Concept

In the early days, Digos was a watercourse, a meeting place of inhabitants belonging to the
Austronesians settled along the southern foothills of Mt. Apo. The rivers near the place was used by the
people for fishing and bathing. One of the main transportation of residents along these rivers is a raft or
small boat, locally known as “Balsa”, a collection of logs or timber fastened together creating a flat
structure that floats on top of the water.

Function:

Evolution of design

b.1 flow and circulation

generally, the main building is composed of three major parts, the right and left wing and the center
that connects the two and where the main entry is located. Divided and arranged based on its function,
the most visited and crowded, and which requires more privacy.

b.2 ventilations and orientations

As the building is oriented facing the south, the right and left wing are strategically angled to prevent the
direct penetration of heat from the sun, at the same, allowing adequate natural lighting and good
ventilation coming from the northeast and southwest (Amihan & Habagat) to provide comfortable and
conducive working place.

b.3 building technology and building materials application

acoustic wall panel- used to reduce noise and control sound in office spaces, conference rooms and
session hall for privacy purposes.

automated door lock- beneficial in a way that it locks immediately upon closing, increased security
without needing to remember to lock doors manually and the added convenience of managing door
locks remotely.

tempered glass – serves as wall partitions for offices, allows natural daylighting, transparency and is
efficient.

self-lumen signs- sign illuminated by self-contained power sources and operates independently of
external power sources with the light source contained inside the device. designed to illuminate and
identify hallways, stairwells and exits to facilitate a safe and orderly evacuation in case of emergency
waffle slab – provides good structural stability and also gives off a better aesthetic appearance. It also
has good vibration control capacity because of two directional reinforcements.

Location and site analysis

(aerial) The site is strategically located in the heart of the city of Digos, along the national highway. Since
it is a government center whose primary function is to provide public services for the people,
accessibility must be taken into primary considerations.

Evolution of forms

1. taking the form of a canoe with a paddle as an inspiration towards the evolution of the main
building’s form.
2. Integrating it together to extract a whole new form. The circular shape at the center, which
represents the canoe, connects the two other forms which are generated from the paddle.
3. Adding forms vertically to achieve the desired number of floors.
4. Putting it all together to come up to the final form for the main building.