CHAPTER I

A. INTRODUCTION

“I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all

the beauty they possess inside.”

-Whitney Houston

The youth of our country are the future of our nation and they represent one of the most dynamic

part of our population. Their actions contribute to the development of a nation, meaning the youth

is one of the most crucial foundations to our society. They are the “partners of today, leaders of

tomorrow”. They are the primary catalysts that can perform to bring bright changes and further

improvements to our society. One of the most important aspects towards the progress of our nation

is education, and this is very crucial in developing and shaping our youth. As quoted from Sir

Herbert Read “Great changes in the destiny of mankind can be effected only in the minds of little

children.”

Youth is usually the times when raw creativity and innovative ideas pop up in mind which have

potentials and possibilities to shape up the community we live in. These ideas are raw and have

more energy and enthusiasm if all their potential is put in the right direction that can ensure

progress and development. Youth contains the majority of the population of the total nation.

Around 25 percent population of our world is youth. This portion of the population plays a crucial

role in the development of our nation, meaning they cannot be easily ignored. Their energy and

determination make them valuable to our nation overall. With that in mind, their importance should

constitute to them being able to exercise their freedom to express their ideas and opinions and be
able to express them through speech as well. They should have their own platform and be able to

express their ideas and be able to showcase their talents as well.

But what happens if these children aren’t given the same opportunities as others do? These are the

ones that don’t receive the same guidance as regular children do. These are actually the orphaned

ones. Truthfully enough, some children don’t have the same privilege as other children do, and

they may never have. That’s the reason why orphanages made, to ensure that they meet the same

needs and eventually share the same privileges as them.

But to look further into the study later on, researches show that children from orphanages develop

problems as they develop and eventually, as they grow older in the future. There is a high rate of

mental health problems, mostly on the emotional side. This would appear, uncoincidentally, with

other groups of neglected, traumatized and institutionalized children, though these instances may

differ. Early childhood the long term institutionalization increases the likelihood for them to grow

as people with psychological impairments and in the future, grow as unproductive adults. Mental

health problems will continue to persist even long after they are adopted. Some researches show

that children and young people, usually at the ages of 6-17 years, have a likelihood of a depressive

disorder. Some researches even show that they have lower self- esteem, self- worth and self-

acceptance, thus affecting their well being especially as developing young children. Other than the

mental, physical ailments also complicate the same children arriving from orphanages. For

instance, some reports from parents show that children adopted were malnourished and

underweight.
This study raises concern towards the design of institutional facilities like orphanages, prioritizing

the urgency of the well being of children and adolescents to be contributing stakeholders in the

future. Thus, a good institutional design particular emphasizes the important role of early

caregiver–child social–emotional experience and predicts delayed development of social–

emotional behavior in children lacking such experiences.

B. BACKGROUND AND NATURE OF THE PROJECT

Ideally, our family experiences influence us well past our childhood years. Family interaction is

the most lasting influence the each of us will know. Whether past or present, the influences we

have with our families determine what it means to us to be human beings. These are the experiences

that form our basic belief about “who we are and how we behave.”

Most of us will be lucky enough to spend our childhood at home. Many of us will remember those

years with warmth. And even some of us with decidedly unpleasant memories about growing up

still manage to have reasonable and productive lives.

This research is centered on children, who do not have the good fortune of having a family to

take care of them. Thousands—even up to millions worldwide grow up under dreadful and

unfavorable conditions. Most even experience lost, neglect, and even abuse in their homes. This

all the more comes in hand with the recent bill that would lower the minimum age of criminal

responsibility from 15 years old to 9 years old.

The project is an attempt to go back to the concept of a family and adjoining it with an institutional

system to revision a concept for orphanages—a concept where orphans have a chance of sharing

companionship of a real family. The project will not only be confined to the accommodation and
education only, but also to accommodate a safe home and shelter, especially for the distressed.

The main challenge is to create a community that can enlighten the children where they will grow

during learning, playing, working, even as kids.

C. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study explores the effect of architecture on orphans by revisioning new and better living

conditions for them until they get to find a permanent home. The approach will be considering the

key parameters of Architecture that will bring change to the mindset of orphaned children.

More specifically, the study will shed light on the following questions:

1. How do contemporary orphanages affect the health of children in terms of:

a. Physical

b. Mental

c. Emotional

D. PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Project Goals

 Help orphans and individuals thrive in the parameters they are in

 To protect the Health, Safety & Welfare of the children and workers through better
design of facilities
 To promote a “family” concept in the design of a children’s village.

Project Objectives

 To provide facilities that will not only accommodate to the educational quality of children

but also in their physical and emotional welfare.

 To revision a new-look children’s village that will accommodate properly not only to the

children but also to the users and inhabitants of the facility.

 To provide a design that will incorporate a system of “brotherhood” and “sisterhood” in

the facilities, especially for the children.