Barangay Tiongson, Ligao City, 21 kilometers from downton Ligao City, located 800 feet

above sea level, this small barangay can be reached by an hour ride travel on a jeepney plus a 20-
minute door-to-door motorcycle ride. There are no tricycles and vehicles to fetch them going to
and fro from school, so children in the area walk 2-3 hours just to learn in a crowded classroom
while experiencing the heat and humidity inside. These kinds of burden escalate during the rainy
season, travelling becomes very hard for these young children because of flood water and mud,
while cloud cover brings darkness inside each classroom. With these challenges our young
learners get distracted in discovering the more important things that can only be learned in
school. The designer has thought of several factors to adhere to these challenges.
Eco Friendly:
For sustainable means of water acquisition, it is vital to make us of the average annual
precipitation of 2076mm. With the rainwater collection and purification, it will answer the needs
for water supply used in each of the classrooms. Regarding solid-waste management, Ligao City
has its own policy of no segregation, no collection, pupils learn to segregate even inside their
classrooms, compost pits are also present in the vicinity.
Making use of the ever present sunlight and wind in the area is also important, using passive
air cooling in the classroom gives the learners a better environment, with large windows located
on the area with the most benefit to the prevailing winds, placed under long overhangs, the build-
up of heat gain will be minimized. Clerestory windows above the attic provide room for warm
air to exit the room while allowing ample amount of light needed inside. Light wells are also
present between two classrooms, this gives an entryway for air to cool the room. Reflective G.I.
sheet also bounce off light to avoid heat transfer. Light shelves above the woven jalousie
windows create enough space for light to benefit the reading pupils.
In its canteen and food preparation needs, having a green roof with traditional crops is a key
factor in introducing Agro-Biodiversity in schools, with these crops we help our children develop
their bodies by eating healthy foods present in the community, root crops, bananas and
vegetables are just some of the crops which can be cooked and prepared for the pupils of the
school. Lastly, solar panels are put together above the roof to suffice and provide enough power
for the school incase there is an increase in the need for power supply.
Economical:
Converting waste to construction materials is a tedious process, but by vigorous study, we
have found agricultural waste that can be turned to building materials even without the aid of
heavy machineries, like the rice husk ash cement(RHAC), rice husk from mills can be burned
and be used as a supplement for cement materials, given its high specific surface and great
amount of silica soluble in alkaline condition, it can reduce the amount of cement needed in the
mixture while retaining the strength and structural characteristics. Also waste like plastic bottles
fill our trash cans and compost pits, this waste take centuries to decompose, but by cleaning,
cutting and weaving these bottles we can create a strong transparent panel alternative to glass in
our windows, in this process it can be simply made by hand without any aid of machines.
Another way of using these plastic bottles is by stacking them strategically to form a
sturdy post-like structure while creating space for small plants to be grown in them. Using G.I.
sheet on the building means providing a sturdy roof but also means hot and humid environment
under it, with the coconut husk panel as insulator, it will prevent the harsh heat of the roof to
receive underneath, flattened coconut husks between two wire mesh combined is a simple
alternative to the commercial foam insulators that is costly and harmful to environment. Students
chatting, motorcycle passing by and other forms of noise fill the air near the classroom, but with
the coconut husk sound proofing, it will absorb the noise and deflect and dissolve other sound
wave that creates discomfort to the students, due to its loose and irregular shape and texture,
these husks acts as a barrier to avoid noise production.
School furniture are mostly made of plastic and hardwood these materials can be easily
found and it takes time for it be prepared, but by reusing recyclable materials for the classroom
furniture we help our environment and also teach children to reuse and recycle, large rectangular
plastic containers formerly used as oil or milk containers can be used as book shelves, small
plastic bottles can also be used in storing school supplies and other materials. There are
boundless ways to make use of these recyclable material we just need a creative mind in order
for us to innovate and create something out nothing.
Resilient:
Last Christmas 2016, the Bicol Region has suffered from a devastating typhoon, which
brought trees, electric poles and houses torn down. Its winds blew over houses made of light
materials specifically wood, other schools were also damaged making some unusable for
evacuation sites. With these tangible challenges, resiliency of the structure is what we really need
in our country, in this project several changes were made to prevent this damage, the roofs has
been designed to withstand strong typhoon winds, with a 25 roof angle near the large windows
and 30 on the corridor-side. Also the structural concept of this building is an evolution of an A-
Frame truss design with its two legs spread diagonally downwards anchored to the ground to
provide enough strength for earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Light shelves can be collapsed and be made as storm shutters to provide cover on the
windows during a typhoon. The building is placed on stilts to prevent the flash floods from
affecting the complex, it also allows cold air to circulate underneath and pass through the wood
parquet flooring.
Lastly, the auditorium is specially designed to let winds pass through and prevent pressure
building in its walls, open ceilings and windows let strong was pass through and cause less
damage to the structure.
Inclusive:
Consideration for all, the school complex has been designed as an inclusive environment that can
be used by everyone regardless of age, gender or disability. It recognizes and accommodates
differences in the way people use the built environment and provides solutions that enable all of
us to participate in any activity. With certain laws in mind like the Accessibility Law or Batas
Pambansa 344, Planning and Access for Disabled People Guide and the DepEd Design Standards
for schools dated 2010, PWD ramps are provided in the complex to cater persons in wheelchair,
walkways are also wide enough to let two wheelchairs pass, grab bars, tactile blocks and PWD-
friendly signage are considered in the design. Election and many other activities can be
conducted in this complex, given that this school has an inclusive design for equal activity
among any kind of people in the community.