Architectural Design 1-8 – Topic 7: Space and Site Planning, Building

Conservation, and Indigenous Building Materials

Space Planning
1. It is an in-depth analysis of how physical space is used in stuctures. It helps ensure
the efficient use of floor plan without wasting it. It is a complex process with many
factors to consider.
2. Part 1: Data Collection
a. The design of a building or space will have numerous requirements from
the client or end user. It is important in the very early stages of design to carry
out in depth research and consider as many aspects of the use of the spaces as
possible.
3. Part 2: Building the Brief
a. When we look at how to create spaces and accommodate humans in those spaces,
we can consider some universal concepts relating to how people interact with their
environments.

b.
4. Part 3: Establishing Spaces and Spatial Relationships
a. Spatial Relationships
i. Space within a space
ii. Interlocking spaces
iii. Spaces linked with a common space
iv. Adjacent spaces
 v.
b. Space Organization
i. Centralized
ii. Linear
iii. Radial
iv. Clustered
v. Grid

vi.
c. Circulation Development
i. Examples include: efficiency, discreetness, and fluidity.
 ii.
5. Part 4: Developing the Solution
6. Part 5: Review & Revise
7. 5 Essential Categories for Space Planning
a. Human Scale & Dimension
i. Anthropometrics (study of human measurements)
ii. Ergonomics (study of human convenience)
b. Movement
i. Circulation (movement of people)
ii. Operational Flow (movement of operation such as delivery-receiving-
preparing-serving in a restaurant setting)
c. Interrelationship
i. Zoning & Adjacency of Spaces
ii. Organizational Blocks
d. Elements in Space
i. Furniture, Fixture, and Equipment (FFE)
ii. Building Utilities Consideration
e. Standards and Constraints
i. Codes & Laws
ii. Design Standards
Site Planning
1. Implications of the physical context to the building site
a. Accessibility
i. Access to the site (modes of transportation, ingress & egress)
ii. Road networks (sizes and location)
iii. Sidewalks, walkways, stairs, and ramps
iv. Traffic flow (vehicular and pedestrian)
b. Soil
i. All buildings depend on soil for support.
ii. Soil Bearing Capacity: Allowable Bearing Capacity is maximum pressure that
can be applied to the soil from the foundation to avoid shear failure below
foundation.)
c. Topography
i. Land forms and ground slope affect:
1. Building foundation type
2. Building form and its relationship to the ground plane
3. Site drainage
4. Micro-climate
d. Vegetation
i. The type and location of vegetation affects:
1. Micro-climate
2. Views
3. Sound travel
e. Sun
i. Affects building form and orientation, construction, and choice of building
material. The sun is also a source of solar radiation and heat gain & natural
lighting.
f. Wind
i. The prevalence, direction, and velocity of the wind affects:
1. Air infiltration to the building
2. Ventilation of interior spaces and outdoor courts
3. Stress load of a structure
4. Prevailing wind in the Philippines: Amihan (north east) and
Habagat (south west)
g. Precipitation
i. The prevalence of precipitation affects:
1. Roof form
2. Drainage systems
h. Temperature
i. Air temperature & thermal comfort are affected by climactic factors such
as sun, wind, and precipitation.
i. Views
i. It affects building form and orientation, building fenestration, and type of
vegetation used in landscaping.
j. Sound
i. The level, quality, and source of sound affects:
1. Distribution & orientation of the building mass
2. Choice of building materials and their construction
3. Type of sound control methods employed
Building Conservation, Restoration, and Adaptive Reuse
2. Conservation
a. The built environment is a physical expression of our collective cultural
heritage. Buildings and landscapes, and their resulting combined fabric, are
products of local and regional character, customs, products of human activity and
reflect sociological trends or spirit of a particular era.
b. Conservation is a process through which the material, historical, and design
integrity of mankind’s-built heritage are prolonged through carefully planned
interventions:
i. Retaining the building’s significant historical, social, aesthetic and
technological qualities ensuring that all actions are carried out with the least
possible intervention;
ii. Researching, recording/cataloguing and retaining all knowledge and
information related to the building’s context, history, manufacture, use,
acquisition, donors, etc. documenting the object in detail, which may
include photographing it, and
iii. Recording and retaining all information related to the treatment of the
building.
c. It is important to conserve because:
i. It links heritage to our living traditions
ii. It keeps architecture for that certain period of time
iii. It is a form of sustainable development
d. Conservation examples:
i. Religious Architecture (mosques, temples, churches)
ii. Monumental Architecture (forts and palaces)
iii. Non-monumental Architecture (houses, schools, factories, shops, etc.)
e. Methods of conservation:
i. Preservation
ii. Maintenance
iii. Restoration
iv. Reconstruction
v. Adaptation
f. Architectural preservation is the process of protecting and maintaining current
buildings to prevent further damage and deterioration.
g. Architectural restoration is the process of restoring buildings to its original
character. It must not destroy or diminish history, also known as reversible
restoration. It should also apply minimal intervention.
3. Adaptive Reuse/Revitalization/Rehabilitation
a. It is the process of taking an existing structure and updating or adapting it for a
new use or purpose.
b. Heritage preservation and adaptive reuse of historic warehouse provides new
offices and showrooms, with central café in large atrium (Change in Function or
use of new materials).
 c.
4. Reconstruction
a. It is the creation of a historically accurate copy of either a specific historic property
that no longer exists or an example of one from a chosen historical period. The
reconstruction may use traditional techniques and materials, but the materials will
be new, and therefore different from the actual materials that would be found in an
original structure.

Application of Indigenous Building Materials and Technologies

1. Indigenous is an adjective meaning "originating in and characteristic of a particular
region or country"
2. The indigenous materials commonly found in our country largely consist of a
variety of timbers, canes, grass, and palms. We have a large variety of soft and
hardwoods used in the construction and furniture industry, a few of the most popular we
know are narra, kamagong and mahogany. The ever-famous bamboo is used in both
industries as well as in many handicrafts, where abaca and rattan are also greatly used
and woven into wicker products. The coconut tree is also a favorite indigenous material
for its flexibility and overall usability from the root to the leaves.
3. Other indigenous materials in the country that are commonly known and used creatively
in crafts and decoration are capiz, pearls, corals, and seashells, being an archipelago
naturally abundant in beaches and marine resources. Even being in the Pacific Ring of Fire
has its effect on the availability of volcanic refuse as a resource. Lahar and other igneous
rocks are vastly being incorporated in construction.
4. Advantages of using Indigenous Building Materials
a. Renewable and abundant, coming from diverse natural sources and whose
production has low impact on the environment
b. Naturally nonpolluting, emitting no harmful vapors, particles or toxins into the
environment
c. Energy efficient, using low energy in production, transport, and use, and generally
coming from local regions
d. Produced and or harvested under good working conditions and fair means
e. Low waste and capable of being reused and recycled (Pearson)
5. Disadvantages of using Indigenous Building Materials
a. Advantages of using Indigenous Building Materials
b. Is vulnerable to weathering and deterioration due to moisture
c. Lower resistance to impact (compared to processed metals)
d. Craft skills are much slower in processing than engineering and technology
e. Those produced with craft skills in effect are more expensive than factory/machine
made alternatives that are lower in buying cost and are more advertised and readily
available.
6. Application in Building Construction
a. Bahay Kubo
i. The Sawali Design Cue
ii. Bamboo
1. This material has 80-90% of composition inside a bahay kubo
structure. Very versatile and used as strips, split, or timber varieties.
2. Technology has also allowed bamboo to be cured that makes it
susceptible to fire and termite infestation.
iii. Rice Hull Ash Cement (RHAC)
1. This material is a cost-effective alternative to concrete building
solutions that are made from rice hulls or husks.
iv. Coconut Lumber
1. The once low valued senile coconut palm trees have since been
promoted as a source of income for the lumber industry, with the
material a source of veneer and numerous building products.
v. Santol Wood
1. While the material is comparatively less dense than other wood
variants, it is one that is easy to work with and polish. This, of
course, is if the lumber was cured correctly. Probably the best
feature of high quality wood from santol trees is that it is highly
resistant to wood borers, or bukbok. This makes it ideal for use as
protective covering or skeletal framework.