ARCHITECTURAL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES

BUILDING LENGTH

In general, the longest linear dimensions of a building or structure (usually measured in the direction of the bearing wall for girders).

EXIT, FIRE

A [continuous and doorway, unobstructed means of emergency egress to a public way, and includes intervening doors, doorways, corridors, exterior exit balconies, ramps, stairways, smokeproof enclosures, [horizontal exits, exit passageways] exit courts, and yards. An exit shall be deemed to be that point which opens directly into a safe dispersal area or public way. All measurements are to be made to that point when determining the permissible distance of travel.

DWELLING, MULTIPLE

A building [used as a home or residence) of three or more family units living independently from each other, each with sanitary facilities, and each occupying one or more rooms as a single housekeeping unit.

ACCESSORY BUILDING

A building subordinated to the main building on the same lot and used for purposes customarily incidental to those of the main building such as servant's quarters, garage, pump house, laundry, etc., transformer vault, generator shed.

CONDOMINIUM

A cooperative apartment building owned jointly by each occupant built on a common lot.

DWELLING, INDIGENOUS FAMILY

A dwelling intended for the use and occupancy by the family of the Owner, constructed of (indigenous) native materials such as bamboo, nipa, logs, cogon, or lumber, the total cost of which does not exceed fifteen

AWNING

A fixed or moveable protective covering or protection over a window or entrance door.

CONCRETE BLOCK

A hollow or solid concrete masonry unit CHB or CMU made from Portland cement and suitable aggregates such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, [bituminous or anthracite cylinders, burned clay, pumice, volcanic scoria, air cooled or expanded blast furnace slags] otherwise termed as concrete masonry unit (CMU).

ACCESSORIA OR ROW HOUSE

A house of not more than two and a half storey (with mezzanine), composed of a row of dwelling units entirely separated from one another by a party wall or walls and with an independent entrance for each dwelling unit.

BOARDING HOUSE

A house with five or more [sleeping] rooms where boarders are provided with lodging, and meals for a fixed sum for a month or week's stay [in accordance with previous arrangement).

ARCADE

A roofed passageway of a building, covered pedestrian passage or covered sidewalk built as protection for pedestrians against rain or sun

APARTMENT

A room or suite of two or more rooms, designed and intended for, or occupied by one family for living. sleeping, and cooking purposes.

DWELLING, ONE FAMILY

A single-detached [building] house designated for, or occupied exclusively for one family.

BASEMENT

A storey of a building below the ground floor level or grade.

CANOPY

A suspended covering over a window opening or entrance door.

EXIT COURTS

A yard or court providing safe egress to a public way for one or more exits.

FIRE WALL

An exterior wall abutting the party or property line purposely to enclose such part of the building and protect the building from fire, usually of fire-resistive rating depending upon its occupancy within or the degree of hazardousness that requires protection.

CARPORT

An open car shelter.

COURT

An unoccupied space enclosed by buildings and lot lines other than a yard, free, open, and unobstructed clear area of any appendages from the ground upward.

APARTMENT HOUSE

Any building or portion thereof, which is designed, built, rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied, or which is occupied as the home or residence of three or more families living independently of each other and doing their own cooking in the building, and shall include flats and apartments.

ALLEY

Any public space or thoroughfare which has been dedicated or needed for public use as a passageway with a width of not less than four meters if used as a bilateral access way between two rows of building abutting its front property lines.

ATTIC STOREY

Any storey situated wholly or partly in a roof, so designed, arranged, or built as to be used for any occupancy or habitation.

BUILDING

Any structure built to shelter multifarious human activities such as work, play, eat, etc., or an enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, manufacturing process, or any other kind.

EASEMENTS

Established by laws as not buildable clear strip of at least 3.0 meters wide along banks of rivers or its tributaries, creeks, or "esteros".

FAÇADE

Front of or exterior appearance of the building.

FIRE SEPARATION (WALL)

Horizontal or vertical separator of rated fire- resistive material to protect floor or wall respectively and to isolate fire hazardous areas from non-fire hazardous areas.

BUILDING WIDTH

In general, the shorter linear dimensions of a building or structure (usually measured in the direction of the floor, beams, or joists] transverse to its length.

A. Approved as a referral code of the

National Building Code of the Philippines (PD1096)

DWELLING UNIT

One or more habitable rooms which are occupied or which are intended or designated to be occupied by one family for living, sleeping, cooking, or eating.

GREGORIO R. VIGILAR,

Secretary of DPWH

SECTION 5. General Site Requirements

The land or site upon which the building or structure or any adjunct or ancillary facility thereto shall be the concern of the architect. He shall verify, survey, and ascertain safe design determinants such as geodetical and geophysical characteristics, the potential chronological or periodic floodings, soil conditions of the site, and other potentials hazard such as volcanic eruption, pollution, landslides, tsunami. Other environmental factors shall also be considered such as: solar angles, prevailing, typhoon winds and orientation to significant views. Siting of the building shall be governed by NBC-IRR as to allowable buildable area on lots, actual characteristics of physical boundaries.

BASEMENT OR CELLAR

The portion of a building usually below the ground level or grade cellar when used exclusively for storage as wine cellar floor (and ceiling which is wholly or partly below grade, and so located that the vertical distance from grade to the floor level is equal] measured to one floor height.

BUILDING FOOTPRINT

The surface pattern bounded by the building's peripheral exterior walls on the ground synonymous to buildable area.

BUILDING HEIGHT

The vertical distance from the established grade elevation to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof, to one third the [average] height of the [highest) gable [or] of a pitch or hip roof, or to the top of the parapet if the roof is provided with a parapet. In case of sloping ground, the average ground level of the buildable area shall be considered the established grade elevation.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy

This ARCHITECTURAL CODE is designed to be consistent, complementary, and compatible as a referral code to NBC and all allied engineering referral codes under purview of NBC. In a sense, 'organic', being founded on broad performance principles and standards. It is therefore presumed to be reviewed periodically for changes in accord with universal advancement in science and technology, to allow the use of new materials, innovative technologies systems and methods of assembly. Without infringing into the architect's creativity, intuitive innovations, and keens aesthetic sensibilities in the total design of buildings and other structures.

SECTION 1. Title

This Document shall be known as the "Architectural Code of the Philippines" and shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Code"

DWELLING

[Any building or any portion thereof which is not an "apartment house", "lodging house", or a "hotel" as defined in this Code which contains one or two "dwelling units" or "guest rooms", used, intended or designed to be built, used] A shelter intended for human occupancy or use, rented, leased, let, or hired out to be occupied, (or which are occupied) for living purposes.

SECTION 4. General Building Requirements

➢ Buildings and other structures as well as all accessory facilities, shall be aesthetically, functionally, and structurally designed to serve its purpose while protecting life, health, property and public welfare and concomitant resource of civic pride and aspirations completely and efficiently ➢ Buildings and other structures intended to be used for the manufacture and/or production of any kind of article or product shall comply with adequate environmental safeguards as provided by all government agencies concerned. ➢ Buildings and structures together with all parts thereof as well as their adjunct facilities, utilities and equipment therein shall be maintained in good repair, safe, sanitary, and good working condition as originally approved for occupancy.

SECTION 3. Use of this ARCHITECTURAL CODE

➢ Occupancy Grouping ➢ Types of Construction ➢ Determine location on property and building area as to the type of lot ➢ Floor Area ➢ Height and Number of Stories ➢ Floor to floor area and total building area occupant load ➢ Parking requirements ➢ Other architectural considerations: Cultural and Historical aspects, light and ventilation, accessibility, information technology, others