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CIRCULATION ANALYSIS ON THE RESEARCHER’S HOME

DWELLING (MAGDAMIT RESIDENCE)

Theory of Architecture 1
1st Semester 2022-2023

Dante M. Llorente Jr.

BSAR- 1F

Contact No: 09093323987

E-mail: djml2022-6580-12776@bicol-u.edu.ph

Alwin S. Calig, MS Arch

Instructor I
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INTRODUCTION
Circulation is everywhere, almost everything visible to the human eye has a
concept of circulation behind it. From biology, human anatomy, space, forestry, and
many more. In architecture, however, circulation refers to the movement of people
through, around, and between buildings and other parts of the built environment
(HiSoUR, 2022). It plays an important role in our emotions towards the building, be it
comfort or security. A building is considered to have good circulation if the progress
from where we’ve been to where we are going is subconscious and predictable. In any
design process, spatial organization and circulation play a crucial part (yourownarchitect,
2019).
The Magdamit residence with house number 5408 is a two-story house located at
Rizal Street, Brgy.17, Legazpi City, Albay and was built in 1992 with the supervision of
a professional architect. It is an old residential house owned by the researcher’s
grandmother (Mrs. Celestina Magdamit) and it also serves as a boarding house for her
grandchildren. The building is mainly composed of concrete walls, casement door
windows, and a flat concrete roof.
In this study, the researcher focuses more on determining the implications of
circulation of the Magdamit residence and analyzing the spaces for movement. Reactions,
analysis, and reflections will be discussed along with illustrations provided by the
researcher.

OBJECTIVES
This study aims to do the following:
1. Discuss hidden dimenDescribe and identify the circulation of the Magdamit
residence.
2. Illustrate/ demonstrate the circulation of the Magdamit residence.
3. Discuss circulation as an under]\lying concept in planning and design.
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DISCUSSION

FLOOR PLAN AND CIRCULATION OF MAGDAMIT RESIDENCE

First Floor
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Second Floor
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Magdamit residence is a two-story house that has been standing for 30 years. It is
a home owned by the researcher’s grandmother and it also serves as a second home for
her grandchildren who are studying college and senior high school. Three generations of
grand children have already dwelled in this residence and most of them are now
successful and even have their own families. As for me, the latest generation of grandkids
who is currently taking a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and currently living in this
residence, chose to make a circulation analysis of this building since it is the building that
is most familiar to me at the moment. In this discussion, I am going to tackle more on
identifying the elements of circulation of the building and how it functions in the
movements of space. The circulation of space is broadly divided into two parts. Vertical
and horizontal movement. And with these parts, consist of five elements of circulation.
First is the approach, second is the entrance, third is the configuration of path, fourth is
the path-space relationships, and lastly is the form of circulation space.

Approach
First off is identifying the approach of the site.
Approach refers to the path you take to reach the
building. A building can be approached either
directly towards it (frontal), at an oblique angle,
or a spiral angle. Since the building is in front of a
side road, the building’s approach leans more
towards an oblique angle.
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Entrance

An entrance into a building or a room marks the transition from one space to
another. The entrance of the building used wall openings i.e. doors and a change in height
of the plane was also established to have the entrance transition into a different space.

Configuration Path

The configuration of the path of the building is mostly linear since most paths are
linear. However, some of the paths on the building are also segmented, curvilinear, and
even intersect or branch to other paths.
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Path-Space Relationships
Paths also inherently relate to the spaces they link to. They do so in three distinct ways:
they either pass by spaces, pass through spaces, or they terminate in a space.

Form of the Circulation Space

Circulation within a space does not happen in isolation. Rather, the space around
it can have an impact on how people move around. The form of the space, its scale, how
the boundaries are defined, how entrances open onto it, and changes in level, can all
influence circulation patterns. On the balcony of the house, you can observe a one-sided
open path to it. The path contains an open space on one side and a wall on the other side.
After analyzing the circulation and getting deeper into the circulation elements of the
Magdamit residence, the researcher concludes that:
The house is built with proper implementation of the elements of circulation and the
spaces are fully maximized to be able to house 10-14 people.
Circulation has wide variations; you have to choose one that best suits your client’s needs
and wants.
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REFLECTION
Architects see the world differently from other people. They tend to be observant
even in the small things or detail, take for example the circulation of a building.
However, circulation isn’t just something to be taken lightly. No matter what form of
circulation we include in our design, it all ultimately serves the same purpose. It needs to
be undetectable so that the user may enjoy the structure to its fullest. Circulation is the
unnoticed supporting element of a design that improves the structure without being
overbearing. Without good circulation, the design will be compromised in aspects of
ventilation and comfort and will even tend to cost more over time. And to do that, it must
be given top priority when a structure is being designed. Researching about circulation
and its complex elements and variation has taught me how important circulation is and
how it is an underlying concept of design that should be taken into full consideration.
This research synthesis has become a knowledgeable part of my architecture
journey and became even more interested in what other lessons lie ahead. Overall, the
subject theory of architecture is a vital part of architecture students to clear their course
and get their degree. It is the process of discussing, thinking, and writing about
architecture. It is the basis of architectural design, education, criticism, discourse, and
journalism. There are two ways to learn: the hard way is by trial and error while the
relatively easier way is to learn from others’ experiences. So, in that case, it is an
important subject to study. I want to learn more about the theory of architecture and its
various approaches to design. In that way, I can implement all my research into my work
and develop my style in designing a structure.
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REFERENCES
 yourownarchitect. (2019, January 8). Elements of Circulation in Architecture - Your
Own Architect. Your Own Architect. https://www.yourownarchitect.com/elements-
of-circulation-in-architecture/
 5 Types of Circulation In Architecture with Examples. (2021, September 21). WTN.
https://whereisthenorth.com/types-of-circulation-in-architecture-with-examples/
 5 Types of Circulation In Architecture with Examples. (2021, September 21). WTN.
https://whereisthenorth.com/types-of-circulation-in-architecture-with-examples/
 Landau, P. (2022, July 26). What Is a Site Analysis for Architecture Projects?
Checklist & Steps. ProjectManager. https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/site-
analysis-in-architecture
 Ching, F. D. K. (1995). Architecture Form, Space, and Order (Second Edition) Wiley.