PONTIFICAL AND ROYAL

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

College of Architecture
A.Y. 2022 - 2023, 1st Term

A Research Component

Presented to the Faculty of Architectural Design Department

University of Santo Tomas

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for Architectural Design 7

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SEVEN

BAY, Ygima R. | 4AR6 | Ar. Joey de Vera
Research on Nacpan, Palawan Beach Resort

October 2022
 PART I : INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN PROBLEM

The island of the Philippines is geographically gifted in terms of both land and water forms -

making the archipelago a region where tourism greatly flourishes; and over the years and through the

help of technology and social media, the evident sprawl of traveling to different places has become a

lot more evident. Moreover, there are still a lot of undiscovered islands and regions that the

Philippines has to offer, one of which is the island of Palawan to which boasts clusters of smaller

islands and magnificent views of both rock formations and islands.

Due to the deprivation of travel that people all around the world have experienced due to the

pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, these places of tourism are still slowly regaining back their

individual legacies and one aspect that was greatly affected is the sector of hotel and hospitality. To

which, designers must be able to offer new and unique experiences that will help aid the recovery of

the latter. In this project, designers are tasked to alleviate the current conditions and further promote

leisure and tourism while still being able to provide great architecture that makes a vacation

remarkable for the people and the world.

PART II: RELATED LITERATURE

Meaningful Experiences

The development of hotel and accommodation services in the country has been continuously

sprawling and emerging. With new technologies also come new innovations and amenities to offer.

Marschall (2012), tourists are more probable to revisit a destination where they have had memorable

experiences. Further, in the country, competition among hoteliers has been increasing and one way to

encourage visitors to come is to offer unique experiences and new amenities guests could experience.

One way to inculcate a meaningful and unique experience is to dive into the cultures and traditions of

a region and this idea is supported by Innovations of the World who stated that meaningful travel

1
experiences allows travelers to visit destinations with the knowledge that in doing so, they are

supporting local people and businesses in honest work, they are deeply immersing themselves in other

cultures, and they are experiencing a destination meaningfully. This idea could be very much applied

in the Philippine scene since the archipelago offers a wide spectrum of diverse culture, traditions and

customs that are refel;ected through food, rituals, lores and even architecture. Further, a visitor of a

foreign place seeks for new experiences one can keep and create a core memory of.

Characteristics of a Good Hotel

The overall experience of travel and leisure in a particular region is affected and influenced by

the place of accomodation like that of hotels. A pleasant stay can give a perception of a good memory;

when guests are offered services and amenities that provide them peace, relaxation, and comfort, they

tend to remember these experiences and urges them to come back and or experience the same the next

time they are around. In a hotel where these qualities are sufficiently present, travelers from far and

wide won’t mind visiting the hotel either for a vacation tour, dinner party, or a private meeting where

they look forward to enjoying such a hotel’s rich qualities (Washington Place, 2020)

First off the list is the prime location of a hotel; this aspect plays a big role in the selection of

guests in accommodations. When places to stay like hotels are accessible and near to desired

destinations of guests, it is most likely that it would be a good choice for accommodation. Hotel

location selection is core to future management strategies at destinations. Additionally knowledge of

the determinants of hotel location selection factors is key to ensuring coherent spatial planning at the

destinations (Adam, 2013). Second is the offered quality of service in a hotel. When hotels are

hygienic and neat, offer fast services and accommodate the needs of each guest, it is probable that

visitors and travelers will repeat their stay. The quality of the cleanliness and sanitation standards is

bound to have a higher impact on travelers than ever before and this means that the hotel's reputation

also stands in the balance (Badiu, 2021). Next factor to be considered by visitors and guests is the

comfortability the hotel can offer. The main purpose of such typology is to provide guests a pleasant

2
stay after a long journey from one destination to another. Hotels constantly seek new ways to make

their guests more comfortable, incorporating amenities that increase comfort draws in new guests and

keeps existing customers loyal to the brand (Zen, 2018).

How ratings affects how people decide which hotel to stay in

In travelling, after deciding which country and city to go to, generally what’s next for them is

choosing the place where they think they’d enjoy and make the most out of their rest and recovery

time the most. On the internet, there are multiple websites that you can visit in order to review and

research more about the recommended hotels with the help of previous users of the respective hotels.

This gives users a good background and more reasons why they should choose a hotel over the other

choices. Forbes Travel Guide is one of the most popular websites to visit when it comes to this.

According to them, word of mouth surely does matter when it comes to hotel recommendations, but

star ratings from popular rating websites definitely adds more weight on a choice. (Hotel Industry:

Everything You Need to know about hotels! , 2022).

How client profiling allows hotels to have an effective and efficient market.

For any other businesses, client profiling is very important because this is what dictates what

kind of business you will establish aside from it being a service oriented business. Demographics and

neighborhood analysis is primarily the benchmark for hotels of how they are going to approach the

community for them to use their facilities, and what kinds of facilities would these demographics

enjoy that will set them apart from the rest when compared to other hotels. ( Sangree, 2021 )

3
 PART III: SITE AND USER ANALYSIS

Listed below are the perceived users of the Beach Resort:

1. Families

2. Couples

3. Professionals

4. Local and Foreign Tourists

5. Hotel Management and Administration

6. Security and Sanitation Staff

PRIMARY USERS SECONDARY USERS TERTIARY USERS

Families, Couples, Hotel Lobbyists and Security Staff

Professionals, Tourists Receptionists - For the overall safety
- Vacation and bonding time - - to accommodate and security of all
visitors and guests users within the site

Retail Store Staffers Sanitation Staff

- Persons from in-site - To ensure cleanliness
retail shops of the site internally
and externally
Restaurant Staffers
- Persons responsible for
the provision of food
and beverage services

Compacted Site Analysis

Image Source: Google Maps | Nacpan Beach, El Nido, Palawan

Lot Size: 200 meters x 100 meters; Lot Area: 20000 square meters

4
I. A. Relevant Geographical and Climatic Data of Nacpan, El Nido

- Situated in Palawan, Region 4, Philippines, its geographical coordinates are 11° 19' 23"

North, 119° 25' 48" East and its original name (with diacritics) is Nacpan.

- Located 17 kms. north of El Nido town, in Sitio Calitang, Nacpan Beach

- Coined as the “Boracay of El Nido”, Nacpan beach boasts a 4 kilometer stretch of unsoiled

chalk-like sand and crystal clear waters

- In El Nido, the wet season is overcast, the dry season is windy and partly cloudy, and it is

warm and oppressive year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies

from 79°F to 86°F and is rarely below 77°F or above 88°F.

II. Comprehensive Site Analysis

Geographical Data of the Site

- Site is located along the 4km. stretch of Nacpan Coastline in El Nido, Palawan.

- Site is relatively flat embedded with tall coconut trees and small shrubs

- No available road networks connecting the site from the main road

- View of the beach is along the west direction; Mountain view is along the north\

Community and Social Aspect Analysis

- Small town of Nacpan with small community of locals

- Visited by tourists coming from different parts of the world

- Public access is only available through the beach frontage

- Protected by Palawan’s rules and regulations on zoning ordinances

Sensory Details

- Sights: Panoramic view of the Nacpan Beach

- Hearing: General Community Noise; No presence of vehicular traffic; Pleasant waves

- Touch/Feel:Cool ocean breeze from amihan/habagat winds; Particularly hot during summer

season

- Smell: Pleasant Smell from surrounding sea and unpolluted community of Nacpan

5
 PART IV: LAWS AND STANDARDS

NBCP - National Building Code of the Philippines

Occupancy: Group E - Business and MErcantile (Commercial); Division E-1

Zoning Classification: C-1 (Commercial One or Light Commercial)

Parking Space Dimensions:

a. for an average automobile

2.50 meters by 5.00 meters (parallel and diagonal)

2.15 meters by 6.00 meters (perpendicular)

b. for jeepney or shuttle

3.00 meters by 9.00 meters

c. for a standard truck or bus

3.60 meters by 12.00 meters

BP 344 – Accessibility Law

Graphic Signs Shall be installed in accesses; On walls and doors (max height of

1.60 and min of 1.40 m) for readability

Walkways and 0.70 m to 1.20 m (min.) for wheelchair access; Gradient of no

Corridors more than 1:20/5%

Handrails Installed both sides at 0.70m and 0.90m above steps

Open Spaces Must provide defined edges through dwarf walls or planters

Ramps Min. clear width of 1.20m with max gradient of 1:12

6
 PART V: SPACE PROGRAM AND ANALYSIS

Lower ground floor is deemed as a necessary space for the lower floor of the Back of the

House which shall accommodate deliveries, maintenance, parking spaces and staff areas. The Upper

Ground Floor Plan on the other hand accommodates the different administrative offices, general

amenities like the main lobby complete with elevators and grand staircase, restaurant space and other

spaces deemed necessary like that of retail stores as well as a gym area.

7
The upper floors of the hotel building are focused on the provision of hotel rooms of different sizes to

which guest could choose from. The size of the typical 2nd-3rd floor rooms are approximately 43

square meters in area while the 4th floor offers almost double with 86 square meters in area.

Additionally, main lobbies are provided together with long and open air corridors that are stretching

end to end of the building wing. Moreso, the back of the house is connected from the lower ground up

to the upper floors of the edifice to provide a seamless transition of maintenance and services

throughout the hotel building.

8
 PART V: CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT

The idea of travel for leisure has been continuously flourishing and growing over the recent

decades, making it possible to innovate and rediscover new systems and gimmicks for hoteliers. The

Nacpan beach, uncommon to some but prestige to the many, offers a spectacular and serene option for

people who would want to get away from the buzzing of the city. Moreover, the working concept of

the project is targeted towards providing a holistic approach to the overall improvement of the whole

being of a guest like how the coconut tree, its inspiration, provides the needs of an islander and wastes

no part of it in providing what is deemed to be essential.

Adlawan beach resort is a holistic hydrotherapic beach resort that accommodates a wide

spectrum of users from middle to high class sectors of the local and international community.

Moreover, the design of the building edifice is aligned with the surrounding environment of the site as

well as its concept while still being able to establish its own character and identity.

Design Objectives

1. To design a travel and leisure hotel that will provide an answer to the activities and needs of

the local and international tourists and travelers

2. To design a hotel that is compelling and one of a kind most especially adhering to the

uniqueness and authenticity; tradition and culture offered by the region of nacpan, palawan

3. To come up with a design that shall adhere to the sprawling growth of technology and

innovation brought about by the future.

Design Strategies:

1. Follow hierarchy of spaces by putting first essential spaces such as information desks,

receptions and lobbies before private spaces like amenities and rooms.

9
2. Provide ramps and areas intended for the use of physically challenged persons, rest areas for

human staff, ample space for waiting and lounging, in order to give equal attention and

experience among its served community.

3. Orient building towards the direction of light and air in order to facilitate passive light and

ventilation throughout the building .

4. Usage of natural buffers such as vegetation and water features in order to reduce noise

brought about by vehicular and human noise

10
Bibliography

Adam. I (2013). Factors that Account for the Locations of Hotel. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Factors-that-account-for-the-location-of-hotels_tbl1_257743

484

Badiu, L. (2021, December 20). What your guests are saying about hotel cleanliness. TrustYou.

Retrieved October 2, 2022, from

https://www.trustyou.com/blog/guest-feedback-reviews/what-your-guests-are-saying-about-hotel

-cleanliness

Marschall, S. (2012). ‘personal memory tourism’ and a wider exploration of the tourism−memory

Nexus. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 10(4), 321–335. https:Zen Ecosystems, &

Zen Ecosystems. (2018, March 22). Making hotel guests more comfortable with energy management.

Zen Ecosystems. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from

https://zenecosystems.com/blog/hotel-energy-management-guest-comfort///doi.org/10.1080/1476

6825.2012.742094

5 characteristics of a good hotel. Washington Place Little Italy. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2022,

from https://washingtonplacelittleitaly.com/5-characteristics-of-a-good-hotel/

11
References :

Revfine.com. (2022, June 20). Hotel Industry: Everything You Need to know about hotels!

Revfine.com. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.revfine.com/hotel-industry/

David J. Sangree, M. A. I. (2021, January 5). Hotel Feasibility Study Methodology. Hotel &

Leisure Advisors. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from

https://hladvisors.com/hotel-feasibility-study-methodology/#:~:text=Major%20Components%2

0of%20a%20Hotel%20Feasibility%20Study,-The%20following%20major&text=Proposed%20

Development%20Recommendations%20and%20Costs,Financial%20Analysis

12