CASA IBALON: A PROPOSED SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL

BUILDING
 CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM

A Shelter is universally acknowledge as the second most essential human need after food.

A shelter not only contributes to the development of man physically and mentally but also

contributes to the growth of culture and human morals.

A house is a state within which a generation of families expresses its existence and

preserves the history and identities of lineage. Families discover themselves according to their

lifestyle and the dictates of the cultural values of the society to which they belong. The family

house therefore, is a symbol of social identity and community recognition.

This study aims to introduce a solution which aims to provide answer the need on

development integrated with design concepts applied, it shall provide the best possible

comfortability and building sustainability.

Statement of the Problem

 Today, more and more families and themselves is a struggle to keep a decent, safe and

affordable shelter. Caught in punishing cycles of unpredictable rent increases, overcrowded

conditions and affordable financing, these families live with a constant burden of uncertainty,

stress and fear. These are the problem areas to which the researcher needs to find solutions for. It

is essential to be able determining and establish a concise and clear understanding of what the

problem is all about.

The study aims to answer the following questions :

1. What is the present condition of the site?

2. What are the existing laws and regulations to be considered?

3. What is the appropriate design solution?

Significance of the study

This study will develop a sustainable development of which increase the economic and

social development of which in turn, will benefit the community. This study shall serve as a

reference material to similar developments and will enhance design of residential building

designs in terms of architectural aspect.

The outcome of the study will be beneficial to the following:

The Municipality of Naga City. The study will give improvement to the increase in the

economy of the municipality.

The Future Researcher/Student. This study will serve as the application of the

architectural knowledge gained in studying the Architecture course and in the involvement to the
planning processes, and as an instrument for the information and the guide for future researches

about housing development.

The Occupant. This study will specify the importance of shelter in human living. This

study will benefit the family that will occupy the building for they will have a better home for a

better living.

Scope and Delimitation

This study will focus on identifying the architectural design applicable for the development

of the proposed project in securing and protecting the environment and human health from

negative impacts, deciding what physical development is necessary in providing learning and

entertainment needs of the people considering their safety, and determining the possible strategies

and techniques in building design and construction for the resiliency of the building.

The study will mainly focus on architectural planning, utilities system concepts, building

materials, and building technology concepts in giving the design solution.

Definition of Terms

To understand the terms in this study, the following are defined according to their uses in

the study:

Casa - a Spanish term for house

Ibalon – an old name of Bicol

Sustainable Architecture - is an architecture design that pursues to minimize the negative

environmental impacts of buildings by efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy

and development space.

Green Architecture - is the approach in green design of buildings that minimizes harmful effects

to the environment and human health using eco-friendly materials and construction practices.
 CHAPTER II – RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter contains the related literature and studies related to the proposed study,

collected to help the researcher in answering the queries set in the statement of the problem.

Synthesis of the State-of-the-Art

The National Building Code of the Philippines and its implementing Rules and Regulation

known as P.D. 1096 which provides general design considerations to all amenities taking user as

its basic basis of designing, specifically concerning public use of buildings in this study. It

expresses a framework of minimum standards and requirements especially in the usage of Rules

VII and VIII, which are the Classification and General Requirements of All Buildings by Use or

Occupancy, and Light and Ventilation, respectively. This section regulates and provide control

over the location of buildings, site, design, material’s quality, construction use and maintenance.

The Philippine Green Building Code of 2015 was essential to this study as it seeks to

improve the efficiency of building performance through a framework of acceptable set of standards
that will enhance sound environmental and resource management that will counter the harmful

gases responsible for the adverse effects of climate change, throughout the building’s life-cycle

including efficient use of resources, site selection, planning, design, construction, use, occupancy,

operation and maintenance, without significance increase in cost. It explains the application of the

Green Building Concept and promotes resource management efficiency and site sustainability

while minimizing the negative impact of buildings on human health and the environment. This is

applicable to the aim of the study of creating eco-friendly facilities giving the youth a sense of

place and comfort.

The Green Architecture: A Concept of Sustainability is a science open article published in

2015 by Amany Raghed, Hisham El-Shimy, and Ghada Ragheb. It is an article that contains

excerpts from other related references about green architecture. Green architecture, or green

design, is an approach to building that minimizes harmful effects on human and the environment.

The “green” architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-

friendly building materials and construction practices (Roy, 2008). Green architecture defines an

understanding of environment-friendly architecture under all classifications, and contains some

universal content (Burcu, 2015). It may have many of these characteristics: Ventilation systems

designed for efficient heating and cooling; Energy-efficient lighting and appliances; Water-saving

plumbing fixtures; Landscapes planned to maximize passive solar energy; Minimal harm to the

natural habitat; Alternate power sources such as solar power or wind power; Non-synthetic, non-

toxic materials; Locally-obtained woods and stone; Responsibly-harvested woods; Adaptive reuse

of older buildings; Use of recycled architectural salvage; and Efficient use of space. While most

green buildings do not have all of these features, the highest goal of green architecture is to be

fully sustainable. Green architecture is also known as sustainable development, eco-design, eco-
friendly architecture, earth-friendly architecture, environmental architecture, and natural

architecture. This concept was used in the study to provide eco-friendly facilities.

The Kula house , a residential building built in 2009 . The residential building was

designed for a licensed builder and HIA Greensmart professional wanting an affordable,

practical and comfortable family home that applied green building principles. The Kula house

typifies the traditional ‘longhouse’ design, a climate responsive building type common to the

cultures of the Pacific islands and Southeast Asia. The Kula house is tropical and alluring with

open spaces full of light and fresh breezes. Passive design subtly delivers occupant comfort. The

value of the home for families interested in minimizing running and maintenance costs will

always be relevant. The home does not need air-conditioning and the design and materials

chosen are resilient to tropical weather conditions. Design principles based around traditional

Pacific island ‘longhouses’ will last the test of time in the tropics.

The PHILIPPINES: Designing Defence Against Climate Change by Kara Santos, is an article

that featured different entries of architectural designs, and the judging of entries factored in

disaster-resiliency, innovative construction technology, socio-economic sustainability, cost-

effectiveness, and adaptability to the site. The designs focused on the sustainability and the

resiliency from climate change. Different sustainable materials were used in the designs, and it is

applicable to the proposal to have its sustainability, and the construction materials used to

achieve resiliency in the development of the facilities and infrastructures.

Theoretical Framework

Sustainable
Design

CASA IBALON:
A
SUSTAINABLE
RESIDENTIAL
BUILDING Vitruvius
The
Functionalist Venustas
Theory Theory

Conceptual Framework
 Design Principles
INPUT

Research and
Analysis PROCESS
Conceptualization

Building Design
OUTPUT Site Development
Plan

The conceptual framework is the structure followed to achieve the desired development of the

study. It illustrated how to complete the project or study. It involve the three main phases; the

Input, Process, and Output. This framework leads to efficient application of the solutions

considering the improvements and benefits in the project.

Input is the first phase of the study which introduces the foundation and basis of the study.

This includes the proponent’s interest, which identifies the desire of the proponent to explore and

design with regards to the proposed problem. The research, analysis, conceptualization and design

development are the process to go through the desired output which include the site development

and building design. Finally, this will lead to the development of the proposed Casa Ibalon : A

Sustainable Residential Building.

Design Framework

SUSTAINABLE
DESIGN

CLIMATE MODERN
RESILIENT DESIGN

CHAPTER III – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter will give the information about research design, data gathering, instruments,

materials, and methods used to collect data needed for the study as a foundation of the data

analysis.

Research Design

The research methodology used in this study was descriptive. Ocular site inspection and

the gathered data that are supported and validated by interviews, were reviewed, analyzed and

discussed in the following chapters. The related literature and studies were also considered and

used as basis of the study. This strategy helps the researcher to come up into an accurate process

of analysis of data.

Data Gathering Procedure

 Various related data were gathered from primary and secondary sources. The proponent

uses different strategies in collecting data for the proposed study. The following are used as

methods to collect data:

a. Ocular Site Inspection

Determining the site status will help the researcher to relate and evaluate present issues in

the proposal.

b. Interview

The study requires formal and informal interviews to find solution and related data.

c. Library Works

The researcher collected data through sources coming from books, theses, magazines, case

studies and other published or unpublished materials in collecting sufficient information

related to the study for the development of the proposed project.

Research Instrument

In providing data for the study, the proponent used interview and observation methods to

gather data. Different tools were used by the proponent for data collection for the proposal such

as:

a. Internet/Online Research

Browsing the web by means of reading online books, articles, PDFs, similar case studies

and other related information that contributes to the completeness of data. Links of the

websites used in this study are included in the References.

b. Interview Questionnaires
These are the set of queries given by the proponent to the respondent during the interview

process.