STUDENT NAMES

DELA TORRE, GLYRAH MARIE S. & RUELO, STEFFANY O.

DATE

Novermber 5, 2021

TITLE OF THESIS

TRANSITORY SHELTER RELIEF: A Sustainable and Resilient Integrated Evacuation

Center for disaster-affected communities in Cebu City

THESIS STATEMENT

The study “Transitory Shelter Relief” is an evacuation center development for disaster-
affected communities in Cebu City that emphasizes sustainability and resiliency. Natural and
man-made catastrophes are inevitable especially that the Philippines is considered to be one
of the topmost vulnerable countries prone to natural disasters and extreme climate impacts.
The aftermath of these natural disasters will lead to gathering disaster-affected people in
evacuation centers which are the government’s primary solution to ensure the safety and
protection of the people.

Existing government facilitated evacuation centers are usually accessible areas such
as municipal and barangay halls, basketball courts, multi-purpose buildings, day-care centers,
public schools, churches, and sometimes private residences. These appointed evacuation
centers are not built for such purposes but are still utilized as temporary shelters for the
evacuees due to the lack of evacuation centers in certain areas of the city.

The transitory shelter development is to be evaluated through its efficacy in providing

safety and protection to the affected communities, its capacity to cater a large number of
evacuees, its accessibility and distance from the disaster-affected areas and any immediate
support conducted by multiple foundations and government organizations. Moreover, the
transitory shelter is designed to provide the evacuees with a safe, sustainable, and resilient
evacuation space during disaster and post-disaster for better disaster response.
PROGRAM

The researchers chose this topic as one of the three topics to be selected since the
Philippines is frequently affected by natural disasters such as typhoons, flooding, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and landslides. Thus, more accessible evacuation centers are needed to
aid those who are affected by these catastrophic events. Moreover, the researchers have
perceived that areas in Cebu City are deprived of evacuation centers that are fit for the
purpose. In the Philippines, most of the accessible buildings near the disaster-affected sites
are used as transitory shelters due to the lack of fit-for-purpose evacuation centers in the
respective municipalities and areas.

These accessible buildings would accommodate a large number of people; however,

some areas have unavoidable dilemmas such overcrowding that will lead to further problems.
These problems include invasion of privacy, robbery and infections due to the proximity of the
users. In addition, the existing buildings are not built to mainly accommodate and serve the
needs of the evacuees. Thus, more suited evacuation shelters with the proper minimum
design requirements should be developed especially in a frequently visited country like the
Philippines because it will impact future disaster preparedness and response.

SITE

The site of the transitory shelter development will be in Cebu City because it is the
heart of Cebu and it would mean that this establishment would be able to accommodate a
huge number of the people living in the area. To choose a specific and potential location for
the transitory shelter, the researchers will use site selection. In determining the criteria for the
site selection, the researchers will base from the Guidelines for Local Government Units on
the Strengthening of Evacuation Systems using the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Fund (LDRRMF) conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG).

In establishing resilient evacuation centers, the site of the facility should be selected
based on the area’s safety and susceptibility to disasters such as landslides, flooding, storm
surges, etc. The transitory shelter shall also not be constructed near structures where human-
generated disasters are most likely to happen such as power plants, factories, military camps,
etc. The facility should be located away from potential and secondary hazards, applying the
National Building Code provisions and should withstand at least 8.0 magnitude of moderate
seismic activity and 300-kilometers per hour wind speeds. It should also be located to
capacitate immediate aid and easy access to basic goods, services, and vehicular
transportation means before, during, and after a catastrophic occurrence.

TECHNOLOGY

The evacuation center is designed for providing the disaster-affected communities with
transitory shelter relief in Cebu City that emphasizes sustainability and resiliency. Based on
the minimum requirements under Guidelines for Local Government Units on the Strengthening
of Evacuation Systems using the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund
(LDRRMF), good air ventilation and natural light shall be implemented and ensured in the
process. It shall be developed with the use of local materials and construction applying modern
technology.

Vernacular materials such as wood is a preferable material to impart the idea of

sustainability, and reinforced concrete to add volume, robustness and refuge during
catastrophic events. Solar panels are good sustainable and renewable features that contribute
to the reduction of fossil fuels and energy imports. Rainwater collection systems and bioswale
installations are good for reducing water pollution and promoting water conservation. They are
also cost effective which is advantageous to the development of the transitory shelter.

The idea of sustainability and resiliency in the development of the study reduces the
risk of health problems that the users may experience. Generally, the purpose of applying
proper ventilation in buildings is to provide healthy air that is needed especially for the users
inside the facility. If the building is not properly ventilated and there’s the lack of air circulation,
pollution builds up inside generating new sets of problems for the evacuees. Furthermore, the
building shall be resilient to provide refuge for the users and to achieve the objective of the
evacuation center which is to provide safety and protection for the evacuees.

CONTEXT

The transitory shelter relief project will be built in Cebu City as mentioned in the
previous parts. The site will be developed in an urban area where rapid urbanization occurs
which increases disaster vulnerability. After natural disasters like earthquakes or typhoons
and floods such as the aftermath of the Super Typhoon Yolanda, one of the strongest tropical
cyclones recorded that happened in 2013 that caused massive death and destruction in the
Philippines, construction of more accessible evacuation centers is entailed to provide the
necessary services for the afflicted communities caused by natural and man-made disasters.
Moreover, the thesis project will be suitable in the existing culture by using robust and
sustainable design solutions.

This study provides contributions in the field of Architecture. Evacuation centers are
treated as improvised structures that can be utilized for other functional buildings since they’re
just temporary shelters. However, these structures are not constructed for the sole purpose of
providing all the needs and demands of the evacuees. Through this study, people will be aware
of the importance of evacuation centers especially during disaster events, and encourage
them to build more safe spaces for the community that are suitable for the purpose. They can
also be utilized as community halls during non-disaster situations and not for other functions.
This study will also aid the people in preparation for future catastrophic events and the
enhancement of effective management of evacuation measures.

RESOURCES

BBC News. “Philippines Typhoon: Trail of destruction on Cebu Island”, 2013

UNICEF Philippines. “Building Safe Spaces for the Community”, 2018

Department of the Interior and Local Government. “DILG Memocircular”, 2018

ESSC Org. “Design Development: Evacuation Centers/Eastern Samar”, 2014

One of the inspirations of the Transitory Shelter Relief Project is the Streetlight Tagpuro in
Tacloban City. It is a collaborative design of a study center, office, and orphanage by Eriksson
Furunes Architects and Leandro V. Locsin Partners and Boase. It is also a sustainable and
resilient reconstruction project involving the community in the construction that began after
Super-typhoon Yolanda hit Tacloban City. Through participatory workshops, the structure was
developed. The design process also helped the people deal with their devastation and trauma
from the typhoon incident. (FloorNature, 2018)

Another inspiration of the evacuation center is the “Agoy-Ayos” Project by Sheila O.

Angeles, Franklin Jr. S. Fontanoza, and Niño Jess T. Pactao. It is a landscape design project
that focuses on public parks as transitory evacuation centers. The designers of this project
envision a public park that would serve as a transitory evacuation center designed in a
functional and visually pleasing landscape. (Angeles et al.,2005)
 Part of the structures that inspired the Transitory Shelter Relief Project is the Fit-for-
purpose Cyclone Shelter Building in Bangladesh. It is a project by Kashef Mahboob Chowdry
in which the designed exterior circulation buffers the interior from the sun, wind, and rain.
(ESSC org, 2014)
TITLE OF THESIS

PARKING POINT: A Parking Facility in downtown Cebu City using sustainable

and Green Architecture

THESIS STATEMENT

This paper aims to build a Parking Facility to help reduce traffic congestion in
Cebu City. It has been one of the significant issues in the city, especially in downtown Cebu.
Since the city downtown has narrow right road of ways and most of the structures are built
from edge to edge of the lot, the movement has become hampered and suffocating as a result
of parallel parking on both ways. Additionally, jeepneys and buses do not have decent location
to stop and wait for passengers that had also caused the traffic dilemma in which instead of
three lanes, it reduced to just one lane. The project will be determined through how adequate
it will be to the general public, how it affects the area surrounding it, and its capacity extent to
how much vehicles it can take.

PROGRAM

The researchers chose the topic after experiencing the impact Cebu traffic does
to each of our time and schedules. In downtown Cebu, driving in circles and floating cars are
common especially if drivers have not found a spot to park yet. It resulted to delays on
appointment, violations, and bumper to bumper accidents. The roadways mostly cut down to
only one lane which made a domino effect throughout the area, spreading a much wider traffic
reach. The encounter inspired the researchers to address the problem in order to ease the
user’s daily circumstances.

Parking Point is a multi-level carpark accommodated with activities and uses

that includes a commercial space for various functions, a terminal for the transport jeepneys
and buses, sustainable features to create an efficient structure that evolves on both design
and quality, and spacious parking floors that can take in a large capacity of vehicles.
SITE

The site for the Parking Point project is in downtown Cebu City where the
busiest street, Colon St., is situated. The specific ground for the project is not yet specified.
However, to decide a potential area, a site selection with a criterion shall be followed in
choosing a proper location for the structure.

Its site shall have a strong foundation that can carry a huge capacity of vehicles,
from a motorcycle and small hatchback to a delivery truck. It should have a vast space that
can accommodate the ramps needed for the facility. Parking Point should also be built where
it can be easily found and identified. It should be located at the center to give easy access and
is just walkable to anywhere in the area.

TECHNOLOGY

Parking Point is a sustainable design structure with green architecture. This

project shall acquire solar panels to reduce the electricity and power consume of the building
seeing that the vehicles are already exhausting too much pollution to the environment. It is
only best to minimize draining up the ecosystem’s energy. Rainwater catchment system shall
also be implemented to preserve the use of water, especially on the facility’s green features.

CONTEXT

The site context for Parking Point still follows a criterion since there is no
specific location yet. Nonetheless, an appropriate site context for the parking facility is that it
is in an urban area and it is in the middle of the downtown that connects in all over the place
for the people to access. Through this, it can help in gathering the general public and increase
the social and economic status of the area.

Since generation today mostly deals with newly developed technologies and
vehicles, they are getting plenty and occupying more territory than before, this project would
fit in giving vehicles space for themselves. Through this facility, the traffic jam that they are
causing will lessen and in the near future, this would be very essential to the people.
RESOURCES

Sunstar. (2020, January 3). No more pay parking on Cebu City roadsides? Retrieved
November 5, 2021, from Sunstar website:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1838492/Cebu/Local-News/No-more-pay-parking-
on-Cebu-City-roadsides
Parmar, J., Das, P., & Dave, S. M. (2020). Study on demand and characteristics of
parking system in urban areas: A review. Journal of Traffic and Transportation
Engineering (English Edition), 7(1), 111–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtte.2019.09.003
Parking Facilities | WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide. (2021). Retrieved
November 5, 2021, from Wbdg.org website: https://www.wbdg.org/building-
types/parking-facilities

INPIRATION-LIST:

T3 Parking Structure, Austin, Texas

East Parking Building of Sanya Phoenix International Airport, Sanya, China

Parking Building IMEC, Leuven, Belgium

TITLE OF THESIS

HEALTH SANCTUARY: A Wellness and Therapeutic Medical Center in Mambaling

Cebu City adapting the New Normal

THESIS STATEMENT

The study “Health Sanctuary” is a wellness and therapeutic medical center in

Mambaling Cebu City adapting the new normal in the development. With the new normal being
brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot has changed and wreaked a devastating impact on
human life and the economy. Thus, the current health protocols in response to the new normal
must be implemented in the development of the Health Sanctuary. In the general sphere,
Wellness Centers are recognized as a place where people go for health counseling, physical
therapy, fitness, and many other programs. The Health Sanctuary is an enhanced project that
will provide the users with the necessary information, advice, and knowledge regarding
techniques and on how to heal and prevent illness. The project functions as a health
counseling and a medical center which is well equipped with the latest technologies that will
help attract a large number of users.
Many Wellness Centers are not long-lasting wherein they just disappear in a flash
because they lack things that would not suffice the needs of the users. Many people as well
are oblivious that this type of facility can be many things and could provide different clientele
and services. In the current situation in the Philippines where a pandemic is still happening,
people are not just to only ones who are affected but ongoing construction of buildings and
many existing establishments as well. Thus, this thesis seeks to find solutions on how to
develop a Wellness and Therapeutic Medical Center in response to the new normal. This study
will also guide people to a better lifestyle even in the long run.

PROGRAM

The researchers chose this topic because healthcare is one of the dilemmas that the
Philippines is facing today. Many people are in demand of assistance regarding their health,
mental, and physical state especially today that the pandemic has taken a toll on them. The
adaptation of the current health protocols is necessitated in the development of facilities and
establishments to ensure the safety and protection of the users.
Building the Wellness and Therapeutic Medical Center “Health Sanctuary” in
Mambaling Cebu City could solve the healthcare issues encountered by the different users.
This facility also focuses on health characteristics ― mental, physical, external, and internal.
The facility offers health counselling, health risk assessment programs, and physical fitness
programs. To ensure that the users are bound to receive proper healing, recovery and
comfort, the Health Sanctuary will be setting up gyms inside, employing trained staff, licensed
dietitians, nutritionists and therapists, and yoga and fitness classes.

SITE

The site of the Health Sanctuary development will be in Cebu City, specifically in
Mambaling City. The researchers will use site selection in choosing the potential location for
the said facility, and it will be in Mambaling since there are a lot of vacant lots in the vicinity.
According to a website about the beginner’s guide to setting up a wellness center, the location
of the facility should be constructed in an area where access to vehicle transportation is easy.
The facility should be strategically located where there is no other wellness or medical center
in the vicinity, anticipating that the facility is desirable in cities. It is suggested that the facility
should be in a less populated residential area where basic needs and services are accessible.

TECHNOLOGY
The concept of technology that the study aims is to provide a sustainable and cost-
effective construction to the Health Sanctuary. These technologies could positively impact the
environment. Not only advantages to the environment but also towards the interiors of the
building. Using sustainable and cost-effective technologies in the design would impact the
reduction of pollution that would possibly affect the users. Applying sustainable technology in
the facility will lead to fewer health risks, enhance marketability, and improve overall
productivity, which are all beneficial in the development of the facility.

CONTEXT
The Health Sanctuary will be built in Mambaling, Cebu City. It shall be established in
an urban area and located where in it can be easily accessed by the general that wishes to
use the sanctuary. It can help in developing the people’s social experiences wherein it can
create a new community inside a community. The project contributes to Architecture in a way
that helps the people not only because of how it will look like but most importantly to how it
can benefit and give the people the comfort they needed.
RESOURCES
The Many Benefits of Wellness Centers - Medical Transformation Center. (2019,
September 9). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from Medical Transformation Center
website: https://medicaltransformationcenter.com/the-many-benefits-of-wellness-
centers/
Design for Wellness – Evoking Beauty, Nature and Welcome | i+s. (2021). Retrieved
November 5, 2021, from i+s website: https://iands.design/articles/33097/design-
wellness-evoking-beauty-nature-and-welcome
Florim. (2019). Design of spas and wellness centres: principal guidelines. Retrieved
November 5, 2021, from Florim.com website: https://blog.florim.com/en/design-of-
spas-and-wellness-centres-principal-guidelines

INSPIRATION-LIST:

Mashouf Wellness Center, San Francisco, U.S.

Schacht Center for Health and Wellness

Navya’s Wellness Center

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

The researchers of this thesis are:

Personal Data

Name: Glyrah Marie S. Dela Torre

Address: Sitio Proper Guibuangan, Barili, Cebu

Email address: glyrahmariedelatorre@gmail.com

Educational Background:

Tertiary: Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Cebu Institute of Technology - University

N. Bacalso Ave, Cebu City, Philippines

June 2018 - April 2023

Secondary: Cebu Institute of Technology - University

N. Bacalso Ave, Cebu City, Philippines

June 2016 - April 2018

Shelomith Learning Center

H. Alquizola St., Poblacion, Barili, Cebu

June 2012 - April 2016

Name: Steffany O. Ruelo

Address: Upper Lucimba, Brgy. Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City

Email address: steffanyruelo@gmail.com

Educational Background:

Tertiary: Bachelor of Science in Architecture

Cebu Institute of Technology - University

N. Bacalso Ave, Cebu City, Philippines

June 2018 - April 2023

Secondary: Cebu Institute of Technology - University

N. Bacalso Ave, Cebu City, Philippines

June 2016 - April 2018

Cebu Sacred Heart College

Lawaan I, Talisay City, Cebu

June 2012 - April 2016