1.

0 Brief History of Building Code

Antiquity

Building codes have a long history. What is generally accepted as the first building code was in the Code of Hammurabi
which specified:

• 228: If a builder build a house for a man and complete it, that man shall pay him two shekels of silver per sar
(approx. 12 sq. ft.) of house as his wage.
• 229. If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built
falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
• 230. If it kills the son of the owner, the son of that builder shall be put to death.
• 231. If it kills a slave of the owner, then he shall pay, slave for slave, to the owner of the house.
• 232. If it ruins goods, he shall make compensation for all that has been ruined, and in as much as he did not
construct properly this house which he built and it fell, he shall re-erect the house from his own means.
• 233. If a builder builds a house for someone, even though he has not yet completed it; if then the walls seem
toppling, the builder must make the walls solid from his own means.

The Law of Moses stipulated a specific construction requirement which is also an early form of a building code. The Bible
book of Deuteronomy, chapter 22 verse 8, states:

• "In case you build a new house, you must also make a parapet for your roof, that you may not place bloodguilt
upon your house because someone falling might fall from it."

Nineteenth-century building laws

The great changes in societies in Europe, the Industrial Revolution, the end of slavery in the United States, and
immigration to the United States brought about the enactment of a number of building laws during the nineteenth
century.

Baltimore passed its first building code in 1859. The Great Baltimore Fire occurred in February, 1904. Subsequent
changes were made that matched other cities. In 1904, a Handbook of the Baltimore City Building Laws was
published. It served as the building code for four years. Very soon, a formal building code was drafted and eventually
adopted in 1908.

France

In Paris, great blocks of apartments were erected under the Second Empire (1852–70). The height of buildings
were limited by law, so they were usually five or six stories at most.

United Kingdom

The most important statutes of this kind in the United Kingdom were the London Building Act of 1844 and the Public
Health Act of 1875. The Metropolitan Buildings Office was established in 1845.

United States

The major model building code used in the United States is developed by the International Code Council (ICC), the
International Building Code (IBC).

Philippines

The PD 1096, otherwise known as the 1977 National Building Code of the Republic of the Philippines signed into law by
Ferdinand Marcos on February 1977. And the latest Revision done in 2004-2005 to fully Harmonized with R.A. 9266 ( The
Architecture Act of 2004 )

Compiled by Arch. Jobel N. Bartolome, UAP 1

As a reference on Stipulation of Rule 7.0 and Rule 8.0
2.0 Importance of Building Code

Overall Purpose:

To protect public health and safety by setting a “minimum” standard of quality

To Control the Maximum Development potential

Codes are to be followed & maintained, but are to be used as “basic”
foundations for quality

Codes do not regulate building appearance, but do deal with issues of building
“performance”.

Codes do place limitations on design and aesthetics

Putting the built environment in order.

Protect the Natural and Built Environments

3.0 Index OF Acronyms

The development potential language and it is very important to be familiar with these acronyms to understand Rule 7.0
and Rule 8.0 at ease.

AMBF Allowable Maximum Building Footprint

AMVB Allowable Maximum Building Volume
ATO Air Transportation Office
BF Building Footprint
BHL Building Height Limit
BO Building Official
DC Development Control
DP Development Potential
FLAR Floor to Lot Area ratio
GFA Gross Floor Area
ICAO International Civil Aviation organization
ISA Imprevious Surface Area
LGU Local Government Unit
MACA Maximum Allowable Construction Area
OFB Outermost Face of Building
OLBP Outermost Limit of Building Projections
PLO Percentage of Lot Occupancy
PSO Percentage of Site Occupancy
RROW Road Right of Way
SARP’S Standard and Recommended Practices
TGFA Total Gross Floor Area
TLA Total Lot Area
TOSL Total Open Space within Lot
USA Unpaved Surface Area

Compiled by Arch. Jobel N. Bartolome, UAP 2

As a reference on Stipulation of Rule 7.0 and Rule 8.0
4.0 Why Rule 7.0 and RULE 8.0

Both Rules focuses on the following:

Carrying Capacity of the Lot

The optimized extent of physical development that may be introduced into the lot without causing undue damage,
effects or hardship on the end-users of the proposed development or on neighboring occupants, entities,
properties, lands, developments or the environment (whether man-made or natural) and with the proposed
building/structure capable of being supported by existing utility, transportation and service systems or by
proposed expansions/upgrading of such systems within the immediate future;

Development Control ( For Lots and Building/Structure)

A set of inter-acting regulations concerning the physical utilization of a lot and likewise governing the
planning/design of spaces and/or the use/occupancy of a building/structure to be introduced (or already existing)
on a lot; development controls help determine in detail the development potential and/or the carrying capacity of
all lots and/or of proposed developments on lots.

Development Potential of Lot

The maximum extent of physical development that may be introduced into the lot, i.e., the erection of the
proposed buildings/ structures, after full compliance with the applicable regulations that need to be satisfied,
specifically those found in the Code, i.e., the PNBC.

5.0 Provision of Rule 7.00

5.1 The architectural features under Rule VII of the 2005 Revised IRR?

1. Under Rule VII (Classification & Requirements of Buildings by Use and Occupancy), a schedule of
principal, accessory and conditional uses/ occupancies for buildings was prepared and matched with specific
zoning classifications see (Table VII.I);

2. Rule VII, Sec. 702: change in use is strictly prohibited unless approved by the BO

3. Rule VII, Sec. 703: mixed occupancy, forms of Occupancy Separation eg. One-hour Fire Resistive to Four-
Hour Fire Resistive

4. Rule VII, Sec. 704 : firewalls relative to foot-printing of buildings/ structures shall be strictly implemented;
for instance, firewalls are explicitly prohibited for low density residential uses (R-1); allowed lengths of
firewalls in relation to lot perimeter dimensions are prescribed for all other uses, specifically for residential
condominium uses (R-5);

5. Rule VII, Sec. 705: prescribes Allowable Maximum Total Gross Floor Areas (TGFAs), which is the product
of the Building Height Limit (BHL), i.e., defined in both number of storeys and height in meters, and the
Allowable Maximum Building Footprint (AMBF) for each type of building use/ occupancy(Table VII.1.);

6. Rule VII, Sec. 707 : prescribes Allowable Maximum Building height (BHL) see Table VII.2., establishing
grade to determine the Height of the structure, other consideration in height determination including those
RROW-based limitations, allowable conditions(buildable) within the approach-departure zones thru the interaction
with the standard and recommended Practices ( SARP’S) of the international Civil Aviation organization (ICAO),
Civil air regulation of the Air Transportation Office (ATO);

7. Rule VII, Sec. 707, Subsection 4 : prescribes more detailed parking requirements for each type of
building use/ occupancy ( Table VII.4.) ; parking must be integral parts of building projects and all parking
located outside shall be considered buffer parking: prescribed a minimum of 50 meters from any intersection of
the desired vehicular ingress/egress of a building specially those traffic generating eg. Shopping malls or similar
facilities ;

8. Rule VII, Sec. 708, Subsection 4 : prescribes the minimum requirements for a Group A ( Residential
Dwellings) as detailed from subsection 1 to 11 eg. Light and Ventilation, sanitation, foundation, post and so
forth.

Compiled by Arch. Jobel N. Bartolome, UAP 3

As a reference on Stipulation of Rule 7.0 and Rule 8.0
5.2 The architectural features of the Guidelines under Rule VII of the 2005 Revised IRR?

1. Under Rule VII Guidelines, building bulk limitations are suggested through the interaction of Floor-Lot
Area Ratios (FLAR), the Allowable Maximum Building Foot-print (AMBF) (Table VII.G.1.), the width of the road
right-of-way (RROW) and all other applicable provisions for natural light and ventilation;

2. Under Rule VII Guidelines, examples are shown as to the manner of sizing buildings or establishing the
development potentials of a lot/ property with the proper interactive application of the foregoing
development controls :; and

3. Under Rule VII Guidelines, the following are also included:

a) floor to lot area (FLAR) designations for all major building occupancies see Table VII.G.1. ;

b) factors are also suggested to convert Gross Floor Areas (GFA) to Total Gross Floor Area (TGFA) see
Table VII.G.2.;

c) determination of the outermost face of building (OFB) and outermost limit of building projection
(OLBP) using angles drawn from the centerline of the road right-of-way (RROW) see Table VII.G.3.;

d) establishing the OFB through the interactive use of the allowed maximum building footprint (AMBF),
the building height limit (BHL), the allowable maximum volume of building (AMVB) and the angular
plane along the RROW; and

e) Rule VII, Section 709, subsection C buildings and accessory structures within cemeteries &
memorial parks.

6.0 Provisions of Rule 8.00

6.1The architectural features under Rule VIII of the 2005 Revised IRR?

1. Rule VIII (Light and Ventilation), Section 801: strictly prohibits the alteration of the structure that will
result to inadequate Light and Ventilation

2. Rule VIII (Light and Ventilation), Section 803 : maximum Percentage of Site Occupancy (PSO) is
discussed at length; the identifiable Total Open Space within a Lot (TOSL) are sub-classified and limits prescribed
for all building uses and occupancies, e.g., the Maximum Allowable Impervious Surface Area (ISA) or hardscaped
Area , the Minimum Unpaved Surface Area (USA)or Softscaped see Table VIII.1.;

3. Rule VIII , Section 803, Subsection 4 : prescribes the abutments for R1 to R5 and C3 similar to that
prescribed in Rule VII, Section 4, Subsection 4, item c, exhibits the lot types from Figure VIII.1. to VIII.11.

4. Rule VIII, Section 804 :

4.a) prescribes a minimum front setback of only 4.50 meters for a low-density residential (R-1)
structure(Table VIII.2.) on a minimum lot size of 301 sq.m.(14.0 m frontage x 21.5 m depth)see
Table VIII.G.7;

4.b) prescribes a minimum front setback of 8.00 meters at the ground floor level only for
medium and high density residential (R-2 and R-3) buildings/ structures that are more than 3
storeys/ 9.0 m in height; and

4.c) prescribes front setbacks of from 5.0 to 8.0 meters for all types of commercial, industrial,
institutional and recreational developments plus incremental side and rear setbacks for such buildings/
structures using RROW Width ( Table VIII.3).

5. Rule VIII, Section 805 : prescribed the ceiling height for habitable room of a minimum 2.40, a 2.70 for the
first storey and a 2.40 for the succeeding stories, and a minimum of 2.70 rooms with natural ventilation, and a
1.80 m. minimum height for mezzanine floors.;

6. Rule VIII, Section 806 : prescribed the minimum size of the rooms.

7. Rule VIII, Section 807 : prescribed the air space requirements in determining the room size .

8. Rule VIII, Section 808: prescribed the window opening equal to atleast 10% of the floor area, prohibits
opening on abutments (such as firewalls) erected along property line.

9. Rule VIII. Sections 809,810 and 811: provisions on Vent shafts, skylights and artificial ventilation

Compiled by Arch. Jobel N. Bartolome, UAP 4

As a reference on Stipulation of Rule 7.0 and Rule 8.0
 6.2 The architectural features of the Guidelines under Rule VIII of the 2005 Revised IRR?

Under Rule VIII Guidelines, the following are included:

a) suggested treatments for easements/ waterside rights-of-way (ROW), e.g., esplanades and
promenades and stipulations on structures allowed/ disallowed along or within designated easement
areas ( pages 147-150 of 255 );

b) view corridors/ sight lines along road rights-of-way (RROWs) (pages 150-151 of 255);

c) suggested median and lane widths within RROWs ( page 153 of 255 );

d) suggested minimum RROW provisions for developments with multiple dwelling units
( pages 154-155 of 255 );

e) access to interior lots ( page 153);

f) suggested development components within RROWs at all its levels ( pages 152-157 of 255 );

g) use, treatment and development of arcades, sidewalks, curbs and driveways

( pages 160-165 of 255 );

h) incremental front setbacks for tall structures using RROW widths;

i) detailed open space requirements for all building types/ occupancies Table VIII.G.6.
page 166 of 255;

j) basement (describe on Figure VIII.G.3.) configurations for tall buildings

( pages 170-171 of 255 ); and

k) design of public buildings and structures ( page 172 of 255 ).

Compiled by Arch. Jobel N. Bartolome, UAP 5

As a reference on Stipulation of Rule 7.0 and Rule 8.0