WALK UP APARTMENT

Simply put, a walk-up apartment is one that you must climb

stairs to get to. You won’t find an elevator in the building,
and access to the apartment only comes from climbing stairs.
Often located in older multi-family dwellings with four to six
levels, walk-up apartments offer numerous benefits for the
right person or family.

 A studio apartment, by definition, is a single-room

dwelling that combines the bedroom, kitchen, and living
area into one large room. The open floor plan does not
have walls separating the sleeping and living areas, and
the kitchen area may or may not be separated by a wall.
There is one exception, however, which is the bathroom.
By law, the bathroom must be its own, individual room
with a door.
 A one-bedroom apartment explains itself in its name. It’s
an apartment with one bedroom that’s separate from the
other spaces. It has walls and a door keeping this
bedroom apart from the full kitchen, living room, and
bathroom. The separate rooms account for the higher price
and greater square footage than those of a studio.

Low-rise residential buildings include the smallest buildings

produced in large quantities.

High rise apartments are luxury apartments, and many of them

are found in business centers.

BUILDING HEIGHTS

1) LOW-RISE (between 1 and 5 stories, or 4.0 to 16.0 meters,

inclusive of an average 1.0-meter provision for parapet walls
or roof apexes; excludes the maximum allowance for a 6.0-
meter-tall antenna/steel tower on top of the structure (only
where permitted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the
Ph/CAAP);

2) MEDIUM-RISE (from 6 to 15 storeys, or 19.0 m to 46.0 m,

inclusive of an average 1.0 m provision for the parapet wall
or roof apex; excludes the maximum permission for a 6.0 m tall
antenna/steel tower on top of the structure (only where
permitted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Ph/CAAP);
3) HIGH-RISE (between 16 and 60 stories, or 49.0 m and 181.0
m, inclusive of an average 1.0 m provision for parapet walls
or roof apexes; excludes the maximum allowance for a 6.0 m
tall antenna/steel tower on top of the structure (only where
permitted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Ph/CAAP); and

4) VERY TALL BUILDING (taller than 60 storeys, or taller than

181.0 m; includes an average 1.0 m provision for parapet wall
or roof apex; excludes maximum allowance for a 6.0 m tall
antenna/steel tower on top of the structure (only if permitted
by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Ph/CAAP).

A. OUTSIDE AND AROUND BUILDINGS

Dropped Curbs

• Changes in level walkways should be by a dropped curb.

• Dropped curbs should be provided at pedestrian crossings and
at the end of walkways of a private street or access road.
• Dropped curbs at crossings have a width corresponding to the
width of the crossing; otherwise, the minimum width is 0.90 m.
• Dropped curbs shall be ramped towards adjoining curbs with a
gradient not more than 1:12.
• Dropped curbs shall be sloped towards the road with a
maximum cross gradient of 1:20 to prevent water from
collecting at the walkway.
• The lowest point of a dropped curb should not exceed 25 mm
from the road or gutter.

Curb Cut-outs

• Curb cut-outs should only be allowed when it will not

obstruct a walkway or in any way lessen the width of a
walkway.
• The minimum width of a curb cut-out should be 0.90 M.
• Curb cut-outs should have a gradient not more than 1:12.
Walkways and Passageways

• Slip-resistant material 
•Whenever and wherever possible, walkways should have a
gradient no more than 1:20 or 5%
• Walkways should have a maximum cross gradient of 1:100.
• Walkways should have a minimum width of 1.20 meters.
• If possible, gratings should never be located along
walkways. When occurring along walkways, grating openings
should have
• Maximum dimension of 13 mm x 13 mm and shall not project
more than 6.5 mm above the level of the walkway.
• Walkways should have a continuing surface without abrupt
pitches in angle or interruptions by cracks or breaks creating
edges above 6.50 mm.
• In lengthy or busy walkways, spaces should be provided at
some point along the route so that a wheelchair may pass
another or turn around. These spaces should have a minimum
dimension of 1.50 m and should be spaced at a maximum distance
of 12:00 m between stops.
• To guide the blind, walkways should as much as possible
follow straightforward routes with right angle turns.
•Where planting is provided adjacent to the walkway, regular
maintenance is essential to ensure branches of trees or shrubs
do not overhang walkways or paths, as not only do these
present a danger to the blind, but they also reduce the
effective footways width available to pedestrians generally.
• Walkway headroom should not be less than 2.0 m and
preferably higher.
• Passageways for the disabled should not be obstructed by
street furniture, bollards, sign posts or columns along the
defined route, as they can be hazardous.

Handrails

•Handrails should be installed at both sides of ramps and

stairs and at the outer edges of dropped curbs. Handrails at
dropped.
•Handrails shall be installed at 0.90 m and 0.70 m above steps
or ramps. Handrails for protection at great heights 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 that require full grip should have a dimension 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
using planters with dwarf walls, or a grass verge, or similar,
which provides a texture different from the path.

Signages

•Directional and informational sign should be located at

points conveniently seen even by a person on a wheelchair and
those with visual impairments;
• Signs should be kept simple and easy to understand; signage
should be made of
Contrasting color and contrasting gray matter to make
detection and reading easy;
• The international symbol for access should be used to
designate routes and facilities that are accessible

B. PARKING
• 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 frontends of parked cars;
• Provide dropped curbs or curb cut-outs to the parking level
where access walkways are raised;
• Pavement markings, signs or other means shall be provided to
delineate parking spaces for the handicapped;
• Parking spaces for the disabled should never be located at
ramped or sloping areas
C. INSIDE BUILDINGS
Entrances

• Entrances should be accessible from arrival and departure

points to the interior lobby;
• One (1) entrance level should be provided where elevators
are accessible;
• 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;
• Ramps shall have a minimum clear width of 1.20 m;
• The maximum gradient shall be 1:12;
• The length of a ramp should not exceed 6:00 m. if the
gradient is 1:12; longer ramps whose
gradient is 1:12 shall be provided with landings not less than
1.50 m.;
• A level area not less than 1.80 m. should be provided at the
top and bottom of any ramp;
• Handrails will be provided on both sides of the ramp at 0.70
m. and 0.90 m. from the ramp level;
• 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 an area where vehicular
traffic is possible, should have a railing across the full
width of its lower end, not less than 1.80
meters from the foot of the ramp;

Doors

• All doors shall have a minimum clear width of 0.80 m;

• Clear openings shall be measured between the surface of the
fully open door at the hinge and
the door jamb at the stop;
• Doors should be operable by a pressure or force not more
than 4.0 kg; the closing device
pressure an interior door shall not exceed 1 kg.;
• A minimum clear level space of 1.50 m x 1.50 m shall be
provided before and extending beyond
a door; EXCEPTION: where a door shall open onto but not into a
corridor, the required clear,
level space on the corridor side of the door may be a minimum
of 1.20 m. corridor width;
• Protection should be provided from doors that swing into
corridors;
• 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;
5. 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 from
the latch side of the door;

Corridors

• Corridors shall have minimum clear width of 1.20 m.; waiting

areas and other facilities or spaces
shall not obstruct the minimum clearance requirement;
• Recesses or turnabout spaces should be provided for
wheelchairs to turn around or to enable
another wheelchair to pass; these spaces shall have a minimum
area of 1.50 m x 1.50 m. and
shall be spaced at a maximum of 12.00 m.;
• Turnabout spaces should also be provided at or within 3.50
m. of every dead end;
• As in walkways, corridors should be maintained level and
provided with a slip resistant surface;
Washrooms and Toilets

• Accessible public washrooms and toilets shall permit easy

passage of a wheelchair and allow the
occupant to enter a stall, close the door and transfer to the
water closet from either a frontal or
lateral position;
• Accessible water closet stalls shall have a minimum area of
1.70 x 1.80 mts. One movable grab
bar and one fixed to the adjacent wall shall be installed at
the accessible water closet stall for
lateral mounting; fixed grab bars on both sides of the wall
shall be installed for stalls for frontal
mounting;
• A turning space of 2.25 sq.m. with a minimum dimension of
1.50 m. for wheelchair shall be
provided for water closet stalls for lateral mounting;
• All accessible public toilets shall have accessories such as
mirrors, paper dispensers, towel racks
and fittings such as faucets mounted at heights reachable by a
person in a wheelchair;
• The minimum number of accessible water closets on each floor
level or on that part of a floor
level accessible to the disabled shall be one (1) where the
total number of water closets per set
on that level is 20; and two (2) where the number of water
closets exceed 20;
• In order to aid visually impaired persons to readily
determine whether a washroom is for men or
for women, the signage for men's washroom door shall be an
equilateral triangle with a vertex
pointing upward, and those for women shall be a circle; the
edges of the triangle should be 0.30
m long as should be the diameter of the circle; these signage
should at least be 7.5 mm thick;
the color and gray value of the doors; the words "men" and
"women" or the appropriate stick
figures should still appear on the washroom doors for the
convenience of the fully sighted;
Note: the totally blind could touch the edge of the signs and
easily determine whether it is
straight or curved;
• The maximum height of water closets should be 0.45 m.; flush
control should have a maximum
height of 1.20 mts.
• Maximum height of lavatories should be 0.80 m. with a knee
recess of 0.60 - 0.70 M. vertical
clearance and a 0.50 m. depth.
• Urinals should have an elongated lip or through type; the
maximum height of the lip should be
0.48 m.

Stairs

• Tread surfaces should be a slip-resistant material; nosing

may be provided with slip-resistant
strips to further minimize slipping:
• Slanted nosing is preferred to projecting nosing so as not
to pose difficulty for people using
crutches or braces whose feet tend to get caught in the
recessed space or projecting
nosing. For the same reason, open stringers should be avoided.
• The leading edge of each step on both runner and riser
should be marked with a paint or nonskid material that has a
color and gray value which is in high contrast to the gray
value of the
rest of the stairs; markings of this sort would be helpful to
the visually impaired as well as to the
fully sighted person;
• A tactile strip 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; special care
must be taken to ensure the proper
mounting or adhesion of tactile strips so as not to cause
accidents;

Identification of Spaces (given) with Definition

a. Basement level (if introduced )

1. Facilities
i) parking space (below the elevation of sidewalk and street)
- cleared area intended for parking vehicles
ii) common toilet (male and female) - a room containing a
toilet and sometimes a sink (washbasin)
iii) apartment superintendent's quarters - room for the person
responsible for the repair/maintenance of the apartment. They
are the first point of contact for residents of the building.
iv) fire exit - a special exit for emergencies such as a fire
and earthquake
2. Service areas
i) building administration office - an office where activities
related to financial planning, billing and record keeping are
performed
ii) safety and security office - an office which contains
specialized equipment like the CCTV monitors
iii) building & common facilities/amenities maintenance room &
workshop
3. Utilities
i) domestic water cistern
ii) fire reserve tank
iii) utility room (electrical, machine, pump, etc.) - a room
within a house where equipment not used in day-to-day
activities is kept
iv) garbage chute room - room for solid waste storage
v) sewage treatment plant
b. Ground floor
1. Amenities
i) cafeteria - a place where people eat- a place where food
and drinks are sold
ii) convenience store - a small store that stocks a range of
everyday items such as groceries, snack foods, candy,
toiletries, soft drinks, tobacco products, and newspapers
iii) business center - a place where businesses can rent
offices or rooms for meetings
iv) internet cafe - a place which provides internet access to
the public, usually for a fee
v) gym - a room or building equipped for gymnastics, games,
and other physical exercise
vi) laundry area - a room/area where clothes are washed
vii) groom shops (barber shop/beauty parlor) - A place where
barbers work (barber shop)-
an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and
women.
viii) bar for 20 persons - a retail business establishment
that serves alcoholic drinks beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails
for consumption on the premises
ix) game room - a room used for a variety of purposes, such as
parties, games and other every day or casual use
2. Facilities
i) Parking lot (grade/ground level); driveways, ramps etc.
ii) Main lobby/reception area and service stairs
Lobby - a room providing a space out of which one or more
other rooms or corridors lead, typically one near the entrance
of a public building
Reception area - the waiting area in a building near the desk
or office where guests can book rooms or ask the staff
questions
Service stairs - stairs used for service-related activities
iii) common toilets (male and female)iv) wells for natural
light and ventilation
v) fire exits
3. Utilities
i) generator room - a room or space in a building dedicated to
generators

ii) transformer room - a room or space in a building dedicated

to transformers
iii) utility rooms
iv) garbage chute room
c. Second through Fourth floors1. 30.0 sq.m. Studio-type
apartment unit (living area/sleeping area, dining area, toilet
and bath, kitchenette, and utility area) - a small apartment
which combines living room, bedroom, and kitchenette into a
single room.
2. common areas such as corridors, lobby and service stairs
3. utility rooms
4. fire exits
5. garbage chute room
6. wells for natural light and ventilation
d. Fifth floor1. 50.0 sq.m. 1.0 Bedroom apartment unit (living
area/dining area, bedroom, toilet and bath, kitchen, and
utility area)

LANDSCAPE

Hardscape design defined as design that is constructed using

natural, man-made and non-living materials, hardscape includes
elements such as stone or concrete walkways, decks, walls,
planter boxes and anything else that uses ‘hard’ materials.
The hardscape is typically designed and fitted prior to the
softscape. This is because it’s generally the structure in
which the softscape will fit into.

Softscape design can be defined as the living elements in your

garden – the trees, plants, grass, vines and shrubbery. While
some elements may be permanent, such as trees or evergreen
shrubs, other plants will come and go, depending on the season
and whether you choose to redo the space.

 
Given (Based on Developer-imposed restrictions and partly
based on the 1977 NBCP)

a. Building footprint 55 % of the TLA.

b. The desired minimum setbacks at ground floor: 6.0 m at the
front of lot, 3.0 m at the sides and rear of the lot
(including basement levels if introduced)
c. Building height limit of 16.0 m and a maximum 6.0 m tall
spire/tower.
d. Maximum total gross floor area of 5,500 sq.m(excluding
basement and roof deck)
e. Up to two basement levels at 2.8 m floor to floor height
f. A maximum of 5 level development at 3.0 m floor to floor
height. 80.0 % of the GFA per floor shall consist of rentable
spaces . The remaining 20.0% shall consist of non-rentable
spaces h. The overall rentable spaces shall be at
approximately 75.0% of the TGFA excluding the floor area of
the basement
i. Studio type unit ( 30 sq.m. GFA )
j. 1.0-bedroom unit ( 50 sq.m. GFA )
k. one pooled parking as minimum for 6.0 apartment units with
GFA of 23.0-50.0 sq.m . and a maximum of one parking slot for
each apartment unit (may be located at the basement level if
introduced).

Identification of Users

1. Tenants - someone who rents or leases a house, apartment,

etc., from a landlord
2. Visitors - someone who visits someone else; someone staying
as a guest.
3. Apartment superintendent/supervisor - person responsible
for repair and maintenance of the apartment. They are expected
to take care of minor issues and repairs, such as small leaks
or blockages, heating, and security.
4. Building administration office staff - They are responsible
in the supervision of maintenance services to ensure the
proper upkeep of the apartment, including its amenities,
utilities and equipment.
5. Safety/Security office staff (security guards, etc.) - They
assist apartment management in providing safety and security
to the apartment employees/staff, apartment tenants/renters,
and visitors.
6. Cafeteria Cook - a person who prepares food for
consumption.
7. Checkout Operator/Cashier - a person who scans the goods
through a machine called a cash register that the customer
wishes to purchase at the convenience store.
8. Shelf Stocker (Convenience Store) - They stock shelves and
display areas and price items according to a price list.
9. Internet cafe attendant - Assist customers when they have
trouble or questions using computer software such as Microsoft
Office, Adobe softwares and all softwares that are being used
in the internet cafe.- Provide services such as encoding,
printing, downloading and all other operations provided by the
internet cafe.
10. Dry cleaning and laundry machine operators - They clean
clothing, linens, drapes, and other articles, using washing,
drying, and dry-cleaning machines.
11. Barber - a person whose occupation is mainly to cut,
dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys’ ‘hair.
12. Hair stylist - a person whose occupation is to cut or
style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image.
13. Bartender - a person who serves usually alcoholic
beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment.
14. Receptionist - an employee taking an office/administrative
support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting
area such as a lobby or front office desk of an organization
or business.
15. Janitor - a professional who takes care of buildings.
Janitors' primary responsibility is as a cleaner.

16. Electrician - a tradesperson specializing in electrical

wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related
equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of
new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of
existing electrical infrastructure.