NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

NAME: PAMOTONGAN, JAY B. DATE: AUGUST 27, 2020

SUBJECT/SECTION: ASPECN2 – ARC162

Christian Werthmann - Metropolis Non-Formal 10 things designers need to work on

Guide Questions for Students

1. What is the main focus of the lecture?

The main focus of the lecture that is discussed by Christian Werthmann was
all about the population, economy, informal urbanism, designers, and how they
relate to each other. Christian Werthmann have also discussed on what designers
must consider in order to build a community.

2. How is population and urbanization related to developing communities? Give 3

examples.
Increased number of population is one of the main reasons why the number
of informal settlements are increasing and very rampant not just to our country
Philippines but also to other countries as well. It is rapidly increasing that it can’t be
easily controlled. First example is the Quiapo, Quiapo before was once a beautiful
and a historic place, not until people begun to come looking for opportunities that
results to urbanization. And because of urbanization where there were so many
people came from different places, many home owners of quiapo were forced to
migrate on their own because according to them, quiapo is not what it is before, it
changed by the cause of so many people looking for opportunities in quiapo after
the war. Up until now one of so many problem in quiapo is its housing problem.
Heritage structures and ancestral houses were the soul of the community
particularly in quiapo, but its collective memory were gone up until now.

Second example is the Taguig City. Many are delighted with the good urban
development of BGC in Taguig City but also many people doesn’t know that aside
from its good urban development the other side of it is where the informal settlers
and poverty takes place.

Third and the last example is the Intramuros or as what we call it “The Walled
City” it is one of the most historic place in the country with its undeniably beautiful
aesthetics, but aside from it there are informal settlements and settlers living inside
the community and it doesn’t compliment the historic place.
3. How can the 10 points discussed by Werthmann be related to issues of
communities? Give one example each.

TERMINOLOGY
Terminology is what every Filipinos doesn’t give importance to. One of the
example of these and is very rampant to our country is the use of the term or the
word “Squatters” it is uncontrollable that almost of the Filipinos uses this, even
various media outlets calls them Squatters instead of “Informal Settlers”

COMPREHENSION
My family isn’t rich and I experienced living in a house with only scrap
materials. Growing up I’ve learned to appreciate everything that my parents can only
afford. Seeing informal settlers living as a community, we should not belittle them,
for every each of them also has hopes and dreams and them considering what they
have now is something important and better for them than what they have from
before.

COLLABORATION
This is one of the important parts that we designers should know, to
collaborate, not only in our workplace but also to the people living in the informal
settlement areas. As what Werthmann said we should have collaborate on eye to
eye level with the people who lives on these areas, to make sure they understand
that what we are doing is for them and for the community’s sake. Collaboration and
a healthy conversation is a must for everything to go smooth in order for us to gain
their trust and to cooperate.
TRANSDISCIPLINARY
In order for a community to be an ideal community, we should not limit the
knowledge only within different specialist. We should also use and give importance
to the knowledge of the people living in the community, since at the end of the day
they are the one who will live in the community we envisioned and their voice and
knowledge should also be part of it.

PROCESS
The process is one of the important part to us designers into building a
community. It is the most challenging part and more important than what is the end
product. One of the example of this is the collaboration itself, collaboration is the
important part of the process into building a community.

FOOD AND WATER

One of the main reasons why people chose to live in an informal settlement
areas in the city is that, they seek better opportunities for them and to have enough
resources when it comes to food and water. Many relocation sites here in the
Philippines doesn’t have enough resources of food and water, as a result, people
who have been relocated chose not to stay because for them, living there with not
enough resources and access to food and water and at the same time far from their
workplaces is much worse than before.
ECONOMY
In order for the community to have good opportunities, we should make sure
first that the site must soon be income generating since most of the informal settlers
have low income or have no income at all. As designers, we should provide them job
opportunities within the community or at least not far from their workplaces, to
make them more productive and can provide financial help for their families.

MULTIFUNCTIONAL
As what Werthmann said, all must we do is multifunctional, we have to
design infrastructures different in a multifunctional way and not limit the community
and the people living the community itself. Like providing residential spaces for the
users and at the same time giving them possible businesses on their houses to make
it income generating.

MULTISCALAR
What I have learned from my planning subject is that aside from analyzing
the given site itself, we should also analyze the environment surrounding the site.
One of the best and effective example is to apply micro and macro researches within
the site.

BEAUTY
As a designer, aesthetics is one of the important part of designing. Though it
is the least important part from the above mentioned, it is still considered as
important. Having a good looking environment makes our stay more productive, and
positive, as well as a sign of hope and inspiration to all the people living as one in a
community.