President Benigno S. Aquino III signs Republic Act No. 10609, a new law which will prohibit higher educational institutions (HEIs) on forcing students to enroll on reviews centers before taking their respective licensure examinations. Under R.A. 10609, otherwise known as the “Protection of Students’ Right to Enroll in Review Centers Act of 2013”, higher educational institutions will be disallowed to compel their students to enroll on review centers chosen by the school.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10609 FURTHER RESTRICTS THE FOLLOWING:
HEIs should not make review sessions or classes a prerequisite or completion for graduation which will force students to pay for a certain amount of fee.
Note: Review classes are not part of the curriculum likewise the school’s choice of review center. Students may now...
Friday, September 26, 2014
Prayer for Architects
Prayer for Architects
(and for those who passed the Board Exams for Architects)
My Father God,
thank you for my talents and vocation
to be an Architect (Planner),
your co-creator of homes, buildings,
cities, and the world.
Out of infinite Love for us,
you created an unfinished world
so that we may continue creating it
and in this way
continue creating ourselves
to be the perfect, fulfilled, and happy
human beings you meant us to be.
We know only love
gives value to our project
and not its size
so give us plenty of it.
We know that creativity and smart work
are what we need
to build our masterpieces of form
and function so give us plenty of these.
We know we need people
who share our passion
to build a world that is beautiful
and sustainable for rich and poor alike
so give us loads...
Prayer for Board Exams and Review

Prayer for Preparation to Study
Grant me peace, O God, as I open my books and notes. Open my mind to Thy will, and may I dedicate these hours to Thy Son, Jesus Christ.
Offer me insight, O Lord, that I might understand these things, and see them as a part of Thy Kingdom.
May I offer Thee my best in reading and learning that it may be a part of my discipleship.
O Jesus Christ, may this be a worthy time that is faithful to Thee and bring me closer to the goals I have in order to serve Thee. I offer this time and prayer in Thy holy Name. Amen.
Prayer Before an Exam
O wise God, I pray that my mind might be rested, my body energized, and...
Sample Design Problem 1
SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND SITE PLANNING
DATE/ TIME: 27 November 2009 and 03 December 2009, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
VENUES (4) : Al-Khobar & Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
WARNING: If there are conflicts between a stated word and the number/ amount/ figure described, the stated / spelled word shall prevail. Should there be conflicts between two (2.0) stated quantities, the higher figure shall prevail.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For this reformat of the examination in this subject, the Examinee shall be allowed to make full use (open books) ONLY of Rule VII and Rule VIII of the 2004 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1096, otherwise known as the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines...
Determining AMBF & PSO (R-1 & R-2)
The following rules shall be observed in the determination of the Allowable Maximum Building Footprint (AMBF) for buildings and related habitable structures. If the stated rules are compared with
a) Rule VIII Table VIII.1.- Reference Table on Percentage of Site Occupancy and Maximum Allowable Construction Area (MACA);
b) Rule VIII Tables VIII.2. and VIII.3. (setbacks, yards and courts); or
c) with the applicable stipulations under this Rule and with the applicable stipulations of the Fire Code,
the more stringent but applicable regulation out of the aforementioned rules should be observed.
To know more about Development Controls, PSO, AMBF, ISA, USA, TOSL, MACA, GFA, TGFA, AMVB, BHL, etc., enroll in Review Course for Rule 7&8. Text to 09175874827 or email to orbis.ccd@gmail...
Determining Allowable Maximum Volume of Building (AMVB)
ALLOWABLE MAXIMUM VOLUME OF BUILDING (AMVB) Above-Grade – The limit of the total volume of space that can be occupied by a proposed building/structure above grade level. the AMVB is an imaginary prism within the fully enclosed areas and courts of a proposed building/structure shall fit.
Quantifying the AMVB. The AMVB shall be primarily determined by the following:
a. Multiply the AMBF (in square meters) for the lot by the applicable BHL (in meters) for the lot to arrive at the initial AMVB (in cubic meters); the result of this step is the imaginary footprint prism;
b. Superimpose the angular plane originating from the center of the RROW on the footprint prism; this shall result in the reduction of the initially computed building volume due to the application of incremental setbacks and...
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Philippine Church Architecture

PHILIPPINE CHURCH ARCHITECTURE
* simple, patterned after early Christian types; either rectangular or cruciform with simple naves and aisles
* thick walls reinforced with heavy buttresses for earthquakes protection
* immense sizes because of colonial policy which dictated that a church should be built for every 5000 baptized
* materials used include: volcanic tuff (adobe), hardened lava, volcanic ejecta, sandstone, river boulders, clay, corals, limestone, oyster shells, eggs
SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLES
• PAOAY CHURCH, Ilocos Norte
* built in 1694 by Antonio Estavillo, completed 1702-1710
* façade: rectangular, with arched doorway, four continuous...
Review Notes: Planning Terms
ARCHITECTURAL PLANNING
Greenbelt
A wide area of parks of undeveloped land
surrounding a community
Platting
The process in which a piece of land,
referred to as a parent tract is subdivided into two or more parcels
Azimuths
Angles measured clockwise form any
direction (meridian) usually north, however national geodetic survey uses south
Final Plat
Usually the last stage of the final site
development process prior to the issuance of the building permit
Urban sprawl
A 20th century problem emanating from
rapid urbanization of areas surrounding a city
Advocacy Planning
A type of planning which...
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Influential Architects - Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known as Le Corbusier, was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner, writer, and one of the pioneers of what is now called modern architecture.
Le Corbusier’s collected articles proposed a new architecture that would satisfy the demands of industry, hence functionalism, and the abiding concerns of architectural form, as defined over generations. His proposals included his first city plan, the Contemporary City, and two housing types that were the basis for much of his architecture throughout his life: the Maison Monol and, more famously, the Maison Citrohan, which he also referred to as “the machine of living.”
...
Development Impact Analysis
Development Impact Analysis
Why conduct development impact analysis?
Growth has been viewed as healthy and desirable for communities because it often leads to additional
jobs; increased income for residents; a broader tax base; and the enhancement of cultural amenities
such as libraries and parks. However, communities are increasingly aware that growth may also be
accompanied by costs such as increased fiscal expenditures for necessary public services and infrastructure, traffic congestion, consumption of local natural resources, loss of open space and unique cultural attributes. In addition, development decisions are too often made without a sufficient
understanding of the consequences of those decisions on overall community well-being. Since changes induced by growth in a community are...