Part I

Urban Design is denoted as the built environment its users with an essentially democratic setting and enriching their opportunities by maximizing the design of choice available to them. The discipline through planning and architecture can create or renew a sense of local pride and identity which aims to enhance the visual image and quality of neighborhoods. It focuses on design of the public realm particularly on the open spaces, streets, sidewalks, and plazas between and around buildings and the public interest issues of buildings such as the massing, placement, sun, shadow, and wind issues. It is the relationship between different buildings that makes a connection among buildings and streets, squares, parts and waterways and other spaces which make up the public domain. It provides the relationship of one part of a village, town, or city with other parts and the patterns of movements and activity which are thereby established. Simply, Urban Design is the complex relationship between all the elements of built and unbuilt space.

Elements of Urban Design

Buildings Buildings are the most pronounced elements of urban design where they shape and articulate space by forming the streetwalls of the city. They are designed for the built environment that are visually stimulating and thoughtful and which convey excellence in architecture and workmanship and durability in building materials. Major buildings that are high quality, attractive and, architecturally appealing designs create a distinctive visual reference points in the community. Enhancing the appearance, image, and design character of buildings in the downtown area or the commercial area provides an inspiring place to live, shop, play, and work. Public Spaces Known as the living room of the city, the place where people come together to enjoy the city and each other. It deserves a special attention with respect to materials, furnishing, art, lighting, floor covering, and color. Public spaces give access to sunlight, sense of security, seating, landscaping, accessibility, and connections to surrounding uses and activities. They make high quality life in the city which they range from grand central plaza and squares, to small, local neighborhood parks. Public spaces provides an attractive and comfortable place which appeals to the broadest number of people from young and old, residents and visitors, workers and shoppers and, agile and handicapped. Along with the Public Spaces, there is public art and cultural activities to express the diversity of a communitys character. Public art such as sculptures, murals, reliefs, and art objects in public spaces can transform the character of a place from the ordinary to a

special. Public art may embellish a site, evoke emotion, create a memorable place, acknowledge community history, or be abstract and symbolic. Streets Streets are defined by their physical dimension and character as well as the size, scale, and character of the buildings that line them. It is the connections between spaces and places as well as being spaces themselves. The streets may range from grand avenues such as the Champs-Elysees in Paris to small, intimate pedestrian streets. Vehicular and pedestrian routes are designed to be visually appealing connections between different parts of the city. The pattern of the street network is part of what defines a city and what makes each city unique. Art may be incorporated into streetscape features such as sound walls. Gateways are the key entry points into the city and into smaller districts and communities within the city. Well designed gateways are attractive specifically, they can be dramatic and obvious, including art, structures, and unique lighting, it can also be quiet and more subtle, using signs, a change in plan material or paving surface. Transport Transport systems help define the quality and character of cities, and make them either friendly or hostile to pedestrians. It connects the parts of the city and enables movement throughout the city. It includes road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian networks which they form the total movement system of the city. Landscape Landscape helps define character and beauty of a city. The green part of the city in the form of urban parks, street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many forms and creates soft, contrasting spaces and elements. It ranges from grand parks such as Central Park in New York City and the Washington DC Mall, to small intimate pocket parks. Landscape and signs are incorporated into commercial and public centers as they are compatible with surrounding areas. Landscaping and signs are incorporated into commercial and public centers so that they are compatible with surrounding areas. In the built environment such features are designed to minimize water loss and required to utilize recirculating or recycled water as well as preservation of significant trees and mature vegetation. There is a special consideration given to the protection of groups of trees and associated undergrowth specimen trees, and evergreen trees. Signage Signage integrates symbols with their surroundings in terms of size, shape, color, texture and lighting. It complements the overall design of the building and not in visual competition with other signs in the area. It is a visual graphics created to display

information to the community such as a name of a restaurant placed in front their building and a driver location sign.

Lighting Lightning is considered as the important element in Urban Design. It is designed to enhance security of property, provide ambiance, aid drivers by increasing visibility on roadways, or used simply to illuminate sign. An example of lighting is streetlights, traffic lights, and residential lights. Parking Parking is an essential element for urban design and traffic circulation. Parking plans are develop for each site prior to development which enhances visual and aesthetic character, alternative parking and landscaping. Parking structures are generally constructed using asphalt or concrete, but the use of alternative and porous pavement materials is suggested whenever feasible. Landscaping of parking areas is also recommended to provide shade, enhance the beauty of a site, and allow for a reduction in storm-water runoff. Fencing Fencing is a form of constructing and maintaining good wood or concrete fences between two abutting properties is an advantage. Fencing provides a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. Fences are used to provide visual sectioning of spaces. It can be made from wood, metals, and/or wires. Service Areas Service areas are oriented towards the rear of the building to minimize visual eyesores. Service areas are screened from public view and best way to this is build a solid fence around the service area in the same style as the building to which the service areas is designated. In the placement of service areas, remember the old maxim, out of sight, out of mind. Building Materials Design consideration is given to the building materials that contribute to the character of a building and continuity of the streetscape thru its faade treatment and architectural details such as roof shape, pitch and overhangs, entry porches, balconies and

terraces, materials, finishes, fixtures, patterns, fenestrations, colors and detailing, and the location and proportion of windows and doors.

Design Guidelines
The Urban Design Guidelines serves as a guide and inspiration for future development decisions for the Town Centre area. Urban Design Guidelines will be used by the Town of Caoayan to implement such strategies as stated in the Urban Design Objectives and Policies for town development in the public and private realm. These guidelines are intended to guide many types of development in the Town and may be enhanced by more detailed design guidelines found in the later part of this study. Along with the polices, the guidlenise work toward the vision of making Caoayan a more beautiful, memorable city with a commitment to excellence in Urban Design.

Place of the Study

The place of the study is in the Caoayan, Ilocos Sur mainly in the Poblacion Caoayan. The town of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur was believed to have been established and created as a separate municipality in 1824. Before Caoayan become municipality. It was once a barrio of Villa Fernandina, now Vigan City, and the capital town of the province. The name Caoayan originated from the local name of the bamboo. It had been told that during the Spanish Era, natives from the province of Abra, came down through the Abra river to sell bamboos. A group of Spanish soldiers were asking them what they are selling and because of their fear, these men nervously chorused kawayan. And so, from then on, the locality was named Caoayan. Caoayan is a 5th class municipalty, and the total land area is 1,602,533.34 hectares and only 2 kilometers away from Vigan City and lies on the southern tip of the 1st district of Ilocos Sur it is bounded on the east by the Man of Santa on the north and west Vigan City on the south is China Sea. The purpose of this study is to provide and promote a high standard urban design for the Town of Caoayan through organize and gorgeous designs and a friendly environment to the people of Caoayan as well as to the visitors. Maintaining the culture and heritage of the town is the major factor in making the designs which will remind to the people how Caoayan developed to become a town and the history of Caoayan as well.

Part II.
Objectives:
1. To reveal the features of the natural and urban landscape that contributes to Caoayans unique character and sense of place. 2. To promote an urban environment that supports healthy and active living. 3. To produce an eye catching and dynamic town for people while preserving the cultural and heritage features of the place. 4. To promote diversity through defining edges and designating landmarks while strengthening residential neighborhood. 5. To enhance the streets of Caoayan and giving important on minimizing impact of parking in streetscapes and enhancement of pedestrian experience and convenience.

Part III. Design Guidelines

1. Buildings Buildings are the most pronounced elements of urban design where they shape and articulate space by forming the streetwalls of the city. They are designed for the built environment that are visually stimulating and thoughtful and which convey excellence in architecture and workmanship and durability in building materials. a. Building facades that are visible from public or private streets should be designed to be as eye-catching in appearance as the front building. Similarly, building facades that are visible to parking areas and residential or commercial properties should be visually attractive through the use of a combination of roof design, architectural detailing, wall lines and landscaping. b. Buildings should achieve visual harmony of character and design concepts through the relationship of building style, texture, color, materials, form scale, proportion, and location. c. All building wall designs should have a sense of human scale, pedestrian compatibility and visual interest through the use of arcades, display windows, awnings, insets and projections, balconies, window projections and other similar architectural features and structural elements in the design of a structure.

2. Public Spaces Public spaces give access to sunlight, sense of security, seating, landscaping, accessibility, and connections to surrounding uses and activities. They make high quality life in the city which they range from grand central plaza and squares, to small, local neighborhood parks. a. Open spaces should be designed to be accessible and comfortable for as much of the year as possible. Permanent shade structures are also encouraged to provide relief from the summer sun. b. Proper waste management within an open space should be encouraged through separation of trash and recycling receptacles to reduce dependence on the sites trash receptacles as shown in the figure below. c. Building walls that bound an open space should have exceptional design consideration in order to prevent a massive, unattractive faade and to avoid an uninviting pedestrian experience. 3. Street Streets are defined by their physical dimension and character as well as the size, scale, and character of the buildings that line them. It is the connections between spaces and places as well as being spaces themselves. a. Paving inside the pedestrian walking zone may be distinguished differently by the use of specialty paving patterns particularly the use of interlocking paving stones, sample as shown below, approved by the Public works.

b. Street trees should be carefully selected to create a continuous canopy at maturity. An Indiana tree as seen below is an example that can be used as Street trees which can provide an attractive site along the street.

c. The pedestrian connection shall be continued across the loading access way and shall be given design priority over the loading access by continuing the pedestrian and amenity zones across the service access area, and by a change in paving materials to visually delineate the pedestrian zone.

4. Transport It connects the parts of the city and enables movement throughout the city. It includes road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian networks which they form the total movement system of the city. Different forms of automobile can access the town of caoayan such as jeep, tricycle, kalesa, truck, minibus, single motors, as well as private cars owned by the respondents and visitors. Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines as well as with motorized tricycle. Jeepneys are known for their crowded seating and flamboyant decorations while tricycles are known as three wheeled automobile and a common means of public transport except on busy major highways. Kalesa or calesa is a horse drawn carriage used by the Spanish in past and nowadays it is a popular form of transportation of the tourists here in our place. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile. Trucks are mainly used for delivery of large quantities or large sizes of certain things for business purposes.

a. A clear hierarchy and network streets as well as drives and access points should be establish to provide logical and safe routes for pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic into the site. b. Drop-off serving the entrances of specific uses, such as residential or hotel lobbies may be allowed if approved by Public Works. c. Curb cuts should be minimized if possible and shared between uses to the maximum extent feasible.

5. Landscape The green part of the city in the form of urban parks, street trees, plants, flowers, and water in many forms and creates soft, contrasting spaces and elements. a. Encourage to use landscape materials such as seasonal plants and trees while considering there maintenance as well as conservation of water in landscape design. b. Promote a 2 meter measurement as a maximum height for residential vegetation to provide a good visualization of residential buildings and an organize relationship between landscape designs and residential buildings. c. Preservation of existing mature trees as well as other vegetation that can be used in landscape design should be recognized while providing a unique form of designing that can give comfortable, refreshing feeling and a safe place to the residence of the town and visitors.

6. Signage Signage integrates symbols with their surroundings in terms of size, shape, color, texture and lighting. It is a visual graphics created to display information to the community such as a name of a restaurant placed in front their building and a driver location sign. a. Signs should use profile and iconographic representation such as lighting, typography, color and materials in expressing the character of the use, identity development, character of the overall site, and architecture of the building. b. The signs should be an integral and noticeable part of the building. Buildings should be designed to provide appropriate locations for signs.

c. Signage materials should be high quality, durable and easy to maintain and should use creative 2- and 3-dimensional graphics to attain a unique character. 7. Lighting It is designed to enhance security of property, provide ambiance, aid drivers by increasing visibility on roadways, or used simply to illuminate sign. a. Energy efficiency and glare control from external lighting are encouraged so that it does not detract from the quality of the urban environment. The use of solar lights as street light are very much recommended to conserve energy as well as to promote the use of environmental resources. The figure below shows an image of a solar street lights.

b. Uniform spacing along the roadway should be considered within the placement of street light to account for existing mature trees. c. Pedestrian lighting should be spaced evenly and align with each other along the length of the pedestrian walkway or corridor to provide a clear and safe walkways even at night time.

8. Parking Parking is an essential element for urban design and traffic circulation. Parking plans are develop for each site prior to development which enhances visual and aesthetic character, alternative parking and landscaping. a. Relationship of the spacing and proportions of openings in the parking structure with those openings of windows or doors on the building it serves should be formed. b. Similarities of materials and textures used on the faade of parking structures to match the building it serves should be initiated. c. As applicable, the design of a parking structure should be architecturally integrated with the design and structure of the building(s) it serves. Consider ways of treating the faade of the parking structure portion of a building to make it consistent with the faade of the rest of the building.

9. Fencing Fencing provides a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. Fences are used to provide visual sectioning of spaces. a. Standard height of 1.5 meters should be recommended to provide uniform fences in all areas in the town of Caoayan. b. Encourage all buildings to use only same type of material in making fences such as wood or motel to provide a connection and relationship to each other. c. Fencing should be strong enough and can be visualize easily.

10. Service Areas Service areas are oriented towards the rear of the building to minimize visual eyesores. a. Well designed drainage system to provide proper flowing of drainage to prevent flood formation and avert stagnant water or drainage. b. Service Areas should be placed at the posterior part of every structure so that it will not be visible to the people. c. Materials used in service areas should be flexible and durable enough to any form of weather or unexpected events such as typhoon, heavy rains, or floods.

11. Building Materials The building materials contribute to the character of a building and continuity of the streetscape thru its faade treatment and architectural details. a. Building materials used in an elevation should match the architectural style and faade of buildings are encouraged to include enunciations of materials to be used. b. Future vandalism or routine maintenance should be noted in the selection of building materials. c. Building materials such as scale, texture, and color should respond to the character of the pedestrian environment.