CONCEPT PAPER

CE 429 – METHODS OF RESEARCH

SATURDAY: 7:30 – 11:30 AM
 A PROPOSED DESIGN OF 2 –STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
APPLYING PRINCIPLES OF GREEN TECHNOLOGY (RAINWATER
HARVESTING, EFFICIENT USE OF SUNLIGHT, EFFICIENT USE OF
AIRFLOW, INCORPORATING POLLUTION DECREASING PLANTS)
 WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS TOPIC?
THE BUILDING INDUSTRY IS A VITAL ELEMENT OF ANY ECONOMY
BUT HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. BY VIRTUE
OF ITS SIZE, CONSTRUCTION IS ONE OF THE LARGEST USERS OF
ENERGY, MATERIAL RESOURCES, AND WATER, AND IT IS A
FORMIDABLE POLLUTER. IN RESPONSE TO THESE IMPACTS, THERE IS
GROWING CONSENSUS AMONG ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE TARGETS THAT APPROPRIATE
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS ARE NEEDED TO MAKE BUILDING
ACTIVITIES MORE SUSTAINABLE. WITH RESPECT TO SUCH
SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE OF THE BUILDING INDUSTRY, THE
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING APPROACH HAS A HIGH POTENTIAL TO
 SUSTAINABILITY IS A BROAD AND COMPLEX CONCEPT, WHICH
HAS GROWN TO BE ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES IN THE BUILDING
INDUSTRY. THE IDEA OF SUSTAINABILITY INVOLVES ENHANCING THE
QUALITY OF LIFE, THUS ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LIVE IN A HEALTHY
ENVIRONMENT, WITH IMPROVED SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. A SUSTAINABLE PROJECT IS
DESIGNED, BUILT, RENOVATED, OPERATED OR REUSED IN AN
ECOLOGICAL AND RESOURCE EFFICIENT MANNER. IT SHOULD MEET
A NUMBER OF CERTAIN OBJECTIVES: RESOURCE AND ENERGY
EFFICIENCY; CO2 AND GHG EMISSIONS REDUCTION; POLLUTION
PREVENTION; MITIGATION OF NOISE; IMPROVED INDOOR AIR
QUALITY; HARMONIZATION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
 WHAT THEORIES SUPPORT YOUR RESEARCH
TOPIC?
• RESOURCE CONSERVATION THEORY - CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES IS THE ETHICAL
USE AND PROTECTION OF VALUABLE RESOURCES, SUCH AS TREES, MINERALS, WILDLIFE,
WATER AND OTHERS. IT FOCUSES ON MAINTAINING THE NATURAL WORLD IN ORDER TO
PROTECT THE SOURCES OF RESOURCES.
• RESOURCE EFFICIENCY THEORY - MEANS USING THE EARTH'S LIMITED RESOURCES IN A
SUSTAINABLE MANNER WHILE MINIMIZING IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT. IT ALLOWS
US TO CREATE MORE WITH LESS AND TO DELIVER GREATER VALUE WITH LESS INPUT.
• EFFICIENT ENERGY THEORY - SOMETIMES SIMPLY CALLED ENERGY EFFICIENCY, IS THE
GOAL TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PRODUCTS AND
SERVICES. FOR EXAMPLE, INSULATING A HOME ALLOWS A BUILDING TO USE LESS
HEATING AND COOLING ENERGY TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN A COMFORTABLE
TEMPERATURE.
 HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT THE STUDY?
• THIS STUDY WILL BE USING THE ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION OF SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING PRINCIPLES NECESSARY TO CONSTRUCT A DESIGN FOR A 2-STOREY
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, PREFERABLY A SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ALSO FOLLOWING
THE PROPER CODE REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY OF THE SAID DESIGN.

• FIRST OF THE PROCESS IS TO IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS PRESENT ON THE SITE,

WHERE THE BUILDING IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED, NECESSARY FOR THE EFFECTIVITY OF
THE SAID DESIGN. THEN, THE PLAN IS TO FOCUS ON THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
INCORPORATING THE DESIGN OF A “GREEN BUILDING” TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN. THEN, WITH THE USE OF THE NATIONAL STRUCTURAL CODE OF THE
PHILIPPINES REGARDING TWO – STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING AND THE
PHILIPPINE GREEN BUILDING CODE, ONE CAN CREATE STRUCTURAL DESIGN.
• THE STUDY WILL BE DONE BY ANALYZING THE EFFECTIVITY OF
THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT TO
CREATE AN EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
SPECIFICALLY ITS PLANS AND SECTIONS, AND INCORPORATING
TECHNOLOGY TO BE USED IN STORING OR HARVESTING SAID
ELEMENTS. DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECTIVITY OF THE DESIGN
ON EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE THEN CARRIED OUT
ALONG WITH THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY, WITH THE HELP OF THE
FACTORS AND CONSTANTS PRESENTED IN THE LATEST PROVISIONS
FROM NATIONAL STRUCTURAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES
REGARDING TWO-STOREY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS. USING A
COMPUTER SOFTWARE, A DESIGN WILL THEN BE GENERATED
PROVIDING THE EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY PRESENT IN A
“GREEN BUILDING”. A MODEL WILL THEN BE CREATED TO PRESENT
 DATA GATHERING PROCEDURES

• THE RESEARCHERS WILL OBTAIN THE NEEDED DESIGNS TO EFFICIENTLY MAKE

USE OF ELEMENTS SUCH AS RAINWATER, SUNLIGHT AND AIRFLOW WHICH WILL
BE INCORPORATED INTO THE BUILDING
• IDENTIFY THE ELEMENTS PRESENT AT THE SITE
• GATHER NEEDED DATA ON WHAT MATERIALS TO USE IN STORING OR
HARVESTING SAID ELEMENTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY
• ACQUIRE THE TYPES OF PLANTS TO INCORPORATE INTO THE BUILDING WHICH
ARE EFFECTIVE IN LESSENING AIR POLLUTANTS.
 WHAT MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT WILL BE
USED?

REVIT
REVIT IS THE ALL-IN-ONE SOFTWARE FOR 2D AND 3D PROJECTS THAT PRODUCES A TOTAL
PROJECT OUTPUT INCLUDING MODELING, RENDERING, AND 2D CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
INSTEAD OF LINES AND CIRCLES, YOU CAN USE ACTUAL WALLS, ROOFS, BEAMS, COLUMNS
AND OTHER BUILDING COMPONENTS AND ALSO REAL-WORLD CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
PHYSICAL BUILDING SUCH AS WINDOWS AND DOORS. IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH AUTOCAD, SO IT
IS PRETTY EASY TO INSERT A DWG FILE AND USE IT AS A TRACE REFERENCE TO START
SHAPING YOUR MODEL. ONE OF ITS BIGGEST ADVANTAGES IS THAT EVERY CHANGE YOU
MAKE TO THE MODEL IS UPDATED IN ALL VIEWS, INCLUDING PLANS AND ELEVATIONS. THIS
REDUCES COORDINATION AND DRAWING TIME SIGNIFICANTLY.
AUTOCAD
AUTOCAD IS THE OLD DOMINANT PLAYER IN THE ARCHITECTURE SOFTWARE
INDUSTRY. IT IS SO WELL KNOWN AMONG STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS THAT IT
IS UNLIKELY TO FACE ANY COMPATIBILITY ISSUES WHILE TRANSFERRING FILES
THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS. IT PRODUCES PURELY REPRESENTATIONAL
DRAWINGS AND USUALLY IS THE STEPPING STONE TO 3D MODELING SOFTWARE. IF
YOU ADJUST THE USER INTERFACE TO YOUR PREFERENCES AND START
EXPERIMENTING WITH LAYERS AND LINE WEIGHTS, YOU WILL GET A DECENT
DRAFT WITH STANDARD DRAWING CONVENTIONS AND MEASURABLE
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS.
 REVIT

AUTOCAD