DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

1.0 PROJECT INTRODUCTION

A museum is an institution that cares for (conserves)
a collection of
artifacts
and
other
objects
of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance and
makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that
may be permanent or temporary. A library is a collection of
sources of information and similar resources, made
accessible to a defined community for reference or
borrowing. It provides physical or digital access to material,
and may be a physical building or room, or a virtual space, or
both. A barangay hall is the seat of local government for
the barangay, the lowest elected administrative division of
the Philippines, below that of a Philippine city or Philippine
municipality.
Purpose of museums is to collect, preserve, interpret, and
display items of artistic, cultural, or scientific significance for
the education of the public. The purpose can also depend on
ones point of view
Libraries is central to learning and plays a key role as a
place for encouraging innovation, curiosity, and problem
solving. Your library is a catalyst for literacy and reading and
for teaching and scaffolding inquiry learning. Libraries make
a difference to people understanding and achievement and
provide support for teaching and learning throughout the
community, and foster a reading and information culture that
promotes independent motivated readers and learners for
life
The barangay hall also serves as a local community center
often providing space for both permanent and temporary
services and events. The barangay's day care center and
office space for the tanods and the barangay health workers
are often located there. Medical missions, religious services,
fiestas, and sports contests are often held at or next to the
barangay hall, while the health center provides, free
medicines and vitamins are made always available for the
needy and sick people of through the Health Center.
Educating people on family planning, first aids and herbal
and medicinal plants will empower people particularly those
from the rural barangays. Dental and Medical Missions are
held regularly in rural barangays to provide the people with
basic medical needs.
The project is about making a vernacular design of a
barangay hall with museum and library, for a community of a
specific tribe which is the Ifugao tribe, this tribe located in
cordillera, they are famous because of one of philippine

tourist spot, and once included in 7 wonders of the world,

which is the Banaue rice terraces. And we have to make a
design that we have to still follow their wide architecture.

2.0 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This kind of facility will improve them, it helps them to be
united as a community, like the barangay hall goals is to
achieve a peace and orders for their community and every
people needs it, especially the Ifugao who treasures people
relationships, while Museum and library it helps the people
or community to gain new knowledge and become more
educated, and we know that Filipinos are naturally artistic,
and ifugaos art and literature is a thing that we need to be
proud of, so in order to show the world and conserve their
culture and tradition this project is beneficial. We all want that
other people would know about them. This project also
shows people how beautifully and artistically their vernacular
architecture.

It was believed at one time that electric light, being easy to

switch on, adaptable and unvarying in its effects and able to
give full value to architectural features, might provide not
merely an alternative to the use of daylight in museums, but
a substitute for it. In the former case suitable skylights will be
provided in the ceilings of the exhibition rooms in the letter
case, one or more walls will be pierced by windows, the
height and width of which must be decided according to
individual
requirements
(see Fig below).

3.0 TERM OF REFERENCES

3.1 related literature
MUSEUMS
The foregoing remarks apply to every new museum,
whatever its size we shall now consider more particularly the
principles and characteristics on which the planning and
construction of small museums should be based.
By "small museum" we understand any institution whose
program and finances are restricted so that, at least at its
inception, the premises built for it will be of limited size, in
most cases only one story high It is not so easy to determine
precisely within what limits the idea of the "little museum'' is
to be confined ; for while it may, at its smallest, consist of one
room, it may on the other hand be of an appreciable extent,
though still too small to be properly described as a medium
sized or large museum For the present purpose it may be
assumed that the "small museum" will not consist of more
than 10 to 12 medium-sized exhibition rooms (16 X 24 sq ft)
in addition to its other services.
LIGHTNING FROM ABOVE

This type of lighting, sometimes called overhead lighting (I

dislike this term, which seems too restrictive, ignoring the
possibility of directing the light from above at any desirable
angle),

Advantages:

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

1. A freer and steadier supply of light, less liable to be

affected by the different aspects of the various rooms in the
building and by any lateral obstacles (other buildings, trees,
etc.) which might tend, by causing refraction or by casting
shadows, to alter the quantity or quality of the light itself .
2. The possibility of regulating the amount of light cast on the
pictures or other exhibits and of securing full and uniform
lighting, giving good visibility with a minimum of reflection or
distortion.
3. The saving of wall space, which thus remains available for
exhibits.
4. The maximum latitude in planning space inside the
building, which can be divided without requiring courtyards or
light shafts.
5. The facilitation of security measures, owing to fewer
openings in the outside walls.
Compared with these advantages, the drawbacks seem
trifling and can in any case be reduced or overcome by
suitable technical and structural measures. They are:
1 The excess of radiating light, or of diffused light
interspersed with irregular rays.
2. The disadvantages inseparable from any system of
skylights (increased weight of the roof or coiling supports;
liability to become coated with dirt ; risk of panes being
broken ; danger of rainwater infiltration ; condensation of
moisture ; admission of sun rays ; irradiation and dispersion
of
heat,
etc.)
.
3. The monotony of the lighting, and oppressive
claustrophobic effect produced on visitors called upon to
walk through a long succession of rooms lit from above.
4. The greater complexity of the architectural and technical
problems to be solved in providing a roof which, while
adopted to this form of lighting, will effectively serve its
various purposes (problems relating to weatherproof
qualities, heating, maintenance, cleaning, security, etc.) .
Lateral Lighting
This is provided either by ordinary windows of various
shapes and sizes, placed at suitable intervals in the walls, or
by continuous openings ; both windows and openings may
be placed either at a level at which people can see out of
them or in the upper part of the wall.
For this purpose it may be wise, even where overhead

lighting is adopted, to arrange a few lateral openings for the

passing visitor High-placed windows, especially if they
occupy more than one wall, provide more light, more closely
resembling that supplied by skylights, and leave all four walls
free for exhibits but as they must be placed at a considerable
height, if visitors are not to be dazzled, the rooms must be
comparatively large and the ceilings lofty.
It therefore seems preferable, especially in small museums,
to choose an intermediate system which can be adapted to
varying needs and necessary changes, even if it thus
becomes more difficult to achieve ideal results.
Utilization and Division of Space
In designing a museum the architect will also be decisively
influenced by the way in which it is intended to utilize and
divide the space to be devoted to the displays. The modern
tendency is to create large unbroken spaces, which can then
be divided up by movable partitions or lightweight structures,
to be grouped or displaced as required.
The modern tendency is to create large unbroken spaces,
which can then be divided up by movable partitions or
lightweight structures, to be grouped or displaced as
required.
The traditional system is the contrary one of dividing the
space, by means of permanent walls, into rooms of various
sizes, which may be either communicating or independent
(connected, in the letter case, by passages or side galleries)
(see Fig below) .
A small museum may do well to adopt an intermediate
system with a succession of average-sized rooms (for the
display of permanent collections whose contents will not
change, such as those received through bequests,
donations, etc .) and one or more large rooms which can be
variously divided up when required by movable partitions or
light structures .

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

Planning
It is hardly necessary to explain, before embarking upon a
discussion of the different questions that may arise when a
small museum is being planned and built, that my aim is
merely to put forward certain suggestions to serve an
practical pointers, based on experience of the subject, with
no intention of trespassing upon the domains of the various
technical authorities who must inevitably be consulted.
The Exterior
A museum which is to be built in an isolated spot or reserved
space (park, garden, etc.) needs to be surrounded by an
enclosure, especially if the site forms part of an extensive
area. For the visitor, this enclosure will provide a foretaste of
the museum's architecture, and thus must not constitute a
"psychological barrier," though the fundamental aim of
security, which it has to serve, must not be sacrificed.
If, on the contrary, the museum is to overlook a public street,
it will always be advisable: (a) to separate it from the stream
of traffic by a belt of trees or even by flowerbeds; (b) to set
back the entrance in a quiet corner : (c) to allow space for a
public car park .
The architect should think of the building he has been asked
to design as an organism capable of growing, and therefore
provide from the outset for suitable possibilities of expansion,
so that when the time comes for this it will not require farreaching and costly alterations. Renouncing all pretensions
to a monumental style.
Arrangement
Any general plan of construction which entails an
apportionment of premises is closely bound up with the
purpose of the museum and the nature, quality, and principal
components of its collections. Each type of museum has
different requirements, which may be met by various
architectural methods. It is difficult to give any exact
classification of the different types of collections, but we can
offer a very brief one, if only to indicate the wide range of
demands the designer of a museum may be called upon to
meet:
1. Museums of art and archaeology the size of the rooms
and height of the ceilings will be determined by the nature
and dimensions of the works to be exhibited. It is not difficult

to calculate a practical minimum capable either of

accommodating old paintings, which are usually large, or
medium-sized modern canvases; a suitable room might
measure about 16 by 23 ft, with wall accommodation to a
height of about 14 ft. In the case of furniture.

arranging them in proximity to one another in such a way

that
they can be seen without the necessity of traversing the
entire building. For example, in a succession of rooms
surrounding an inner courtyard (see Fig. below).

2. Historical or archival museums these need less space

for the showcases in which their exhibits are placed, and
comparatively large and numerous storerooms for the
documents kept in reserve Relics and papers are best
shown in rooms equipped with suitable protective devices
and artificially lighted, though some use may also be made
of indirect natural light.
3. Ethnographic and folk museums. The exhibits are
usually displayed in showcases. They are often large and
cumbersome, requiring a good deal of space. Considerable
space is also needed for reproducing typical surroundings, if
this is done with genuine pieces and properties or full-sized
replicas. Strong artificial lighting is generally used as being
more effective than daylight.
4. Museums of physical and natural sciences,
technological or educational museums Owing to the great
variety of collections involved, their division into sections and
the necessary scientific cataloguing, these museums differ in
size end in architectural and functional characteristics where
the exhibits are arranged in series.
There can never be any objection to adopting the modern
principle of a building so constructed that its interior can be
adapted, divided, and altered to meet the varying demands
of successive exhibitions. If this is done, the most important
thing is that the construction shall be "flexible," that is,
capable of adaptation to the different features it must
simultaneously or successively contain, while preserving
unchanged its general framework entrances and exits,
lighting system, general services and technical installation.
The internal arrangement of the available space, the
distribution and style of the galleries can then be either
temporary or comparatively permanent. In the former case,
use will be made of movable partitions, panels of lightweight
materiel (plywood or thin metal frames covered with cloth,
etc. .) fitted into special supports or into holes or grooves
suitably placed in the floor ; these can either be separate or
arranged in groups held together by bolts or hinges.

Visitors must not be made to feel that they are in a maze

where they can easily lose their way if the designer's
preference or the demands of space result in a series of
rooms ell set along the same axis, it may be desirable to
connect them by a corridor. But this should not be the only
means of access to the rooms, for if the visitor is forced to
return to it each Entrance However many outside doors may
be found necessary for the various museum services (but
these should be as few as possible, to facilitate supervision
and security measures), there must be only one public
entrance, placed quite separately from the others.
This should lead into a foyer where certain essential services
will be located-sale of tickets, information service, and sale
of catalogues and postcards
It is important for the entrance hall to seem attractive even
to the casual passer-by-who is always a potential visitor to
the museum. It should provide an easy introduction to the
building, a point from which the individual visitor can find his
way without difficulty and where large parties can be greeted
and assembled.
In museums where arriving and departing visitors are to be
mechanically counted, an automatic turnstile should be
installed, serving both doors but placed at a sufficient
distance from the main entrance and the ticket office.
Exhibition Rooms

So, even if a museum is to show a series of selected works

of the first quality, we should consider the possibility of

Shape and Requirements A museum in which all the rooms

are the same size becomes very monotonous By varying

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

their dimensions and the relation between height and widthand also by using different color for the walls and different
kinds of flooring-we provide a spontaneous and unconscious
stimulus to attention.

for economy in a small museum. Because of the many

varied kinds of tasks which a museum has to perform,
absolutely impossible to maintain good housekeeping
curatorial procedures without separation of functions
separate rooms.

and
it is
and
into

ORGANIZATION OF SPACE
The next step in the planning of a museum is the working
relationship between these various functions. The planning
of a good museum must reflect the most efficient manner in
which the various tasks are carried out individually and in
relationship to each other, without one adversely affecting
the other. A major consideration in this planning is the matter
of future expansion and construction in several stages.
The diagram (Fig. 1) illustrates the most efficient working
arrangement,

Basic
Plan 2

is

This
(Fig. 3)
an

Basic Plan 1
This plan shows the absolutely minimum sizes of spaces
required for an effective minimum museum. It will be noted
that the display area is only about 40 percent of the area of
the building.
Monotony also results when a number of rooms follow one
another in a straight line. Even where this cannot be entirely
avoided, the rooms should be so constructed that the doors
are not opposite one another, providing a "telescopic" view
through the building. An uninterrupted prospect of the long
route ahead is usually found to have a depressing
effect on visitors. There are, however, undoubted
advantages in being able to see into several rooms at the
same time ; it is a help, for instance, in directing visitors, and
for
security
purposes
.
.
PLANNING THE SMALL MUSEUM
A good museum includes these basic functions: (1)
curatorial, (2) display, (3) display preparation, (4) education.
In order to realize both objectives and functions, certain
facilities and spaces are essential.
There must be sufficient diversification of spaces to allow
each function to be undertaken separately while at the same
time combining certain activities in a single area as required

Future expansion of the existing collection storage room can

take place as the collections grow, while the existing display
room also can be increased in size as required Future
addition of a lecture room off the lobby can also be achieved
so that the educational functions of the museum can be
expanded. Note that these additions can be made without
complication to the roof structure of the original plan. The
number of perimeter display cases shown would be ample to
maintain and ensure changing displays.

expansion of Plan 1, with allowance for further expansion of

the display, collection, and educational functions in the future
. The number of perimeter cases shown would be ample for
the story theme and changing exhibits while the Center of
the
room
may
have
larger
items,
photographic panels or special feature displays.

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

average viewing distance of 24- 48 in (Fig . 5) . Arranging

objects and labels above and below these limits places a
strain on seldom-used muscles and produces aching backs,
tired feet, burning eyes, and stiff necks. Some quite large
objects, such as totem poles or dinosaurs, will inevitably soar
above these viewing limits, and, in this event, the visitor must
be permitted space to back far enough away from the object
to comprehend it without becoming a case for an
orthopaedic
specialist
(Fig
.
6)
.
The flow of visitors is like the flow of water in a stream. If the
cases are arranged with gently curving lines to take
advantage of this pattern of movement (Fig. 76), visitors will
find the room more attractive and can progress easily with
the line of the case. Often the arrangements can be
staggered (Fig. 7c) which produces a certain mystery and a
desire on the part of the visitor to peek around corners to see
what is next . It is not always necessary to have a wide
opening into a hall. Cases that are arranged to narrow the
entrance a bit (Fig . 7d), so that the hall inside then opens
out, provide a certain amount of interest .

GALLERY DESIGN
The average American museum visitor (Fig. 4), if a man, is
about 5 ft 9 1/4 in tall, and his eye level is 5 ft 4 3/4 in ; the
average woman is about 5 ft 3 1/4 in tall, and her eye level is
4 ft 11 3 /4 in Thus, the mean adult eye-level height is about
5 ft 2 1/4 in . With little eye movement, people usually see
and recognize with ease things that are within an
approximately elliptical cone of vision, with the apex of the
cone at the eye-level height. Studies have shown that, in
general, the adult museum visitor observes an area only a
little over 1 ft above his own eye level to 3 ft below it at an

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

LIBRARIES

several areas of the building. In addition, the program

statement should estimate the proportion of table seating to
informal seating (See Figs. 4 to 6.)

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

Space for Staff

The program statement, which includes objectives, activities,
and requirements, will spell out total needs in terms of
square feet of floor space. Generally speaking, the total need
may be divided into five categories: space for (1) books, (2)
readers, (3) staff, (4) group meetings, and (5) mechanical
operations and all other (stairways, elevators, toilets, etc. . .)
Actual space allocations will tend to vary in accordance with
the library service program in relationship to community
needs.

Space requirements for the staff must also be stated in the

program. These estimates will be conditioned by (1)
anticipated growth for a 20-year period and (2) the nature
and extent of the library's service program. The American
Library Association recommends that space for staff be
calculated on the basis of "one staff member (full-time or
equivalent) . . . for each 2,500 people in the service area."'
A checklist of staff work areas should include (1)
administrative offices, (2) work rooms, and (3) staff lunch and
lounge rooms. Administrative offices should include a
combination librarian's office-trustee room; spaces for the
assistant librarian and a secretary-receptionist; business
office and other related offices. Work room areas should be
provided for technical processing; reference, circulation,
extension, and other departments; subject specialists; and
supply storage.

Space for Books

To a large extent the amount of book shelving required will
depend on the size of the library service area and whether
the library is a member of a library system. Most library
planners, when estimating the size of the book collection,
apply a standard which ranges from three books per capita
(smallest communities) to one and one-half books per capita
(largest cities) . In any event enough book shelving should
be provided to plan for 20 years' anticipated growth.

Meeting Rooms

Despite the fact that there is considerable variation in the

size of books, there are several reliable formulas which may
be used to estimate the amount of space required for books.
These are : open reading rooms, 7 volumes per lineal foot,
or 50 books per foot of standard height wall shelving, or 100
books per foot of double-faced shelving ; book stack areas,
15 books per square foot (includes aisles), or 2 books per
cubic foot . Approximately 50 long play phonograph records
may be shelved in one lineal foot of wall shelving it is
important to note that these formulas are given for full
capacity. Under normal conditions, one-third of each shelf
should be left for future expansion. (See Figs. 1 to 3.)

With the exception of the very smallest libraries, most public

libraries should provide some group meeting space, at least
one multipurpose meeting room. At the other extreme, a
small auditorium and a series of conference rooms may be
required. The services proposed by the library together with
community needs for facilities of this type will be the final
determinants. Multipurpose rooms meet two general classes
of need. First, they can be utilized for children's story hours,
discussion groups, staff meetings, and other librarysponsored
activities.
Second,
various
community,
educational, cultural, and local government groups will make
frequent and varied use of a multipurpose room.

Space for Readers

Reader seating requirements should be determined for at
least 20 years ahead. Two principal sources of information
which library building planners will find equally useful for
this purpose are first, a careful analysis of

Space Requirements and study areas. Arrangements of this

type have proved to be most effective in smaller libraries and
in branch library buildings.
As an established rule of thumb, minimum allowances are
made of 30 sq ft per adult reader and 20 sq ft per child.
These allocations for reader seating are in terms of net
space for readers, chairs, tables, aisles, and service desk.
Seating requirements should be listed according to the

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

Space for Mechanical Operations

Included within this category are halls, stairways, toilets,
elevators and lifts, air ducts, heating and air conditioning
equipment, closets, and shops. Because it is exceedingly
easy to underestimate the amount of space required for
mechanical operations, it is recommended that the best
available technical advice be secured to assure inclusion of
an accurate estimate within the program statement.
Fortunately, with the development of new construction
materials and techniques combined with new concepts in
planning, much less space is needed for these purposes
than was formerly the case. It is suggested that an allowance
of 20 percent be made for mechanical operations. In

BARANGAY HALL

comparison, some planners allowed twice as much space

not too many years ago. It is of utmost importance that this
space requirement not be overlooked. After the amount of
space needed has been estimated, it should be added to the
total required for the other activities to be provided in the
building

Steps to be taken in planning and constructing a barangay

hall 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 onetwo-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

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

of furnishings and equipment, and special requirements such

as vault and storage space

DETERMINING NEED

3. Provide ample off-street parking space for both employees

and the public

The need for a new barangay hall may seem obvious to

those who spend their working hours at the barangay hall.
Ceilings are high; heating costs are twice what they should
be;
space
originally
meant for storage has been converted to offices; electrical
wiring violates code provisions; and the present facility is just
old anyway. All of this-and more besides-may be true, but
what is not known is how extensive the need is. This must be
determined by careful study. In determining the need for a
barangay hall alternate courses of action should be studied.

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.
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:

LAYOUT, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURES

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 barangay hall is an office building, not
a monument or an ornament.
4. Don't underestimate space needs;
commercial office building lasts 67 years.

Factors Influencing Need Determining the extent of need

involves two areas: (1) condition of building, and (2) space
needs. The condition of the building is the easiest to
evaluate. Things to be considered are type of construction,
structural condition, electrical wiring, heating and ventilating,
and facilities such as rest rooms. Nothing may be seriously
wrong and a new facility still needed, but it is important to
know these points.

the

average

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 barangay hall into cubbyholes for minor
officials
7. Don't build the barangay 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.

General Building Layout Building arrangement is the next

step in planning a barangay 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 tax collector
2. Departments requiring contact with special classes of the
public-for example, barangay owned utilities, building
permits, personnel, barangay planning, and barangay clerk
3 Other departments including public works, recreation,
police, fire, etc.
4 Barangay 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 productionline style. Excessive lobbies and hall space 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
barangay building of more than two floors should have an
elevator, especially if the public has any great use of the top
floor.
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 departments layout is to survey the work
done by the department Work flow 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 As major factor in the determination of space

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

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.

collection of rare Filipiniana books, manuscripts, maps,

archaeological artifacts and fine art.
Eugenio Lopez is known to many as a leading industrialist of
post-World War II Philippines. With resources that came from
sugar production, he pioneered in diverse fields of business
including transportation (bus, taxicab and air transport
operations), mass
media (ABS-CBN
Broadcasting
Corporation and The Manila Chronicle), energy (MERALCO)
becoming one of the first Filipino successes in business in a
then largely American dominated economy.

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.
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.

3.2 Case study

-local
Lopez Museum and library

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 barangay manager's office.
See the second-floor plan of the Alhambra, California,
barangay 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.
Location of the council chamber important because of the
public nature of the business transacted there. Most of the
cities with multi-storeyed 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
barangay clerk, barangay attorney, and barangay manager.

Philippine art and history museum and library located

in Pasig, Philippines at the ground floor of the Benpres
Building, Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Ortigas
Center.
The Lopez Museum was founded on 13 February 1960 by
Eugenio Lopez, Sir in honour of his parents, Benito Lopez
and Presentation Hofilea. Eugenio Lopez built the museum
to provide scholars and students access to his personal

Eminent historian Renato Constantino was Lopez Museums

first curator, from 1960 to 1972. Engaged by LMM founder
and prominent antiquarian Eugenio Lopez, Sr (Eing), it was

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

only logical that it would be under his watch that the museum
acquired Juan Lunas Espaa y Filipinas, a seminal work
much cited for capturing the image of a country patronizingly
led up the rungs of evolutionary colonial tutelage. Such
acquisitions complemented the Philippine rare books and
antiquarian map collection amassed by Eing, who in
consultation with renowned collector and connoisseur
Alfonso Ongpin, further acquired other seminal and
technically astute works by Luna, Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo, and Fernando Amorsolo. A second key acquisition
phase was led by Eings youngest son, Roberto Lopez who
was inclined toward Philippine Modernism, thus improving
this aspect of the LMM collection with works vetted under the
supervision of art historian, Rod Paras Perez.
The Presidential Museum and Library, formerly Malacaang
Museum, the official repository of memorabilia of
the President of the Philippines, is located in Kalayaan Hall.
It was established in 2004 when the Presidential Museum
and Malacaang Library were merged into the Malacaang
Museum the renamed to its present name in 2010. The
Gallery of Presidents features exhibits and galleries
showcasing the heritage of the Presidents beginning
from Emilio Aguinaldo to the present. It is composed of
objects and memorabilia including clothing, personal
effects, gifts, publications and documents of former
presidents as well as the artwork and furniture from the
Palace collections.
Consisting of over 19,000 Filipiniana titles by about 12,000
authors, the Lopez Library houses an invaluable collection of
Philippine incunabula, rare books, manuscripts, dictionaries,
literary works in Western and vernacular languages, religious
tracts, periodicals, newspapers, coffee table volumes,
academic treatises, contemporary writing, maps, archival
photographs, cartoons and microfilms. It remains a critical
node in the small network of institutions devoted to ongoing
Philippine scholarship produced locally and internationally.

Presidential Museum and Library

The Presidential Museum and Library is located in Kalayaan

Hall, originally built in 1921 during the American colonial era
as the Executive Building and today a wing of Malacaan
Palace, the historic and official seat and residence of the
President of the Philippines.

The building itself, designed by Ralph Harrington Doane in

elegant neo-Renaissance style, is one of the finest examples
of American colonial public architecture in the country, and
one of the best-preserved today.
The rooms on the ground floor, most of them paneled in
hardwood and sumptuously carved by the most renowned of
Filipino woodcarvers, Isabelo Tampinco, housed the
Executive Bureau during the American Period, and are today
devoted to the colonial-era history of Malacaang Palace.

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

-foreign
British Museum
The core of todays building was designed by the architect
Sir Robert Smirke (17801867) in 1823. It was a quadrangle
with four wings: the north, east, south and west wings. The
building was completed in 1852. It included galleries for
classical sculpture and Assyrian antiquities as well as
residences for staff.
Smirke designed the building in the Greek revival style,
which emulated classical Greek architecture. Greek features
on the building include the columns and pediment at the
South entrance.
This style had become increasingly popular since the 1750s
when Greece and its ancient sites were rediscovered by
western Europeans.

In 1853, the quadrangle building won the Royal Institute of

British Architects Gold Medal.
The external architecture of the Museum was designed to
reflect the purpose of the building. The monumental South
entrance, with its stairs, colonnade and pediment, was
intended to reflect the wondrous objects housed inside.
The design of the columns has been borrowed from ancient
Greek temples, and the pediment at the top of the building is
a common feature of classical Greek architecture.
The east and west residences (to the left and right of the
entrance) have a more modest exterior.
This is an example of mid-nineteenth century domestic
architecture and reflects the domestic purpose of these
wings. They housed the Museums employees, who
originally lived on site.

-Weston Hall
The building was constructed using up-to-the-minute 1820s
technology. Built on a concrete floor, the frame of the building
was made from cast iron and filled in with London stock
brick. The public facing sections of the building were covered
in a layer of Portland stone.

The Weston Hall was designed by Sydney Smirke, who took

over from his brother, Sir Robert Smirke, in 1845.

The patterns and colours on the ceiling of the Weston Hall

were borrowed from classical Greek buildings, which would
have been brightly decorated.
The electric lamps in the entrance hall are replicas of the
original lighting lamps in the Museum. The Museum was the
first public building to be electrically lit.
Using cast iron, concrete, glass and the latest heating and
ventilation systems, it was a masterpiece of mid-nineteenth
century technology. The room had a diameter of 140 feet
(approximately 42.6m) and was inspired by the domed
Pantheon in Rome.
However, it is not a free standing dome in the technical
sense. It has been constructed in segments on a cast iron
framework. The ceiling is suspended on cast iron struts
hanging down from the frame and is made out of papier
mache.

The Reading Room opened on 2 May 1857. Between 816

May, the library was opened up for a special one-off public
viewing. Over 62,000 visitors came to marvel at the new
building. Those wanting to use it had to apply in writing and
were issued a readers ticket by the Principal Librarian.
Among those granted tickets were: Karl Marx, Lenin (who
signed in under the name Jacob Richter) and novelists such
as Bram Stoker and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Reading
Room was used for special exhibitions from 2007 until 2013.
- White Wing
The White Wing, facing Montague Street, was designed by
the architect Sir John Taylor (18331912) and constructed

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

18825. It was designed in the same style as the quadrangle

building.

The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library, which

explores the political, cultural and social history of New York,
underwent a three-year, $70-million renovation that now
features a new 3,400-square-foot space. Electroscopic
provided the audio, video and control systems for the
renovation of the citys oldest museum. Platt Byard Dovell
White Architects and Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design
Partnership were the design team on the project.

The Museum had again been looking to expand and a

bequest made by William White (who died in 1823) to enable
building works became available after the death of his
widow.
White had two requests about the design of the building: that
it had a monumental entrance (the steps which run up to the
entrance) and an inscription (which is above the doorway).
These can both be seen from Montague Street.

Construction for its eighth home began September 10, 1902.

The central portion of the present building on Central Park
West w
a
s

-Great Court: history and design

In the original Robert Smirke design the courtyard was
meant to be a garden. However, in 18527 the Reading
Room and a number of bookstacks were built in the
courtyard to house the library department of the Museum
and the space was lost.
In 1997, the Museums library department was relocated to
the new British Library building in St Pancras and there was
an opportunity to re-open the space to public.
An architectural competition was launched to re-design the
courtyard space. There were over 130 entries and it was
eventually won by Lord Foster.

-Revealing hidden spaces: the courtyard

The courtyard had been a lost space since 1857. The redesign of the Great Court meant that this hidden space could
be seen again.
The design of the Great Court was loosely based on Fosters
concept for the roof of the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany. A
key aspect of the design was that with every step in the
Great Court the vista changed and allowed the visitor a new
view on their surroundings.
Work on the Great Court's magnificent glass and steel roof
began in September 1999. The canopy was designed and
installed by computer. It was constructed out of 3,312 panes
of glass, no two of which are the same.
At two acres, the Great Court increased public space in the
Museum by forty per cent, allowing visitors to move freely
around the main floor for the first time in 150 years.

New-York
Historical
Museum & Library

Society

completed December 15, 1908 to designs by architects York

and Sawyer, who were known for their bank designs. In 1938
that central block was extended and sympathetically
completed by the construction of pavilions on either end,
with Walker & Gillette as architects. That extension project
stands
among
the
last
examples
of Beaux-Arts
architecture completed in the city and in the entire country.
The building was designated a landmark by the New York
City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966.
Two notable stained glass windows are found in the library
on the 2nd floor. The Arrival of Henry Hudson was designed
by Mr Calvert of the Gorham Manufacturing Company. The
second is Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, known as

DESIGN RESEARCH: VERNACULAR DESIGN OF COMMUNITY CENTER COMPLEX

the French Huguenot memorial window, in honour of

religious refugees to New York. It is inscribed and signed by
the artist, Mary E. Tilling hast.