs and

objectives for all demographics in a community. This practice requires designers and

officials to be aware and well-versed about how the physical environment affects its users.

Of course, the practice of architecture has contributed greatly to the vast subject of urban

community development.

For a project to be considered a Community Architecture Development, it must follow a

certain criterion. In this research paper, the said criteria shall be discussed and compared

with the design process of Tondominium 1 and 2 in Tondo, Metro Manila, and whether it

is considered a Community Architecture Development.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

Tondominium is one of former Manila Mayor Isko Domagoso Moreno’s vertical housing

projects that have given indigent and low-income families a home in Manila. Along

Tondominium 1 and 2 came Basecommunity, Binondominum, San Lazaro Residences,

Pedro Gil Residences, and San Sebastian Residences (De Leon, 2021).

In this paper, the focus will be given to Tondominium and how it is considered a

Community Architecture Development.

Project Tondominium was officially finished by the end of the year 2021. It is located

specifically on 7D Herbosa St. Cor Quezon St., 112-Zone 9, Tondo, Manila, 1013 Metro

Manila. The project erected two buildings with their own set of amenities, and 168 living

units each. According to an article by De Leon (2021), the two (each 15-storey) residential

buildings have a combined total of 336 two-bedroom apartment units, each with a size of

44 square meters. The building has a floor area of 696 square meters per level and has a

total floor area of 10,914 square meters (Moaje, 2022).

Tondominium (along with Domagoso’s housing projects) were financed by the

government. (Featuresdesk, 2021) Both buildings are located at Vitas, Manila’s most

densely populated slum areas. The prioritization of the locals and indigent low-incomes of

the immediate community was observed in deciding the occupation of each unit in

Tondominium 1 and Tondominium 2.

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CRITERIA DISCUSSION AND PROJECT COMPARISON

I. REPURPOSING AND REDEVELOPMENT

Tondominium is erected at the site that the Vitas Slaughterhouse used as a dumping

ground for unwanted animal entrails and parts (Manila Bulletin, 2020). What used to

be a health and bio-hazardous place is turned into a most needed residential area that

guarantees the improved quality of life of low-income families in the locality of Tondo.

Fig. 1-a. Vitas slaughterhouse dumping grounds cleaned.

Fig. 1-b. Parking space of Vitas Slaughterhouse vacated for the project.
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II. USER-CENTERED DESIGN

The government of Manila had seen the needs of the locality of Tondo, a place where

squatting was a prevalent practice. The community of Tondo consisted of low-income

families who all but had the streets as the childrens’ place of play, no proper livelihood

or leisure centers, or access to proper hygiene spaces.

“Yes, I know exactly how it is to be booted out of your makeshift home for failure to

pay rent or because the ground where your home sits is being taken back by

government or its owner. I even know how difficult it is to live without a toilet.”

-Former Mayor Isko Moreno-Domagoso, 2020

In the Tondominium Project, each unit is bigger than the average condo unit and is

compete with a living area, a kitchen, a dining area, 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom—

addressing all basic dwelling needs.

Fig. 2-a. Model unit in Tondominium I featuring living spaces and furniture.
Photo from tvs5.com, 2022
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 Figure 2-b. Interior of model unit bedroom.
Photo from @IskoMoreno’s tweet, April 24, 2022.

Figure 2-c. Interior of model unit bathroom.

Photo from @IskoMoreno’s tweet, April 24, 2022.

Figure 2-d. Completion of Tondominium 2.

Photo from @IskoMoreno’s tweet.
III. ENCOURAGES SOCIALIZATION AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

The residents’ leisure, livelihood, and communal involvement were also taken into

consideration during the planning. Architect Dennis Lacuna worked hand in hand with

Mayor Isko and designed the project (Cayabyab, 2022). They included a daycare for

the children of the community, and a livelihood center to make vocational training

available to residents.

The amenities also include communal spaces like the playground, park, laundry areas,

and garden (Cellona, 2022) to encourage socialization and an active lifestyle.

Figure 3-a. Playground on the grounds of Tondominium 1. Photo from tv5s.com.

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CONCLUSION

Tondominium is considered a community architecture development in the Philippine scale because

it focuses on addressing the needs of the community; providing the availability of dwelling places

for the poor, a start and a place for aspiring business people (livelihood training), and cultivates a

culture of communal involvement with each resident.

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REFERENCES:

Cellona, J. (2022, February 7). LOOK: Isko inaugurates Tondominium housing project. Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/slideshow/02/07/22/look-isko-
moreno-inaugurates-tondominium-housing-project
Moaje, M. (2022, February 7). 168 low-income Manila families transfer to ‘Tondominium’. Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1167240
Az Editor. (2022, April 24). Mayor Isco, ipakita ang resibo; Tondominium One ay pinasinayaan. Pinoy
Trending | TV5S News Broadcast. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://tv5s.com/pinoy-news-
trending/04-2022/16559
Cayabyab, M. J. (2022, March 27). Manila opens second ‘Tondominium’ tower. Philstar.com. Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/03/28/2170293/manila-opens-second-
tondominium-tower
De Leon, D. (2021, September 23). LIST: The many housing projects in Isko Moreno’s Manila.
RAPPLER. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/list-housing-
projects-manila-isko-moreno/
A First Look At The “Tondominium” Project Of Manila City. (2021, July 1). Politico.ph. Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from https://politico.ph/a-first-look-at-the-tondominium-project-of-manila-city/
MANILA | Tondominium Housing Project [2T|15F|gov]. (2022, February 17). SkyscraperCity Forum.
Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/manila-tondominium-housing-
project-2t-15f-gov.2274888/
‘Tondominium’ and quarantine facility goals met. (2020, June 6). Manila Bulletin. Retrieved October 12,
2022, from https://mb.com.ph/2020/06/07/tondominium-and-quarantine-facility-goals-met/

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