ABUNDABAR, Joyce Marie P.

3AR-5

Conceptual Development

BUHAY-BAHAYAN. In Filipino, buhay can mean two things: life and to be alive. Bahay, on the
other hand, means house or home. Buhay-bahayan is a play on the Filipino word that is bahay-bahayan
meaning a game wherein people pretend they are at their own home. Buhay-Bahayan is a neighborhood
shopping mall that is both alive and a person's pretend living space. The mall offers natural elements
from water to fire, and also spaces for people from different walks of life to use and enjoy. It also
features planning that aims to adapt among pandemics like Covd-19.

The concept revolves around the idea of getting the people closer to the outdoors while also
providing a space that may be considered as pandemic proof. Crises like the Covid-19 pandemic not only
limits the people on what they can do, it also limits them on what they can enjoy. This largely takes a toll
on an individual’s mental health. In return, Buhay-buhayan aims to be a “living mall.” Living is taken in
the sense that not only is it just a structure erected but it is a mall where life especially nature thrives.
With that, it is pandemic proof so that while a crisis assumes that downtimes will happen, Buhay-
bahayan will continue to operate giving jobs to people and also giving a rare quality of leisure time to
the others. The mall aims to give the people the feeling of what it is like to be living in its most biological
and sentimental meaning. Sentimental because the mall is where people celebrate, bond, create
relationships, and even just have some time for themselves.

The site allotted for the building of a neighborhood shopping center justifies the idea for one.
The location is surrounded by a school, commercial areas and residential areas. The design follows a
setback on all sides. Sufficient parking, exits, ramps and stairs are allocated for the satisfaction of the
requirements of the Fire Code of the Philippines, the National Building Code of the Philippines and BP
344.

The ramp to the parking is placed in P. Guevarra street because it is a two-way road meaning
more places for cars and less inconvenience to those who just wish to pass by. This limits the traffic that
will be created in the one-way roads and the road containing a school. The whole structure is raised
by .3m from the sidewalk ground line because according to flood maps, the lot itself isn’t prone to floods
but the areas surrounding it are. 100 parking lots are allotted, 7 of which belongs to the PWD
community. These 6 parking slots are located right in front of the mall entrances and the grocery
entrance. A waterfall, which will also be designed with benches along its perimeter, is placed in the
central corridor. This is done to make it like the centerpiece. Also, water helps purify water making it
safer for everybody. The major store that is located in the ground floor is the grocery. This is to give
convenience to the mall-goers who will only visit the mall for the necessities. This also avoids the
unnecessary movement of carts around the mall. The major store that is located in the second and third
floors is the department store. This is so that people who wish to buy garments and the other things
available in the department store can roam much more than those who will buy in the grocery giving
them more opportunities in seeing the other retail stores located in the mall. Much of the retail stores
are located in the 2nd and 3rd floors along with the department stores because retails stores are most
likely to sell products alike to that available in the department store. The wellness stores are placed in
the 4th floor because this will help lessen the traffic of people in such floor. Since only a handful of
people visit wellness stores, the traffic that happens in the 4 th floor will be eased. This is mostly
important because the 4th and last floor also consists of a roof deck, leisure and entertainment spaces,
and a big area for a retail store. Since this space for one retail store is larger than the rest, it is most
likely to be rented by an anchor store. An anchor store would mean that a lot more people would have
to go to the 4th floor to visit. The 4th floor is already a place to stay in because apart from the
entertainment spaces, it also features of the roof deck. With this, allotting the wellness stores in the
rentable areas of the 4th floor would lessen the traffic in the floor. For every floor, there is an area
allocated for food, this is so that food would also be available in the first building. Another structure will
be built on the P. Parada side of the lot. This would be a smaller structure and will only be featuring
restaurants. This is so that we can convince people to stay outside and provide them the beauty of the
outdoors without the threats that come with it like too much sunlight or too little air.

The circulation is kept at a minimum or planned to be simple for people not to have a hard time
navigating. This is also to add to the mall’s goal of inclusivity. People, especially elders, will not have to
depend on other people to do their own businesses inside the mall. The corridors are also given such
width to create a more open space avoiding a “crowded feeling” for the users. Additionally, the wide
spaces that the corridors give out can be utilized most especially when protocols for such pandemic will
have to be implemented. The reasons in placing the openings in such locations are that it creates cross
breezes while also help place areas wherein the sun path will be used most efficiently. The outdoor
areas are found wherein the Amihan winds will pass while the parking is placed where Habagat winds
will pass. Also, the sunset will be viewed in the outdoor areas while the parking will not be affected
much by the hottest time of the day. Placing the outdoor area near such road also avoids students from
the school to loiter to the mall since they will have to walk among open spaces to enter. Much of the
landscaping will be enjoyed in the rear side of the mall where the smaller structure stands. Just next to
it, a fenced playground will be put for the children. There are benches and swings that are located with
the area for people to have choices where they want to spend their time. Bushes surround the
perimeter to emphasize where people can only enter and exit the mall. This also helps add some
security to the mall-goers.

To be able to achieve maximum connection with the outdoors, there will be extensive use of
glass of windows. It is important to note that these windows shall be operable for use of natural
ventilation. Metal cladding in the form of rectangles will be used as a double façade. This helps achieve
improved ventilation. Furthermore, the centerpiece that is the triangle roof serving as shade for the
outdoors will be built using metal cladding but in a different form which is tubular and almost woven
together. The shape that the woven style makes will serve as shade but keeping the holes created
hollow will help the cold winds still pass through and help make it stable. For the interior, a skylight will
be projected in the area of a waterfall. The water will be falling from the skylights much like the one
famous in the Changi airport. This not only gives the structure a unique characteristic but also give a
sense of connectedness to nature especially when it rains or drizzles. Along the interior of the mall, air
plants will be used as decoration for less maintenance.

Malls are a big part of a Filipino’s life and much of that is to blame the weather that we are in.
Now that the city is getting denser, people are starting to demand for more parks. The concept of this
mall aims to reward Filipinos with a mall that is also a park in itself. The planning of stores still resembles
that of a mall but other factors such as design and space for outdoor leisure is extended. The extensive
use of plants and materials like wood will remind us of how beautiful nature is in the country. It also
helps the people have a breath that feels like fresh air while being in the heart of a crowded city. As for
me, specific and small details are important. That is why I turn to metal cladding and a skylight waterfall
for added aesthetic and elements. I am a fan of artworks that feature many textures or “flavors for the
eyes” which leads me to incorporating such style in architecture.