I.

INTRODUCTION Abstract Architecture at its utmost always strives to help and improve the life of not only its users, but also those outside its immediate periphery; that is to say, everything and everyone outside the architecture itself, from the most diminutive to those that are even larger than life. There is a continual need, demand for architecture to stand for a certain function, certain use, represent a certain symbol, carry a specific meaning, and these exigencies will never cease so long as man has a need that must be satisfied. One of mans needs that has long since been a basic is transportation, obtaining its humble beginnings from massive rough-cut stone wheels often depicted in literatures, growing smaller and smaller as time passes and using different materials that lend themselves more into travel, until they evolve into the precision machines we see today. Means of transport is in a league on its own simply because they make getting from point A to point B easier, faster, more convenient, which are the requirements of the fast-paced world of today. Importance is therefore placed on having these means of transportation available for oneself. Owning transportation vehicles has always been considered a luxury that not everyone can afford, and not simply because of monetary issues. Some people, for their reasons, choose to travel minus their own channel in other words, they prefer public transportation. Public transportation comes in many forms. One of these is perhaps the more famous out of all the public means of transport: the bus. Buses are largely favoured due to its seating capacity and it is less expensive than most. It is the favourite among workers (blue-collared), students whose school is far from their homes, and those who would like to go to the city or go home to their province. It is therefore essential that there exists an efficient and effective system for buses, such that commuters will have a better traveling experience. This is answered through bus terminals

Background Study of a Bus Terminal

According to Wikipedia, a bus terminal is a designated place where a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route. The terminal is the designated place that a timetable is timed from. Terminals can both start and stop at the same place, or may be in different locations for starting and finishing a route. It can be a onestop terminal, where a bus starts and finish in the same orientation. Towns or cities with a one-way traffic system prefer it. It can also be a two-stop terminal, where routes start and finish at different stops. As was established, architecture helps improve users lives, but there exists a mutual reinforcement between architecture and culture, in such a way that while architecture improves ones lifestyle, one can also affect the architecture that will be designed for him. Thus, this study aims to delineate the mutual reinforcement between a bus terminal and its users, showing the relationship on how bus station design can better both work and travel, and how user background (? Pwede ba gamitin tong term na to?) and behaviour changes said design. Considerations With any design problem, it is important to know the considerations and requirements needed to properly plan a designed environment. The following are some considerations that will serve as guidelines for the design of a bus terminal. Architectural o Circulation and Flow of Buses There must be an efficient and effective system of flow for the buses so that problems regarding turning, parking, layovers, etc. can be avoided. Circulation and Flow of Passengers Aside from the buses, the bus terminal must be designed to have proper circulation regarding passengers: where to proceed after purchasing a ticket, where to stay in case of later boarding time, how the passengers can board buses without congestion in case of peak seasons like Christmas holiday, etc. (err-cant seem to get my point across. But the thought it there, da? :D of course, you are welcome to change it, Moeses-chan. ^^-) Lighting and Ventilation Lighting and ventilation play vital roles in bus terminal design. Natural lighting enhances the visibility that is necessary in bus terminals, and it can also

heighten the aesthetics of the building with some features involving it. Natural ventilation (is a no-brainer. Kidding!) not only provides air circulation in case artificial ventilation runs out of order, but its utilization promotes energy saving as it means less consumption of electricity, which in turn means less emission of gases that threatens the ozone layer. o Green and Sustainable System The employment of green and sustainable systems is crucial against the growing problems of the ecosystems balance, particularly about climate change and global warming. Site Orientation, size, and location determine other factors such as lighting and ventilation (location of North and wind direction), circulation and flow within the site and outside it (sitemain road and traffic relations), etc. Aesthetics A bus terminal need not be a cold, solemn, unwelcoming place. It can be a structure where people can relax and enjoy themselves while waiting for their bus to arrive. Forms, texture, colour, and use of materials can be used to create a relaxing environment for the people as well as points of interests.

Operational Requirements According to Wikipedia, they are the following: While it may be of prime importance to the passenger, the location of a terminus may be made for reasons other than convenience of passengers. o Competitive interests In rare cases, where the bus operator is commercially separate from the bus station owner, the bus company may choose to terminate services outside the station, so as not to incur usage fees. Additionally, counter to the idea of integration, competing bus operators may use different locations as intermediate termini, to discourage passengers use of competitors services. o Turning

A factor in the location of a terminus is how to turn the bus around to start the route in the other direction, which may be difficult in areas where road space is an issue, or the road layout prevents U-turns. This does not apply for true circle routes, where buses simply operate permanently in the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. Termini in bus stations will often include reversing/run-around space, negating the turning issue. o Layover Another consideration about the location of a terminus can be the need to layover, before resuming in service. In busy locations, such as main streets or bus stations, allowing the bus the space to layover may not be appropriate, and the bus may have to run out of service to a quieter layover point, before returning to the terminus to start the route again. To allow layover at a terminus, many routes run through busy centres terminating either side in quiet termini, where a bus can layover without causing an obstruction. In the one stop case, this can cause problems for passengers when an apparently in service bus parks on a bus stop with the doors closed, waiting until the timetabled departure time, or when an arriving bus is not forming a departing service. This can be mitigated by using a bus stand. In the two stop type, the arrival stop can be used as the layover point. Layover time is time built into a schedule between arrival at the end of a route and the departure for the return trip, used for the recovery of delays and preparation for the return trip. o Driver change Terminus location may be positioned to allow driver changes, although this may be less of a factor than the location of the bus garage. Centrally located termini may be more convenient for driver changes. Some operators operate pool cars to allow drivers to drive to and wait at a quiet terminus, swapping the car with the bus when it arrives.