Chapter 1.

Introduction
1.1. Working Title: Redevelopment of OSES and OSNHS into a Pandemic-Resilient
School
1.2. Background of the Study:

The world has been rapidly changing ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This pandemic has originated in Wuhan, China in the late 2019 which was left
unprecedented by neighboring countries and as a result, it has quietly spread around the
globe. This has been the third most deadly virus ever since SARS which erupted in China
in 2003 and MERS in Saudi Arabia in the year 2012. According to a study conducted by
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at the Imperial College London, if
four people were infected with the virus, they would be able to infect as many as 49 more
people and so on if it wasn’t contained provided that the transmission rate of the virus is
1.5 – 3.5. As precautions, a few rules have been released by the government to prevent
the spread of the virus which includes: social distancing which requires at least 1 meter
distance at all times; wearing of facemasks whenever outside; decreasing normal
capacities in restaurants, public transportation, religious buildings, offices and other areas
with similar settings. The most widely spread slogan to prevent the spread of the virus is
“Stay Home. Save Lives”.

It is with no doubt the this pandemic will reshape the different approaches towards public
spaces and even various institutions such as medical, educational, and religious
institutions. What will be the appropriate changes for these institutions for these
institutions to able to adapt to the “new normal”? The “new normal” is the term being
used while the pandemic takes its course and the citizens continue on with their lives.
People will have to learn how to live with this virus and adapt to certain standards for the
“new normal”.

How will coronavirus shape educational institutions in the “new normal”? The covid-19
pandemic has transformed face-to-face learning into online learning in a short period of
time. Opening face-to-face classes after this pandemic would need a more particular plan
that would be able to give students an opportunity to learn again in a more conducive
environment with the necessary amenities to promote hygiene, cleanliness and safety
against germs and viruses that they have to deal with in the new normal. It is a priority for
these educational institutions to be prepared for the opening of face-to-face classes after
the pandemic.

How does architecture play a role in a post-pandemic learning environment? This study
will be proposing a redevelopment for a school located in a rural area in Sudipen, La
Union which would comply to the minimum health standards imposed by Inter-Agency
Task Force (IATF) and at the same time designing a school that shows progress in the
community for it to keep up with the growing standards of students and teachers who will
be using it.

The school, Old Sudipen Elementary School (OSES) and Old Sudipen National High
School (OSNHS) are both the only schools that cater to pupils and students of three
barangays of Sudipen, La Union namely Old Central, Namaltugan, and Ilocano. OSES
was founded in 1920 and OSNHS was founded in 1967. Both schools sit together within
Barangay Ilocano and Old Central. Residential houses sit on the East, West and South
side of the school separated only by the minor road. On the North and 200 meters away
from the school is the Amburayan River.

There had been very few changes done to the school for its improvement. To this day, a
lot of classrooms are being used with chipped green board and chairs, deteriorating
window panels made of wood and leaking ceiling during rainy season. The
redevelopment of a post-COVID design for this school situated in a low risk area aims to
provide a safe environment for students and teachers and at the same time to provide a
better learning environment. This redevelopment will also include the modernization of
facilities which will be in line with the needed design considerations provided by
concerned organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Creating an
appropriate design for this school will prepare it for similar situations like the COVID-19
in the future. This would allow this learning institution to become first of its kind in the
town of Sudipen or even in the province of La Union.

I.1.2. Review of Related Literature

I.1.2.1. Planning for a Post-COVID Return on Campus
Schools are looking to consider implementing “rolling occupancy” which would de-
densify classroom spaces to be able to maintain safe distancing. This strategy involves
rethinking spaces to be able to maximize its use while also trying to utilize unused spaces
to function in brand new ways that would respond positively towards the post COVID-19
era. Webster & Bean (2020) states that schools won’t return to the status quo. Everything
— from building design and curriculum to operations and maintenance — may need to
adapt to a new normal.
I.1.2.2. Guidelines on the Required Minimum Health Standard in
Basic Education and Schools
This proposal will be complying with the minimum health standards imposed by DOH
and IATF which includes the following:
A. Increase Physical and Mental Resilience
B. Reduce Transmission
C. Reduce Contact
D. Reduce Duration of Infection
Following these guidelines will ensure the safety of users while battling the Covid-19.
This shows priority for the health and wellbeing of learners together with the teaching and
non-teaching staff. All the guidelines imposed are primarily based on the DOH
Administrative Order No. 2020-0015 also known as Guidance on the Risk-Based Public
Health Standards for COVID-19 Mitigation.
I.1.2.3. Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to
School in Fall 2020
It is important for administrators to teach students preventive measures to prevent the
spread of virus. This will ensure the safe opening of schools which will also help them to
stay open. It is also important to keep the facilities maintain a healthy environment. The
opening of schools during and after COVID-19 will be more effective if unused and
underutilized rooms are developed to increase classroom spaces to be able to have ample
amount for learners to facilitate social distancing as a means to prevent further infections.
As a response to the pandemic, schools which have opened placed temperature checks
upon entry of the school. An important factor in opening schools is considering the risk of
community transmission. This will decide whether a school is ready to open or not.
Schools are not only a source of learning but also provides a safe and a supportive
environment which gives a sense of security for its learners.
I.1.2.4. CLTH Proposes Adaptive Design for Schools Post
Covid-19
Curl La Tourelle Head Architecture (CLTH) based in London came up with a design
approach for schools when they reopen. The design approach lessens the circulation of
students within the premises of the school while maintaining social distancing at the same
time. The proposal shows an enhanced air-flow that contributes to the students’
wellbeing. Head (2020) states that in order to suggest an architectural response, CLTH
has based its concept on initial research and analysis carried out by its team, and
generated a “series of pop-up, tent-like structures, each of which is arranged to follow the
two-meter social distancing rules with the adaptability to host different classroom setups”.
CLTH has integrated a portable and energy efficient bathrooms with the use of PV rays
and solar evacuated tubes to provide hot water.
I.1.2.5. Education Equity Requires Modern School Facilities

Every day millions of elementary and secondary school children attend public school in
deteriorated and obsolete facilities that harm their health and undermine achievement.
Why? Because capital funding for public school facility infrastructure remains the most
regressive element of public education finance. A harmful reality remains: poor and
minority children are still much more likely to attend schools that have unhealthy, unsafe,
and educationally inadequate facilities in desperate need of modernization.

I.1.2.6. How school buildings affect health and community well-being 

Substandard school buildings and grounds can negatively affect the health of children and
adults in schools (Uline & Tschannen-Moran, 2008). Researchers have found that
exposures to mold, poor ventilation, uncomfortable temperatures, inadequate lighting,
overcrowding, and excessive noise all have potential to harm student and teacher health,
contribute to absenteeism, and reduce cognitive abilities — all of which affect academic
achievement (Fisk et al., 2016). Dampness and mold in school buildings exacerbate
children’s and teachers’ asthma symptoms (Dangman, Bracker, & Storey, 2005), and both
children and teachers perform better with increased fresh air ventilation (Myhrvold,
Olsen, & Lauridsen, 1996). 

Researchers and education practitioners now see school climate and positive social
relations as necessary ingredients for academic achievement (Bryk & Schneider, 2002;
Thapa et al., 2013), and facilities play a strong role in these areas. Properly planned,
designed, and maintained school facilities promote the health, well-being, and
performance of children and adults in schools and even encourage children to want to
come to school (Maxwell & Schechtman, 2012). In her study of 236 New York City
middle schools, Cornell University environmental psychologist Lorraine Maxwell (2016)
found that school building condition is linked to school climate and attendance, and
higher ratings of school social climate predicted lower student absenteeism, which in turn
predicted higher standardized test scores. 

I.1.2.7. School Facilities are Vital Community Assets

Not only are school facilities important to student and teacher health and performance,
they are vital community assets. Public school facilities, often as the centers of their
communities, act as “equity hubs” for numerous social service programs. The federally
funded Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program, the $18 billion (2017) program that
serves meals to children from families with incomes at or below 130% of the poverty is
delivered in public schools. These programs have an established record of preventing
obesity and of helping improve academic achievement and overall child health across the
country. School Based Health Clinics help overcome health inequities in communities
with high poverty levels; and after school care keeps children safe and allows parents to
keep working. Safe, modern, and healthy school facilities are vital to the success of these
and other social service programs.

I.1.2.8. How the condition of school buildings affects education 

Structurally sound and well-maintained schools can help students feel supported and
valued. Students are generally better able to learn and remain engaged in instruction, and
teachers are better able to do their jobs, in well-maintained classrooms that are well-lit,
clean, spacious, and heated and air-conditioned as needed. In contrast, when classrooms
are too hot, too cold, overcrowded, dust-filled, or poorly ventilated, students and teachers
suffer. 

Decades of research confirm that the conditions and qualities of school facilities affect
students, teachers, and overall academic achievement. In their review of the peer-
reviewed literature, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health conclude that “the
evidence is unambiguous — the school building influences student health, thinking, and
performance” (Eitland et al., 2017). 
 I.1.2.9. ESTABLISHING THE MINIMUM PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR DEPED
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
1. The Department of Education (DepEd) issues this DepEd Order on Establishing the
Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications (MPSS) for DepEd School
Buildings to guide the Department and other stakeholders in the preparation of plans—
architectural, structural, electrical, fire protection and sanitary— to ensure the comfort
and safety of the would-be occupants of the school buildings.

2. A well-designed school building, that considers ergonomics, anthropometries, thermal

comfort, illumination, ventilation, acoustics, color, and compliance with the law,
contributes to improved student performance, and makes a lasting impression on the
community with regard to importance of education.

3. All DepEd Orders and other related issuances, rules and regulations that are
inconsistent with these minimum performance standards and specifications are hereby
repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.

4. This Order shall take effect immediately upon its approval.

I.2. Statement of the Problem

 Poor state of rooms and amenities that affects learning
 Lack of new resources for students that limits their capabilities
 The absence of safe circulation as part of a post-COVID-19 school


I.3. Objectives of the Study

 Aims to create a design that would lessen the close physical interaction of students
and faculty
 Aims to provide a better facility and better learning environment for students of
OSES and OSNHS
  Aims to design an innovative and an aesthetically competitive school which
would comply with minimum health standards in preparation for instances similar
to the COVID-19

1.3. Statement of the Problem

1.4. Objectives of the Study

1.5. Research Questions
1.6. Hypothesis
1.7. Conceptual Framework
1.8. Scope and Limitations of the Study
1.9. Significance