The Pontifical and Royal

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
Espana, Manila

UST College of Architecture’s 91ST Founding Anniversary

Annual Design Competition for Third Year Students
2020-2021

AMONG THE RUINS

Redesigning the Church of Marawi City
TIMELINE:
First Semester:
Launching Date: November 23 - 28, 2020
Research Work Submission: December 7 - 12, 2020

Semestral Break:
Design Sketches, Schemes

Second Semester:
Studio Works and Advisers’ Consultation Period:
January 21 - 23, 2021 (Week 0) up to
February 15 – 20, 2021 (Week 4)
Submission Date: February 22 - 27, 2021
Submission of Official Class Entry: March 1, 2021
Final Judging of Entries: Architecture Week, March 6, 2021
Exhibition of Winners & Finalists: Architecture Week 2021
Mode of Presentation:
Individual Work, Manual and/or Computer-assisted Drawing

INTRODUCTION:

“From the debris will rise a simple church that aims to

symbolize the prelate’s mission of reconciling presence in
Marawi.”
- Rey Barnido, Executive Chair of Duyog Marawi

It has been more than three years when the Battle in the Islamic City of Marawi in Lanao del
Sur erupted, flattening nearly all the buildings within the city centre and its periphery.
Marawi is the largest Muslim city in Southern Philippines, a country that is predominantly
Catholic. Prior to the five-month-long battle, the leader of ISIL affiliated group in the country,
Isnilon Hapilon, declared the City of Marawi as its new caliphate. Hapilon was the appointed
Emir of Southeast Asia ISIL or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group.

One of the significant structures that was destroyed by the war was the Cathedral of Maria
Auxiliadora, known to the locals simply as St. Mary’s Church, established in 1939 and under
the Territorial Prelate of Marawi. Compared to the other contemporary cathedrals and
churches outside Marawi, St. Mary’s was short in stature and does not even have a cross in its
façade. This was probably the Catholic leaders’ way of showing respect to the Muslim-
dominated city with the primary intention of simply providing a sacred place for its devoted
parishioners.

Scholars who had analyzed religious architecture of non-Muslim in a predominantly Muslim-

territories have observed that “non-Muslims’ religious buildings became less visible in terms
of height, location, and even ornamentation especially during the times of heightened
tensions” [Gharipour, 2015]. Generally, they added that “non-Muslim religious buildings
adopted the local language of architecture and local materials” of Muslim communities [ibid.].

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

The presence of non-Muslim religious structures in a predominantly Muslim territory is

practiced and had been tolerated by the Prophet Mohammed himself. According to several
studies, Prophet Mohammed sought to coexist with members of the other Abrahamic faiths
(Jews and Christians) during his lifetime while he maintains staunch and violent oppositions
to the practices of Meccan polytheists whom he said, the idols had populated the Ka’ba. Thus,
this coexistence with Jews and Christians resulted to the proliferation of the Jews and
Christians religious structures in Muslim-dominated territories in various countries
throughout the world.

The new St. Mary’s Church thou must show visual-cultural closeness and contiguity between
Catholic and Islamic faith and respect of the Maranao culture. The Maranao is a unique
indigenous group that has, despite of embracing the Islamic faith, had maintain their deep
traditional beliefs and connection with the spirit world that are very evident in their way of
life and colorful practices.

The design solution must also integrate the principles of blast-resistant structures as means of
keeping its parishioners safe from intentional bombings of various radical groups. Aside from
these, cost-efficient water collection and distribution system and building materials that are
easy-to-maintain must be considered to entail less operational costs and ensure the church
complex’s sustainability.

Gharipour, Mohammad (2015) Sacred Precincts: The Religious Architecture of Non-Muslim

Communities across the Islamic World. Koninklijke Brill, The Netherlands
PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
1. To redesign the New Catholic Church of Marawi that highlights a unique sense of
Catholic (Christian) Religion while preserving religious respect on a Muslim-centered
built environment,

2. To re-establish and revitalize the historical role and character of the former “St. Mary’s
Church” by proposing a design that showcases the spirit and solidarity amongst the
citizens of Marawi,

3. To promote a development that shows peaceful coexistence between the Muslim and
Catholic religious groups, thereby establishing a contiguity and visual-cultural
closeness between the two,

4. To design a structure that highly considers the “blast-resistant design principles” and
mitigate damages to both structure and its inhabitants during a terrorist assault,

5. To establish the New Marawi Cathedral as one of the critical landmarks in providing
citizens from the displaced communities a positive symbol for the future. A place of
faith, stability, tradition, and identity.

THE SITE:

The site of the project, as shown below, is the same property currently occupied by the
Cathedral of Maria Auxiliadora in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and where the ruins of the
Church and Bishop’s Residence is located.

THE SITE
MINIMUM SPACE REQUIREMENTS:

- Main Entrance and Narthex with holy water stoup & baptismal font
- Nave with pews (minimum seating capacity, 500 pax)
- Confessionals (2.00 m²)
- Sanctuary with Altar, Lectern, Pulpit, Priest Seats and Retable (60.00 m²)
- Choir (50.00 m²)
- Side Altar/s with Tabernacle
- Priest’s Sacristy (9.00 m²)
- Server’s Vestry (9.00 m²)
- Parish Priest’s Office (9.00 m²) with Staff Area (3-staff) and Common Toilet
- Parish Office’s Lobby with Waiting Area (12.00 m²)
- Parish Office’s Social Hall (60.00 m²)
- Bishop’s Office with Toilet (12.00 m²)
- Bishop’s Bedroom with T&B (12.00 m²)
- 3-Priest Bedroom with T&B (9.00 m²)
- Dorm Type Bedroom for 6 persons with T&B (18.00 m²)
- Refectory (20.00 m²)
- Kitchen with Pantry and Storage (20.00 m²)
- Service Areas: Laundry, Clothes Drying, Genset, EE and Pump Room
- Church Patio

Other spaces/structures/systems/innovations that the Designer might think

necessary

RESEARCH:

The outcome of the research must be submitted in an A4 Paper (portrait format) with body of
text size no bigger than 12pt Arial or Times New Roman, and with the following content and
order:

Title
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Statement of the Problem
III. Project Objectives
IV. General information regarding Catholic Architecture and Planning and Design
Standards
V. Macro and Micro site analysis, and NBC provisions and other pertinent laws
VI. At least two (2) Case Studies (1 Local & 1 Foreign) of a Catholic Church in a Muslim
territory
VII. Other vital information the researcher would like to add
Bibliography/References
Also, make sure that there is a balance of narrative and illustrative content in the final A4
report. Research work must be submitted within the week of December 7 - 12, 2020 in PDF
Format with the accompanying plagiarism report. It must have the following Filename
[Section_Surname_First Name_Research Report] and must not be more than 50 MB in size.

GRADING CRITERIA:

• Active Participation & Attendance to Online Lectures & Weekly Consultations = 20%
• Final Submission = 80%
100%

DRAWING REQUIREMENTS:

1. Concept Sheet which must contain the following: Major Plate title, Specific Name of the
Project, Project Brief, Explanation of the Design Philosophy with your chosen Design
Concept, Design Objectives, Illustrated Explanation of your Design Solutions, Discussion of
Theory of Architecture Principles of Design used, Design Considerations and other
articulations to express your thoughts about your final output (such as but not limited to
behavior analysis, space program, matrix diagram, traffic analysis, diagrammatic flow
patterns, site analysis, orientation considerations: views, wind, solar angles, among
others), and Material Samples.

2. Conceptual images of existing or similar developments with 2 or 3 paragraph narration.

3. Rendered Site Development Plan at scale 1:200m. Rendered means show Shade, Shadow,
and Materials to be used.

4. Rendered Detailed Floor Plan/s (with furniture, windows, doors, columns, steps, etc.) at
scale 1:100 meters.

5. Area Tabulation to be filled up by students.

6. Two (2) Rendered Elevation and One (1) Rendered Section of the building at scale 1:100
meters.

7. One (1) Fully rendered Exterior Perspective WITH ENTOURAGE using the largest possible
scale;

8. All drawings must be layout in a paper size format of your choice and provided with an
appropriate graphical scale. The drawing must also be submitted as a combined file in
PDF Format with size not more than 50 MB and with the following filename
[Section_Surname_First Name_Plate 01 Final Drawings]

9. Conceptual sketches, design evolution must also be submitted.

10. PDF File of your submission to be uploaded to your E-leap page on the day the actual
plates are to be submitted to your professors.
DETAILED SCHEDULE:

First Semester, AY 2020-2021

Week 15 Nov. 23 - 28 Submission of Major Plate 02 - First Meeting

Launching of ArkiWeek Competition Plate - Second Meeting

THESIS DEFENSE
Week 16 Dec. 1 - 5 Studio Works (Concepts, Site Analysis, etc.) &
Consultations
Week 17 Dec. 7 - 12 Studio Works & Consultations - First Meeting
Research Submission - Second Meeting
Week 18 Dec. 14 - 18 FINAL EXAMINATION

SEMESTRAL BREAK

Second Semester, AY 2020-2021

Week 0 Jan. 21 - 23 Class Orientation
Studio Works & Consultations
Week 1 Jan. 25 - 30 Studio Works (SDP, Floor Plans, Elevations,
Sections etc.) & Consultations
Week 2 Feb. 1 - 6 Studio Works & Consultations
Production Work
Week 3 Feb. 8 - 13 Oral Presentations, Critiques, & Consultations - First Meeting
Revisions - Second Meeting
Week 4 Feb. 15 - 20 Revision Week

Week 5 Feb. 22-27 Submission of Major Plate to the Adviser - Second Meeting

Week 6 March 1 Submission of Class Entry

Prepared by:

AR. RINO D.A. FERNANDEZ AR. MANUEL MAXIMO L.C. NOCHE

Design 5-8 Coordinator Cluster Head for Architectural Design