Design Inspiration:

Site Analysis:

Building Laws to be Applied

National Building Code of the Philippines (PD 1096)

General Classification of Use/Character of Occupancy of Building/ Structure:

Division E-2 (Business and Mercantile in nature)

Zoning Classification: C-2 (Commercial Two or Medium Commercial)

Building Height Limit: 6-storeys/floors above established grade; 18.00 meters

above highest grade

Allowable Maximum Total Gross Floor Area by Type/Location of Lot: 12x75%

without firewall; 12x85% with firewall;

Excluded Floor Areas (non-GFA) as a Percentage (%) of the TGFA: 25%

Parking Area and Loading Space Requirements: In computing for parking slots, a
fraction of 50% and above shall be considered as one (1) car parking slot to be
provided. In all cases however, a minimum of one (1) car parking slot shall be
provided unless otherwise allowed under this Rule. Multi-floor parking garages may
serve the 20% parking requirements of the building/structure within 200.00 meter
radius, provided at least 80% of the parking requirements are complied with and
integrated in the building design.

Setbacks (20.00 to 24.00 RROW Width in meters): Front- 5m; Side- 3m; Rear- 3m

Maximum Allowable PSO: 75 without firewall ; 85 with firewall

Maximum Allowable ISA (Paved Open Spaces): 20 without firewall ; 10 with

firewall
Minimum USA (Unpaved Open Spaces): 5 without firewall ; 5 with firewall

TOSL d (ISA + USA): 25 without firewall ; 15 with firewall

Fire Code of the Philippines (RA 9514)

Classification of Occupancy: Assembly

a. Assembly occupancies include, but are not limited to, all buildings or
portions of buildings used for gathering together of fifty (50) or more persons
for such purposes as deliberation, worship, entertainment, eating, drinking,
amusement, awaiting transportation, or similar uses.

Mixed Occupancies

a. Refers to two or more classes of occupancies

occurring/located/situated/existing in the same building and/or structures so
intermingled that separate safeguards are impracticable.

b. The means of egress shall be sufficient to meet exit requirements for the
occupants of each individual room or section, and for the maximum occupant
load of the entire building. Fire safety construction, protective and warning
systems and other safeguards shall met requirements of the most hazardous
occupancy unless otherwise specified in Division 8 through 17 of this Chapter.

Occupant Load:
a. An assembly area of concentrated use without fixed seats such as an
auditorium, place of worship, dance floor, and lodge room: sixty-five
hundredths square meter (0.65 m2 ) per person.
b. An assembly area of less concentrated use such as conference room, dining
room, drinking establishment, exhibit room, gymnasium, or lounge: one and
four tenths square meters (1.4 m2 ) per person.
c. Standing room or waiting space: twenty-eight hundredths square meter (0.28
m2 ) per person.
d. The occupant load of an area having fixed seats shall be determined by the
number of fixed seats installed. Required aisle space serving the fixed seats
shall not be used to increase the occupant load.
e. Every room constituting a place of assembly and not having fixed seats shall
have the occupant load of the room posted in a conspicuous place near the
main exit from the room. Approved signages shall be maintained in legible
manner. Signs shall be durable and shall indicate the number of occupants
permitted for each room.
 f. In theaters and similar places of assembly where persons are admitted to the
building at times when seats are not available for them and are allowed to
wait in a lobby or similar space until seats are available, such use of lobby or
similar spaces shall not encroach upon the required clear width of exits. Such
waiting spaces shall be restricted to areas other than the required means of
egress. Exits shall be provided for such waiting spaces on the basis of one
person for each one-fourth square meter (0.25 m2 ) of waiting space area.
Such exits shall be in addition to the exits specified for the main auditorium
area and shall conform in construction and arrangement to the general rules
for exits given in this Division.
g. In areas not in excess of nine hundred thirty square meters (930 m2 ), the
occupant load shall not exceed one person in forty-six hundredths square
meter (0.46 m2 ); in areas in excess of nine hundred thirty square meters (930
m2 ), the occupant load shall not exceed one person in sixty-five hundredths
square meter (0.65 m2 ).

❖ SECTION 10.2.8.2 EXIT DETAILS

Minimum Number of Exit: The number of exit from any balcony, mezzanine, storey,
or portion thereof shall not be less than two (2), except when specifically permitted in
Division 8 through 20 of Chapter 2.

Location of Exits:
1. Main Exit - Every assembly occupancy shall be provided with a main exit. The
main exit shall be of sufficient width to accommodate one half (1/2) of the total
occupant load, but shall be not less than the total required width of all aisles, exit
passageways and stairways leading thereto, and shall connect to a stairway or ramp
leading to a street.
2. Other Exits - Each level of an assembly occupancy shall have access to the main
exit and an addition shall be provided with exits of sufficient width to accommodate
two-thirds (2/3) of the total occupant load served by that level. Such exits shall open
directly to a street or into an exit court, enclosed stairway, outside stairway, or exit
passageway leading to a street. Such exits shall be located as far apart and as far
from the main exits as practicable. Such exits shall be accessible from a cross aisle
or side aisle.

Minimum Corridor Width: The width of any exit access corridor serving fifty (50) or
more persons shall not be less than one and twelve-hundredths meters (1.12 m).

Travel Distance to Exits: Total length of travel from any point to reach an exit
should not exceed forty-six meters (46 m) in any place of assembly for spaces not
protected by approved, supervised sprinkler system and sixty-one meters (61 m) in
areas so protected.
Types of Exits:
a. Doors of the swinging type leading directly outside or through a lobby or
passageway leading to the outside of the building
b. Horizontal exits
c. Smoke proof enclosures
d. Stairs
e. Ramps

Panic Hardware: An exit door from in assembly occupancy shall not be provided
with a latch or lock unless it is a panic hardware.

Seating, Aisles and Railings:

1. Seating
a. The aisle access way between rows of seating shall have a clear width of
not less than three hundred five millimeters (305 mm) and this minimum shall
be increased by seven and six tenths millimeters (7.6 mm) for every seat over
a total of fourteen (14) but shall not exceed five hundred sixty millimeters (560
mm);

b. Rows of seating served by the aisles of doorways at both ends shall not
exceed one hundred (100) seats per row; 76

c. Rows of seating served by an aisle or doorway at one end only shall have a
path of travel not exceeding nine meters (9 m) in length, measured from the
farthest seat to an aisle.

2. Aisles
Every portion of any assembly building which contains seats, tables, displays,
equipment, or other materials shall be provided with aisles leading to exit as
follows:

a. When serving more than sixty (60) seats, every aisle shall be not less than
nine hundred fifteen millimeters (915 mm) when serving seats on one side
only, and not less than one thousand two hundred twenty millimeters (1,220
mm) when serving seats on both sides. Such minimum width shall be
measured at the point farthest from an exit, cross aisles, or foyer and shall be
increased in width by twenty-five millimeters (25 mm) for each meter in length
toward the exit, cross aisles, or foyer.

b. When serving sixty (60) seats or less, aisles shall be not less than seven
hundred sixty millimeters (760 mm) wide.

c. Aisles shall terminate in a cross aisle, foyer, or exit. The width of such cross
aisle, foyer, or exit shall be not less than the sum of the required width of the
 widest aisle plus fifty (50%) percent of the total required width of the
remaining aisles which it serves.

d. No dead-end aisle shall be greater than six and one tenth meters (6.1 m) in
length. In arena or thrust stage theaters, dead-end aisles at the stage shall
not exceed five rows beyond a cross aisle.

e. The length of travel to an exit door by any aisle shall be not greater than
forty-six meters (46 m).

f. Steps shall not be placed in aisles to overcome differences in level unless

the gradient exceeds twelve and a half percent (12.5%). Steps in aisles shall
conform to the requirement for stairs as to riser and tread.

g. The gradient of sloping aisles shall not exceed twelve and a half percent
(12.5%).

3. Railings
a. The fasciae of boxes, balconies and galleries shall have substantial railings
not less than six hundred sixty millimeters (660 mm) high above the floor.

b. The railings at the ends of aisles extending to the fasciae shall be not less
than seven hundred sixty millimeters (760 mm) high for the width of the aisle,
or nine hundred ten millimeters (910 mm) high if at foot of steps.

c. Cross aisles shall be provided with railings not less than six hundred sixty
millimeters (660 mm) high.

Lighting and Signs: All places of assembly shall have exit lighting in accordance
with Section 10.2.5.11 and signs in accordance with Section 10.2.5.12 of this RIRR.
All places of assembly shall be provided with emergency lighting.

❖ SECTION 10.2.8.8 PROTECTION

Protection from Hazards: Rooms or spaces used for hazardous equipment,

operations and process, such as but not limited to rooms containing high-pressure
vessels, refrigerating machineries, large transformers, or other service equipment;
rooms or spaces used for the storage, processing or use of boilers or furnaces,
combustible supplies, hazardous materials or flammable or combustible liquids; shall
not be directly located under or abutting required exits and shall be separated from
other parts of the building by fire barriers by construction of not less than one (1)
hour fire resistance rating.

Fire Detection and Alarm System:

 1. All assembly occupancies shall be provided with fire alarm system with manual
initiation; provided however, that where occupants of the building exceed three
hundred (300) persons, the initiation shall be through an automatic detection system.

2. The required fire alarm system shall activate an audible and visible alarm in a
constantly attended receiving station within the building when occupied for purposes
of initiating emergency action.

Extinguishing Requirement:
1. The following assembly occupancies with occupant load of one hundred fifty
(150) persons or more shall be protected throughout by an approved, supervised
automatic sprinkler system:
a. bars with live entertainment;
b. dance halls;
c. discotheques; and
d. assembly occupancies with festival seating.
Smoke Management: Public assembly buildings, structures or facilities with more
than fourteen (14) seats shall be provided with smoke management system in such a
way that the atmosphere shall not induce more than the acceptable limit by volume
of the contaminated atmosphere emanating from the fire area.

❖ SECTION 10.2.8.9 BUILDING SERVICES EQUIPMENT

Air Conditioning: All air conditioning, heating, and ventilation installations shall
comply with the provisions of Division 7 of this Chapter.

Special Provisions for Food Service Establishments: All devices in connection

with the preparation of food shall be installed and operated to avoid hazard to the
safety of occupants, and shall be installed and maintained in accordance with good
engineering practice.

❖ SECTION 10.2.8.10 EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN AND OCCUPANT

LOAD CAPACITY

Emergency evacuation plan, in accordance with Section 10.2.5.13 of this

RIRR, shall be submitted to the C/MFM having jurisdiction. Such plan shall
also include the capacity and location of the exit ways and aisles, and shall be
displayed prominently in the premises.

❖ SECTION 10.2.8.11 OVERCROWDING

 No person shall permit the overcrowding or admittance of any person beyond
the approved capacity of any place of public assembly. The C/MFM having
jurisdiction, upon finding any overcrowding condition or obstruction in aisles,
passageways or other means of egress, or upon finding any condition which
constitutes a serious menace to life, shall cause the performance,
presentation, or entertainment to be stopped until the condition or obstruction
is corrected.

❖ SECTION 10.2.8.18 OPEN FLAME

No person shall cause or permit any open flame to be used in any place of
public assembly, or drinking or eating establishments, except when used in
conjunction with approved heating or cooking appliances or under a written
permit from the C/MFM having jurisdiction.

BP 344 - Accessibility Law

Walkways + Passages

⦁ Walkways should be kept as level as possible and provided with slip-resistant material.
⦁ Maximum gradient: 1:20
⦁ Maximum cross gradient: 1:100
⦁ Minimum width: 1.20 m
⦁ Minimum walkway headroom: 2.00 m
⦁ Adjacent plantings, street furniture, bollards, signposts, columns, etc. should not
obstruct walkways or reduce them to less than the minimum required clearances.

Handrails

⦁ Handrails should be installed at both sides of ramps and stairs and at outer edges of
dropped curbs.
⦁ Handrails shall be installed at 0.90 m and 0.70 m above steps or ramps.
⦁ For protection at great heights, they may be installed at 1.0 m to 1.06 m
⦁ A 0.30 m long extension of the handrail should be provided at the start and end of
ramps and stairs.
⦁ Handrails should have a width of 30 mm to 50 mm.
⦁ Handrails attached to walls should have a clearance no less than 50 mm from the wall.
Handrails on ledges should have a clearance not less than 40 mm.
Open Spaces

Where open spaces are provided, the blind can become particularly
disoriented. Therefore, it is extremely helpful if any walkway or paths can be given
defined edges either by the use of planters with dwarf walls, or a grass verge, or
similar, which provides a texture different from the path.

Signages

⦁ Signs should be located at points conveniently seen even by a person on a wheelchair

and those with visual impairments.
⦁ Should be simple and easy to understand.
⦁ Use contrasting colors and contrasting grey values.
⦁ Signs on walls and doors should be located at a maximum height of 1.60 m and a
minimum height of 1.40 m.
⦁ Signages labelling public rooms and places should have raised symbols, letters, or
numbers with minimum height of 1 mm.
⦁ Braille symbols should be included in signs indicating public places and safety routes

Crossings
In order to reduce exposure time to vehicular traffic, all at grade crossing should:
⦁ Be as near perpendicular to the carriageway as possible.
⦁ Be located at the narrowest, most convenient part of the carriageway.
⦁ Have central refuge of at least 1.50 m in depth and preferably 2 m, provided as a
mid-crossing shelter, where the width of the carriageway to be crossed exceeds 10 m.
⦁ All crossings should be located close if not contiguous with the normal
pedestrian desire line.

Parking

Accessible Parking Slot Requirement

Where parking spaces are required to be provided, the number of accessible parking
lots for vehicles driven by persons with disabilities or vehicles with passengers with
disabilities shall be in accordance with table below:
⦁ Parking spaces for the disabled should allow enough space for a person to transfer to a
wheelchair from a vehicle.
⦁ Accessible parking spaces should be located as close as possible to building entrances or
to accessible entrances.
⦁ Whenever and wherever possible, accessible parking spaces should be perpendicular or
to an angle to the road or circulation aisles.
⦁ Accessible parking slots should have a minimum width of 3.70 m.
⦁ A walkway from accessible spaces of 1.20 m. clear width shall be provided between the
front ends of parked cars.
⦁ Provide signages and never locate the parking slot in sloping areas.

❖ Inside Buildings: Minimum Accessibility Requirements

Entrances

⦁ Entrances should be accessible from arrival and departure points to the interior lobby.
⦁ In case entrances are not on the same level of the site arrival grade, ramps should be
provided as access to the entrance level.
⦁ Entrances with vestibules shall be provided a level area with at least a 1.80 m depth and
a 1.50 m width.

Ramps

⦁ Changes in level require a ramp except when served by a dropped curb, an elevator or
other mechanical device.
⦁ Minimum clear width of ramps: 1.20 m.
⦁ Maximum gradient of ramps: 1.12
⦁ Ramps shall be equipped with curbs on both sides with a minimum height of 0.10 m.
⦁ Any ramp with a rise greater than 0.20 m and leads down towards a vehicular area
should have a railing across the full width of its lower end hot less than 1.80 m from the
foot of the ramp.

Doors

⦁ All doors shall have a minimum clear width of 0.80 m.

⦁ Out-swinging doors should be provided at storage rooms, closets, and accessible
restroom stalls.
⦁ Latching or non-latching hardware should not require wrist action or fine finger
manipulation.
⦁ Doorknobs and other hardware should be located between 0.82 m and 1.06 m above
the floor; 0.90 m is preferred.
⦁ Vertical pull handles, centered at 1.06 m above the floor, are preferred to horizontal pull
bars for swing doors or doors with locking devices.
⦁ Doors along major circulation routes should be provided with kick plates made of
durable materials at a height of 0.30 m to 0.40 m.
Thresholds
⦁ Thresholds shall be kept to a minimum; whenever necessary, thresholds and sliding
door tracks shall have a maximum height of 25 mm and preferably ramped.

Switches

⦁ Manual switches shall be positioned within 1.20 m to 1.30 m above the floor.
⦁ Manual switches should be located no further than 0.20 m from the latch side of the
door.

Corridors

⦁ Minimum width of corridors: 1.20 m.

⦁ Provide turnabout spaces with a minimum area of 1.50 m x 1.50 m at a maximum of
12.00 m.
⦁ Turnabout spaces should also be provided at a dead end within 3.50 m of every dead
end.
Toilets

⦁ Accessible water closet stalls shall have a minimum area of 1.70 m x 1.80 m.
⦁ The maximum height of water closets: 0.45 m.
⦁ Maximum height of flush control: 1.20 m

Washrooms & Toilets

⦁ Minimum number of PWD toilet stalls (per sex):

1. if the number of water closets is 20 or less.
2. if the number of water closets is more than 20.
⦁ The signage for men’s washroom door shall be an equilateral triangle, 300 mm per side,
with the vertex pointing upward.
⦁ The signage for the women’s washroom shall be a circle with a 300 mm diameter.
⦁ The totally blind could touch the edge of the signs and easily determine whether it is
straight or curved.
⦁ Maximum height of lavatories: 0.80 m
⦁ For lavatories, provide a knee recess of 0.60 – 0.70 m high and 0.50 m deep.
⦁ Urinals should have an elongated lip. The maximum height or the lip should be 0.48 m.

Stairs

⦁ Tread surfaces should be a slip-resistant material; nosings may be provided with slip-
resistant strips to further minimize slipping.
⦁ Slanted nosings are preferred to projecting nosing or open stringers.
⦁ The nosing should be marked with a color and gray value which is in high contrast to
the gray value of the rest of the stairs.
⦁ A tactile stip 0.30 m wide shall be installed before hazardous areas such as sudden
changes in floor levels and at the top and bottom of stairs.

Elevators

⦁ All elevators provided in a building shall include suitable provisions for persons with
sensory impairments and ambulant PWD as a means of access from one level to another.
⦁ It is recommended that all elevators should be made accessible to PWDs. Where
different elevators are programmed to serve certain floors during ordinary or peak
periods, the elevator that is designated for PWDs should be programmed to serve all
floors.

Elevator Cars

⦁ Accessible elevators should be located not more than 30.00 m from the entrance and
should be easy to locate with the aid of directional signs.
⦁ Accessible elevators shall be provided with handrails mounted at a height of 900mm
from the finish floor.
⦁ Accessible elevator cars shall have a minimum clear dimension of 1400 mm in depth
and 1200 mm in width, with a clear door opening of not less than 900 mm.

Materials for the proposed design:

● Concrete - considered as a chemically combined mass where the inert
material acts as a filler and the binding materials act as a binder. The most
important binding materials are cement and lime.
➢ Advantages: it is inexpensive, quick and becomes stronger and more
durable with time.
➢ Disadvantages: it is susceptible to water and freezing temperatures,
meaning that water can seep into cracks and cause damage to the
concrete.

● Glass
➢ Advantages:
1. Transparency
2. Dustproof and waterproof
3. UV stable
4. Weather and rust resistant
5. Aesthetically appealing
6. Easily moulded
7. Insulator of Electricity
8. Abrasion resistance
9. Sustainable
10. Visible Transmittance

➢ Disadvantages:
1. Brittle
2. Expensive
3. Etching on glass surface
4. Corrosion due to alkali solution
5. Heat absorbent and transparency
Technology For Museums:

Computation:

Table VII.2 Allowable Maximum Total Gross Floor Area (TGFA) Based on the
Allowed Percentage of Site Occupancy (PSO) of the Total Lot Area (TLA)

Without firewall With firewall

TGFA = (7,908.10 x 75%)x12 TGFA = (7,908.10 x 85%)x12
= 71, 172.90 sqm = 80,662.62 sqm

Table VIII.1 Reference Table of Maximum Allowable PSO, Maximum Allowable

Impervious Surface Area (ISA), Maximum Allowable Construction Area (MACA),
Minimum Unpaved Surface Area (USA), and the Total Open Space within Lot
(TOSL) by Type of Land Use Zoning per Lot

Without firewall With firewall

PSO = 7,908.10 x 75% PSO = 7,908.10 x 85%
= 5931.08 sqm = 6,721.89 sqm

ISA = 7,908.10 x 20% ISA = 7,908.10 x 10%

= 1581.62 sqm = 790.81 sqm

MACA = 5931.08 + 1581.62 MACA = 6,721.89 + 790.81

= 7512.70 sqm = 7512.70 sqm
USA = 7,908.10 x 5% USA = 7,908.10 x 5%
= 395.41 sqm = 395.41 sqm

TOSL = 1581.62 + 395.41 TOSL = 790.81 + 395.41

= 1977.03 sqm = 1186.22 sqm

*check:

(1977.03 / 7,908.10) x 100 (1186.22 / 7,908.10) x 100

= 25 % = 15 %

Table VIII.3 Minimum Setbacks for Commercial, Industrial. Institutional and

Recreational Buildings
Table VIII.G.6. Minimum Total Open Space within Lot (TOSL) Requirements by Lot
Type/Location

AMBF TOSL AMBF TOSL

Table VII.2 5931.08 1977.02 6721.89 1186.21

Table VIII.1 5931.08 1977.03 6721.89 1186.22

Table VIII.3

Table VIII.G.6

What is the Allowable Maximum building Footprint (AMBF) to be applied in the

project?

Without firewall With firewall

AMBF = 5931.08 sqm = 6,721.89 sqm

What is the allowable Total Open Space within Lot (TOSL) to be applied in the
project?
Without firewall With firewall
TOSL = 1977.02 sqm = 1186.22 sqm
References