DON HONORIO VENTURA STATE UNIVERSITY

Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga

College of Engineering and Architecture
Department of Architecture
A.Y. 2022 – 2023 _ 1st Semester

DSGN 213 MAJOR PLATE 03

Architectural Design 03 - Creative Design in Architectural Interiors Research – First Class City Hall

Cities of the Philippines

Cities in the Philippines are classified into highly urbanized cities, or component cities. All totaling
thirty-three (33), the highly urbanized cities (HUCs) have a minimum population of 200,000 and an
annual income of at least fifty million Philippine pesos (₱50 M). Those cities that do not meet the above
requirements are the component cities. The component cities are considered part of the province where
they are located.

City Hall: Wold Architects and Engineers’ Design Considerations

Overview
A hallmark that brings individuals together, a city hall design, should represent your community's culture.
It should emphasize what it means to be a resident of the area and the characteristics that go along with
it. It should also have the services to match those expectations. At Wold, our team strives to create
designs that match the long-term goals of your community. We aim to create a space equipped with
community gathering spaces, customer service areas, and top-of-the-line safety measures for the public,
elected officials and employees.

Simplified Customer Service

As city halls have evolved, one area that has changed is the enhancement of customer service. In the
20th century, individual departments in a city hall were often separate with a particular service window.
Now, city halls are designed with the intent of creating an efficient experience for community members.
We strive to minimize locations for community interaction to ease any stress associated with multiple
service locations. Whether that is stress experienced by community members needing assistance or
departments that need collaboration with other departments while assisting. We understand that each
city hall is different, which may make this not an ideal approach for your community. Thus, we take the
time to understand your operational needs before we match solutions.

Assistance in Community Growth

When a town or city grows in population, its community expects that the city's services will also increase.
There is a looming pressure of expectations for cities to provide all adequate services while efficiently
doing that. Growth doesn't always mean square footage, though. It often means an analysis of what's
working in city hall and what could be improved. Our team is committed to creating flexible designs for

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 1

growth while also bringing a new level of expectations. We also understand that many citizens may take
their services online. Because of this shift, we see an increase in the desire for community gathering
spaces. Our designs are flexible and can match whatever your community is aspiring to growth-wise.

Enhancing Safety Measures

In recent years, we've seen an unfortunate increase in dangerous situations at city halls. Our team
understands there is a more considerable need for protection if an individual were to cause harm, which
is why we analyze all types of potential risks. Together, we will design a clear definition of staff vs. public
areas, implement ballistic resistant counters, and establish multiple exit points for security. Although
safety is the number one priority in our city hall designs, we also want to ensure safety measures don't
hinder citizens from feeling welcomed to enter. To ensure that your goals are matched for safety, we will
discuss which safety measures you would prefer in your design. The first step throughout our partnership
is understanding how our designs can collaborate with your individual needs.

As stated before, a city hall is commonly known as a hallmark in a community. It represents the qualities
of what it means to be a resident and provides an area for residents to receive quality service. City halls
can stand on their own, or they can be co-located with other services that also represent your city’s
mission. Because communities are so unique, we put a large amount of effort into listening to you and
your team first. We listen to how your services function, and from there, we create a city hall design that
matches your needs and desires.

A Case Study in Designing a City Hall

Steps to be taken in planning and constructing a city hall are (1) determining need, (2) determining space
requirements, (3) selecting an architect, (4) acquiring a site, (5) approving layout, design, and
architectural features, and (6) Developing a financial plan. These steps are not a one-two-three process;
frequently they must be done simultaneously. It is important to have an idea of what is wanted before
selecting an architect, but the architect can be helpful in delineating wants. It is important to remember
that the city hall must last 60 years or more. The following "dos and don'ts" provide a guide to
officials engaged in planning a new city hall.

Do:
1. Locate the city hall where it will be most convenient and if possible where land values are reasonable.
2. Be prepared to provide the architect with information on departments to be housed, the number of
employees, types of furnishings and equipment, and special requirements such as vault and storage
space.
3. Provide ample off-street parking space for both employees and the public.
4. Put most or all city department headquarters in the city hall.
5. Provide for structural expansion end flexibility in office layout.
6. Plan the city hall from the inside out with emphasis on work flow, convenience to the public, and
convenience for employees.

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 2

7. Provide for the comfort and efficiency of employees with controlled ventilation and adequate lighting.
8. Provide for employee lounges and rest rooms.
9. Use materials, construction, and furnishings which make the city hall easy to maintain.
10. Provide open, unobstructed counters for transactions with the public.

Don't:
1. Don't locate in an area of declining property values except when part of a comprehensive urban
renewal program.
2. Don't try to remodel an old post office, school building, convention hall, or other building designed for
some other special use.
3. Don't forget that the city hall is an office building, not a monument or an ornament.
4. Don't underestimate space needs; the average commercial office building lasts 67 years.
5. Don't tie up valuable space with indoor pistol ranges, drive-through garages, private exits, wide
corridors, and other gadgets.
6. Don't cut up the city hall into cubbyholes for minor officials.
7. Don't build the city hall over two stories in height If at all possible.
8. Don't let the public come in contact with police or criminal activities.
9. Don't provide in the main lobby any facilities, such as a cigar and soft drink stand, which encourage
loitering

LAYOUT, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURES

General Building
Layout Building arrangement is the next step in planning a city hall. It is helpful as a starting point to use
the following checklist of departments, offices, special-purpose rooms, and service areas in analysing
interior building requirements:

1. Departments requiring constant contact with the general public and the collection or payment of
money-for example, the finance department and taxcollector
2. Departments requiring contact with special classes of the public-for example, city owned utilities,
building permits, personnel, city planning, and city clerk
3. Other departments including public works, recreation, police, fire, etc.
4. City council chamber and office space for use by the mayor and councilmen
5. Offices for the chief administrator
6. Courtrooms
7. Storage vaults and record rooms
8. Locker rooms, rest rooms, janitor closets, public telephones, and space for heating, ventilating,
plumbing, and electrical equipment
9. "Circulating areas" for lobbies, corridors, elevators, and stairways the relationship of one room or
functional area to another is important. No room exists by itself, and many of the problems of living in a
building arise from the neglect of this fact. Departments related in function should be located near one
another and consecutive operations planned in production-line style. Excessive lobbies and hall space

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 3

add to the cost of construction without adding usable space. The height of the building will depend upon
the amount of ground available, and the amount of office space needed. Land generally is cheaper than
additional height. Taller buildings are more difficult to maintain and require more planning of the interior
to get related functions on adjacent floors. Also, any city building of more than two floors should have an
elevator, especially if the public has any great use of the top floor.

Provision for a full basement housing general offices is not often made in new city office buildings. Most
professional organizations advise against locating general offices in the basement. The basement can be
used for storage and service activities such as duplicating, receiving and shipping rooms, heating and
air-conditioning equipment, and central switchboard.

Departmental Layout
Departmental layout will depend on the activities carried on by the department and the tools or special
equipment used. For example, a finance department layout may require an open area for accounting
clerks and collectors with one or two private offices, a machine room, and a vault. The public works
department, on the other hand, may require private offices for the director, the engineer, and individual
inspectors, a drafting room, a vault, a plan or map room, and conference rooms.

The first step in department’s layout is to survey the work done by the department. Workflow should be
especially studied. A complete list should be made of all employees and equipment to occupy the space.
The possibility of future expansion should be anticipated, and provision made for additional personnel.
Provision also should be-made for peak rather than average workloads. Flow of work should, as nearly
as practicable, be in a straight line. Normally, work should come to the employees rather than their going
to the work. Minor activities can be grouped around areas of major activity.

Private Offices
A major factor in the determination of space needs is the question of who should get private offices and
under what circumstances. More space is required for private offices; space utilization is restricted
through segregation of areas for private offices; and considerable expense is involved in rearranging and
re-erecting partitions. Ventilation, lighting, and heating problems are complicated by a number of small
offices; supervision and coordination of work, flow of work, and communications are made more difficult.
An open, wall-arranged office has a more orderly and business-like appearance then a series of small
offices. Certain conditions justify private offices. First, transactions of a confidential nature require private
facilities. General conference rooms, however, where confidential meetings may be held as occasion
demands, may reduce the need for private offices. Second, privacy is often desirable not so much
because of the confidential nature of the work, but because of the number of persons interviewed or
because the work is of an independent nature which requires more quiet and privacy than the open office
will allow. There in little agreement as to who should have private offices except for the chief
administrative officer and department heads.

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 4

Chief Administrator's Office
The location of the chief administrator's office is important to good public relations. It should be located
so as to give the impression of being easily reached and open to any caller, but it should not be too
prominent. The second floor ordinarily is a good location since some effort must be expended to visit it,
and the casual or merely curious individual is less likely to intrude.

A first-floor location, however, can be just as good if callers are properly screened by a secretary or
receptionist. It has the additional advantage of being close to the offices most frequented by the public.
Of interest to council- manager cities is the fact that the mayor has an office in the majority of cases
located very close to the city manager's office. See the second-floor plan of the Alhambra, California, city
hall (Fig. 1) for a typical executive layout. The administrator's office should be large enough for meetings
of department heads unless a conference room adjoins his office. A conference table that will
accommodate up to 12 people is desirable. Space should be provided adjacent to the administrator's
office for a secretary and one or more assistants, depending upon the size of the city. The secretary's
office would also serve as a reception room for people who call on the administrator.

Council Members
The council meeting room should be carefully planned if full use is to be made of it. Location of the
council chamber is important because of the public nature of the business transacted there. Most of the
cities with multi-storey buildings have located the council room on the first or second floor. The offices
located near or around the council chamber are usually those of the city clerk, city attorney, and city
manager. Small meeting rooms and an office for the mayor and councilmen may be located nearby. In
most cities surveyed, councilmen sit at separate desks or at a semi-circular table, the open end of which
faces the citizens. In only a few cities do the councilmen have their backs to the public. The mayor
usually sits in the center flanked by the manager, clerk, and attorney. It is well to plan the council
chamber so that it also can be used for other purposes. In many cities it is used as a general courtroom
for public hearings held by city agencies, as a meeting room for the city planning or zoning commission,
for general conferences, and as a public meeting room.

Finance Activities
The collection activities of the finance department have more contact with the public than any other
municipal activity with the possible exception of the police and building departments. A prominent
location near the front entrance is therefore desirable. Avoidance of cubbyholes for separate functions
and provision for a large work area enhance the appearance of the building and give the impression of a
well-planned and efficient layout. Collection functions should be located near the public counter with
billing, assessing, accounting, budgeting, and purchasing at a greater distance. These activities should
be so grouped and arranged that the supervisor can observe the work of all his employees. A drive-in
collection window should be provided where possible. A separate, soundproofed machine room should
be provided where machines are used in accounting or billing. Acoustical ceilings and walls, thermo
pane glass partitions, and carpeted floors will absorb much of the machine noise and make for more
efficient working conditions in the general office. A vault for safekeeping of records should be provided
unless one is provided nearby in the city clerk's office.

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 5

Police Department
The police department is singled out for discussion because of the special facilities it needs other than
regular office space. As noted, the police department is frequently not included in the city hall. When
it is, however, it should be basically separate from other city hall activities, and public and criminal
activities should be separated. The extent of facilities will depend largely on the size of the community
and the size of the department. In planning police station facilities, several basic needs should be
considered by all cities. Jail cells should be away from public areas. Prisoner retention for any period
requires toilets, kitchen facilities, and separation of men and women prisoners. Because of the expense
of cellblocks, the possibility of using county jail facilities should be investigated.

Many communities contract with the county for prisoner care. This may be impractical for very large
cities, but cities up to 100,000 certainly can effectively use this method of reducing police station cost. If
county facilities are used, it is then necessary only to provide a retention room or rooms with toilet
facilities. Such rooms do not need to be regular cells.

The communications center should be isolated from the general public and other work areas. However,
in smaller communities where it is necessary for communications personnel to act as receptionists, this
is not possible. In such a case the communications section might be located in a glass enclosure with a
sliding panel.

Fingerprinting, photographic, identification, and booking areas should be located together, although not
necessarily in the same room. Where possible, a separate prisoner entrance leading directly into the
area for booking should be provided. The essential element is to provide a continuous process of
booking, fingerprinting, photographing, and identifying of prisoners in the same area of the building.
Where possible, it is desirable to have the area near the jail or retention area. Provide plenty of space for
storage. Firearms and other equipment should be stored in locked cabinets. Room for confiscated, lost,
and abandoned articles is necessary if such items are to be kept properly.

When patrolmen change shifts on beats it is not necessary to have a large assembly room, but it is
desirable to provide space for officers to fill out reports. In large departments, the detective force will
need a separate room with line-up facilities.

In the very large departments separate rooms for interrogating prisoners are necessary. In the medium-
sized department, the detective squad room can be used for interrogation.

A separate room for the use of prisoners and their attorneys or visitors is important when the station has
facilities for housing prisoners. Finally, the large city should have a courtroom near the jail or detention
facilities of the police department. The police department facilities of the Raleigh city hall are well
planned.

Separation is achieved by having the police department on ground level except for the detective bureau.
The detective bureau is reached by a stairwell located so that the general public would not have use for

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 6

it. Notice that the traffic violations division is on the second level right across from the city clerk and
treasurer's office. This places money collecting in one area and very convenient to the public . The
municipal court is off the lobby on the ground level and next to the male and female lockups.

Design of the City Hall

The city hall is essentially an office building, not a monument or an ornament. The building should be so
designed as to be economical in construction and maintenance. True long-range economy is achieved
by a judicious balance between original cost and maintenance cost. A building with cheap materials and
equipment for the sake of low first cost may be quite expensive in maintenance and replacement. Even
though the city hall should be basically functional and not a monument, originality in design is not
precluded.

Space Requirements

• Provide at least two entrances

1) Main Lobby [First Floor]

a) Reception Area
b) Waiting Area
c) Gallery Area
d) Public Restrooms (Male, Female, PWDs)
e) Interior Garden/s or Wall Garden/s

2) Finance Department [First Floor, near entrance]

a) Receptionist
b) Assessor's Office (with CR)
c) Treasurer's Office (with CR)
d) Auditor's Office (with CR)
e) Accounting Office (with CR)
f) Budget Office (with CR)
g) Local Civil Registry Office (with CR)
h) City Clerk Office (with CR)
i) Internal Control Division (with CR)
j) Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)
k) Bidding Room
l) Vaults

3) Office of Building Officials [First floor, near the finance department]

a) Business Permit Office (with CR)
b) Department of Land Use and Zoning (with CR)

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 7

 c) Architect's Office (with CR)
d) Engineer's Office (Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Sanitary) ((with CR each room)
e) Building Inspectors (with CR)
f) Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Office (MPDC) (with CR)

4) Public Services Department [First Floor]

a) Social Welfare Office (Education Scholarships Office, 4ps) (with CR)
b) COMELEC (with CR)
c) City Veterinary Office (with CR)
d) Protective Services Office
e) PWD and Senior Office (with CR)

5) Health/Medical Department [First Floor]

a) Doctors' Offices
b) Nurse Station
c) Checkup Room
d) Dental Services (Dentist's Room)
e) Nutritionist's Room
f) Emergency/Operating Room
g) Waiting Area
h) Storage Room
i) Pharmacy
j) Toilet

6) General Services Department [First Floor]

a) Office of Administrative Services
b) Office of the Chief Financial Officer
c) Office of Civil Rights
d) Office of Information Technology
e) Office of Human Resources Management
f) Office of Government-wide Policy
g) Transportation Office

7) Legal Services Department [Second Floor]

a) Attorney's Office
b) Conference Room
c) Municipal City Court
d) Associates Office
e) Paralegal's Office
f) Archive Files
g) Lounge
h) Library

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 8

 i) Common Toilet

8) Environmental and Resources Department [Second Floor]

a) Solid Waste Management Office (with CR)
b) Agriculture and Tourism Office (with CR)
c) Local Risk Reduction and Management Office (with CR)

9) Maintenance and Security [First Floor]

a) Security Room
b) Maintenance Room
c) Storage Room
d) Utility Room
e) Janitor's Room
f) Toilet
g) Fire Exit Area

10) Police Department [Separated from the main municipal hall]

a) Prison/Jail Cells (Toilet, Kitchen, Separate the Men from Women)
b) Visitor's Area
c) Detective Squad Room
d) Police Officers' Area/Desk
e) Chief and Deputy Chief Office
f) Courtroom
g) Lockers
h) Toilet

11) Fire Department [Separated from the main municipal hall]

a) Officer's Radio Room
b) Garage
c) Storage and Utility
d) Admin Office
e) Lockers
f) Quarters
g) Toilet

12) Offices [Second Floor]

a) Chief Administrator's Office (Secretary's Office and Assistant's Office with CR) [Near or adjoining
to Conference Room]
b) Mayor's Office (with CR) [Near Chief Administrator's Office]
c) Vice Mayor's Office (with CR)
d) Councilor's Office (may or may not serve as room for public hearings) (with CR)
e) Association of Brgy Council with SK (with CR)

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 9

 f) Conference Room/s
g) Information Management Office (with CR)

13) Other Space Requirements [Second Floor]

a) Multi-Purpose Hall/Session Hall (with toilet)
b) Storage and Utility
c) Janitor’s Room
d) Atriums/Interior Garden with benches
e) Public Restrooms (Male, Female, PWDs)

• Outside Requirement/s:
1) Parking Lot (Clients, Employees, and the like)
2) Flagpole

City Hall Floor Plans

Ground Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 10

IRR of the National Building Code (PD 1096)
RULE VII - CLASSIFICATION AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF ALL BUILDINGS BY USE OR
OCCUPANCY

SECTION 701. Occupancy Classified

Table VII.1. Schedule of Principal, Accessory and Conditional Use/Occupancy of Building/Structure

Table VII.2. Building Height Limit (BHL) by Type of Use or Occupancy

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 11

RULE VIII - LIGHT AND VENTILATION
SECTION 803. Percentage of Site Occupancy

Table VIII.1. Reference Table of Maximum Allowable PSO, Maximum Allowable ISA, the MACA, the
Minimum USA and the TOSL by Type of Land Use Zoning per Lot

Table VIII.3. Setbacks for Commercial*, Industrial, Institutional and Recreational Buildings

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 12

What is a first-class municipality?

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 249, S. 1987

SECTION 2. CLASSIFICATION OF MUNICIPALITIES. – MUNICIPALITIES ARE DIVIDED INTO SIX (6)

MAIN CLASSES ACCORDING TO THE AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME THAT THEY ACTUALLY
REALIZED DURING THE LAST FOUR CALENDAR YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION, AS FOLLOWS:

(A) FIRST CLASS – MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OBTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME OF
FIFTEEN MILLION PESOS OR MORE;

(B) SECOND CLASS – MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OBTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME
OF TEN MILLION PESOS OR MORE BUT LESS THAN FIFTEEN MILLION PESOS;

(C) THIRD CLASS – MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OBTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME OF
FIVE MILLION PESOS OR MORE BUT LESS THAN TEN MILLION PESOS;

(D) FOURTH CLASS – MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OBTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME
OF THREE MILLION PESOS OR MORE BUT LESS THAN FIVE MILLION PESOS;

(E) FIFTH CLASS – MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OBTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME OF
ONE MILLION PESOS OR MORE BUT LESS THAN THREE MILLION PESOS;

(F) SIXTH CLASS – MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE OBTAINED AN AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME OF
LESS THAN ONE MILLION PESOS.

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 13

List of First-Class Municipalities in Pampanga

Land Area and Political Subdivision

Pampanga is in the central part of Region III. It is bounded on the north of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija, on
the east by Bulacan, southwest by Bataan and west by Zambales. Its terrain is relatively flat with only
one distinct mountain, Mount Arayat.
Its land area is 2,180.68 sq. kms. Its terrain is relatively flat with only one distinct mountain, the Mt.
Arayat. Among its municipalities, Porac has the largest land area with 343 sq. km.; Candaba comes next
with 208.7 sq. km.; Lubao is the third largest with 155.77 sq. km.
The province is divided into 4 congressional districts. It is composed of 19 municipalities, 3 cities and 538
barangays. The City of San Fernando is the capital of the province and serves as the government seat of
Central Luzon.

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 14

First District
1. Angeles City (First Class)
2. Mabalacat City (First Class)
3. Magalang (First Class)

Second District
1. Floriblanca (First Class)
2. Guagua (First Class)
3. Lubao (First Class)
4. Porac (First Class)
5. Sasmuan (Fourth Class)
6. Sta. Rita (Fourth Class)

Third District
1. Arayat (First Class)
2. Bacolor (Third Class)
3. Mexico (First Class)
4. City of San Fernando (First Class City)
5. Sta. Ana (Third Class)

Fourth District
1. Apalit (First Class)
2. Candaba (First Class)
3. Macabebe (First Class)
4. Masantol (Second Class)
5. Minalin (Fourth Class)
6. San Simon (Third Class)
7. Sto. Tomas (Fourth Class)
8. San Luis (Third Class)

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 15

Prepared by:

BSAR 2D – Group Antoni Gaudi

• GUIAO, MICAELA MAIGAN M.
• JAVIER, AIELA JEEP P.
• KO, XANDRA PAULA C.
• LIMPIN, JAYMEE ANNE M.
• LLAGAS, ADRILYN G.

Sources:

https://www.philatlas.com/cities.html
https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/citymanager/cityprojects/19150/city_hall.pdf
https://www.pampanga.gov.ph/index.php/the-government/citizen-s-charter/building-directory.html
https://www.woldae.com/expertise/government-architecture-firms/city-hall-design
https://www.northernarchitecture.us/space-requirements/selecting-the-location-of-the-city-hall.html
https://docshare.tips/barangay-hall-cs_57511ef5b6d87f5e5a8b4c4b.html
https://www.coursehero.com/file/55247253/268925963-Barangay-Hall-CSdocx/

DSGN 213_MAJOR PLATE 03_RESEARCH 16