UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

SUBJECT:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN VI

Rural Bank of Iloilo: Headquarters

RESEARCH PAPER

SUBMITTED BY:

JOSE VICENTE R. MACLANG

YEAR AND SECTION:

3AR-2

INSTRUCTOR:

AR. CARLO SAYCO

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

III. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

IV. GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING

BANK FACILITIES DESIGN STANDARDS

V. MACRO AND MICRO SITE ANALYSIS,

AND NBC PROVISIONS AND OTHER
PERTINENT LAWS

VI. CASE STUDIES

VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
As taken from the Major Plate #1 Project Brief,

“The Rural Bank of Iloilo has decided to build its headquarters along the
Esplanade of Iloilo City. The Board of Directors have decided that the new
headquarters should be done in a classical style befitting the age and the stature
of the institution. The general image they want to project is tradition and stability,
both aspects that are to be combined with a sense of grandeur that shows that the
bank has been in existence for over 10 years.”

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The task of capturing Timeless-ness has never been an easy one. Several styles,
techniques, and elements must be considered in order to achieve the essence of grandeur,
stability, and security; likewise, a classical approach to the project will prove to be the best
option for deciding its elements.

The project must be designed, coinciding with a classical approach, using proper ratio
and proportions. A careful study of bank design standards must be conducted in order to achieve
all necessary design solutions so that an efficient plan and space program can be produced,
giving the client the best possible solutions.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES
1. To be able to develop well-coordinated and coherent schematic plans that include all
columns, windows, and doors in the plans;
2. To be able to develop well-coordinated and accurate sections and elevations where all
windows, doors, steps are all accurately placed in plans, sections, and elevations;
 3. To develop and hone planning skills that take into consideration the unique requirements
of different clients;
4. To develop the ability to work in plan, section, elevation, and perspective simultaneously,
duly checking drawing coherence;
5. To understand how the different senses, influence the creation of the built environment;
and
6. To produce well thought-out and visually appealing presentation drawings.

BANK FACILITIES DESIGN STANDARDS

Some of the bank facility design standards and requirements are found in the Project
Brief. The space requirements of the bank facility are as follows:

GENERAL SPACE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Office of the Chairman of the Board

2. Office of the President
3. Board room for the 24 board members
4. Office of the General Manager
5. Office of the Chief Accountant + 8 staff
6. Main Bank Floor with 6 tellers, new accounts office, concierge, loans officer, general
seating
7. Vault with Safety Deposit Boxes
8. Office of the Auditor + 8 Staff
9. Office of the Chief Comptroller + 4 staff
10. Office of Credit Examiner + 4 staff
11. Back of House Faculties
12. VIP Clients Lounge
As taken from the book of Harold R. Sleeper, these are the design standards discussed for
designing a bank,
The following pages were taken from Harold R. Sleeper’s book, Building Planning and Design
Standards for Architects, Engineers, Designers, Consultants, Draftsmen and Students.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
1. To provide design solutions that offer sustainability and passive elements
such as ventilation, temperature, and thermal comfort through the use of
landscape planning and space planning.
2. To merge a pure-classical design with a hint of post-modern techniques to
provide the sense of stability and keeping with the times.
3. To adopt proper ratio and proportions to the design elements such that it
pays respect to its classical inspirations.
4. To achieve a security plan that uses limited amount of technology.
MACRO AND MICRO SITE ANALYSIS, AND NBC
PROVISIONS AND OTHER PERTINENT LAWS
MACRO SITE ANALYSIS

- The building site is in close proximity to other shopping establishments, condominiums,

and to The Ateneo De Iloilo Campus.
o Orienting the design towards its frequent users must be taken into consideration
o Accessibility law must be strictly observed
- To the left of the building site (west) are residential areas sprawling leftwards west and
south.
o This can potentially harm security through privacy. A buffer or barrier that can
block public view should be utilized.
o Given close proximity to residential areas, ease of access must be considered for
them.
- A view of the Iloilo River and Esplanade may be seen from the site (if given a certain
height view)
o A potential view can be designed for customers waiting in line
o Further analysis of view must be taken into consideration for maximum potential
MICRO SITE ANALYSIS

- The North-East cool winds will be coming in from the first quadrant of the site
o The cool wind may fall short due to existing structure buffering its route to the
building site.
o Rear-side of site can be used to absorb much of the cool wind and allow for
passive cooling in the site in general.
- The South-West warm winds will be flying in from across the river and into the site
o These winds may be carrying cool water breeze, thus cooling front-side of site
through wind/river breeze
o Warm air rise; therefore, we must consider the top floors of the structure and how
it can be passively cooled (or given a solution through architectural means).
- The building site is a corner lot.
o This gives a plethora of options for entrance and views.
o A careful and further analysis of behavior and foot pattern must be conducted in
order to fully maximize the corner lot potential.
- Large shadow may be casted over by existing, under-construction Avida Towers
building.
o These large shadows may provide good shade for the site, especially because no
other tall structure exists around it.
o A foresight of the finished construction of the site may provide shade to the faces
of streets adjacent to the building site, but will only be effective during certain
times of the day.
o Further study must be conducted to maximize this potential shade.
NBC PROVISIONS

National Building Code and other Pertinent Laws

- Building Classification: Bank/Financial Institution Group E Business and Mercantile

(Commercial)
- UTS (Utilities, Transportation, and Services)
- Setback Requirements:
o RROW Width = 19.00m
o Front Setback = 5.00m
o Side Setback = 2.00m
o Rear Setback = 2.00m
- Parking requirements:
o 1 Parking slot for every 100 sqm of customer space
- Building Height Limit: 15.00m
CASE STUDIES

1. Bank of Albania HQ Renovation

This excerpt was taken from archdaily.com

“The project, as the result of an international competition, consists of both the total
renovation and restoration of the existing historic Central Bank of Albania, designed by
Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo in 1934-36, and the construction of a new building. It includes the
new Numismatic Museum, a new conference hall for 150 persons, offices, meetings room, an
internal gallery, a roof garden and an underground four-levels parking. …”

This specific project dealt with the challenge of adding contemporary styles of
architecture into an existing one. What made this such a challenge is that the existing structure
was of a classical approach to architecture. The project was able to demonstrate that harmony
can still be achieved with both modern and classic styles of architecture. This opens up a whole
avenue of potential, showing us that there can be a dynamic between the two highly-debated
styles.
2. Hypo / Dietrich Bank HQ

This excerpt was taken from archdaily.com

“This was once the site of the Montfort, a hotel built in Bregenz in 1877 during the
Gründerzeit era. In 1921, architect Willibald Braun erected an adjoining and historicizing
building with a neo-classicist façade for the Provincial Parliament of Vorarlberg…The
entire building complex – the period building and the converted part – will be used as the
headquarters of a state bank.”

The project was able to construct and adjoin a post-modern office building with the
existing structure of its site. Allowing for a dynamic of the two architectural styles gives off a
sense of grandeur, stability, and security YET it still radiates the vibration that it will keep up
with modern times and should not be taken lightly. A simple, yet effective, solution that the
architects proposed and applied to the project was to build around the existing structure,
combining it as much as they can while preserving its classical elements, through the use of
glass windows and modern minimalist look that allows for a big impact on the perspective
yet does not boast too loudly that it overshadows its classical counterpart.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES
Aguilar, C. (2015, March 7). Bank of Albania HQ Renovation / Petreschi Achitects. Retrieved from

https://www.archdaily.com/602573/bank-of-albania-hq-renovation-petreschi-

achitects?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all

Conti, J. (2019, June 18). Main Street banks: With classical form, institutions once inspired awe.

Retrieved from https://archive.triblive.com/news/main-street-banks-with-classical-form-

institutions-once-inspired-awe/

Leiva, S. (2018, January 5). Hypo / Dietrich: Untertrifaller Architekten. Retrieved from

https://www.archdaily.com/801725/hypo-dietrich-untertrifaller-architekten-zt-

gmbh?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_projects

Sleeper, H. R. (1967). Building Planning and Design Standards for Architects, Engineers,

Designers, Consultants, Building Committees, Draftsmen and Students. New York: Wiley.