BUILDING SYSTEMS

DESIGN
CHAPTER 1:
National Building Code of the
Philippines (Part 2 of 2)

ENGR.GLENN CHRISTOPHER J. LAMBINO

CHAPTER 7: CLASSIFICATION AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF
ALL BUILDINGS BY USE OR OCCUPANCY
SECTION 708. Minimum Requirements for Group A Dwellings
1.Dwelling Location and Lot Occupancy
The dwelling shall occupy not more than ninety percent of a corner lot
and eighty percent of an inside lot, and subject to the provisions on
Easements of Light and View of the Civil Code of Philippines, shall be
at least 2 meters from the property line.
4. Foundation
Footings shall be of sufficient size and strength to support the load of
he dwelling and shall be at least 250 millimeters thick and 600
millimeters below the surface of the ground.

2
CHAPTER 7: CLASSIFICATION AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF
ALL BUILDINGS BY USE OR OCCUPANCY
SECTION 708. Minimum Requirements for Group A Dwellings
6. Floor
The live load of the first floor shall be at least 200 kilograms per
square meter and for the second floor, at least 150 kilograms per square
meter.

7. Roof
The wind load for roofs shall be at least 120 kilograms per square meter
for vertical projection.

8. Stairs
Stairs shall be at least 750 millimeters in clear width, with a rise of 200
millimeters and a minimum run of 200 millimeters.

3
CHAPTER 7: CLASSIFICATION AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF
ALL BUILDINGS BY USE OR OCCUPANCY
SECTION 708. Minimum Requirements for Group A Dwellings
9. Entrance and Exit
There shall be at least one entrance and another one for exit.

4
ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL

R-1 : a lowdensity residential zone, characterized mainly by singlefamily, single detached

dwellings with the usual community ancillary uses on a neighborhood scale, such as executive
subdivisions and relatively exclusive residential communities which are not subdivisions.

R-2 : a medium density residential use or occupancy, characterized mainly as a low-rise

singleattached, duplex or multi-level building/ structure for exclusive use as multiple family
dwellings. This includes R-2 structures within semi-exclusive subdivisions and semi-exclusive
residential communities which are not subdivisions.

R-3 : a high-density residentialuse or occupancy, characterized mainly as a lowrise or medium-

rise building/ structure for exclusive use as multiple family dwellings with mixed housing types.
R-3 structure may include low-rise or medium-rise residential condominium buildings that are
already commercial in nature and scale.

5
CHAPTER 8: LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 805. Ceiling Heights
a) Habitable rooms provided with artificial ventilation shall have ceiling heights
not less than 2.40 meters measured from the floor to the ceiling; Provided that for
buildings of more than onestorey, the minimum ceiling height of the first storey
shall be 2.70 meters and that for the second storey 2.40 meters and succeeding
storeys shall have an unobstructed typical head-room clearance of not less than
2.10 meters above the finished floor. Above stated rooms with a natural ventilation
shall have ceiling heights not less than 2.70 meters.

b) Mezzanine floors shall have a clear ceiling height not less than 1.80 meters
above and below it.

6
CHAPTER 8: LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 806.Size and Dimension of Rooms
Minimum sizes of rooms and their least horizontal dimensions shall be as follows:

1. Rooms for Human Habitations – 6.00 square meters with a least dimension of 2.00
meters;

2. Kitchens – 3.0 square meters with a least dimension of 1.50 meters;

3. Bath and toilet – 1.20 square meters with a least dimension of 0.90 meter.

7
CHAPTER 8: LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 807.Air Space Requirements in Determining the Size of Rooms
Minimum air space shall be provided as follows:

1. School Rooms – 3.00 cubic meters with 1.00 square meter of floor area per person;

2. Workshops, Factories, and Offices – 12.00 cubic meters of air space per person;

3. Habitable rooms – 14.00 cubic meters of air space per person.

SECTION 808.Window Openings

Every room intended for any use, not provided with artificial ventilation system as
herein specified in this Code, shall be provided with a window or windows with a
total free area of openings and equal to at least ten percent of the floor area of
room, and such window shall open directly to a court, yard, public street or alley, or
open water courses.

8
CHAPTER 8: LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 811.Artificial Ventilation
1. Rooms or spaces housing industrial or heating equipment shall be provided with
artificial means of ventilation to prevent excessive accumulation of hot and/or
polluted air.
2. Whenever artificial ventilation is required, the equipment shall be designed to
meet the following minimum requirements in air changes as shown in Table VIII.4.
hereafter.

9
CHAPTER 8: LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 811.Artificial Ventilation

10
CHAPTER 9: Sanitation
To be discussed on Engineering Utilities 2

11
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1001.General Requirements
No part of any building or structure or any of its appendages shall project beyond
the property line of the building site, except as provided in this Code.

SECTION 1002.Projectio into Alleys or Streets

b) Footings located at least 2.40 meters below grade along national roads or public
highway may project not more than 300 millimeters beyond the property line.

12
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1002.Projectio into Alleys or Streets
c) Foundations may be permitted to encroach into public sidewalk areas to a width
not exceeding 500 millimeters; provided, that the top of the said foundations is not
less than 600 millimeters below the established grade; and provided further, that
said projection does not obstruct any existing utility such as power, communication,
gas, water, or sewer lines, unless the owner concerned shall pay the corresponding
entities for the rerouting of the parts of the affected utilities.

13
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1003. Projection of Balconies and Appendages Over Streets
a) The extent of any projection over an alley or street shall be uniform within a
block and shall conform to the limitations set forth as shown below:

14
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1003. Projection of Balconies and Appendages Over Streets
b) The clearance between the established grade of the street and/ or sidewalk and
the lowest under surface of any part of the balcony shall not be less than 3.00
meters.

15
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1005. Canopies
a) Canopy or Marquee is a permanent roofed structure above a door attached to
and supported by the building and projecting over a wall or sidewalk. This includes
any object or decoration attached thereto.

b) Projection and Clearances. The horizontal clearance between the outermost edge
of the marquee and the curb line shall be not less than 300 millimeters. The vertical
clearance between the pavement or ground line and the undersurface of any part
the marquee shall not be less than 3.00 meters.

16
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1006. Moveable Awnings or Hoods
a) Awning is a movable shelter supported entirely from an exterior wall of a
building and of a type which can be retracted, folded, or collapsed against the face
of a supporting building.

b) Awning is a movable shelter supported entirely from an exterior wall of a

building and of a type which can be retracted, folded, or collapsed against the face
of a supporting building.

17
CHAPTER 10: Building Projection Over Public Streets
SECTION 1008. Corner Buildings with Chaflans
a) Every corner building or solid fence on a public street or alley less than 3.60
meters in width shall be truncated at the corner. The face of the triangle so formed
shall be at right angle to the bisector of the angle of the intersection of the street
lines, provided, that in no case shall the length of the chaflan be less than 4.00
meters.

18