Design of Tenement Housing with Green

Building Concept on Brgy. 5-A, Purok 7

Alongside Davao River, Davao City
Harrett Jan Sanchez[1], Jade Paul Besana[1], Jasper Hong[1]
College of Engineering Education, University of Mindanao
Matina Campus, Matina, Davao City
[1]harrettsanchez@gmail.com

[1]jpbesana@gmail.com

[1]hongjasper95@gmail.com

Abstract— Relocation of informal settlers is one of the main
problems in a developing city and this is where tenement
housing, a low-rise apartment building, plays a major role
in solving the problem. This study is aimed to design a five-
storey tenement housing for relocation of informal settlers
who lives in slums on Davao city specifically at Brgy. 5-A,
Purok 7. The main component of the design is that it will
utilize a small amount of land space which will benefit a lot
of residents compared to some other methods of relocation
sites which would require a bigger land area. It would also
function as a sustainable green building that is capable of
utilizing natural resources such as sun light, air, and rain
water. All computations and design in this research are
reviewed appropriately, and passed all the requirements of
the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP
2015), National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP),
and with the guidance of the Philippine Green Building
Code. This type of relocation sites solves the problems of
polluted waters near the areas, low quality of life, and
inaccessibility of the residents to proper sanitary system.
This could also benefit Davao City from wasting land areas
for relocation sites and could utilize these lands more for
development.
Index Terms— Tenement Housing, Green Building, Relocation
site, Sustainable, Low-rise Apartment Building, Informal
Settlers, Slums, Quality of Life
I. INTRODUCTION
The Philippine population growth rises each year, and as of
today, we are currently on the 100 million range. Sixty percent
of the Philippine population lies on the Class D or Middle-Class
group, and as inflation rises, problems about affordable housing
and sanitary issues especially in the slums cannot be neglected
due to its necessity. [1-3] Davao City is not exempted in this
growth. In fact if we follow population growth rate of Davao
City, taken from period 2010-2015 it is at +2.42%/year and
estimated to reach around 1.9 million residents in the year 2020.
[4] With high demand of human labor, the surge of population
is to be expected and with desperation to work in the booming
city. Residents resolves in informal settling and more people
each day struggle to find an adequate shelter and comfortable
home. [5] They are exposed to health risks because of improper
disposal of wastes and no proper sanitation system. [6] The
shortage of affordable residences is an issue that needs to be
settled for the benefit of Davao city. [7] That is why this
research tackles the design and analysis of a Five-story
tenement housing to address the issue of affordable housing and
sanitary issues in the slum areas. [8]
There are some parts in the Philippines which also uses
tenement housing but there are existing problems such as air
quality, ventilation, adequate lighting and building
sustainability. [9] In the long run the tenement housing would
be downgraded and would look like a part the slums instead of
a solution. [10] Maintenance is also part of the problem when
it comes to tenement housing which are inhabited by informal
settlers. That why it is important to design a tenement housing
that are easy to maintain and is in itself sustainable for it to be
beneficial in the long run. [11-12]
The existing methods of relocating the informal settlers of
the government of Davao city is constructing a low cost
housing. But this requires a huge amount of lands. Hectares to
be specific. [13] This method are not cost and space efficient.
That is why the researcher came up with the idea of building a
tenement housing, a low-rise apartment building which caters
around the same amount of households but is more space
efficient in terms of and use and is more eco-friendly.[14-16]
The main objective of this study is to design a green building
tenement housing in Brgy. 5-A, Purok 7, alongside Davao
River, Davao city. In this design the researchers would include
the design of foundation in which apply the most suitable
foundation available. Structural design is also included in this
research. This includes the column design loads and the girder
design loads. Green building concepts is also part if this
research. Though not all are applicable, the researchers only
include which are relevant in the situation. These are, site

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orientation, skylight for natural lighting, and vertical garden.
Next is the seismic analysis of the structure. Here, the
researchers discuss the capacity of the structure to resist seismic
activities which are very relevant in this case since Philippines
is located at the pacific ring of fire which consists of active
volcanoes and fault lines. Lastly is the cost estimate of the
structure. This includes that total amount expenditure in
constructing the 5-storey green building tenement housing.
The Significance of the study is that it would help relocate
the informal settlers in Brgy. 5-a, Purok 7 alongside Davao
river for their own safety. It also alleviates their living
conditions, since living in the slums decreases the quality of
life. Lastly, it is to ensure optimal land usage in the area since
there would be a number of families relocated which also
means that it would create bigger space in the area.
The scope of this research covers the architectural design,
incorporation of green building concepts, structural design,
foundation design, seismic analysis of the structure, and cost
estimate of the structure. The limitations are it does not include
the electrical plan, plumbing plan, mechanical plan, and exact
soil qualities of the proposed area. The proposed 5-Story green
building tenement housing does not also cater the whole
population of Purok 7.
II. MATERIALS AND METHOD OF THE STUDY
The materials used in this green building tenement housing
is a typical reinforced concrete. All the methods and analysis
used are all in accordance with the National Structural Code of
the Philippines (NSCP 2015), National Building Code of the
Philippines, and Philippine Green Building Code.
A. Conceptual Framework
general internet to collect the needed information about
tenement building. We have also contacted a professional in the
field for the soil details since we did not perform actual tests.
About the technical part of the study, with the use of the
National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP 2015),
National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP 2010), and
Philippine Green Building Code, the researchers would have a
guide on how to design the structure effectively check if the
structure is stable, the researchers computed the loadings and
moment through the usage of STAAD. All of the working
drawings are plotted using the AutoCAD 2017 and Sketch up
3D Design Software. For the rendering of the final output, the
V-ray Rendering software was used to show the final layout of
the structure.
1.) Surveying the Location of the Project: The design of a Five-
storey tenement housing at Brgy 5-A, Purok 7, Davao City. The
location of the site is near the Bankerohan wet market, and there
is also plenty of commercial housing around the area. The lot
area of the proposed study is approximately 4160 square
meters, which are very suitable for the proposed structure that
can accommodate at least 82 families.
2.) Planning and Designing of the Structure: The plan and
design of the structure were conceptualized by the demand of
liveable structure near the Davao River where proper elevation
is needed to ensure the safety of the families residing.
Each unit is measured 6 m by 4 m, and it is designed mainly
for the comfort of the occupant. For the thermal comfort of the
occupants, the use of 5mm 2-ply thick insulation walls, affixed
to the side of the room is a 6.5mm hard flex. For the Lighting
of the unit, the designers use natural lighting, by installing 3.4m
x 1.2m sliding window panels and two 1.75m x 0.5m utility
window providing efficient lighting and breathability on each
room.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT The specifications used in the study was based on the
standards presented by National Building Code of the
Philippines, National Structural Codes of the Philippines 2015
Design Using Planning of (NSCP 2015), and the existing laws and regulations of Davao
NSCP 2015 Structural
Drawings
City Engineering Office. Structural computations of different
National Design and members of the structures were based on the Ultimate Strength
Building Analysis and Analysis of a
Code of the Design using Five Storey Design Method of NSCP-2015.
Philippines USD Tenement
Housing
Philippine Preparation 3.) Preparation of Cost Estimate: The cost estimate and bill of
Green of Cost of
Building Materials materials determine the Total cost of the project, which
Code includes: Labor cost, Equipment cost, Escalation of labor and
materials, Profit of the contractor, Taxes and documentation,
Building permit and professional fees
Fig. 3 Conceptual Framework of the Study
4.) Assessment of the Design: After designing the Five-Storey
The flow chart shows the sequence of activity involve in this Tenement Housing, the proponents seek assistance to experts
paper. in designing structures to maximize the design proposed.

B. Materials and Resources

Since this is technical research, the proponents used a variety
of references such as online journals, books, magazines, and the

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 III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Foundation Design

The foundation used on the structure is a Mat foundation.

Mat foundation is also known as the raft foundation. It is a
continuous thick concrete slab on the soil that extends the entire
footprint of the building and increases the soil bearing capacity
power. This type of foundation supports the entire building
loads and safely transfer it to the ground. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 Figure 3. Girder-Column connections
below shows the different view of the Foundation
TABLE I
GIRDER-COLUMN DIMENSIONS

Column Girder
Ground Floor
(mm) (mm)
2-Girder Connection 600 x 600 300 x 600
3-Girder Connection 600 x 600 300 x 600
4-Girder Connection 600 x 600 300 x 600

Figure 1. Top view of the Mat foundation
C. Architectural Design
The total lot area of the structure is 672 sq. Meters and it
can accommodate at least 82 families. The tenement has a total
of 82 units, and each room has its private toilet. There are 14
rooms on the ground floor and utility room, while the second to
fifth floor has 17 rooms each. The building is also elevated by
0.6 meters as to prevent flooding. All rooms have similar design
and have the same dimensions. There are aisles at the center
and a skylight at the center of the building to accommodate the
minimum requirements for the adequate lighting. There are also
two emergency exits on the structure located on the edges of
the building to ensure safety during natural disasters.

Figure 2. Cross-sectional view of the Mat foundation

B. Structural Design
The structure of the building is typical boxed shape
structure for efficiency by symmetry. The roof is slab and is
accessible. The results of our design are as follows. The column
design load capacity is 6,504 kN and the girder design moment
is 127.15 kN-m. As for the complete technical specs and Figure 4. Perspective
drawings of the structure, it is located at the appendix of this
paper. Fig. 3 and its accompanying table shows what type of
connection is used and its dimension D. Green Building Design
The orientation of the building is strategically placed to
maximize the wind direction to increase the air flow within the
premises of the building. The wind direction data was
retrieved from Philippine Atmospherical, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services (PAGASA) Davao branch. This will
also provide adequate ventilation to the tenants and increases
the air quality inside the building.

3

The building also has its breather which is double purpose.
First, it improves the airflow within the building to keep it
cool. Second, it serves as a skylight a natural lighting to keep
the inside of the building bright instead of using a huge number
of artificial lighting. In general, this will result to less energy
consumption throughout the building because of the design.
This was proven by a group of researchers from China that
calculates the energy saved with natural ventilation. The result
is that, with right conditions, it could potentially save for 8-
78% of the cooling energy expenses just depending on natural
ventilation alone. [17] It is shown in Fig. 4 and Fig.5 on how
natural air ventilation would replace trapped heat inside the
building with cold fresh air. It also shows the possible light
distribution during the day.
Figure 5. Diagram for Flow of Natural Ventilation
Figure 6. Skylight Diagram
There will also be an incorporation of vertical garden
through the exterior walls of the building. Instead of direct heat
transfer to the walls, the vertical garden will help in cooling
the building which is beneficial for the tenant since they could
conserve energy for cooling system. The difference of
temperature between outside and inside could reach up to
3.0 °C to 4.0 °C. [18] Vertical garden will be constructed at
the exterior wall and would require a mesh for sedum plants or
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other types of succulents. This plants are suggested since this
requires little to no irrigation system for it to survive. [19]
E. Seismic Analysis
The site being 5.7 km away from the nearest fault line can
produce a lateral force of utmost 159.49kN. This value is given
by STAAD and is also used for designing the other structural
member of the building.
TABLE III
SEISMIC LOADS
BASE SHEAR (from STAAD result)
Beam No. 54 159.492 kN Global X-axis
Beam No. 53 113.222 kN Global Y-axis
F. Cost Estimate of the Structure
A decrease in total construction cost goes to the labor cost,
steel and concrete as a material for construction would lessen
the construction cost of the project due to its fast yet
straightforward construction. At present, the price of a typical
structure per square meter is ₱ 29,000.00/ sq. Meter. The total
floor area of the proposed project is 672 sq. Meters, with the
given price per sq. Meter, a typical Five-storey building would
cost around ₱ 20,000,000. The researchers’ total computation
of the project cost is ₱ 18,803,898.24 with this value the total
saving in the construction is almost ₱1,200,000.00. This value
is promising to the housing market and could aid the problem
in arising housing backlog.
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORKS
The structural seismic analysis of the building generated a
positive outcome by STAAD, which is vital, so we can
guarantee that the structure is safe for occupancy. The structural
design of the building is carefully planned to help the residents
become comfortable and be induced to have a better living
conditions through adequate natural light available and better
air quality. This is by the help of incorporation of Green
Building concepts. By proper investigation and analysis of the
primary building materials, it ensures rigidity and stability of
the proposed structure. The cost estimate of the project is
feasible, because it's easy to construct since the materials used
are widely available in the market. The tenement housing thus
save more land area and could accommodate more compared to
other types of relocation.
Further design could be higher or bigger land area and add
some utilization of other natural resources as well. Finally,
further research on which eco-friendly materials could be used
so that the construction would become cheaper with the same
amount of safety that it gives.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT https://upca.upd.edu.ph/uploads/1/8/5/4/18549486/08_santos-
delgado_adopting_organized_self-help_housing_approach_in_low-
cost_housing.pdf SINGLE HOUSING
Above all, we would like to thank God for giving us patience [15] Valeriano, S. (May2012). “Informal Settlements in Metro-Manila
and perseverance to follow through in this academic research. Relocation Community Program and Design”. Retrieved from March
13. 2020, from scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu MASS HOUSING
To our loving parents who has never ending support and always [16] “Developing a National Informal Settlements Upgrading Strategy for the
pushed us to give our best to achieve our goals. We want to Philippines:”, 2014 MASS HOUSING
express our sincerest gratitude to our advisor and statistician, [17] Zheming T. (2016) “Energy Saving Potential of Natural Ventilation in
Engr. Emmanuel Gallora and Engr. Esther Consuelo Tan, for China: The Impact of Ambient Air Pollution” Applied Energy.
Retrieved June 20, 2020, from
their support, patience, and guidance that we would be able to https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/ztong/files/nv_china.pdf#page=8&zoo
finish this research with quality. Finally, to our thesis m=100,0,0
moderator Engr. Marie Fe Lacsado for the motivation and the [18] Tabassom S. (2014). “Thermal Impacts of Vertical Greenery Systesms”.
advices which was always a big help. We have been very Environmental and Climate Technologies. Retrieved June 20, 2020
from.
fortunate to have them to guide us each and every step to the https://content.sciendo.com/downloadpdf/journals/rtuect/14/1/article-
right path. p5.xml
. [19] Pickering, M (Dec2013) “6 Busted Green-Roof Myth”. The new way to
design your home. Retrieved June 20, 2020. From
https://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2013/12/30/6-busted-green-roof-
myths/#5eeaf3843384
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