HERITAGE PHOTO DOCUMENTATION

REACTION PAPER
(Assessment No. 4)

An Assignment Submitted to
The College of Architecture
University of Santo Tomas

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements
For the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Ty, Karlson Spencer S.

5AR-18

Novermber 15, 2019

Heritage Photo Documentation Reaction Paper

Last November 8, 2019, the speaker talked about heritage documentation. He

mentioned the flow or checklist on documenting buildings: plan, bay section, door details,
window details, and other architectural details. I learned that documenting the history of the
building is not simply taking pictures and explaining what happened to the building. It involves
the intricate information such as level changes, stair details, moldings, and tree locations.

The process for documentation starts in manual drafting and writing down the important
information about the certain area or feature. Next, encoding it in CAD, and may add more
details/ corrections using colored pens. It also involves proposals for improving the building,
transportation and near-by facilities. One example that the speaker showed is the Mixed-use
Development for Heritage Houses and New Buildings. The firm of the speaker must let the
Tagbilaran City Heritage District Council approve the alteration. It made me realize that
heritage has almost the same process on the laws of designing a building. It must follow the
law which is more stringent and designing for the public realm.

The speaker showed data about the design considerations for documenting: symmetry,
sense of space, sight lines, and materials to be used. What I like most in the projects he showed
is the proposal for the Ceremonial Gate for Ohta Kyozaburo Monument. The plan was just
simple as it includes a canopy, special floor finish and grille fence. It made me realized that a
design solution does not always have to be expensive and flamboyant. The uncomplicated
suggestions caused more awareness about how practical architecture can improve an area.

The project, Bringing Back the Plaza has helped me understand that simply changing
the floor finish and adding vegetation could revive an area and influence people to reuse the
site again. The Mapping Manila Heritage, a talk and exhibit on Manila’s heritage takes
Heritage Photo Documentation Reaction Paper

someone a different perspective on heritage because it is presented in a scaled model. In general,

University of Santo Tomas (UST) is traditional when it comes to model making because not
like universities in other countries, they start teaching the students 3D printing and laser cut as
early as first year. I really appreciate the talk because it gives UST a glimpse on adapting to
new ways of presentation, the practical details of Filipino architecture heritage, and the
simplicity of proposals that changes the lives of people for the better.
“We are not intended to only learn Filipino Architecture, but rather, to study and reflect on
it.”