CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS

AND DEVELOPMENT
“ADAPTIVE REUSE OF ARCHITECTURAL
HERITAGE”
Padre burgos house
This ancestral house was built in 1788 by Juan Gonzales, a Spaniard from
Asturias, Spain, this masonry and timber structure is known to have been later passed
on to Florencia Garcia, the mother of Padre Jose Apolonio Burgos, who was born in
Ilocos Sur in 1837. It is believed that Padre Burgos and his two sisters spent their
childhood in this house.

In the later years, the house was sold to Doña Mena Crisologo and was used as
the Post Office, the Ilocos Sur headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary until 1932
and as a branch of the Philippine National Bank from 1946 to 1965.  The Crisologo
heirs eventually sold the house to Insular Life Assurance Company, Ltd., through
Don Enrique Zobel de Ayala.  It was renovated by the Filipinas Foundation, Inc. and
inaugurated on May 3, 1975.  Established as the Ilocos Sur Museum, it was turned
over in 1986 to the Ilocos Historical and Cultural Foundation, Inc.  Eventually, in
1989 the foundation turned over the administration to the National Museum.

The Padre Burgos house stands as a prime example of the Filipino bahay-na-
bato and is one of the two-hundred and thirty-three historic buildings in the city. The
historic city of Vigan was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December
2, 1999.
 It is located near the Provincial Capitol and close to St. Paul’s Metropolitan
Cathedral. The Padre Burgos Museum was first established as Ayala Museum-Vigan
by the Filipinas Foundation of the Ayala Corporation in May 3, 1975. The museum
and its collection, among which including the 14 paintings of the Basi Revolt by
Esteban Villanueva.

The Burgos Museum also holds old furniture and other home furnishings
representing an old lifestyle that were acquired by the Filipinas Foundation from
around the Ilocos in the 1970s.

The Padre Burgos house is noteworthy for being a representation of a Spanish

era colonial mansion, despite its adaptive re-use into a museum, details of layers of
history are demonstrated in the house. It is configured on a North to South axis and
is built of brick and wood, with a steeply pitched roof, elements that are
homogenous to the rest of the preserved colonial buildings in the historic town of
Vigan.

The main   house, rectangular on plan, is roofed with the distinctive cuatro
aguas with braced demi-awnings that serve as secondary protection of the windows
from rain and sun.  Sliding windows of capiz and wood protect the generous
windows, evenly distributed around the house.  The openings above the window
transom are secured   with diamond-shaped wood slats.  The ventanillas below the
windows are protected with wood barandillas of straightforward design.
 The type of the structure of the Padre Jose Burgos house is the earliest form of the balay a bato in the city of Vigan.  This
balay a bato is symmetrical with fine proportions but much smaller and lower in height than those built at a later time. 

The ground floor of the house includes a porte cochere (which doubles as the entrance to the museum), leading into a
full-featured ancillary space comprised of a zaguan (access to the courtyard) and bodega (the storeroom). These areas’
dimensions and materials have been sustained through careful preservation and serve as important architectural examples
in and of themselves in addition to housing several artefacts of Spanish colonial Vigan and Ilocano patrimony.

The upper floor of the house, accessed by the full-hardwood stairs or the escalera, is a scene of the layers of colonial
periods through time. Nothing of the Burgos' family's furnishings and fixtures remained but ironwork chandeliers,
hardwood furniture, and four-poster bed frames are displayed in rooms to recreate periods in which the house might have
witnessed. Capis shells are also prominently utilized throughout the fenestrations of the upper floor. The living quarters
include three cuartos (bedrooms), the caida (receiving room), sala (living room), cocina and comedor (kitchen and
dining room) and the grand azotea (terrace) that overlooks the courtyard.

Aside from the main house there is a smaller structure used for cooking, pantry and other household chores.  These two
structures are connected by a lovely azotea protected by railings with the original clay barandillas.  Stairs from the azotea
lead down to the backyard garden with the ubiquitous balon.  The service house has a steeper dos aguas roof that still has
the original clay roof tiles.  The contrived roof designs create a seldom-appreciated interesting ensemble of rooflines.
Project background
One of the great challenges of progressing cities in the Philippines is the need to preserve and conserve its heritage. Vigan City is one
of the known cities that possesses a rich culture and historical landmarks that serves as a potent symbol of National Identity. It is unique
among Philippine towns and cities because it is the country’s most extensive and only surviving historic town that dates from the 18 th
century Spanish colonial era. The traditional houses of Vigan reflected the glorious past and rich culture and traditions of the locals. With
the emergence of commercial buildings and growth of population in the City, the maintenance and conservation of Heritage is more likely
needed.

Altering existing buildings for a new function is not a new phenomenon. Working with the existing buildings, repairing and restoring
them for continued use has become a creative and fascinating challenge within the architectural discipline. The process of wholeheartedly
altering a building is often called “ Adaptive Re-use”. It is known that adaptive re-use helps extend the life of Historical buildings and
prevents them from becoming forsaken and derelict. Rather than destroying built heritages due to urban decay, adaptive re-use can be
employed. Such cultural heritage utilization can soon translate to significant economic activities that will sustain the Vigan’s conservation
initiatives, sustaining development in the process as well.

The Padre Burgos House is currently a museum located at the Burgos Street, fronting Plaza Martinez. It is adjacent to the preserved
Old Provincial Jail of Ilocos Sur (acquired and upgraded in, and together the two comprise the National Museum of the Philippines Ilocos
Complex. The Burgos House is one of the historical landmarks in Vigan, a city declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The museum
displays Father Burgos memorabilia and photographs, family antiques and jewelry, Father Burgos' quarters and a mini library containing
his student Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, as well as material artifacts of the Ilocano and Kankana-ey.  These include wooden plates and
bowls, burial coffins and chairs, musical instruments, weaponry, weaving implements, textiles, jars, and trade ceramics. However, the
museum remain closed since 2019 because of the pandemic.
 In view of the fact that rich history of Burgos House and its importance to people with the passion and interest in
photography, it is about time to take care of it as one of country’s last surviving heritage sites and to protect it from continuous
deterioration and threats of modernization. This can be done through a redevelopment concept for reviving Burgos House, by
harmonizing the new and the old faces of Vigan City.

The proposed redevelopment project is adaptively re-using the Burgos Ancestral house to a restaurant with small coffee shop
as a strategy towards tourism and heritage preservation. This project will greatly help them in looking into considerations the
possible impacts of Adaptively reusing heritage building to the community. This project will show how adaptive reuse cannot only
preserve an architecture’s historic roots but also attract new activities and more tourists within the area.

While the historic character is measured backward, sustainable development anticipates the future. This is an important
consideration, particularly how buildings respond to resources and possible environmental impact – such linkage is further
strengthened in one of the three pillars of sustainable development, which promises to protect and enhance the environment.
Heritage then follows the same course, as historic buildings under architectural preservation promote protective measures against
natural and man-made hazards.

Part of creating sustainable communities and sites, including the buildings, is to design and plan them such that people will
use them regularly. As argued by French architect Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, “the best way to preserve a building is to find
a use for it, and then to satisfy so well the needs dictated by that use that there will never be any further need to make any further
changes in the building” (Plevoets and Van Cleempoel, 2012). By making the environment comfortable and livable for people, it
would be easier to maintain and preserve them for the present and future generations.
 PROJECT OBJECTIVES DESIGN OBJECTIVES
• TO DESIGN AND RESTORE AN ANCESTRAL HOUSE USING
• TO PRESERVE AN ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE FOR VIABLE ADAPTIVE REUSE BY TRANSFORMING IT TO A RESTAURANT
NEW USES AND MODERN FUNCTION. WITH COFFEE SHOP WHILE KEEPING THE EXISTING STATE
OF HERITAGE FROM DESTRUCTION OR CHANGE.

• TO ENSURE ITS CONTINUED DURABILITY OR STRUCTURAL

INTEGRITY OF ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH • TO DESIGN A RESTAURANT WITH COFFEE SHOP FROM AN
PHYSICAL ADDITION OR APPLICATION OF SUPPORTIVE OLD ANCESTRAL HOUSE USING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
MATERIALS TO THE ACTUAL FABRIC OF THE CULTURAL TO PROLONG THE LIFE OF NEWLY REPURPOSE HOUSE.
PROPERTY.
design concept
Spanish Colonial Style is an architectural style dominated by the Spanish influences during their colonization in our
country. One of the characteristics of these homes are often L-shaped, with a central or side courtyard like the Burgos Ancestral
House. By the time the United States colonized the Philippines under the Spaniards, the Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture
arrived in our country. American architects further developed this style in the Philippines. As the name implies, this style
emulates architectural traditions of the Spanish Empire.

For the concept of the Proposed Restaurant with Coffee shop, the design will be inspired from the Spanish Colonial Revival
Architecture. With this concept, it will give another way for people to connect to our national heritage. The architectural
guidelines of this concept also applies to a historically significant sites contains a structure of Spanish Colonial architecture. The
best example of the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture is the famed Manila Hotel built in 1912. Other examples exist
throughout the country such as Gota de Leche, Paco Market, and thousands more especially in the churches and cathedrals
throughout the country.

This concept will also help maintain the authenticity of the Ancestral house because the original exterior and interior design
will mostly be retained. Since the Burgos house is a Spanish Colonial mansion, the concept of Spanish Colonial Revival will
match the original design of the house. This concept includes a wide range of elements influenced by Spanish colonial
Architecture during the Spanish colonization. Also, despite its adaptive re-use into a Restaurant, the details of history will still be
demonstrated. The original building materials such as bricks and wood were also be considered in designing the interior of
Restaurant.
 Moreover, this concept borrows the entire history of Spanish Architecture including Byzantine, Renaissance, Moorish and
Gothic influences. The style is characterized by stucco walls, tile roof, multi pane windows and balconies. This process was not
simply about using “history” and “heritage.” Rather, to encourage the present use of red-tile roofing and cement stucco to
establish new aesthetic norms and conventions for the vernacular landscape.

Ancestral houses in Vigan City boast grand architectural artifacts reflecting historical and social narratives of the Filipino
people. Conserving the Burgos Ancestral house is one step towards realizing a strong foundation for Filipino nation-building:
rooted on the glorious past of the people, stories of the people, and narratives for the people. Preserving heritage structures in the
country can also be equated to formally laying the steppingstone towards strengthening Filipino consciousness through historical
and social aspects.
Review of related literature
Adaptive re‐use enables a building to suit new conditions. It is a process that reaps the benefit of the
embodied energy and quality of the original building in a sustainable manner. Initiatives to improve the
sustainability of buildings have tended to focus on new construction projects rather than existing ones. One reason
is the tendency to regard old buildings as products with a limited useful life that have to be eventually discarded
and demolished. Much of the existing building stock will still be in use for another 100 years. Thus, there is a need
to develop policy and strategies that encourage adaptive re ‐use and the ongoing sustainability of building stock
(Peter Bullen; Peter Love, 2011).

Additionally, a very simple definition would identify the built heritage as the buildings and monuments
inherited from the past, with a cultural or historical dimension justifying their preservation for future generations,
but also modern monuments whose symbolic or cultural value is high: houses or buildings designed by a kind of
international elite of architects. Even in this sense, heritage includes a large range of goods, whose definition
changes over time and space and depends on the variety of dimensions (symbolic, cultural, national identity-
oriented, social and suchlike) included in the concept (Chastel, 1986).
 
 According to (Molotch, Harvey,1997), heritage includes different forms of cultural capital ‘which embodies
the community’s value of its social, historical, or cultural dimension’ (Throsby,1997, p.15).Historic preservation is
a wonderful site for locating the politics of history, the social organization of taste, and the mode of urban
development. In the case of old things, decay sets up an urgency to valorise or let it go and hence what can often be
spirited debate and a good occasion for research.
Appreciated as the perfect remedy to our throw-away culture (Cantell, 2005), the adaptive reuse of buildings
offers an environmentally and economically sustainable solution aimed at dealing with disused and old architecture.
The creation of something functional and new by simply amending an existing structure to serve a new purpose is
not only nostalgic as it preserves old architecture, but also holds economic, social and environmental benefits.
Architectural adaptive reuse also preserves iconic and heritage buildings by retrofitting them to be reused again
for/by generations to come (Cantell, 2005).
According to Bezuidenhout (2008) Adaptive Reuse as it pertains to the architectural community is also known
as reuse, and it is basically defined as a process that adapts an existing structure to serve new uses, whilst the
historical features of said building are retained. Therefore, in its most basic form Adaptive Reuse is the process of
repurposing architecture/objects with expired or outdated uses. Additionally, the term ‘Adaptive Reuse’ is often
interchangeable with similar words such as remodelling, retrofitting or adaptation (Plevoets and Cleempoel, 2011).
 Although there are many factors, the concept of adaptive reuse has significant support as a positive strategy
to make the built environment more sustainable. Adaptive reuse enhances the longer-term usefulness of building
and is more sustainable than demolition or rebuilding. The positive benefits for adaptive reuse identified during
the research also support the tenets of sustainability and include: reducing resource consumption, energy use and
emissions; extending the useful life of buildings; being more cost effective than demolition and rebuilding;
reclaiming embodied energy over a greater time frame; creating valuable community resources from unproductive
property; revitalizing existing neighbourhoods; reducing land consumption and urban sprawl; enhancing the
aesthetic appeal of the built environment; increasing the demand for retained existing buildings; retaining
streetscapes that maintain sense of place; and retaining visual amenity and cultural heritage. Some uncertainties
remain about the viability of adaptive reuse, which invariably focus on the obstacles. (Akhtarkavan, Alikhani,
Ghiasvand, Akhtarkavan, 2008)
Adaptive reuse is an effective strategy for optimizing the operational and commercial performance of built
assets. While the benefits of adaptive re ‐use have been widely espoused, it would appear that owners and
practitioners lack a point of reference to justify and evaluate their decision ‐making with regard to reusing existing
assets. (Peter Bullen; Peter Love, 2011).
Adaptive reuse is either classified as renovation or remodeling. These two terms simply imply total changes
to the disruption of the integrity of the original structure and its spaces, and it goes beyond pure renovation and
reconstruction (NCCA, 2005).
Building laws (ra 10066)
ARTICLE I
POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES
SEC. 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. — Sections 14, 15, 16 and 17

(a) Protect, preserve, conserve and promote the nation’s cultural heritage, its property and histories, and the ethnicity of local communities;
(b) Establish and strengthen cultural institutions; and
(c) Protect cultural workers and ensure their professional development and well-being.

ARTICLE IV
HERITAGE ZONES
SEC. 12. Designation of Heritage Zones. — The National Historical Institute and the National Museum, in consultation with the Commission and
the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board or other concerned agencies, shall designate heritage zones to protect the historical and cultural
integrity of a geographical area.
SEC. 13. Maintenance of Heritage Zones. — A heritage zone shall be maintained by the local government unit concerned, in accordance with the
following guidelines:

(a) Implementation of adaptive reuse of cultural property;

(b) Appearance of streets, parks, monuments, buildings, and natural bodies of water, canals, paths and barangays within a locality shall be
maintained as close to their appearance at the time the area was of most importance to Philippine history as determined by the National Historical
Institute;
(c) Local government units shall document and sustain all sociocultural practices such as, but not limited to, traditional celebrations, historical
battles, recreation of customs, and the reenactment of battles and other local customs that are unique to a locality.