Building Laws

Instructor: Pedro M. Santos Jr.

JPT Review Center

Module 05
Topic BP 220 (Socialized and Economic Housing)
Lecture Video lecture by instructor
Quiz None (See next module for combined quiz for BP 220 and
PD 957)
Student’s Read the IRR of BP 220, focusing on Rule II (Minimum
Assignment No. 5 Design Standards) and Rule VI (Definition of Terms).
(For self-study) Afterwards, read HLURB Board Resolution No. 973 Series of
2018 which contains important amendments regarding
minimum lot areas and floor areas.

Module 06
Topic PD 957 (The Subdivision and Condominium Buyer’s
Protective Decree)
Lecture Video lecture by instructor
Quiz 25 items + Answer key (Combined quiz for BP 220 and PD
957
Student’s Read the IRR of PD 957, focusing on Rule I (Minimum
Assignment No. 6 Design Standards) and Rule VI (Definition of Terms).
(For self-study) Afterwards, read RA 4726 (The Condominium Act).

BP 220 (Socialized and Economic Housing)

- Housing units which are within the affordability level of the average and low-income
earners which is equal to 30% of the gross family income, as determined by NEDA.
BP 220 is different from:
PD 957 (Subdivision and Condominium Buyers Protective Decree)
PD 1216 (Defining Open Space in Residential Subdivisions)
PD 1096 (National Building Code)
PD 1185 (National Fire Code) New fire code RA 9514
Basic needs of human settlements
- Water
- Movement and Circulation
- Storm Drainage
- Solid and Liquid waste disposal
 - Parks and playgrounds
- Power
Socialized housing – housing projects undertaken by the government for the
underprivileged at homeless citizens.
Economic housing – housing projects provided to average income families.
Block – a parcel of land bounded on the sides by. Occupied by or intended for buildings.
Shell house – A habitable dwelling that includes all exterior walls, floor openings for
doors and windows, plumbing fixtures, and electrical wiring.
Complete house – A shell house with all windows and doors and partition walls.

PART 1: SUBDIVISION DESIGN

Planning considerations
- Avoid area subject to flooding and hazards.
- Preserve trees with a diameter of 200MM are greater.
- Follow easement requirements set by other codes like building code and fire code
- Provide major street with extensions for future Connections.
Saleable versus non-saleable
- There is no fixed ratio between saleable and non-saleable lots.
Parks and playgrounds (non-saleable component)
- Parks playgrounds are required for projects that measure one hectare and above.
- Exculsive of areas for community facilities
- BP 220 says that Basketball courts are considered as parks and playgrounds
The absolute
minimum
area for parks
and
playgrounds
is 100 sqm.
But area
increases as
density
(lot/hectare)
increases.

Community Facilities (non-saleable component)

 - A multipurpose centre is required for projects 1 hectare or bigger weather socialized
or economic.

Circulation/road planning (non-saleable component)

- Observe the prescribed road hierarchies and minimum RROW with within the
subdivision.
Interconnecting road – If a subdivision is not adjacent to a public road. (connecting
public roads to subdivision
Alley – An alley breaks a block. Not used to access a property
Pathwalk – provides pedestrian access to a property. May be used as a property access for
socialized housing only. Maximum length = 60 metres.

Setbacks for PUV

Minimum lot areas (Old)

HLURB Resolution 973 (look up)

(Single Detached)

(Duplex)

(Rowhouse)

Loft - a partial intermediate floor in any story or room of a residential unit with an area
of ½ of the area of the room or space in which it is located. Minimum ceiling height of
1.8 metres.
 Minimum lot frontages

Rowhouse Clusters
- 20-row houses max or 100 meters max
Block Length
- 400 meters maximum length
- Once you reach a length of 250 meters you need to provide an alley in the middle.
Minimum level of Completion
- Economic housing: complete house based on submitted specifications.
- Socialized housing: shell house with doors and windows to enclose the unit.
Setbacks for BP 220
- Front: 1.5m
- Sides:1.5m
- Rear: 2.00m
- Abutments: Allowed per requirement of the NBC

PART 2: BUILDING DESIGNS

Single-Family Dwellings
Access To Property
- Path walks may only be used as access to property only for socialized housing.
Ceiling heights (minimum)
- minimum ceiling height is 2 metres
- mezzanine is 1.8 metres.
Exits
- Less than 10 occupants – 1 exit
- 10 or more occupants – 2 exits
Door heights (minimum)
- 1.8 metres per bathroom in Mezzanine doors.
- 2 metres for all other doors.
Door widths (minimum)
- 800mm – main door
- 700mm – bedroom or service door
- 600mm – bathroom door
Windows
- Regular rooms: 10% of floor area
- Bathrooms 5% of floor area
Stairways
- Riser: 250mm max (NBC: 200mm max)
- Tread: 200mm min (NBC: 250mm min)
- Width: 600mm min (NBC: 750mm min)
- Headroom: 2.0m min
-
- Landing to landing distance (height): 3.6m max
Handrail
- 800-1200mm from floor
- Handrails not required for stairs with less than 4 steps
Winding/Circular Stairways
- May be used if the required tread dimension is provided at a point not more than
300MM from the narrow end of the stairway.
- Minimum tread at any point: 150mm (refer to figure)

Are ladders allowed?

- Yes. But provide a landing every 1.8m of rise.
Firewalls
- Required ehnever a dwelling abuts on a property line.
- At least 150mm or 6 inches thk.
- 300mm extensions above roof and building edges.

Multi-family Dwellings
Access To Property
- The property must abut a public street. Pathwalks are not allowed as property access.
(Nakadikit sa public street.)
Distance between buildings
- For 1-2 storey buildings:
o Between buildings 4.00m
o Between eaves: 1.50m
- For 3-4 storey buildings:
o Between buildings 6.00m
o Between eaves: 2.00m
- For buildings taller than 4 storeys:
o Between buildings 10.00m
o Between eaves: 6.00m
- Exception: Blank walls
o Blank wall: A wall with no openings or only minimal openings for comfort
rooms
o When the two sides of the building are blank walls, the minimum distance
become:
 Between buildings: 2.00m
 Between eaves: 1.00m
Parking Requirements:
- Follow parking slot sizes in NBC.
- For multi-family dwellings and condominiums, provide 1 slot for 8 units.
- Driveway may be used as a parking area if the minimum RROW is maintained.
Off-site parking
- Off-site parking allowed as long as it is not more than 100 metres away.
Minimum floor areas
- 18 sqm = Socialized housing
- 18 sqm = BP 220 condominium
- 22 sqm = Economic Housing
Exits
- Follow NBC and Fire Code
Fire suppression systems
 - Req for structures more than 15 meters in height.
Elevators
- Required for buildings six storeys or higher.
- The elevators design shall conform to the requirements in the NBC and BP344.

PD 957 (The Subdivision and Condominium Buyer’s Protective Decree)

 - About subdivisions and condominiums
- It is a continuation of BP220
- Covers the upper tiers that is medium cost and open market (Most expensive level)
PART 1: SUBDIVISIONS
Saleable vs. non-saleable
- 70% saleable (max)
- 30% non-saleable (min)
What are non-saleable area?
- Parks and Playgrounds
o Required for project 1 hectare or more
o 3.5% minimum (20 lots/ha)
o 9.0% maximum (65 lots/ha)
o But not less than 100 sqm

-
Community facilities
o Multipurpose centre
required for projects
one hectare or
bigger.

- Circulation System (Hierarchy of roads)

- RROW Widths
o Minimum roads
 Major road: 10.00 m min
 Minor road 8.00m min
 Applies to both medium cost and open market

Planting strip and sidewalks

Minimum lot areas

Minimum lot frontages

Rowhouse Clusters
- 20-row houses max or 100 meters max
Block Length
- 400 meters maximum length
- Once you reach a length of 250 meters you need to provide an alley in the middle.
Minimum floor areas
- Medium cost – 30 sqm
 - Open Market – 42 sqm
Setbacks
- Follow NBC

PART 2: CONDOMINIUMS
Minimum sizes of rooms
- Follow NBC
Parks and Playgrounds
- Required if
o 10 condo units or more
o Projects 1000sqm or larger
- May be waived if a public park is within 800m
- Minimum size is 50 sqm for 10 condo units
- +3 sqm. For every additional unit
Roads
- Min RROW is 8.00m
o 6.00m for carriageway
o 2.00m for sidewalk/planting strip
- For hierarchy of roads, follow requirement for subdivisions
Floor areas for condos
- Single occupancy
o 18 sqm
o 12 sqm for students
- Family occupancy
o 22 sqm for medium cost
o 36 sqm for open market
Min level of completion
- Complete house based on submitted plans and specifications