Chapter 1 5 RESEARCH0328

PERSPECTIVE OF AN ARCHITECT IN CREATING SUSTAINABLE
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN IN DENSE URBAN
AREAS IN METRO MANILA
A Research Submitted
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Course
Practical Research 1
By
Cestina, Janea Grace F.
Collamat, Ray Anthony R.
Derez, Arabelle Yollina V.
Granada, Tamae Anna T.
Oliva, Jo-Anne Faith M.
Tabuna, Klyde R.
Senior High School Department

Technological Institute of the Philippines Quezon City
938 Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City
March 2019
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to our
Research Teacher and Adviser, Mr. Antonio Salido, who gave his unconditional
support and guidance in conducting the study. We thank him for sharing his
immense knowledge upon us, which help us complete the study.
We would like to thank our faculty teachers: Ms. Margaret Victoria, Mr.
Aaron Martinez and Arch. Marvin Rimando for helping us validate our research
instrument and for sharing their insights for the betterment of the study.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the Technological Institute
of the Philippines Senior high school principal Dr. Brenda Corpuz for allowing
us to conduct the study outside the campus and for also supporting us with our
study.
We would also like to thank our participants for their patience and
cooperation during the interview.
We are grateful to our respective families for giving their continuous
support, care, love and encouragements.
And Above all, to our Almighty God, who have been there with His
continuous blessing, wisdom and guidance that made everything possible.

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ABSTRACT
Architectural designs are having challenges in urban areas and
residential areas are getting denser as we grow. These are the major problem
that most architects face in every project that they had and coming up with an
innovative and sustainable housing design. The purpose was to know and
understand the perspective of an architect in facing problem issues of
designing residential buildings especially in the dense urban cities. This
qualitative research made use of a case study method to collect relevant data,
purposive and convenience samplings are the techniques used, to attain the
participants of this research, collection of data was conducted through
interviewing and researchers used semi-structured interview to be more
conversational. Findings showed that designing in dense urban areas greatly
considers different factors and ways in facing problems, and architects apply
different strategies, guidelines, building laws and codes to follow to have a
sustainable residential design.
Keywords: sustainable, architect, design, factors, urban areas,
residential building, dense, problems, perspective.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Page
Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scope and Limitations of the Study .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURES
Related Literatures and Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Definition of Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
Research Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sources of Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Primary Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sources of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Participants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Description of the Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Sources of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sampling Technique . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Secondary Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Gathering Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Treatment . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Recommendation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
List of Figures
Figure 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Figure 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
Perspective of an Architect in Creating Residential Building Design in
Dense Urban Areas in Metro Manila
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Today, in modern era, our world keeps on evolving and so are we. As we
keep on growing, it also means that we are growing larger in population. Our
need as a being; whether it is food, clothes, and houses; also keeps on
increasing. As a result, the natural aesthetic of our environment has been
turned to beautiful urban areas that provide us a place that we can call our
home. The residential buildings in urban areas, where we live in are getting
denser as we grow. These are the major problem that most architects face in
every project that they had inside these dense urban areas, coming up with an
innovative housing design that still contributes to the greater good and
aesthetic of our environment.
An urban area is the region surrounding a city. Most inhabitants of urban
areas have nonagricultural jobs. Urban areas are very developed, meaning
there is a density of human structures such as commercial buildings, roads,
bridges, railways, and most of all, residential buildings or houses. Architectural
designs are having challenges in urban areas, especially from these residential
buildings. ie.edu (2017) stated that the urban population is expected to double
in the next 40 years, forcing cities to undertake a holistic and sustainable
transformation of their model. The great challenge of architecture has to do with
its capacity to create denser metropolises that have high urban quality and offer
residents a better quality of life.

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On a study conducted by E. Ng et al. (2010), they stated that mega and
high‐density compact cities suffer from large conglomerates of urban land mass
with high thermal capacity and urban heat island intensity.
In addition, they have higher ground roughness and poorer urban ventilation.
High anthropogenic heat and pollution emissions are also problems under
weak synoptic wind conditions (Narumi et al., 2009).
According to Senturer (2001), as cited by A. Kadir (2005), The provision
of suitable housing is still one of the biggest problems faced by the world. It is
known that increasing population, immigration, and natural disasters are the
main reasons for the great housing demand. The industrial revolution caused
an increase in building demand, and because of this, new developments in
building construction systems emerged. Furthermore, the conventional
construction method, which is commonly being practiced in the building
construction industry, is unable to respond to this huge demand in a short time
with standard quality. They are also lacking in open and green spaces. Urban
landscape creates an urban climate that affects human comfort and
environmental health (Poggio & Vrščaj 2009). Generally, the use of climatic
knowledge in land use and urban planning is lacking. Planners and
policymakers either do not pay sufficient attention to this increasingly important
issue or cannot fully engage the missing link. Understanding this lack of
integration between urban climatic and urban planning knowledge is important,
especially for planners of mega, high‐density, and compact cities.
The study aims to know how architects solve problems involving the
rapidly expanding cities to create innovative and sustainable residential

3
building design in dense urban areas within Metro Manila and to better
understand the factors that are affecting it.
Statement of the Problem
As population grows, increase in infrastructures is inevitable, especially
in urban areas. Filipinos in dense urban areas often build houses or buildings in
an open space without thinking about the sustainable design. This often
happens in the Philippines.
Most of the people who migrate from rural to urban areas have
encountered building their own houses on unused land, thus squatter areas
increase in cities in the Philippines. As a result, this leads to dense urban cities
or areas.
Architects may be challenge to create a sustainable residential building
design in dense urban areas. The study focuses on the perspective of an
architect in creating sustainable residential building design. Specifically, it aims
to answer the following questions:
1. What are the different ways of Architects in designing residential building
in dense urban area?
2. What are the common problems Architects encounter in designing
residential building in dense urban area and how do they handle it?
3. How does Architects create sustainable residential building design in
dense urban areas?

4
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The researchers decided to conduct the study to further understand the
issue and problems, especially for professional architects. The study is
primarily focused on the creating sustainable residential building design in
dense urban areas within Metro Manila and how does dense urban areas, and
its factors become one of the problems of architectural design. The study is
limited to the selected architects in Metro Manila. The researchers used
in-depth interviewing to gather the information or data needed to satisfy the
study.The study only covers identification of problems faced by the professional
architects and to find the possible ways indesigning residential building in
dense urban areas specifically in Metro Manila.
Significance of the Study
Some of the professional and aspiring architects might face unsolvable
issues on how would they design residential buildings especially in the dense
urban cities.
The researchers decided to address the problem encountered by
professional architects facing in the present time and conduct a study to know
the perspective of an architect in creating sustainable residential design. The
ways suggested in creating sustainable residential building design can give
benefit to the following:
Aspiring Architects, students who pursue their dreams of being a
professional architect may have knowledge and idea in designing residential

5
building in dense urban areas. This research can be their guide in the future as
they aspire to be an architect someday.
Professional Architects, knowing the issue, they would come up to
strategies or techniques that can help them solve a problem that they are facing
in the present time.
Technological Institute of the Philippines, having addressed the
problem aspiring architects might face in the future, they would provide better
quality education to help their students specifically aspiring architects that
studies in their school to understand how to create a sustainable residential
building design in dense urban area.
Community, having issues on building or designing residential
buildings in the dense urban areas, producing more strategies that they can
use to solve the problem they might face on the coming years.
Future Researchers, with the outcomes of the study, future
researchers may use the data and conclusion as they conduct similar or related
studies. This will also serve as a guide for their future research purposes.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURES
As Winston Churchill said, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards, our
buildings shape us.” The infrastructures or buildings that we build have
connection to our daily lives. As Urbanization emerges, the population rapidly
increases so as the demand for service and housing (Orante, 2015). There is a
lot of house or infrastructure due to the high population; therefore, there is only
limited space to build a new house or infrastructure to reach the demand.
Architecture stands in a high position in our society at present time, as it
contributes profoundly to shaping the society we live in today (Krmangalam,
2018).
Residential Building
According to Anupoju (2016), a residential building is a building which
provides more than half of its floor area for dwelling purposes. It provides
sleeping accommodation with or without cooking or dining or both facilities. We
also call it House. It includes Individual houses or private dwellings, lodging or
rooming houses, Dormitories, Apartments, and Hotels. Selection of site where
you will build the residential building is important as it affects the design of the
building. It has important factors to consider in selecting site for any residence,
its surroundings or environment, civic services, inhabitants, and more factors
that could affect the design of the residential building.

7
Sustainable Architectural Design
Sustainable structure is ready developing a higher quality of lifestyles for
everyone, now and for generations to come. It means recognizing that our
economic system, surroundings and social wellness are interdependent
(Purl-Design, 2011). Green architectures symbolize sustainability in modern
architecture. It represents and reveal a great deal about the ecological
performance of the city and success to sustainable planning. The planning of
sustainable cities serves as an important factor for change and improvement for
the environment. The planning of sustainable and revitalization of green cities
contributes towards upgrading the environmental quality as a vast umbrella to
the city. There are variety of strategies that can be adopted that aims to both
urban planning and upgrading the environmental performance of a city
(Huseynov, 2011).
Design process attempts to use optimum solutions in various levels so
as to create concepts by collecting and classifying the appropriate responses in
terms of providing the goals of designing. From the architects point of view, the
design process is so varied due to the fact that every designer starts designing
based on their specific method or ways. First, a designer organized the design
problem in order to understand it by using mind ability, then offers the initial
scheme based on creativity. The crucial steps of the design process are formed
in the mind of the designer, unconsciously; generating the concept is the most
important of them. Moreover, designers can improve their intellectual issues
and a mind’s ability by using some advice and ways (Parsaee, Motealleh &
Parva, 2015)
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Sustainability in architecture addresses the negative environmental and
social effects of buildings with the aid of utilizing layout strategies, substances,
energy and improvement spaces that are not detrimental to the encircling
surroundings or groups (Build Abroad, 2017).
As stated by Sidransky (2018), architecture and design have been the
symbols of evolution and change within societies. The towering fancies of the
modern and postmodern ages, building design reflects trends in civilization,
both technological and sociological. Designing residential buildings depends on
what is the trend; it should be comfortable, aesthetic, sustainable, and
affordable.
OPod housing is a concept by Hong Kong-based studio, James Law
Cybertecture. The concept is using meter-wide concrete water pipes into
temporary living spaces complete with facilities, cooking, and bathing. The idea
is that this tubular structure could be easily relocated by a crane to stack on top
of each other in the unused spaces between existing buildings. This concept
would ease the housing crisis in cities like Hong Kong (Jordahn, 2018).
According to Shahreen, and Voghera (2019), designing for sustainable
development requires awareness of the consequences of any transformation of
the environment, social, and economy. Urban planning and design for
sustainability is the process of shaping the physical setting of life to deal with
the three-dimensional spaces in cities.
The concept of sustainability has been introduced to combine concerns
for the well-being of the planet with continuous growth and human improvement
(Shahreen & Voghera, 2019).

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Design Features of Residential Building
According to Xiao and Wang (2015),The rapid development of modern
society, continue to produce a large number of residential buildings, and these
homes are designed to express the latest design news and trends, reflecting
the latest scientific and technological achievements of the building, these are
the designers of the building continues Innovative design results. Architects
tend to express the residential function and personality through the latest ideas
and creativity, leading to a rich semantic and content of residential buildings is
created. Residential architectural design always express new ideas and
practices, techniques and materials, and the development of technology and its
expression pattern changes will occur naturally. First of all, areas of modern
residential building design has been very involved in a wide range, including
theoretical material, environment, ecology and other natural sciences
knowledge and economics, history, aesthetics and other social sciences, this
complex theoretical construction of residential buildings makes modern
residential building is with visual effects and psychological implications of
high-end products. Secondly, a modern residential building design process is a
complex combination of factors in the latest thinking, is new construction
technology to create a complex form of the complex, which also makes each
member modern residential building denser relationship exists, so the specific
design handle organizational relationships during each member, so that the
final form of the residential building more stable structure.

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According to Hightower and Johnson (2019), residential design process
includes Pre-design, thinking and talking about “big ideas” that will help in
designing your house; Concept option, in which you are ready to design, and
explore various ways your home could be organized and positioned on its site;
Schematic design, in this initial design phase, a set of drawings that is being
define in some detail on the design; Design development, in this phase the
design is approved and begins the actualization of the design; Construction
documents, they begin constructing the design, drawings or design plan is
essential in giving instruction to the contractor; and lastly the Construction
observation, in this phase communication with the contractor is essential, as
they may suggest changes in the design during the construction phase.
Dense Urban Areas
Urban growth in the last few decades has led to a number of physical
problems. Many factors responsible for this unprecedented growth of urban
areas have also contributed to the acute shortage of building space and rise in
the price of urban land. Cost of land and infrastructure is increasing
continuously (Sivam & Karuppannan, 2019). According to Lehmann (2016),
density is one among the key issues in planning that can regularly create all
kinds of misunderstandings and tensions, but is a necessary driver of our urban
futures. Density is used to describe the average number of people, households,
floor space on one unit of land, usually expressed in dwellings per unit. In urban
planning and design, urban density is a term used to refer to the number of
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people inhabiting a given urbanized area, and the amount of floor area built on
a defined site. It is an important factor in understanding how cities function.
According to Lehmann (2016), there are several ways of measuring the density
of urban areas:
 Floor area ratio: the total floor area of buildings divided by the land area
of the plot upon which the buildings are built. It is also referred to as
the development plot ratio, used as a measure of the density of the site
being developed; the ratio is generated by dividing the building area by
the site area
 Residential density: the quantity of dwelling units in any given area
 Population density: the quantity of persons living in any given area
The question of density is closely connected to urbanization and how our
cities may evolve in the future. Density and compactness are two closely
related but different criteria, both relevant for sustainable urban development
and the transformation of cities; however, their relationship is not always well
understood. While a high degree of compactness is desirable, too much density
can be detrimental to live ability, health and urban well-being (Lehmann, 2016).
Residential and Building Density
Residential density has been linked to increases in physical activity but
is insufficient alone to influence rates of activity. Rather it appears that
residential density is important only in relation to the other elements of
neighborhood design that it facilitates, such as mixed land use, walkable

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neighborhoods with street connections, and leisure, retail or employment
destinations of interest. Undoubtedly residential density offers greater
efficiencies in the use of infrastructure and facilitates vibrant street life, but is
not the ‘silver bullet’ with regard to developing health promoting environments
(Forsyth et al., 2007 as cited by Croucher, Wallace, & Duffy, 2012).
Building density has a complex relation to urban morphology, playing an
important role in determining urban form (Baldea & Dumitrescu, 2013). The
rapid growth of urban development accelerates degradation of some
environmental aspects (Pravitasari, 2015).
Building density measures the concentration of building mass in a given
geographical place. It is usually expressed as plot ration of a building on a site
divided by the total site area. Some components of urban areas are already
considered overcrowded and overbuilt, and in need of retrofitting, while some
developed lands could be optimized in terms of building density. It is therefore
essential to strike stability between providing adequate development floor area
through densification and ensuring a livable environment through density
management, taking due attention of nearby constraints, environmental
impacts and public aspirations (Hong Kong 2030plus, 2016).
Factors affecting the Design
Principles of High-Density Architectural Design
As stated by Baldea (2013), the social principle involves precise
reporting on prospective inhabitant. It is required to design neutral spaces that

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allow greater freedom of use and the ability to adapt to changes in situation
through simple and economic measures, equivalent to lesser control by a rigid
architectural environment. Adapting to the needs of the inhabitants as well as to
the contextual changes increases the sustainability of a built environment.
In ecologic principle, the way in which resources are used, is being
observed to reach sustainable plan and design. The design of dense
architectural form in relation to the urban environment is a necessity for a
rational and limited consumption of resources, also in relation to energy
consumption (Baldea, 2013).
The urban principle includes the organic integration of the object.
Maintaining a fair ratio of urban greenery with easy access in relation to the built
environment is observed. The quality principle is the quality of the environment
as well as to spatial or detailing quality. The spatial quality can be achieved by
including diversity and flexibility into the design (Baldea, 2013).
Climate Factors
According to Howard (1833) as cited by Erell (2008), the growing number of
research on urban climatology and increasing demand for architects and urban
planner to practice climate-conscious design, there are little evidence about the
application of urban climatology in practice. The chapter explores the
relationship between urban planners and climatologist that seek to establish
some reason for this that will set out a methodological framework for the
application of climatology in design process and outlining the possible goals as

14
well as the limitation. It attempts to establish the effects on urban microclimate
that could improve the quality of life if it can be understood and responds in a
manner that is appropriate in the environment. The idea that climatically
responsive urban design is vital to sustainability; enabling individuals to make
use of ‘natural energy’. It is known that cities generate their own ‘climate’.
The weather temperature is the most important climate factor affecting
the building designs. The calculated dimensions in designing various points of
a building and also the material in use are determined by the maximum and the
minimum temperature of the region. Therefore, the quantity and quality for
constructing a building are different depending on the type of the region,
whether it is tropical, cold or moderate (Zareaian & Zadeh, 2013).
The soil temperature changes base on the climate, it is important to
consider this during the design process for it can affect the foundation of the
building. The building foundation lies in the soil that is why the soil temperature
is of high significance in the selection of the materials and determining the
foundation of a building (Zareaian & Zadeh, 2013).
In a planned urbanization; the climate is one of the most important
parameters that must be assessed in order to determine the appropriate
regions for human health. Climate is an important factor that affects all activities
of the human being on the earth positively or negatively (Saglik, Ozelkan, &
Kelkit, 2017). According to Koçman (2002) as cited by Saglik, Ozelkan, & Kelkit
(2017), it is often under the control of climate to decide on our goals, our
settlements, our way of life and many other things we cannot count in our life
cycle.
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Urban Design
According to the study of the Whangarei District Council (2011), urban
design is the artwork and procedure of creating better places for the people with
the aid of designing homes, spaces and infrastructure that enhance the
function, feel, and form of towns and cities. It equally considers aesthetics and
the social, environmental, and financial effects of development as well as the
identification, man or woman, and historical past that make up the fabric of
towns and cities.
High quality urban design can assist in enhancing the sense of place,
pride, and security. It facilitates make settlements function more effectively by
means of constructing on current strengths, complementing the combination
and variety of sources, and thereby accomplishing more performance within
the use of resources. Urban design developed methods imply that kind of
development which does not harm the physical environment and which
contributes to the town’s capacity to maintain its social and monetary
structures. Urban design is concerned with the layout and design and
construction of buildings and the spaces between them (Croucher, Wallace, &
Duffy, 2012)
In the study of Baldea and Dumitrescu (2013), there are formal
typologies of dense architecture. The first one is the house. The individual
house or unit is usually related to the terrain, benefitting of a court or a terrace
and benefitting of direct, individual or paired accesses from the ground or floor
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level. It makes the transition from individual housing to collective housing of a
higher degree of density. The second typology is the block, which represents a
quantitative increase in size, number of individual units. The block height is
moderate, ranging between three and five levels; this height is justified by the
number of levels convenient for walking. It can be freestanding on the plot; can
continue an existing building by cleaving onto the party wall. Next is the city
block, it is an urban building flanked on all sides by streets in relation to the
urban fabric The city block generally involves a large spatial diversity and a
relatively high privacy degree. It can have the same height as the block
typology or higher. The high-rise building type, also called as tower block. It is
represented by tall buildings with multiple levels. This typology is justified by
economic consideration and in relation to urban infrastructure and land
resources. Lastly is the mixed solution typology, it involves combination of the
above, justified by the context and project brief.
According to Reardon (2013), there are some matters that can help in
creating a final design. Create your final design and selection decisions of the
following matters in light of advice:
 Floor plan and building form
 Construction systems
 Window type, size and orientation
 Shading solutions
 External finishes
 Heating or cooling system
 Major appliances (Hot water system; Renewable energy)

17
 Water systems, examples are rainwater tanks and water
recycling
 Landscape design (Landscaping and garden design)
 Interior design and finishes
This stage is often the greatest test of commitment, for both you and
your designer, to achieving an environmentally sustainable home. Final design
is often when budget overruns become apparent and cost reductions are then
made. This point is usually the single greatest threat to the environmental
sustainability of your home because sustainability features are often
considered ‘optional’ and eliminated in the trade-off process even though they
may have relatively low cost. These trade-offs are best managed by dividing
your project into stages. Features you don’t need right away can be built or
added later. Include the sustainability features at the start and reduce your bills
from the day you move in. These features are usually less expensive to
incorporate in the initial build than to add later. Additional spaces or rooms
designed into a total concept at the outset can be added cost effectively when
future finances allow. Changes made after this stage has been signed off will
likely add to design costs.
When both parties are satisfied with the design, submit the final design drawing
to council for planning approval before design detailing, if a staged approval
process is desirable. This approach can accommodate design changes
required by council more cost effectively. The alternative approach (combined
planning and construction approval) is more expensive if council requires

18
design changes, which need to be made to both sets of drawings (Reardon,
2013).
As stated by Lee and Chan (2016), the developmental strategy involves
the adaptability of development, efficient use of land and spaces, and the mixed
development. The flexible design permits rapid response to the changing
needs. The proper use of urban spaces also contributes to the social
sustainability.Finding the proper location and properly designed open spaces,
mitigates the harshness of the environment and enhances the aesthetic value
of an urban area (Ong & Zhang 2004 as cited by Lee & Chan, 2016).
According to Jon Lang (2005) as cited by Shahreen and Voghera
(2019), urban design involves coordinated and self-conscious actions in
designing new cities and different human settlements or redesigning present
ones and their precincts in response to the demand of their inhabitants. Urban
design develop methods is indicate that type of development which
doesn’t damage the physical environment and which contributes to
the ability of the city to sustain its social and economic structures.
Urban design is the process of shaping the physical setting
for life to deal with the three-dimensional space in cities, towns
and villages, and its objective relies in accordance with the vision
of the future that they represent. Urban design involves coordinated and
self-conscious actions in designing new cities and other human settlements or
redesigning existing ones and their precincts in response to the needs of
their inhabitants (Jon Lang, 2005 as cited by Shahreen, & Voghera, 2019).
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Synthesis
The study aims to identify more on dense urban area and to find possible
approaches in dealing with urban density. The related literature and studies
have identify the background of urban density and showed various ways and
insights which pertain to the possible approaches of architectural design in
dense urban areas.
There are various factors which contribute to urban density. According to
Alpana (2014), urban growth is one of the factors on why an urban area starts to
be dense as time pass. There are plenty of positive effects to the economy, but
surely there is a negative effect in urban areas particularly when dealing with
infrastructures migration (Qin, 2015).
Careful planning on urban areas is one of the approaches in dealing with
urban density. According to Angioletta (2016), urban planning is shaping the
physical structures of our environment, therefore with urban planning we could
also focus on the safety of the people around infrastructures.
Designing a residential building, architects need to consider the
intended inhabitants, for them to be able to design an aesthetic, and
comfortable residential building in dense urban area. It follows a certain
residential design process (Hightower & Johnson, 2019) in order to come up
with a well-planned and organized design.
Attaining the sustainable design of the residential is one of the
approaches to consider. It includes the proper analyzing of the limited area
given as well as the materials to be used on a specific environment. Safety in a
compact city may be attained through having the sustainable design. Urban
20
Design is closely related to this, since it deals with the proper design of building
structure in dense urban areas.
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
The term Compact City was first coined by George Dantzig and Thomas
Saaty in 1973. The concept of Compact City is based on the sustainability, the
idea of sustainable urban planning. The Compact City is an urban planning and
urban design concept, which promotes relatively high residential density with
mix land use. It is a more sustainable urban settlement type than urban sprawl.
The Integrative theory approach was suggested by Sternberg (2000) in
an effort to establish a theoretical foundation for urban design. It includes the
principles of integrative urban design as it is related to the substantive aspect of
urban design.
The Compact City concept and the Integrative theory were incorporated
in this study as the study states and explain the architectural design in dense
urban areas.
21
Figure 1: Integrative Theory and Compact City Concept
Research Paradigm
The figure 1 shows the research paradigm used in the study which is the
Compact City concept and the Integrative theory. The diagram shows its
relatedness with the topic of the research which is the sustainable residential
design in dense urban areas. In the sustainable urban design, there are three
principles which the sustainable, traditional, and the contemporary design
principle. It is the related studies and literature that shows the approach of
architects in creating a sustainable design. The characteristics of compact city
shows that the problem of architectural design is urban density, as it suggest
creating a high dense settlement considering the surrounding area, to meet the
needs of the inhabitants. A well planned residential building may meet the
demands of the inhabitants in dense urban area. All the components lead to the
sustainable architectural design or residential building design in dense urban
areas.
Definition of Terms
 Architecture – the art and technique of designing and building, as
distinguished from the skills associated with construction.

22
 Architectural Design – concept that focuses on the components or
elements of a structure or system and unifies them into a coherent and
functional whole (Business Dictionary).
 Area – an excavated, subterranean space around the walls of a building,
designed to admit light into a basement (Wikipedia).
 Building density –measures the concentration of building mass in a
given geographical place (Hong Kong 2030plus, 2016).
 Compact city –is an urban planning and urban design concept, which
promotes relatively high residential density with mixed land uses
(Wikipedia).
 Density – the number of people or things in a place when compared with
the size of the place (Cambridge Dictionary).
 Flanked –to be situated at the side of something (Merriam-Webster
Dictionary).
 Floor Area – the area taken up by a building or part of it (Wikipedia).
 Green Architectures –is an approach to building that minimizes
harmful effects on human health and the environment (Merriam-Webster
Dictionary).
 Inhabitants – a person or animal that lives in a particular place
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
 Integrating –to form or create something (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
 Planning –a basic management function involving formulation of one or
more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs and demands
with the available resources (Business Dictionary).

23
 Residential Building -the building which provides more than half of its
floor area for dwelling purposes. It provides sleeping accommodation
with or without cooking or dining or both facilities. (The Constructor)
 Residential Density –is a quantitative measure of the intensity with
which land is occupied by either development or population (Planning
Department).
 Settlements – a place where people come to live or the process of
settling in such a place (Cambridge Dictionary).
 Sustainability – the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level
(Google Dictionary).
 Urban –of or relating to cities and the people who live in them
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
 Urban Density – is the number of people living in a particular urban area
and is an important aspect of how cities function (Smart Cities Dive).
 Population Density –the relationship between a physical area and the
number of people who reside in that area.

24
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
An overview about the methods that were used and followed in the
study is presented. This includes the research design and the sources of data.
The primary source of data which covers the information on the participants, the
setting where the study was conducted, and the sampling techniques
processed in the study. The secondary sources of data shall also be mentioned
in this chapter along with the instruments used to gather the data, its procedure,
analysis, treatment and the limitations of the study.
Research Design
This qualitative research made use of a case study method to collect
relevant data. This case study method is focusing on a contemporary
phenomenon within its real-life context and boundaries between phenomenon
and its context are not clearly evident and suitable for studying complex social
phenomena (Yin, 2017). The term case study is used in parallel with terms like
25
field study and observational study, each focusing on a particular aspect of the
research methodology. This kind of methodology is well suited for many kinds
of software engineering research, as the objects of study are contemporary
phenomena, which are hard to study in isolation. Case studies do not generate
the same results on causal relationships as controlled experiments do, but they
Years of Architecture Company

Participants Sex
experience practice location
1 Male 22+ Private Pasig City
provide deeper understanding of the phenomena under study (Runeson,
2009). The case study strategy is appropriate for this study because it is based
an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group or event to explore the
causes of underlying principles (Press Academia, 2018). This study sought to
determine the perceptions of the selected architects in creating sustainable
residential building design in dense urban area. The researchers conducted
this study to gain knowledge on different ways in designing residential buildings
in dense urban area.

26
Cubao,
2 Male 9-10 Private
Quezon City
Sources of Data
A. Primary Sources
Participants
The participants are the selected architects in Metro Manila. Two (2)
architects were selected to represent the area and these are the criteria for the
participants:
 At least 2 years of experience
 A licensed professional Architect
 Designing residential building in Metro Manila
Description of the Population
The selected participants were defined by the sex, years of experience
in designing residential buildings, Architecture practice, and company location.
The researchers decided not to include the names of the participants to
observe confidentiality and to protect the participants from any form of harm.
The table below comprises of the information of the selected participants.
Setting
27
The research was conducted within the selected area in Metro Manila.
The collecting of data and gathering of participants was done by the
researchers in the respective area or location of the participants.
Sampling Technique
There are two (2) sampling techniques used to attain the participants of
this research: Purposive sampling and Convenience sampling. In the
Purposive sampling, wherein sampling can be done while in the process of
collecting data or while doing the interpretation of data analysis. The
researchers select some architects in Metro Manila as a representative of the
population in the area of Metro Manila. The researchers used Convenience
sampling where they select participants who are conveniently available to
participate in the study.
B. Secondary Sources
This research makes use of books, articles, related literatures, and
studies as a secondary source that may benefit the study. These sources of
data help the study to support all of the data providing informations about the
Perspective of an Architect in Creating Sustainable Residential Building Design
in Dense Urban areas in Metro Manila. It helps the researchers to know more
and get information about the subject being tackled. The information gathered
was used to the study being conducted.

28
Data Instrument
The collection of data for this study was conducted through interviewing;
it was done to see the Perspective of an Architect in Creating Sustainable
Residential Building Design in Dense Urban areas in Metro Manila. The
interview guide questions were aligned and developed upon the research
questions of the study to acquire information needed for the conclusion of the
study. The participants were asked to be interviewed and their responses were
audio recorded for later transcription and analysis. The researchers used
semi-structured interview to be more conversational and also to follow natural
flow of conversation. The participants were asked by a follow up question to
gather a more specific data.
The research instrument was validated on March 06, 2019 by a Research
teacher, an English teacher, a DRRR teacher and an Architectural professor.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers conducted an in-depth interview. In order to gather
information accurately some of the questions asked by the researchers are
predetermined and is asked to all the participants to know the different
approaches of the architects. Other questions arise spontaneously to further
expand the understanding of the different methods and approaches they use.
The questions asked are open-ended to have a better understanding of the

29
response given by the participants. The researchers assigned one to interview
the participants while the other record the interview and taking a list of the
information and response given by the participants.
Data Treatment
The treatment used on the gathered data is interpretation. For better
interpretation of data the researchers use the audio that was recorded during
the interview for transcript and analysis. The researchers then come up with a
conclusion based on the response given by the participants. The similarities in
the response were connected by observing the shared approaches of the
participant in designing structures inside dense urban areas that is mentioned
during the interview to come up with a credible and detailed interpretation of
data and conclusion for the purpose of this study.
Limitations
Several limitations were presented in the study. First, the use of
interviews as a method of qualitative research had limitations. For instance,
interviews do not employ the rule of random sampling and the sample size is
relatively smaller, posing the question of credibility and objectivity of the
findings. Because of these limitations, the results should not be generalized to
a larger sample than the one used in this study. Next, names were not used on
any written approaches to avoid discrimination and prejudices among them.

30
Lastly, the sample size is small and it only comes from selected architects from
Metro Manila. The results however may be used to inform the design of future
studies on designing residential building in dense urban areas within Metro
Manila. Thus, this research does not represent the whole population of
architects.
CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
The case study conducted classified two (2) participants for the study. The
research was conducted in order to answer the following questions: (1)
Whatare the different ways of Architects in designing residential building in
dense urban area? (2) What are the common problems architects encounter in
31
designing residential building in dense urban area and how do they handle
it?(3)How does Architects create sustainable residential building design in
dense urban area?
Theme 1: Different ways of Architects in designing residential building in
dense urban area.
Subtheme #1: Different ways of designing sustainable residential building
design in terms of the given location.
Participant 1 stated:
“Of course, ang kuan dito, ang importante, is it feasible dun sa area and
then, yung zoning if it is for residential really or industrial area. Importante dito is
of course yung the budget itself diba, if, if ever na conducive dun sa, even sa
kuan sa part dito, sa local, i-consider yung location, important yun, para at least,
hindi siya, malihis dun sa part ng residential at saka sa commercial area,
ganyan ang isang part doon. Very important yun eh. Of course yung part doon,
if it is mass housing, kailangan din natin na will rely on the building codes if it is,
may mga considerations kasi yun eh, kaya as much as possible hindi tayo
magkakaroon ng conflict doon sa existing building codes natin.”
“Well in terms of given location like urban areas syempre alam natin
masisikip na yan, walang space gaano for open space kasi kapag nagdesign
ka ng residential kailangan kasi may open space siya para yung circulation ng
air kahit na mainit yung lugar ng pagtatayuan mo lalo na sa urban areas, much
cooler yung bahay mo kapag may open space. So yun yung nagiging challenge
32
sa mga architect kapag nagdesign sila in urban areas kung paano nila
idedesign yung given areas, which is kapag sinabi nating open space, kakain
siya ng space so yun yung challenge para sa aming mga designer.”
Participant 1 stated that the important is if it is feasible in that particular
area, and the zoning, if it is really for residential or industrial area. He said that
the important is of course the budget itself, if ever that part is conducive, and in
local, considering the location important for him too, for at least it will not
wander from the residential and commercial area to the other. Participant 1 said
that if it is a mass housing, we need also to rely on the building codes if it
considers it, so that they will not have any conflict on the existing building
codes. This supports the study of Anupoju (2016) about Residential building
wherein the selection of site where you will build the residential building is
important as it affects the design of the building.
Participant 2 stated that designing residential building in terms of the
given location should consider the open spaces for the proper ventilation or the
circulation of air in the building and for the air to be cooler to make the
residential building comfortable and livable. This supports the study of Ong and
Zhang (2004) as cited by Lee and Chan (2016), about finding the proper
location and properly designed an open space that mitigates the harshness of
the environment.
Subtheme #2: Actual applications of knowledge that learned in school in
identifying different ways like design, structure, budget, soil condition, color,
etc.
33
“Actually yun, very basic yun, from, we learn from the school, many
subjects that involved, in such cases, may mga part doon, yung design, from
the very start pa lang ng first year ka, you have already design subject, design 1
up to design 10, so yun yung isa. Sa structure meron tayong, yung basic din, we
have analytic geometry or algebra, universal, until such meron tayong
structural subject also. The budget, sa mga estimates, sa soil conditions of
course, we rely on the soil conditions pag sa mga part ng, when you set up a
building, be sure that we, if ever three storey to four storey or up, consider yung
soil condition kasi we need, if ever na hindi feasible yun, we need to provide
structural, structural help na pwedeng yung pile system na ilalagay prior doon
sa ilalagay na structure. Yung color and others, we could learn this during yung
mga subjects na involved eh. Sa theory of designs meron non, kaya importante,
from the very start, first year ka pa lang may mga subjects na involved, iba iba,
may mga, example paggawa ng perspectives may mga monochromatic
drawings, part of it andun na rin yung design ng isang ano, pagde-design ng
isang structure. Iba ibang subjects, marami, kaya importante dito may mga
certain areas yan na pwede mong, for example yan, budget, importante din yun
eh. When you do a structure, example, a simple residential, know always yung
budget eh. Makukuha mo per, example per square meter, para you could come
up with the existing or yung current budget per square meter.”
“Well in my opinion, sa ano kasi sa pag-aaral syempre meron siyang ano
meron din siya..meron ka ring natututunan but mostly talaga in fact sa

34
experience mo on site.. Yes..kasi kahit nag-aaral ka meron kang hindi siya
matutunan sa school kundi sa on field. Kasi minsan sa drawing hindi natin
ma-anticipate kapag actual na.”
Participant 1 stated that they learn from school, many subjects are
involved, from the very start, in first years, you have already design subject,
design 1 up to design 10. He said that in the structure, we have analytic
geometry or algebra, universal, until such we have structural subject also. In
terms of budget, in estimates and in soil condition, they rely on the soil
conditions, in setting up a building, they are always considering the soil
conditions, because if not, they need to provide structural help. He stated that in
colors and others, they learn it in subjects involving theory of designs. When
they are doing the structure, like a simple residential structure, they always
know the budget so that they could come up with current budget per area.This
supports the study of Zareaian and Zadeh (2013) in terms of soil condition, the
soil temperature changes base on the climate that is why it has to be
considered during the design process.
Participant 2 stated that there are some knowledge learned at school but
there are more knowledge and experience one can gain in the field as they
experience the actualization of the skills they have. This supports the compact
city concept of Dantzig and Saaty (1973) which shows the idea of sustainable
urban planning.
Subtheme #3: Creativity in designing from one place to another.
35
“Oo tama ito, it differ, example, the client wanted you to design a
commercial building, if it situated in a commercial area, ibahin mo dun sa rural
area rin na, depende sa settings eh, example nasa beach area ka, of course
hindi mo idedesign according doon sa klase na nasa kuan, so kung tropical,
tropical design, yung character ng building, iibahin mo rin, example kung
kailangan mo ng sustainable nga, sustainable in a way na it is applicable doon
sa lugar, diba, so ganon. Kung ano yung tema ng building mo, example we
have a character of a Chinese building, kung yun yung client mo, a Chinese, he
wanted to have a Chinese kuan, magrerely ka dun sa character ng building,
yung subject mo is example, meron kang resort, resort yung required ng kuan,
in a way na, ganito yung character na gusto ko, Chinese character yung
outcome. Kailangan sa labas magbeblend dun sa loob na design mo, sa
interior. Konektado yan lahat eh, of course kailangan lang naman unang una,
ask your client if ever na kung magkano yung budget if it is ano, kaya ng, as per
dun sa location na ano.”
“Ibig sabihin niyan malalayo yung ano natin diba.. Well in fact. Hindi
naman yan nakakaano sa mga architects..hindi naman siya problem kasi as an
architect kailangan mo munang i-study feasibility in every location, what are the
trends o ano yung mga kailangan nila dun sa lugar na yun so dun mo babagay
yung design mo. So you cannot create ng design kung makakasama naman
ang design mo sa community like for example..yung mga ano natin sa mga sa
Ilocos sa Vigan.. so you cannot design a modern house from Vigan kasi kilala si
36
Vigan sa mga old houses dun sila nakilala. So kailangan mo munang i-study
yung location or feasibility, kung ano yung kailangang design nila bago ka mag
construct. So hindi siya makaka-affect kasi kailangan mo talaga munang study
muna bago mo gawin yung design mo.”
Participant 1 stated that the way they design differ from one place or
location to another. He stated an example that if the client wanted him to design
a commercial building, if it is situated in commercial area, it will differ from rural
area, depending on the setting, if the setting is tropical; his design will be a
tropical design. Participant 1 said that the character of the building differs too,
resulting to a sustainable design, sustainable in a way that it is applicable at the
particular area. He said that the design of the exterior should blend with the
design of the interior, it is all connected, but if ever, they always ask their client
if how much will their budget if it possible as per of the particular location. This
supports the study of Shahreen and Voghera (2019), wherein sustainable
development requires awareness of the transformation done in a environment.
Participant 2 stated that location is actually not a problem for architects
since it is given that they have to study the feasibility in every location and
create a design base on the location or site because the designs created
should not harm the community. He stated an example where in designing a
building in Vigan, Illocos, one should not design a modern house since Vigan is
well known for its old houses. This supports the study of Lee and Chan (2016)
about the developmental strategy involves the efficient use of land and spaces
and creating a flexible design.

37
Theme 2: Common problems architects encounter in designing
residential building in dense urban area and how do they handle it.
Subtheme #1: Common problems an architect encounters in designing
residential building in dense urban area specifically Metro Manila.
“Actually very common ito na depende sa how you manage yung ano,
yung design ma-encounter mo dito is, kaya importante, between you and the
client yung proper orientation na kung ano yung needs nila. Sabihin natin na
always provide yung technical descriptions ng lot or the area itself, mangyari
nagkakaroon din kasi ng kuan doon yung example very irregular yung lot, pag
nagdesign ka, it should be yung, ma-maximize mo yung space in accordance
doon sa irregular area na ano, tapos ang isa pa doon is, kailangan mo na, (the
participant forgotten the word or term he wants to say). Usually na-eencounter
naming ito, yung lalo na sa planning, sometimes the client, we do really have an
agreement and at the same time, nagkakaroon ng major changes, dahil
kasama sa kuan, parang mangyayari, without consultation din sa architect,
yung ginagawa ng ibang owner or mismong client naming, so nagkakaroon ng
parang hindi, parang sila na mismo yung nagrerevise kaagad yung mga
designs na it’s already been finalized and then eventually magkakaroon ng
changes, well usually na-eencounter namin yon, at the same time kapag
naubusan na ng budget, architect you need to revise our plan accordingly to
that what is have been finalized before, parang ganon. Of course, yun nga yung
sinasabi dito na how do they handle it, yun nga yung proper management ng
paggawa eh. Example during construction or implementation na ng mismong

38
nadesign, eventually there is a problem, nagkakaroon ng changes, and
sometimes, may mga, sa mga building officials, did you have yung checking. Ay
prior to this pala, ang nangyayari ano, kapag hindi talaga naaprubahan ng city
hall, yung mismong design mo, kailangan talaga na i-iron out muna prior doon
sa implementation. So yun yung importante na settle yung mga kuan nga, in
accordance doon sa building permit, mga requirements.”
“Well space..yes.. limited space but the client wants more for their rooms
so yun yung nagiging challenge din sa amin so kung paano naming siya
i-mamaximize sa gaanong kaliit na space.”
Participant 1 stated that the common problems for them are: first on how
they manage the design that they encounter, it is important to have a proper
orientation between the architect and the client about the client’s needs.
Second, they are always providing technical descriptions of the lot or the area
itself, in designing; they should maximize the space properly in accordance to
the irregular area. Next, they also encounter problems in terms of planning like
sometimes, the client and the architect already have an agreement, and at the
same time, major changes happen, because of not having consultation to the
architect, sometimes the client is the one that is revising the design that has
been already finalized but then, eventually, changes happen. Lastly, the
architect stated that if the design planned was not approved by the city hall, it
should iron out first prior to the implementation, that’s the important thing, it is a
requirement to have a building permit. Participant 2 stated that the common
problem in dense urban areas like Metro Manila is the limited space. He stated
39
that given the limited space the clients wanted more room in the residential
building, that challenge the Architects in how will they maximize the small or
limited space given. This supports the compact city concept of Dantzig and
Saaty (1973) which shows the idea of sustainable urban planning as it identify
the dense urban area as a problem.
Subtheme #2: Handling the problem in designing residential building in Metro
Manila.
“For as long as you could comply with the building laws naman, there’s a
no such problems on the design of the building, basta in as much as possible
when you already have a plan, it should go through the process na it could still
approved by the building officials, para wala tayong ma-encounter in the future
na nagkaroon ng violations dun sa mga dinesign natin. May guidelines eh, may
mga restrictions ang certain localities na ina-avoid nila, example doing outside
the property line, nagkaroon ka ng, lumagpas ka, it is violation yun, and even
may mga restrictions na it should be only firewall and then nagkaroon ka ng
opening doon sa side wich is violation yon, so hindi dapat mag-crossover doon
sa hinihingi ng building laws na mga restrictions.”
“Ah well kailangan mong magstart ng scratch until you make it na design
na maging approve sa clients mo and then hindi naman magiging..sabihin na
nating risk for safety.. so yun yung guidelines ko para makapagcreate ako ng
design na hindi naman na.. hindi magiging awkward o di magiging

40
magugustuhan ng aking client so kailangan mo muna i-draft siya as scratch
then.. over over again na magdesign ka.. until na ma-approve ng client and
ma-sure mo na hindi siya safety issue na ano o kalalabasan ng design.”
Participant 1 stated that complying with the building laws and having the
plan or design approved by the building officials could lessen problems in the
future, as it secure that one has followed to the given conditions or restrictions
of a certain area or location. Committing violations could be avoided and
problems could lessen in the future. Participant 2 stated that one should start
from a scratch until the design was approved by the client. He stated that the
scratch is his guideline to create design that is not awkward and liked by his
clients. It is to make sure that it is not a safety issue or the result of the design is
approved by the client and the building officials. This supports the Integrative
theory approach of Sternberg (2000) as it establish theoretical foundation and
shows the principle of urban design, in terms of residential buildings.
Subtheme #3: Religiously following the given codes of conduct and regulations
before coming up with a design.
“Eto, do you religiously follow the given codes of conduct and
regulations before coming up, yes! Actually yun nga, very important ito, always
go through with the ano, yung mga codes nga and restrictions na dapat
ma-avoid, sa design pa lang para at least iwas dun sa mga revisions.”
41
“Actually in reality..such yung mga codes natin talaga hindi nasusunod
ah kasi sa actual location,actual needs ng client na sabi gusto nila ganito, gusto
nila ganyan.. so nagiging na lang ahh.. diskarte ng isang designer is to
minimize yung mga code or standard design pero kung halimbawa talaga
namang nagiging risky yung design. Sa akin ha hindi ako na tinutuloy yun, so
talagang ipinipilit ko sa client kailangan ng ganito like in an urban areas lalo
magkakadikit yan so sinasabi ko sa kanila na we need a firewall both in a two
sides in a rear para maiwasan yung pag nasunog matama yung house mo and
then the adjacent sunod sunod so yun yung nagiging dahilan balkit pag
nasunog ang isang lugar magkakasunod sunod sila kasi wala silang firewall na
pinoprovide so yun yung mga design na sa code na talagang aking
minemaintain, the rest kung hindi naman risky parang sinasacrifice ko na.”
Participant 1 stated that he follows and consider the codes of conduct and
regulations even before coming up with a design to avoid further revisions in the
future due to violations. Participant 2 stated that in reality, the codes are not
religiously followed because of the actual location and need of the client. It is for
the designer to find a way to minimize the code or standard design but if the
design is to risky, He stated that he no longer continue the design and he insist
his client that they need a firewall to prevent continuous fire because of the
dense area. He stated that it is one of the code in design that he maintain and if
it the design is not risky, he sacrifice it. This supports the compact city concept
of Dantzig and Saaty (1973) which shows the idea of sustainable urban
planning and shows the connection of the characteristics of compact city to the
codes of conduct in designing a residential building.

42
Theme 3: Creating sustainable residential building design in dense urban
area.
Subtheme #1: Understanding about sustainable residential building design.
“Understanding sustainable is those that, specially yung applications ng
mga materials, it should be safety and then yung mga materials na yun,
kinakailangan na hindi siya,uhm, healthy wise yung mga materials, it should be
parang recycled materials na pwedeng gamitin as your material. Specifications,
actually yung specially one example was you are using yung roofing na it
should be sustainable also, pwede kang gumamit ng mga plastic materials na
pwedeng hindi siya nakakadestruct sa kalusugan, pwedeng yun yung i-apply
mo dun sa building designs mo, kasi yung mga example yun nga, yung hollow
blocks diba? May mga lightweight materials na pwedeng parang in exchange
tohollow blocks, may mga other materials na pwedeng kuan, yung mga
recycled part, maging lightweight, instead na CHB wall, gawin mong may
Styrofoam sa loob reinforced with wires and then yung plastering, iba na, so in
a way makakasave ka pa dun sa budget.”
“Well Sustainable Residential design in urban areas kailangan pag
nagdesign ka minimize mo yung paggamit mo ng mga artificial lights.. like yung
mga yan light.. aircon, electric fan, and then kasi ang pagkakaalam ko nga
diyan sa sustainable hindi tayo masyadong gagamit ng mga powers, kumbaga
so kailangan natin i-design yung house natin which is comfortably for living din
43
naman so sa tingin ko kaya naman yon na gawin ang isang design basta
mayroon lang sigurong sample o mga architects na diyan na we know na
makakapagpatunay na talagang kayang magkaroon ng sustainable residential
house in urban areas.”
Participant 1 stated that sustainable is healthy wise and safe application
of the materials, so it could be recycled materials. He gave an example on a
sustainable design, like using plastic and light materials for roofing and for the
walls, respectively. He said that, in this way, you don’t only save materials, but
you can save money on budget, too. Participant 2 stated that in designing
Sustainable Residential in urban areas, artificial lights, aircon, electric fan
should be minimized. He said that sustainable should not use powers so the
design must be comfortable to live in and the design can be created, only if an
architect has a sample to know if Sustainable Residential house in urban areas
can be made. This supports the Integrative theory approach of Sternberg
(2000) which also emphasized the sustainable, traditional and contemporary
design principles.
Subtheme #2: Sustainable design.
Participated 1 stated:
“Yung mga application ng mga green building materials eh, yun yung
isang part na magiging sustainable yung mga design mo. May mga, example
recycled materials, di ba mayroon kang glass or yung instead glass blocks, may
mga bottles to have yung natural light na papasok intead na totally isang glass
block lang yung ginamit mo. Pwedeng sustainable din pwede yung mga
44
application ng instead na solid wall magcreate ka ng mga green walls na
pwedeng i-apply mo doon sa wall naman, to make it sustainable.”
“Well kung magdedesign ako ng sustainable so siguro yung limit ko nga
ng paggamit ng kuryente at kung gagamit ako ng design siguro mas lalawakan
ko yung mga windows niya..magkakaroon ako ng mga natural ventilation para
minimize ko yung paggamit ng electrical power.”
Participant 1 stated that a sustainable designs has an application of
green building materials. He said that one example is recycling materials like
bottles in place of glass blocks to have natural light enter the building. Using
also of green walls instead of solid walls to have a sustainable design.
Participant 2 stated that limit the use electricity and having the windows
widened, for him to make a natural ventilation and to minimize the use of
electrical power. This support the study of Huseynov (2011) on green cities,
they use variety of strategy to make a sustainable cities that can also improve
the environment.
Subtheme #3: Suggestion of Architect to the locations like Metro Manila in
terms of designing sustainable residential building.
“Ito kasi, depende sa location nga eh so, part of Metro Manila, more or
less meron parin na application, pwede naman dito sa Pasig, pwede rin dito sa
along San Mateo. So pwede naman jan, pwede mong apply yung locations
niyan kasi for now doon sa part na yun even some drowned part of Marikina, we
45
do still have open space but, of course dapat ma-identify mo kung ito ay dapat
sang-ayon dun sa zoning plan, meron kang kuan, kung pwedeng maitayo yung
mismong design natin na residential building. So from there, well advise pa rin
ng kuan eh, kasi may mga proposal yan, example may isang developer or ano,
they could go to the have research first eh prior doon sa if it is feasible or not, sa
mismong area, example dito sa Marikina pwede ka bang magtayo ng kuan
along flooded area? Hindi, dapat it is conducive to the location and it should be
on the higher area na hindi nakakaapekto sa mga kapaligiran natin so example
is yung eco system na tinatawag natin na, baka kasi yung mga rivers natin
nagkaroon ng kuan, eh walang mga proper drainage system yung nilalagay
mo, parang nakakakuan din. Yun yung mga discouragement sometimes na
isang developer, wala silang mga ganon, so importante doon ngayon yung
nirerequire nila ngayon yung mismong incinerator or yung mismong pag mga
waste water it should be meron silang storage mismo na dun nako-contain,
marerecycle, to make it hindi sya magiging failure doon sa katabi na mga
environments.”
“Kasi sa tingin ko kais medyo limited na kasi yung ibang materials natin
like woods to create a sustainable urban areas but kailangan siguro magkaroon
lang ng appropriate space ang pagtatayuan ng mga residential houses or even
mga commercial areas kailangan lang nila ng space para sa mga ventilation,
proper ventilating, like windows to minimize yung paggamit ng power and then
pag meron kasi tayong open space malilimit natin yung paggamit ng yung mga
pigments kasi yung pigments nakakatulong sa absorb ng heat yan pag

46
nakaabsorb ng heat yan and then pagdating ng evening afternoon irerelease
niya yung heat niya so ganon kainit sa Manila, kasi lahat jan puro pigment wala
kang makikitang open space limited lang siya unlike sa Singapore..inaalagaan
nila sa design yung mga open space nila so tinatamnan nila ng mga bushes,
trees and grass para yung init na nag-aabsorb hindi siya magbounce back so
open space talaga ang kailangan.. yes.. and then siguro magcreate sila ng mga
yung mga we called it parang pasyos para sa mga trees o ano nila.”
Participant 1 stated that in the places like Pasig, or along San Mateo can
apply the sustainable residential buildings, but in part of Marikina, though it
still have open spaces, they must identify if it is agreed to the zoning plan,
meaning if the residential building design can really be build on the particular
area or location. He stated an example of a developer, they could go to the
have research first prior if it is feasible or not, so for example, in the part of
Marikina, they can’t build a residential in the flooded area because it should be
conducive to the location and it should be on the higher area. He said that one
of the discouragements sometimes to a developer is that they don’t have a
proper drainage system. Participant 2 stated that materials like woods are
limited to create a sustainable residential design. He said that appropriate
space is needed in order to build a residential houses or even commercial
buildings for proper ventilation, like using windows to reduce the usage of
power. He said that if there is an open space, the use of pigments could lessen,
because pigments could absorb the heat then it releases the heat in the
evening. It is hot in Manila because they use a lot of pigments and there are
limited spaces unlike in Singapore they plant some bushes, trees and grass in
47
open spaces so that it can absorb the heat and the heat will not bounce back.
This supports the study of Howard (1833) as cited by Erell (2008), which talks
about the relation of climate and the environment to the design.
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of findings based on the objectives
that the researcher try to find in the study conducted to identify the perspective
of architects in creating sustainable residential building design in dense urban
areas. It is also includes the conclusions and the recommendations derived
from the result of the study findings based on the objectives that the
researchers try to find in order to conduct the study.

48
Summary of the Findings
This research was undertaken to determine the perspective of architects in
creating sustainable design in dense urban areas. It is specifically aim to
answer the following questions:
1. What are the different ways of Architects in designing residential building
dense urban areas?
Based on the results presented in the preceding chapter, the following findings
are enumerated below.
1.What are the different ways of Architects in designing residential building in
dense urban area?
Based on the result in the preceding chapter, in designing residential
building, architects have to consider the location and examine its feasibility.
Design an appropriate building while considering the community or
environment of the given location. Considering the open spaces in designing
could help for the proper ventilation of a residential. Design a residential
building with the basic knowledge and on-field experience of an architect.

49
Based on the result in the preceding chapter, the common problems
architects encounter are the limited spaces, they have to maximize the space
properly in accordance to the irregular area; the management and planning of
the design, there will always be revisions on your design; there will be problems
if the design was not approved by the building officials and if it does not a
building permit. To avoid more problems and to handle it, architects have to
comply with the given codes to avoid violations. Starting your design from
scratch could also help according to your clients preference but also ensure the
safety of your design. In considering the safety of the design, an architect
should not overlook the major codes in designing.
3.How does Architects create sustainable residential building design in dense
urban areas?
Based on the result in the preceding chapter, a building is sustainable if it
has the Application of green and safe materials. The use of electrical power,
artificial light and air on should be reduced or lessen. The participants
suggested that in creating a sustainable residential building design in Metro
Manila, architects have to consider the condition of the site or location, whether
it is safe and has the enough resources needed. Avoid the usage of materials
that absorb and releases heat especially in dense areas like Metro Manila.
Conclusion
50
Based on the findings provided from the study of Perspective of Architects
in Creating Sustainable Residential Building Design in Dense Urban areas, the
following conclusions are drawn.
1. The researchers therefore conclude that considering the location, open
spaces, building codes and open spaces are important to consider before
architects come up with residential building design. In every project, architects
should consider how to manage the budgets and examine the particular lot or
area for a sustainable residential building design.
2. The researchers concluded that architects encounter problems in terms of
changes in planning the design because of not having a proper orientation
between architect and client, providing technical descriptions, having a building
permit and problems in limited spaces of Metro Manila. Creating a design from
scratch that is complying with the guidelines and building laws is an essential to
make sure that the design follows a safety measures and avoid future problems
and violations.
3. The researchers conclude that a sustainable design is one that make use of
recycled and green building materials that does not harm the environment and
the peoples health. The design should observe the use of natural light, proper
ventilation, lessen the use of electrical power and avoid the use of harmful
materials.
Recommendation
51
1. Aspiring Architects, to give them an idea about the current situation of
architects in designing buildings in dense urban areas and by doing so the
aspirants should study more about their field specifically about residential
building for them to find more solution concerning density in urban areas.
2. Professional Architects, in experiencing current problems regarding
creating design in dense urban areas, they should improve their strategies and
quality of the design in order to make a sustainable residential building for the
community.
3. Community, having issues on building or designing residential buildings in
dense urban areas, they should show concern about the prevailing problem
specifically density of buildings in their community.
4. Future Researchers, they should conduct similar or related studies to find
more solution to the occurring problem.

52
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APPENDIX A
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
1. What are the different ways of Architects in designing residential
building in dense urban area?
Q: What are your different ways of designing sustainable residential building

design in terms of the given location?
Q: Do the knowledge you learned in school have actual applications in

etc.?
Q: Does the way you design differ from one place or location to another? What
are your considerations? How do these affect your creativity?
2. What are the common problems architects encounter in designing

Q: What are the common problems an architect encounters in designing

residential building in dense urban area specifically Metro Manila?
58
Q: How do you handle the problem in designing residential building in Metro

Manila?
Q: Do you religiously follow the given codes of conduct and regulations before
coming up with a design?

dense urban area?
Q: What is your understanding about sustainable residential building design?
Q: How can you say that your design is sustainable?
Q: What can you suggest to the locations like Metro Manila in terms of
designing sustainable residential building?
APPENDIX B
TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEWS
A. Participant 1
“Of course, ang kuan dito, ang importante, is it visible dun sa area and
then, yung zoning if it is for residential really or industrial area. Importante dito is
of course yung the budget itself diba, if, if ever na conducive dun sa, even sa
kuan sa part dito, sa local, i-consider yung location, important yun, para at least,
hindi siya, malihis dun sa part ng residential at saka sa commercial area,

59
ganyan ang isang part doon. Very important yun eh. Of course yung part doon,
if it is mass housing, kailangan din natin na will rely on the building codes if it is,
may mga considerations kasi yun eh, kaya as much as possible hindi tayo
mag-kakaroon ng conflict doon sa existing building codes natin.”
etc.?
“Actually yun, very basic yun, from, we learn from the school, many subjects
that involved, in such cases, may mga part doon, yung design, from the very
start pa lang ng first year ka, you have already design subject, design 1 up to
design 10, so yun yung isa. Sa structure meron tayong, yung basic din, we have
analytic geometry or algebra, universal, until such meron tayong structural
subject also. The budget, sa mga estimates, sa soil conditions of course, we
rely on the soil conditions pag sa mga part ng, when you set up a building, be
sure that we, if ever three storey to four storey or up, consider yung soil
condition · kasi we need, if ever na hindi visible yun, we need to provide
structural, structural help na pwedeng yung pile system na ilalagay prior doon
sa ilalagay na structure. Yung color and others, we could learn this during yung
mga subjects na involved eh. Sa theory of designs meron non, kaya importante,
from the very start, first year ka pa lang may mga subjects na involved, iba iba,
may mga, example paggawa ng perspectives may mga monochromatic
drawings, part of it andun na rin yung design ng isang ano, pagdedesign ng
isang structure. Iba ibang subjects, marami, kaya importante dito may mga
certain areas yan na pwede mong, for example yan, budget, importante din yun
60
eh. When you do a structure, example, a simple residential, know always yung
budget eh. Makukuha mo per, example per square meter, para you could come
up with the existing or yung current budget per square meter.”
“Oo tama ito, it differ, example, the client wanted you to design a commercial
building, if it situated in a commercial area, ibahin mo dun sa rural area rin na,
depende sa settings eh, example nasa beach area ka, of course hindi mo
idedesign according doon sa klase na nasa kuan, so kung tropical, tropical
design, yung character ng building, iibahin mo rin, example kung kailangan mo
ng sustainable nga, sustainable in a way na it is applicable doon sa lugar, diba,
so ganon. Kung ano yung tema ng building mo, example we have a character of
a Chinese building, kung yun yung client mo, a Chinese, he wanted to have a
Chinese kuan, magrerely ka dun sa character ng building, yung subject mo is
example, meron kang resort, resort yung required ng kuan, in a way na, ganito
yung character na gusto ko, Chinese character yung outcome. Kailangan sa
labas magbeblend dun sa loob na design mo, sa interior. Konektado yan lahat
eh, of course kailangan lang naman unang una, ask your client if ever na kung
magkano yung budget if it is ano, kaya ng, as per dun sa location na ano.”

61
“Actually very common ito na depende sa how you manage yung ano, yung
design ma-encounter mo dito is, kaya importante, between you and the client
yung proper orientation na kung ano yung needs nila. Sabihin natin na always
provide yung technical descriptions ng lot or the area itself, mangyari
nagkakaroon din kasi ng kuan doon yung example very irregular yung lot, pag
nagdesign ka, it should be yung, ma-maximize mo yung space in accordance
doon sa irregular area na ano, tapos ang isa pa doon is, kailangan mo na, (the
participant forgotten the word or term he wants to say). Usually na-eencounter
naming ito, yung lalo na sa planning, sometimes the client, we · do really
have an agreement and at the same time, nagkakaroon ng major changes,
dahil kasama sa kuan, parang mangyayari, without consultation din sa
architect, yung ginagawa ng ibang owner or mismong client naming, so
nagkakaroon ng parang hindi, parang sila na mismo yung nagrerevise kaagad
yung mga designs na it’s already been finalized and then eventually
magkakaroon ng changes, well usually na-eencounter namin yon, at the same
time kapag naubusan na ng budget, architect you need to revise our plan
accordingly to that what is have been finalized before, parang ganon. Of
course, yun nga yung sinasabi ditto na how do they handle it, yun nga yung
proper management ng paggawa eh. Example during construction or
implementation na ng mismong nadesign, eventually there is a problem,
nagkakaroon ng changes, and sometimes, may mga, sa mga building officials,
did you have yung checking. Ay prior to this pala, ang nangyayari ano, kapag
hindi talaga naaprubahan ng city hall, yung mismong design mo, kailangan
talaga na i-iron out muna prior doon sa implementation. So yun yung

62
importante na settle yung mga kuan nga, in accordance doon sa building
permit, mga requirements.”
Manila?
“For as long as you could comply with the building laws naman, there’s a
no such problems on the design of the building, basta in as much as possible
when you already have a plan, it should go through the process na it could still
approved by the building officials, para wala tayong ma-encounter in the future
na nagkaroon ng violations dun sa mga dinesign natin. May guidelines eh, may
mga restrictions ang certain localities na ina-avoid nila, example doing outside
the property line, nagkaroon ka ng, lumagpa ka, it is violation yun, and even
may mga restrictions na it should be obly fire wall and then nagkaroon ka ng
opening doon sa side wich is violation yon, so hindi dapat magcrossover doon
sa hinihingi ng building laws na mga restrictions.”
“Eto, do you religiously follow the given codes of conduct and regulations
before coming up, yes! Actually yun nga, very important ito, always go through
with the ano, yung mga codes nga and restrictions na dapat ma-avoid, sa
design pa lang para at least iwas dun sa mga revisions.”
3. How does Architects create sustainable residential building design

63
“Understanding sustainable is those that, specially yung applications ng
mga materials, it should be safety and then yung mga materials na yun,
kinakailangan na hindi siya,uhm, healthy wise yung mga materials, it should be
parang recycled materials na pwedeng gamitin as your material. Specifications,
actually yung specially one example was you are using yung roofing na it
should be sustainable also, pwede kang gumamit ng mga plastic materials na
pwedeng hindi siya nakakadestruct sa kalusugan, pwedeng yun yung i-apply
mo dun sa building designs mo, kasi yung mga example yun nga, yung hallow
blocks diba? May mga lightweight materials na pwedeng parang in exchange to
hallow blocks, may mga other materials na pwedeng kuan, yung mga recycled
part, maging lightweight, instead na CHB wall, gawin mong may Styrofoam sa
loob reinforced with wires and then yung plastering, iba na, so in a way
makakasave ka pa dun sa budget.”
“Yung mga application ng mga green building materials eh, yun yung
isang part na magiging sustainable yung mga design mo. May mga, example
recycled materials, di ba mayroon kang glass or yung instead glass blocks, may
mga bottles to have yung natural light na papasok intead na totally isang glass
block lang yung ginamit mo. Pwedeng sustainable din pwede yung mga
application ng instead na solid wall magcreate ka ng mga green walls na
pwedeng i-apply mo doon sa wall naman, to make it sustainable.”

64
“Ito kasi, depende sa location nga eh so, part of Metro Manila, more or less
meron parin na application, pwede naman dito sa Pasig, pwede rin dito sa
along San Mateo. So pwede naman jan, pwede mong apply yung locations
niyan kasi for now doon sa part na yun even some drowned part of Marikina, we
do still have open space but, of course dapat ma-identify mo kung ito ay dapat
sang-ayon dun sa zoning plan, meron kang kuan, kung pwedeng maitayo yung
mismong design natin na residential building. So from there, well advise pa rin
ng kuan eh, kasi may mga proposal yan, example may isang developer or ano,
they could go to the have research first eh prior doon sa if it is visible or not, sa
mismong area, example dito sa Marikina pwede ka bang magtayo ng kuan
along flooded area? Hindi, dapat it is conducive to the location and it should be
on the higher area na hindi nakakaapekto sa mga kapaligiran natin so example
is yung eco system na tinatawag natin na, baka kasi yung mga rivers natin
nagkaroon ng kuan, eh walang mga proper drainage system yung nilalagay
mo, parang nakakakuan din. Yun yung mga discouragement sometimes na
isang developer, wala silang mga ganon, so importante doon ngayon yung
nirerequire nila ngayon yung mismong incinerator or yung mismong pag mga
waste water it should be meron silang storage mismo na dun nako-contain,
marerecycle, to make it hindi sya magiging failure doon sa katabi na mga
environments.”
B. Participant 2
65
“Well in terms of given location like urban areas syempre alam natin
masisikip na yan, walang space gaano for open spacekasi kapag nagdeisgn ka
ng residential kailangan kasi may open space siya para yung circulation ng air
kahit na mainit yung lugar ng pagtatayuan mo lalo na sa urban areas, much
cooler yung bahay mo kapag may open space. So yun yungnagigingchallenge
sa mga architect kapag nagdesign sila in urban areas kung paano nila idedesig
yung given areas, which is kapag sinabi nating open space, kakain siya ng
space so yun yung challenge para sa aming mga designer.”
etc.?
“Well in my opinion, sa ano kasi sa pag-aaral syempre meron siyang ano
meron din siya..meron ka ring natututunan but mostly talaga in fact sa
experience mo on cite.. Yes..kasi kahit nag-aaral ka meron kang hindi siya
matutunan sa school kundi sa on field. Kasi minsan sa drawing hindi natin
ma-anticipate kapag actual na.”

66
· “Ibig sabihin niyan malalayo yung ano natin diba.. Well in fact. Hindi
naman yan nakakaano sa mga architects..hindi naman siya problem kasi as an
architect kailangan mo munang i-study feasibility in every location, what are the
trend o ano yung mga kailangan nila dun sa lugar nay un so dun mo babagay
yung design mo. So you cannot create ng design kung makakasama namn ang
design mo sa community like for example..yung mga ano natin sa mga sa
Ilocos sa Vigan.. so you cannot design a modern house from Vigan kasi kilala si
Vigan sa mga old houses dun sila nakilala. So kailangan mo munang i-study
yung location or feasibility, kung ano yung kailangang design nila bagoka mag
construct. So hindi siya makaka-affect kasi kailangan mo talaga munang study
muna bago mo gawin yung design mo.”
“Well space..yes.. limited space but the client wants more for their rooms
so yun yung nagiging challenge din sa amin so kung paano naming siya
i-mamaximize sa gaanong kaliit na space.”
Manila?
“Ah well kailangan mong magstart ng scratch until you make it na design
namaging approve sa clients mo and then hindi naman magiging..sabihin na
nating risk for safety.. so yun yung guidelines ko para makapagcreate ako ng
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design na hindi naman na.. hindi magiging awkward o di magiging
magugustuhan ng aking clienteso kailangan mo muna i-draft siya as scratch
then.. over over again na magdesign ka.. until na ma-approve ng client
andma-sure mo na hindi siya safety issue na ano o kalalabasan ng design.”
· “Actually in reality..such yung mga codes natin talaga hindi nasusunod
ah kasi sa actual location,actual needs ng client na sabi gusto nila ganito, gusto
nila ganyan.. so nagiging na lang ahh.. diskarte ng isnag designer is to
minimize yung mga code or standard design pero kung halimbawa talaga
namang nagiging risky yung design. Sa akin ha hindi ako na tinutuloy yun sa
talagang ipinipilit ko sa client kailangan ng ganito like in an urban areas lalo
magkakadikit yan so sinasabiko sa kanila na we need a firewall both in a two
sides in a rear para maiwasan yung pag nasunog matama yung house mo and
then the adjacent sunod sunod so yun yung nagiging dahilan balkit pag
nasunog ang isang lugar magkakasunod sunod sila kasi wala silang firewall na
pinoprovide so yun yung mga design na sacode na talagang aking
minemaintain, the rest kung hindi naman risky parang sinasacrifice ko na.”
3.How does Architects create sustainable residential building design in
dense urban area?
“Well Sustainable Residential design in urban areas kailangan pag
nagdesign ka minimize mo yung paggamit mo ng mga artificial lights.. like yung

68
mga yan light.. aircon, electric fan, and then kasi ang pagkakaalam ko nga
diyan sa sustainable hindi tayo masyadong gagamit ng mga powers, kumbaga
so kailangan natin i-design yung house natin which is comfortably for living din
naman so sa tingin ko kaya naman yon na gawin ang isang design batsa
mayroon lang sigurong sample o mga architects na diyan na we know na
makakapagpatunay na talagang kayang magkaroon ngsustainable residential
house in urban areas.”
· “Well kung magdedesign ako ng sustainable so siguro yung limit ko nga
ng paggamit ng kuryente at kung gagamit ako ng design siguro mas lalawakan
ko yung mga windows niya..magkakaroon ako ng mga natural ventilation para
minimize ko yung paggamit ng electrical power.”
· “Kasi sa tingin ko kais medyo limited na kasi yung ibang materials natin
like woods to create a sustainable urban areas but kailangan siguro magkaroon
lang ng appropriate space ang pagtatayuan ng mga residential houses or even
mga commercial areas kailangan lang nila ng space para sa mga ventilation,
proper ventilating, like windows to minimize yung paggamit ng power and then
pag meron kais tayong open space malilimit natin yung paggamit ng yung mga
pigments kasi yung pigments nakakatulong sa absorb ng heat yan pag
nakaabsorb ng heat yan and then pagdating ng evening afternoon irerelease
niya yung heat niya so ganon kainit sa Manila, kasi lahat jan puro pigment wala
69
kang makikitang open space limited lang siya unlike sa Singapore..inaalagaan
nila sa design yung mga open space nila so tinatamnan nila ng mga bushes,
trees and grass para yung init na nag-aabsorb hindi siya magbounce back so
open space talaga ang kailangan.. yes.. and then siguro magcreate sila ng mga
yung mga we called it parang pasyos oara sa mga trees o ano nila…”
APPENDIX C
LETTER OF CONSENT ADDRESSED TO THE PRINCIPAL
07 March 2019
BRENDA B. CORPUZ, PH.D.

Principal
Senior High School Department
Technological Institute of the Philippines
Dear Dr. Corpuz:
May we have the honor to request permission to conduct our study entitled, THINKING OF AN
ARCHITECT: CREATING SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN IN DENSE
URBAN AREAS WITHIN METRO MANILA.This is in partial fulfillment of the course requirement
in Practical Research 1 (RES 001).
The undersigned will utilize an interview questionnaire.The professional and expert architectsare
the participants for this research. All responses will be treated with utmost confidentiality.
70
Hoping for your favorable approval in this regard.
Thank you very much.
Respectfully yours,
Janea Grace Cestina

Ray Anthony Collamat
Arabelle Yollina Derez
Tamae Anna Granada
Jo-Anne Faith Oliva
Klyde Tabuna
Researchers
Noted by:
Mr. Antonio J. Salido

RES 001 Teacher
APPENDIX D
LETTER OF CONSENT ADDRESSED TO THE PARTICIPANTS
07March 2019
Dear Participants:
The undersigned is currently conducting a study entitled, THINKING OF AN ARCHITECT:

CREATING SUSTAINABLE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN IN DENSE URBAN AREAS
WITHIN METRO MANILA.This is in partial fulfillment of the course requirements in Practical
Research 1 (RES 001).
We wish to solicit your valuable assistance on the identified aspects of the subject to provide
them with the needed data.
You are assured that every response made will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will only
be used for the purpose of the study.
71
Respectfully yours,
Janea Grace Cestina
Ray Anthony Collamat
Arabelle Yollina Derez
Tamae Anna Granada
Jo-Anne Faith Oliva
Klyde Tabuna
Researchers
Noted by:
Mr. Antonio J. Salido

RES 001 Teacher
APPENDIX E
CURRICULUM VITAE

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PERSPECTIVE OF AN ARCHITECT IN CREATING SUSTAINABLE

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN IN DENSE URBAN

AREAS IN METRO MANILA

Cestina, Janea Grace F.

Collamat, Ray Anthony R.

Derez, Arabelle Yollina V.

Granada, Tamae Anna T.

Oliva, Jo-Anne Faith M.

Senior High School Department

immense knowledge upon us, which help us complete the study.

We would also like to express our gratitude to the Technological Institute

cooperation during the interview.

We are grateful to our respective families for giving their continuous

support, care, love and encouragements.

continuous blessing, wisdom and guidance that made everything possible.

Architectural designs are having challenges in urban areas and

understand the perspective of an architect in facing problem issues of

designing residential buildings especially in the dense urban cities. This

participants of this research, collection of data was conducted through

interviewing and researchers used semi-structured interview to be more

conversational. Findings showed that designing in dense urban areas greatly

different strategies, guidelines, building laws and codes to follow to have a

sustainable residential design.

Keywords: sustainable, architect, design, factors, urban areas,

residential building, dense, problems, perspective.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Page

Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Scope and Limitations of the Study .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Significance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURES

Related Literatures and Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Description of the Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Data Gathering Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND

Background of the Study

need as a being; whether it is food, clothes, and houses; also keeps on

increasing. As a result, the natural aesthetic of our environment has been

aesthetic of our environment.

An urban area is the region surrounding a city. Most inhabitants of urban

there is a density of human structures such as commercial buildings, roads,

bridges, railways, and most of all, residential buildings or houses. Architectural

in the next 40 years, forcing cities to undertake a holistic and sustainable

transformation of their model. The great challenge of architecture has to do with

residents a better quality of life.

On a study conducted by E. Ng et al. (2010), they stated that mega and

with high thermal capacity and urban heat island intensity.

weak synoptic wind conditions (Narumi et al., 2009).

According to Senturer (2001), as cited by A. Kadir (2005), The provision

an increase in building demand, and because of this, new developments in

building construction systems emerged. Furthermore, the conventional

construction method, which is commonly being practiced in the building

construction industry, is unable to respond to this huge demand in a short time

landscape creates an urban climate that affects human comfort and

knowledge in land use and urban planning is lacking. Planners and

policymakers either do not pay sufficient attention to this increasingly important

integration between urban climatic and urban planning knowledge is important,

especially for planners of mega, high‐density, and compact cities.

rapidly expanding cities to create innovative and sustainable residential