ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 05

New Marilao City Civic Center

VINCENT S. ABBANG RUTH MARIE Z. CAPARAS BIANCA MAE L. IBANEZ JULIA RAINE D. MORALES CHRISTIAN T. PATARAY

BS Architecture 3-1
 An Ode to A Filipino-Centric Architecture
1 PROJECT OVERVIEW
WHAT DEFINES A CIVIC LIFE?

The proposal for an alternative Civic Center of Marilao is an exploration onto different interweaving narratives that express the qualities
which romanticize the meaning of citizenship. The site, sitting at 29, 217 sq. m., offered a vast spectrum of possibilities to create a Civic
Center that relishes and promotes the vision of the Municipality, while also attending to the needs of Marilaoeños for a space that embraces
civic nature.

The Municipal Hall, Fire Station, Justice Hall, Police Station create the civic space that will accommodate essential business transactions
Defining Civic Life. and services within the municipality. The addition of plazas and a Learning Center building will further involve the public to participate in civic
activities. The New Marilao Civic Center envision to foster the spirit of community, public service, and the essence of “bayanihan” to achieve
a public space that will accommodate the needs of a growing municipality, a space that creates avenues for individual citizens to explore
and define their own Civic Life.
2 DESIGN CONCEPT As this design project will be driven by the concept of
the river, reinforcing the idea of maritime and the
1 establishment of the ancient government systems
became fundamental for choosing the design concept

Designing Filipino. structure for the Civic Center, an institution that is

symbolic of political power
Core Principles
Water to represent Filipino
Taking cue from the current existing condition of the
The history of the "Balangay" predates the genesis of the basic Governance
Marilao River, the concept for this project yearns to
People political system in the Philippines during the pre-colonial era. fundamentally establish a symbiotic relationship
Community The Balangay is the oldest pre-Hispanic watercraft found in the between the architecture and its preceding
Governance
Philippines. Being the first wooden watercraft excavated in environment. With the contamination of the Marilao
Southeast Asia, the balangay provides proof of the early 2 River which propagates the flooding in the area of the
Filipinos’ maritime expertise and skill in boat-building during former City Hall, the task for the design is to utilize the
narrow strait of creek located in the southeastern part
the pre-colonial times. Each boat carried a large family group, of the site further provide an opportunity to explore
and the master of the boat retained power as leader, or datu, ideas on mitigating the negative impact of architecture
Reviving the Marilao River
Balangay of the village established by his family. to the environment.

Using the historical significance of the Balangay to inform the Water, in its cultural context, permeates a spectrum of
idea for the Design Concept, the project will be utilizing 4 core symbolisms in Filipino culture. For the Filipino
principles in designing the New Civic Center of Marilao. The indigenous tribes, water is treated as a sacred part of
principles will encompass the concepts of "Community", existence as well as the afterlife. Water meant
Filipino "People Governance", "Trade and Commerce", and finally, cleansing, a symbol of rebirth, of life and death. It is
Trade And 3 movement, free of any bounded form. With this notion,
Culture & "Filipino Culture and Tradition“ to inform the design of the
Commerce the narrative for this Civic Center project will be built
Tradition Civic Center. upon the concept of "water" and its symbolic implication
for this project. Water, in this sense, will be representing
the revival of the Marilao River and the people of the
Embracing Irregularity New Marilao Civic Center.

4 5

The exterior of the Municipal Hall expresses a sharp silhouette akin to the image of “Balangay” boat. The internal structure of the Municipal Building expresses vast openness and scale.
 An Ode to A Filipino-Centric Architecture
3 DESIGN CONCEPT THE NEW MARILAO CIVIC CENTER
MUNICIPAL HALL JUSTICE HALL FIRE STATION POLICE STATION
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ANCHOR OF COMMUNITY SOCIAL JUSTICE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTARISM PURVEYOR OF PROTECTION
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Each architectural building represents a social tenet that defines the New Marilao Civic Center.

2 WAYFINDING & PLACEMAKING

“A space performs well when people use it—especially when

Wayfinding can influence behavior and
CIVIC PARTICIPATION shape your experience of a building, a park,
a city or a country by breaking down and
presenting complex information in a clear
way so that users can understand and use
it in a short amount of time.
Integrating these concepts in the Civic
Center, the pursuit is to create a civic place
which synergizes with its users by creating
spaces that encourage social interaction.
HEART OF CIVIC PRIDE
WAYFINDING
those people come from diverse groups and interact with each
other, which promotes inclusion. Numerous studies have
suggested that exposure to people who are different from one’s
self—including differences in race, sexual preference, or
religion—increases tolerance and empathy toward others.
Creating spaces that invite a diversity of users helps build a
more inclusive and equitable community for all.”
- Inclusive Healthy Places, Gehl Institute
“It’s very important there’s public life in public spaces. That
means people from all walks of life will naturally meet in the
streets, squares and parks of the city. So you can see what
society you belong to. You can see your fellow citizens eye to eye
going about daily life.”

- Jahn Gehl

PLACEMAKING JAHN GEHL

Danish Architect, Urban Planner
 An Ode to A Filipino-Centric Architecture
4 STYLE-GUIDING PRINCIPLES

MUNICIPAL HALL
JUSTICE HALL

POLICE STATION
FIRE STATION

AESTHETICS
The language of Filipino vernacular
architecture and the Modern Industrial
style augment a strong sense of visual
identity for the project.
COMFORT
Patches of green spaces encourages
social interaction by offering seating
areas and trees to maximize thermal
comfort.

WALKABILITY
Encourages people to SOCIABILITY
walk and stroll around Welcomes diverse
the areas. interactions among social
groups.

FLEXIBILITY
Spaces accommodate
different social activities
 An Ode to A Filipino-Centric Architecture
4 STYLE-GUIDING PRINCIPLES

MARILAO FIRE STATION

The Marilao Fire Station, located in the heart of the newly proposed Civic Center of the Municipality of
Marilao, was designed with two things in mind. How can the response time of the firefighters be minimized,
and how can the public be informed and educated regarding fire safety? The space planning was arranged by
focusing on one thing, how will the firefighters be able to move and respond quickly? With various access
points and spaces that allows them to be in the apparatus bay immediately, this design is effective and will
fulfill its role in the community. Spaces for the public, especially the Community Awareness Lecture Hall are all
located near the lobby, enabling the people to access them without disrupting the circulation of the
responders. The well-being of the users are also taken into consideration, providing lounge rooms, a gym, and
even gender-neutral dormitories and bathrooms, creating an inclusive space for all. In addition, the well-being
of the environment and the future effects of the structure are also considered, with various systems like the
reusing of rainwater, and the abundance of green spaces.

JUSTICE HALL

The Justice Hall building takes it form with a simple geometric design, the configuration of the space strips off
the conventional qualities of a traditional Justice Hall design, which is mostly inspired of classic Greek
elements, instead, the structure became a reflection of the Civic Center to connect with the other structures.
The design for the Justice hall expresses openness in the interior, while being enclosed by the exterior walls to
minimize distraction from the activities outside the building. .

POLICE STATION

Th Marilao Police Station aims to foster positive ties between the officers and the people they serve. The
proposed Police Station is intended to send forth a sense of community unity. The structure must have the
least amount of impact on the immediate, local, and global environment. Wherever possible, the brief aim to
include energy efficiency, natural ventilation, renewable materials, little waste, enhancement of natural
elements, and a location that avoids needless travel. Police property teams have considerable expertise in
meeting the needs of their clients – the police authority, police officers and the public. This police station aims
to support and enhance operational efficiency that benefits the municipality.
 An Ode to A Filipino-Centric Architecture
4 STYLE-GUIDING PRINCIPLES

MUNICIPAL HALL

The Municipal Hall takes the center stage of the Civic Center. For its design, the emphasis was put on defining the building’s
structure with a strong geometric form, a silhouette that would allow for it to standout from the rest of the adjacent structures. The
façade expresses through the roof design. The butterfly roof was designed to allow natural light to permeate all throughout the
building, this roof configuration would also allow for the structure to have its distinct form that reflects the sharp silhouette of the
Balangay boat.
 An Ode to A Filipino-Centric Architecture
5 DESIGN STRATEGY
1 4
21, 219 sq. m.

Defining the Site Building Cluster

The irregular form of the site offers opportunities The different building typologies were placed in nearby adjacency
for spatial organizations to explore as well as to each another to benefit ease of access as users navigate the
challenges on how to utilize the entirety to its full buildings. This would also benefit for a larger accommodation of
potential. public space areas, allowing the open-spaces for flexible uses.

2 5

Establishing Circulation Massing

To better understand the site, different iterations
for the circulation and street networks within the
property are fairly established using the main road
and the building typologies as reference.
Hierarchy became a key to better understand the mass of the
building structures and their symbolic significance to the Civic
Center, the bigger mass preludes to the Municipal Hall, while the
remaining structures support the Municipal Hall as the focal point
of the Civic Center.

3 6

Site Context of the New Marilao Civic Center

Using the River as Reference Promoting Activity

Referencing the River Creek connecting to Marilao To further develop the idea of a people-centric design for this Civic
river, we were able to make connections as to how Center project, various forms of activities were determined to understand
the site will be utilized. how people will be interacting within the space. The project aims to
reinforce a symbiotic relationship between the site and its users.
 1
6 DESIGN STRATEGY

The unique methodology of Jan Gehl is based on the principle that people are FIRE/POLICE RESPONSE-
the most important priority of public space in the process of planning urban TIME
spaces. Public space should be a place for everyone that includes unique
qualities and benefits of a particular urban environment, open to a variety of 14
activities and opportunities. Vehicular circulation became a
crucial factor in designing the
Integrating this concept to the Civic Center project, our goal is to put the space, the vehicular access
13
community as the forefront of the design. Developing a human-responsive were designed for efficiency of
design calls for a close sensitivity towards the need of the community. As the response time of the Fire and
Civic Center is a placeholder for the needs of the public, the design should
15 Police Personnel.
aspire to foster and celebrate the people who are going to benefit in this project,
while also raising the concepts to promote the cultural and political identity of
the Municipality of Marilao.

17 16

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2

BUILDING ORIENTATION

Each buildings were designed

9 11 to be in close adjacency for
8 ease of access, the staggered
massing of each structure
6 allows for continuous airflow
10 within the site while also
providing solar shading to
nearby structures.
18 3 2

1
4 3
5

MAIN ENTRY
CIRCULATION

Integrating the concept of

wayfinding, treading within the
1. PARKING 10. POLICE STATION site were meant to continuously
2. PLAZA A 11. JUSTICE HALL connect to a series of
3. PLAZA B 12. VERTICAL FARM pathways, allowing for ease of
ANATOMY OF AN 4. PLAYGROUND 13. LINEAR PARK access and efficient navigation.
URBAN TYPOLOGY 5.
6.
MODULAR GREENHOUSE
CIVIC PROMENADE
14.
15.
LEARNING HUB
EVENT PLAZA
7. NEW MARILAO MUNICIPAL HALL 16. MOTORPOOL
8. FIRE STATION 17. GREENHOUSES
9. DRILL YARD 18. FIRE TRUCK VEHICULAR ACCESS