COMMUNITY

CENTER:
A STRATEGIC TOOL
FOR ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
WHAT IS A COMMUNITY CENTER ?
CIVIL SERVICES AREA FOOD COURT WORKSHOP POCKET PARK
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A COMMUNITY CENTER IS A WHERE SOCIAL INTERACTION AMONG THE RESIDENTS OCCUR. THESE
INTERACTIONS INCLUDE THE PROGRAMS THAT THE CENTER WILL BE INTRODUCING THAT COULD PROMOTE
DIFFERENT SKILLS FOR THE PEOPLE. ANOTHER ONE IS TO ENCOURAGE SOCIALIZATION AMONG THE PEOPLE. WITH
THIS, IT COULD HELP THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO BECOME TRANSPARENT DUE TO THE ACTIVENESS OF THE
COMMUNITY. THE TYPE OF COMMUNITY CENTER WHICH WE ARE PROPOSING CONCENTRATES ON THE LIVELIHOOD
OF THE BARANGAY THAT COULD BENEFIT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY.

ISLAND BARANGAY
THE SITE CHOSEN FOR THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED AT THE
PERSPECTIVES
PUGARO OF DAGUPAN CITY IN PANGASINAN.
ACCCORDING TO THE CITY’S PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, BARANGAY PUGARO IS ONE OF WHICH THAT IS
NEEDING MORE IMPROVEMENT REGARDING WITH THEIR EXISTING FACILITIES AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN FOR
THE PEOPLE. THIS IS BECAUSE BARANGAY PUGARO IS THE FARTHEST AMONG THE ISLANDS WITHIN THE CITY AND
HAS THE LEAST NUMBER OF EXISTING FACILITIES AMONG THE OTHER BARANGAYS. THE EXISTING FACILITIES ARE
THE BARANGAY HALL, THE BASKETBALL COURT, HEALTH CENTER, BOAT TERMINAL, DAYCARE CENTER,
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND AN INTERNET CAFE. AND THERE IS ONLY ONE EXISTING PROGRAM IN THE BARANGAY
WHICH IS FOOD PROCESSING THAT IS MAINLY DRY FISHING SINCE THE LOCATION IS SURROUNDED BY BODIES OF
WATERS.

SUN PATH ANALYSIS

AERIAL VIEW SOCIAL SERVICES BUILDING

WIND PATH ANALYSIS

NORMAL VIEW COMMERCIAL SERVICES BUILDING

OTHER FACTORS...
REAR VIEW LIVELIHOOD SERVICES BUILDING

EFFICIENT SYSTEMS WERE APPLIED. THIS MAKES THE STRUCTURE A GREAT INVESTMENT AS THE MAINTENANCE IS
DESIGN CONCEPT LOW-COST AND THE RETURN IS HIGH.

THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS NOT ONLY STRATEGICALLY LOCATED IN BRGY. PUGARO BUT IS ALSO
STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED TO CATER THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS USER-FRIENDLY TO
PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. THE CENTER IS COMPOSED OF THREE BUILDINGS WITH EACH DESIGNATING SERVICE
THAT IT CAN OFFER: SOCIAL SERVICES,COMMERCIAL SERVICES, AND LIVELIHOOD SERVICES. IN EACH BUILDING,
THE FACILITIES ARE ALSO ARRANGED BASED ON THE DATA DERIVED FROM THE SITE ANALYSIS, AND HUMAN
MOVEMENT.
FOR THE INTERIOR, THE APPROACH OF THE PLANS’ DESIGN IS BASED ON THE NOTIONS OF MAKING THE
COMMUNITY CENTER AS AN ALL-IN-ONE STRUCTURE OR IN ANOTHER TERM AS A MIXED-USE BUILDING. THE SHAPE
CIRCLE BEING A REPRESENTATION OF TOTALITY, BECAME THE BASIS FOR THE FLOOR PLAN’S FORM. IT ALSO GAVE
A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES BECAUSE OF ITS FORM SUCH AS:
BLDG. FOOTPRINT ON THE SITE
1. LESS EMBODIED ENERGY - THIS MEANS THAT FOR ANY GIVEN FLOOR AREA, A CIRCULAR HOUSE HAS LESS
WALL LENGTH AND THEREFORE LESS MATERIALS.
THIRD, THE EXTERNAL SKIN OF THE CENTER IS DERIVED FROM THE TWO DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTERS OF DAGUPAN CITY FROM THE PAST WHICH ARE THE VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE AND ART DECO.
And lastly,the strategic planning of the areas, and the circulation within it.
THE STRUCTURE WILL NOT ONLY BE FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS AND WANTS OF THE RESIDENTS OF PUGARO.
INSTEAD,IT COULD ALSO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO BOOST THE GROWTH OF ITS ECONOMY. THE
STRUCTURE WILL THEN WELCOME NOT ONLY DAGUPENOS BUT ALSO TOURISTS, AND INVESTORS. THIS IS BECAUSE
IT CAN GENERATE HIGHER INCOME, CASH FLOW, LONGER LEASES, AND LESS COMPETITION THAT COULD OPEN
MORE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, AND MORE EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE RESIDENTS.
INNOVATION APPLIED
THIN-SHELL CONCRETE ROOF

2. ENERGY EFFICIENCY - IT TAKES LESS ENERGY TO MAINTAIN THEIR INTERIORS TO COMFORTABLE
TEMPERATURES.
3. EARTHQUAKE AND WIND RESISTANCE - THE AERODYNAMIC PROPERTIES ALSO MAKE ROUND HOUSES MORE
RESISTANT TO HURRICANE-LEVEL WINDS (AND TSUNAMIS FOR THAT MATTER).
4. LESS EXPENSIVE - THEY USE 15 TO 20% LESS MATERIALS PER SQUARE METRE (OR SQUARE FOOT) THAN A
RECTANGULAR DESIGN. LESS SURFACE AREA MEANS THEY ARE ALSO LESS COSTLY TO MAINTAIN OVER TIME.
SINCE THE STRUCTURE IS CIRCULAR, A CONCRETE SHELL OR A THIN-SHELL STRUCTURE IS A WELL-SUITED
MATERIAL. THESE TYPE OF STRUCTURE ARE NATURALLY STRONG ALLOWING WIDE AREAS TO BE SPANNED WITHOUT
THE USE OF INTERNAL SUPPORTS, GIVING AN OPEN, UNOBSTRUCTED INTERIOR.
THE USE OF CONCRETE AS A BUILDING MATERIAL REDUCES BOTH MATERIALS’ COST AND CONSTRUCTION
COSTS, AS CONCRETE IS RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE AND EASILY CAST INTO COMPOUND CURVES. THE RESULTING
STRUCTURE MAY BE IMMENSELY STRONG AND SAFE SINCE IT CAN RESIST EXTERNAL FORCES.

5. BETTER ACOUSTICS - THE SHAPE ALSO RESISTS NOISE PENETRATING FROM THE OUTSIDE. SOUND WAVES
DISSIPATE AS THEY WRAP AROUND THE BUILDING, SHIELDING THE INTERIOR FROM LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE.

6. INTANGIBLE QUALITIES - ACCORDING TO DAVID RAITT, CIRCULAR LIVING PROVIDES A BALANCE OF

LOOKING INWARD AND OUTWARD, LOOKING OUT AT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND SURROUNDINGS BUT THEN
COMING IN AGAIN TO THE SELF AND THE HEARTH.

THE DIMENSIONS FOR THE AREAS ARE BASED FROM THE STANDARD SIZES OF THE CODES FROM THE
TIMESAVER’S, AND ARCHITECTURAL GRAPHICS;HOWEVER, THE BOOKS ONLY SERVED AS A BASIS THAT THE AREAS
ARE NOT DESIGNED IN THEIR MINIMUM DIMENSIONS. THIS IS TO ALLOW RIGHT-ANGLED FURNITURES TO BE PLACED
FREELY IN EACH FACILITY. THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE COMMUNITY CENTER MODERN AND UNIQUE.

THERE WERE DIFFERENT IDEAS AND CONCEPTS THAT WERE APPLIED FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER:

FIRST, THE OVERALL STRUCTURE IS TO BE UNIQUE AND MODERN WITHOUT IT STANDING OUT TO BLEND WITH
ITS SURROUNDINGS SO THAT IT COULD BECOME AN ARCHITECTURAL IDENTITY OF THE PLACE.
EXAMPLE APPLICATION
SECOND, THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE TROPICAL ARCHITECTURE SUCH AS PASSIVE DESIGN, AND ENERGY

MATERIALS
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY STUDENT:
AZURIN, ANGELICA P.
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
SUBJECT
AR 521 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 10
PROJECT TITLE
COMMUNITY CENTER:A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SECOND SEMESTER MENTOR JURY MEMBERS:
SY 2018-2019 AR. MORGAN I. CAMBOD
DATE ADVISER
METAL CONCRETE WOOD GLASS 11 MARCH 2019 AR. NESTOR J. LAZAGA