ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND SITE PLANNING

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 examination in this subject, the Examinee shall be allowed to
make full use open books) ONLY of Printed Rule VII and Rule VIII of the 2004 Revised
Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1096,
otherwise known as the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP). The printed
copy shall be subject to inspection during the examination. This will be confiscated in the event
that any markings are found thereon.

A. PROJECT NO. 3 TITLE and General Description

A Proposed Seven-Level Apartment/Condominium Building with a Roof Deck

B. STATEMENT OF THE ARCHITECTURAL PLANNING and DESIGN PROBLEM

Two real estate companies formed a joint venture to construct a seven-storey apartment
/condominium building with a roof deck in the heart of the central business district. You
were commissioned to design the project and to oversee the construction as the
construction manager. The target market for the project are the young executives in the
CBD and the upper-level managers of the thriving BPO industry. Each floor level shall
have a height of 3.00 meters floor-to-floor.

The ground floor contains an enclosed parking area for 24 cars.

 It is connected to the street through a 6-meter-wide driveway which is located 7
meters away from the west property line.
 On the southeast corner of the ground floor is the circulation block measuring
4.90 meters wide and with an area of 57.33 square meters, with the short side
facing the street. It contains the lobby, elevators, staircases, and other common
areas. It is connected to the street sidewalk with a 1.00-meter-wide pathwalk that
is offset from the driveway by one meter.
 The circulation block is typical for all seven floors of the building.
 On each rear corner of the ground floor is a utility room: a 2.00 x 5.00 meter
general utility room on the rear left corner, and a 5.90 x 2.80 meter
mechanical/electrical room on the opposite corner. The long sides of these utility
rooms are facing the rear property line.

The upper six levels share the same, typical layout.

 There are ten apartment units on each floor: eight studio units and two 2-bedroom
units. All units have a 1.20-meter-deep balcony across their entire width, which
also serves as each unit’s clothes drying area and location for the AC units.
 The circulation block is retained and is completely identical in size, location, and
configuration as the ground floor circulation block.
 The two 2-bedroom units each measure 6.00 x 10.20 meters (these dimensions
include the balcony) and both are street-facing. One 2-bedroom unit is adjacent to
the circulation block. Both face a 1.50-meter-wide interior corridor which starts
on the west side of the building and terminates on the circulation block on the east
side of the building. This interior corridor is as long as two 2-bedroom units.
 The eight studio units, meanwhile, each measure 7.70 x 3.20 meters (these
dimensions include the balcony). They are configured into two rows facing each
other: a row of four studio units on the left, and another row of four studio units
on the right, with a 1.50-meter-wide hallway separating each row. This 1.50-
meter-wide hallway meets the previously mentioned 1.50 meter hallway at a right
angle, forming a “T” shape. The hallway terminates t at the exterior deck on the
north side.
 The entire north side is occupied by a 1.50-meter-wide exterior deck that serves as
a fire exit and a utility deck.
 The roof deck has the same size and area as all the lower levels and is mostly open,
except for the elevators and its required machine rooms, and the covered fire exit
staircases. One rear corner will contain elevated water tanks. The rest will serve as an
open deck that may be used as an open events venue.

C. PROJECT SITE FEATURES:

The site is an inside lot with a frontage of 20.90 meters and an area of 647.90 square
meters. On its south side is the RROW that is 10 meters wide. Under a zoning ordinance,
it is zoned as R3-Max. The front setback will be 3 meters while the other setbacks will be
2 meters. The front, side, and rear yards will mostly be unpaved; the only paved portions
are the driveway connecting the parking floor to the street, and the pathwalk connecting
the lobby to the sidewalk. Of the 24 parking spaces, 18 will be perpendicular, 2 will be
PWD parking spaces, and 4 will be parallel.

To the east of the project is a townhouse development, to its west is a convenience store,
and across the street is a vacant private property thickly populated with trees. There is a
public park about two kilometers away, while the public school and public market are
nearly three kilometers away.

D. DESIGN OBJECTIVES:
To maximize the small property through smart planning, and to design spaces and specify
finishes that appeal to the target market.

101. Project No. 3. On the second floor, how much of the floor space is taken up by the
condo units?
a. About 50% d. About 80%
b. About 60% e. About 90%
c. About 70%

102. Project No. 3. On the fourth floor, how much of the floor space is taken up by the
interior circulation spaces and corridors (not including the fire exit deck)?
a. About 10% d. About 40%
b. About 20% e. About 50%
c. About 30%

103. Project No. 3. What is the efficiency of the typical floor layout (Levels 2-7)?
a. About 50% d. About 80%
b. About 60% e. About 90%
c. About 70%

104. Project No. 3. What is the PSOmax for this site, assuming the project will not
have firewalls?
a. About 40% d. About 70%
b. About 50% e. About 80%
c. About 60%
105. Project No. 3. What is the FLARmax for this site?
a. 1.50 d. 7.10
b. 2.10 e. 8.10
c. 3.00
106. Project No. 3. What is the TGFAmax for this site based on Table VII.1, assuming
no firewalls will be used?
a. 1,554.96 sqm. d. 10,366.4 sqm.
b. 6,219.84 sqm. e. 11,403.04 sqm.
c. 9,329.76 sqm.

107. Project No. 3. What is the GFAmax for this project, based on the FLARmax?
a. 971.85 sqm. d. 4,600.09 sqm.
b. 1,360.59 sqm. e. 5,247.99 sqm.
c. 1,943.7 sqm.

108. Project No. 3. What is the BHL for this project?

a. 3 floors d. 12 floors
b. 5 floors e. 18 floors
c. 7 floors

109. Project No. 3. What is the maximum total length of firewalls allowed for this
property if the firewalls will be on both sides of the property?
a. About 40 meters
b. About 50 meters
c. About 60 meters
d. About 70 meters
e. Firewalls are not allowed for this property

110. Project No. 3. What is the ISAmax for this project?

a. About 10% d. About 30%
b. About 15% e. About 40%
c. About 20%

111. Project No. 3. What is the USAmin for this project?

a. About 15% d. About 30%
b. About 20% e. About 35%
c. About 25%

112. Project No. 3. How much of the site, at the minimum, must remain open space?
a. About 35% d. About 50%
b. About 40% e. About 55%
c. About 45%

113. Project No. 3. What is the maximum allowable construction area for this project?
a. About 50% d. About 70%
b. About 60% e. About 75%
c. About 65%

114. Project No. 3. Assume that there was another road on the north side of the
property. What is the suggested minimum lot size for this project?
a. 96 sqm. b. 120 sqm.
 c. 400 sqm. e. 700 sqm.
d. 475 sqm.

115. Project No. 3. What is the TGFAmax, considering the setbacks requirements of
the Building Code and assuming that the incremental setbacks will be applied to the two
sides and the rear side of the building?
a. About 3,000 sqm. d. About 4,500 sqm.
b. About 3,500 sqm. e. About 5,000 sqm.
c. About 4,000 sqm.

116. Project No. 3. How much floor space do the parking slots occupy?
a. 298.00 sqm. d. 321.00 sqm.
b. 305.60 sqm. e. 334.50 sqm.
c. 313.60 sqm.

117. Project No. 3. What is the occupant load of the second floor of the building, based
on the requirements and definitions of the Fire Code? Assume that the exterior deck on
the north side is not part of the GFA, as defined by the Fire Code.
a. 14 persons d. 27 persons
b. 18 persons e. 32 persons
c. 23 persons

118. Project No. 3. What is the actual USA of the project?

a. About 10% d. About 25%
b. About 15% e. About 30%
c. About 20%

119. Project No. 3. What is the actual ISA of the project?

a. About 3% d. About 10%
b. About 5% e. About 15%
c. About 7%

120. Project No. 3. What is the actual PSO of the project?

a. About 50% d. About 80%
b. About 60% e. About 90%
c. About 70%

121. Project No. 3. What is the actual construction area of the project?
a. About 50% d. About 80%
b. About 60% e. About 90%
c. About 70%

122. Project No. 3. What is the actual TOSL of the project?

a. About 10% d. About 25%
b. About 15% e. About 30%
c. About 20%
123. Project No. 3. Maximum buildable land slope according to the Forestry Code
a. 10% d. 20%
b. 15% e. None of these
c. 18%

124. Project No. 3. Impervious surface area percentages that are too high are an
indicator of
a. Over-building d. Under-paving
b. Over-paving e. None of these
c. Under-building

125. Project No. 3. Based on PD 1096, this project is

a. Low-rise d. Walk-up
b. Medium-rise e. None of these
c. High-rise

126. Project No. 3. Incremental setbacks are not intended for design and construction
but are mainly development controls intended to reduce the ____ that may be developed
for a lot.
a. GFA d. Both A and B
b. TGFA e. Both B and C
c. PSO

127. Project No. 3. Based on the Fire Code, which is required for this project?
a. Manual fire alarm system c. Automatic fire detection
b. Automatic fire detection system only
and alarm system d. Both A and B
e. Both B and C

128. Project No. 3. Does the Fire Code require a Fire Command Center for this
project?
a. Yes, because this is a high-rise building as defined by the Fire Code, and the Fire
Code requires all high-rise buildings to have a Fire Command Center.
b. Yes, because this is an apartment building and the Fire Code requires all
apartment buildings to have a Fire Command Center.
c. No, because this is not a high-rise building as defined by the Fire Code.
d. No, because it is only 7 floors high.
e. Both C and D

129. Project No. 3. Does the Fire Code require NFPA 13-compliant sprinkler systems
for this project?
a. Yes, because this is a high-rise building as defined by the Fire Code, and the
Fire Code requires all high-rise buildings to have NFPA 13-compliant
sprinkler systems
b. Yes, because this is an apartment building and the Fire Code requires all
apartment buildings to have NFPA 13-compliant sprinkler systems
c. No, because this is not a high-rise building as defined by the Fire Code.
d. No, because it is only 7 floors high.
e. No, because the fire sprinkler systems do not have to be NPFA 13-compliant.
130. Project No. 3. For this project, the levels of smoke concentration must be
maintained within tolerable values in
a. All elevator shafts of the building
b. At least half of all elevator shafts of the building
c. All passenger elevator shafts of the building
d. At least one elevator shaft of the building
e. This is required for stairwells only, and not elevator shafts

131. Project No. 3. For this project, which stairwells must be pressurized?
a. All stairwells
b. All stairwells used as a means of egress
c. All interior stairwells used as a means of egress
d. All exterior stairwells used as a means of egress
e. No stairwells are required to be pressurized for this project

132. Project No. 3. When a Fire Command Center is required, ______ must be located
inside it.
a. FDAS annunciator unit
b. Sprinkler valve and water display flow panels
c. Emergency voice/alarm communication system unit
d. PA system
e. All of the above
133. Project No. 3. According to the Fire Code, may the fire exit doors on stairwells be
locked?
a. No, fire exit doors must never be locked.
b. Yes, but only up to 50% of them at most, and at least one exit door per floor must
remain unlocked at all times.
c. Yes, but only those doors that are integrated in the FDAS to automatically
unlock during an emergency.
d. Yes, but only those doors that serve an occupant load of 10 or less.
e. Both B and C.
134. Project No. 3. For this project, each floor must be provided with a ___ lightweight
flexible hose equipped with a spray nozzle and connected to the wet standpipe system
capable of providing water supply for at least a period of 30 minutes.
a. 12mm d. 38mm
b. 20mm e. 50mm
c. 25mm

135. Project No. 3. In order to comply with applicable laws, the owners decided to add
a park/playground at the roof deck. They asked you how big it needs to be at the
minimum. What would you recommend?
a. About 50 sqm. d. About 300 sqm.
b. About 100 sqm. e. A park is not required by law
c. About 200 sqm. for this project.

136. Project No. 3. Assuming that parks/playgrounds are required for this project, may
the yards be developed into parks and playgrounds?
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. It depends on the width of the yard.
d. Yes, but only if there are no firewalls.
e. Yes, but only if there are firewalls.

137. Project No. 3. What is the minimum pressure required for satisfactory operation
of fixtures, particularly those with flush valves according to PD 957?
 a. 0.06 MPa d. 20 psi
b. 0.60 MPa e. 30 psi
c. 1.00 MPa

138. Project No. 3. For open market subdivisions with area of 2.5 hectares and below,
what is the minimum width required for major roads? (2019 Question)
a. 8.00 meters d. 15.00 meters
b. 10.00 meters e. 18.00 meters
c. 12.00 meters

139. Project No. 3. Each studio unit has one bathroom. How should these bathrooms be
configured?
a. The bathrooms must be located away from each other
b. The bathrooms must be located adjacent to the balcony
c. The bathrooms must be located on the exterior side because they need to have a
window
d. The bathrooms must be configured to be in tandem, such that neighboring
bathrooms are back to back
e. The bathrooms should ideally be located in the middle of each studio unit

140. Project No. 3. In high-rise condominium buildings, where should the larger units
(e.g. 2-bedroom units, 3-bedroom units) be located within the floor plate?
a. In the middle of the floor plate, sandwiched between smaller units
b. At the corners of the floor plate
c. Closest to the elevators
d. Closest to the fire exits
e. Both C and D

141. Project No. 3. Your close friend decided to open a business across the street from
this project and asked you for advice. Which would you not recommend to your friend?
a. Open a laundry shop d. Open a restaurant
b. Open a barber shop e. Open a
c. Open a water refilling station printing/photocopying shop

142. Project No. 3. For open market subdivisions with area of more than 2.5 hectares
but not more than 5 hectares, what is the minimum width required for minor roads? (2019
Question)
a. 8.00 meters d. 15.00 meters
b. 10.00 meters e. 18.00 meters
c. 12.00 meters

143. Project No. 3. How much of each studio condominium unit’s floor area is taken
up by the balcony?
a. About 10% d. About 25%
b. About 15% e. About 30%
c. About 20%

144. Project No. 3. How much of each 2-bedroom condominium unit’s floor area is
taken up by the balcony?
a. About 10% d. About 25%
b. About 15% e. About 30%
c. About 20%
 145. Project No. 3. The developers decided to finish all of the apartment balconies with
a custom tile finish. The tile, which was made to order, measures 600 x 600 mm. How
many tiles are needed for the job? Include a typical, industry-standard breakage
allowance of 10%.
a. About 700 pieces d. About 1000 pieces
b. About 800 pieces e. About 1100 pieces
c. About 900 pieces

146. Project No. 3. One of the owners of the 2-bedroom units decided to renovate their
bathroom and turned it from a simple, rectangular room to an irregular, L-shape
bathroom with lots of complex forms and niches. In estimating the quantity of tiles
needed, what is a good allowance for tile breakage?
a. 5% d. 20%
b. 10% e. 25%
c. 15%

147. Project No. 3. If this project was a medium-cost condo project, which would most
likely not be included?
a. A swimming pool d. Valet parking
b. CCTV system e. Intercom
c. A front desk manned by an
attendant/security guard

148. Project No. 3. Under the Condominium Act, this term refers to the entire
condominium project excepting all units separately granted or held or reserved.
a. Lobby d. Public areas
b. Common areas e. Condominium
c. Circulation areas

149. Project No. 3. In accordance with law, condominium projects must be partitioned
by sale or demolished once it has been in existence for more than 50 years.
a. This statement is correct.
b. This statement is incorrect.
c. This statement is incomplete. In addition to being more than 50 years old, the
condominium project must also be obsolete and uneconomic.
d. This statement is incomplete. In addition to being more than 50 years old, the
condominium owners holding in aggregate more than 50% interest must be
opposed to repair or restoration or remodeling or modernizing the project.
e. Both C and D
150. Project No. 3. The developers decided to provide all condominium units with
split-type air conditioners. The outdoor units will be located at each unit’s balcony. What
does the outdoor unit contain?
a. Filter d. Compressor
b. Evaporator e. Both C and D
c. Condenser

151. In Problem No. 1, it was decided that the court dimension to be laid out on the available
open floor area shall be one (1.0) basketball court and two (2.0) badminton courts. The
volleyball court will eventually be overlaid on the basketball court using the same
center line. Thus, you were tasked to submit a proposal for the painting works for the
said courts. Coverage area of special traffic paint to be used is 30.0 sq.m. per gallon, at
 2-coat application. Disregard variance between general floor color and line color.
Labor cost is PhP 100.00 per sq.m., and paint material will cost PhP 1,200.00 per
gallon. Provide 15% allowance on total cost to cover miscellaneous items. How much
is the cost?

a. Php 105,000 d. PhP 135,000

b. Php 115,000 e. PhP 145,000
c. PhP 125,000

152. In Problem No. 1, the main columns (W 16 X 96) of the structure shall be positioned at
every 5.0-meter interval along the long sides of the building footprint. Each 6.0-meter-
long steel column is provided with 1-in. thick 15”X25” base plate mounted on a 0.60-
meter-high pedestal. What is the weight of all the main columns if weighing of each
column includes the attached base plate?

a. 17,270 kg d. 25,450 kg
b. 20,300 kg e. 27,170 kg
c. 23,150 kg

153. In Problem No. 1, the roof structure for the building shall use a truss frame that runs
parallel with the short axis of the building footprint, arranged at every 2.50-meter
interval. The truss has approximately 2.00-meter overhangs on both ends, and so roof
overhangs are effectively applied on all sides of this rectangular footprint. What is the
practicable roof slope if the kingpost of the truss is 2.4 meters?

a. 10 % d. 15 %
b. 12 % e. 18 %
c. 14 %

154. Based on the previous item, what will be the surface area for this gable roof?

a. 1,555 sqm d. 1,855 sqm

b. 1,655 sqm e. 1.955 sqm
c. 1,755 sqm

155. Based on the previous item, if roof sheet material (using effective width of 0.80 m) is
quoted at PhP 200.00 per linear foot, how much will it approximately cost?

a. PhP 2.15 million d. PhP 3.10 million

b. PhP 2.40 million e. PhP 3.45 million
c. PhP 2.75 million

156. In Problem No. 2, using the assigned staircase area (2.4m X 4.5m) for this development,
it can be inferred that for a U-shaped stair the width is 1.20 meters and landing area will
have 1.20m X 2.40m dimensions. If each stair tread is measured at 0.35m, how many
steps will it take to reach the intermediate landing, and what will be the height of the
riser if 2nd floor height is 3.40 meters above ground floor?

a. 9 steps; 15 mm riser height

b. 9 steps; 18 mm riser height
c. 10 steps; 17 mm riser height
d. 11 steps; 15 mm riser height
 e. 10 steps; 18 mm riser height

157. For Problem No. 2. Designing the roof using the market’s layout, the bottom chord of
the major truss for the hip roof structure shall have a measured length of 28.6 meters,
and the standing height of the truss frame is at 2.00 meters. What is the expected roof
slope?

a. 12 % d. 18 %
b. 14 % e. 20 %
c. 16 %

158. Based on the previous item, what is the approximate length of the top chord at the hip?

a. 12.2 m d. 18.8 m
b. 14.4 m e. 20.0 m
c. 16.6 m

159. Based on the previous item, what will be the gutter length?

a. 120 m d. 180 m
b. 140 m e. 200 m
c. 160 m

160. What is the length of the roof overhang including 8”-wide gutter attached to fascia?

a. 1.00 m d. 1.60 m
b. 1.20 m e. 1.80 m
c. 1.40 m

161. For Problem No. 3. The studio units will employ a 7-ft. high framed-glass wall (with
sliding door opening) facing its private balcony. If the quoted price for the whole glass-
wall component is P1,500.00 per sq. ft., how much will it cost for 4 studio units?

a. PhP 105,000
b. PhP 420,000
c. PhP 630,000
d. PhP 850,000
e. PhP 1.05 M

162. For Problem No. 3. The interior hallways that serve as access to the units will make use
of 60x60 tiles for flooring. How many boxes will be needed to cover all interior
hallways? Provide 8% allowance.

a. 23 boxes
b. 26 boxes
c. 29 boxes
d. 32 boxes
e. 35 boxes
163. For Problem No. 3. The roof deck is enclosed by a 0.80-meter ledge overhang to provide
additional safety feature. This ledge is covered with a 60-cm veneer with 40-cm soffit,
both made of aluminum composite (ACP) cladding. How much 4x8 ACP units will be
prepared if cladding partition shall be installed preferably at every 1.20 meters?

a. 18 pieces
b. 20 pieces
c. 28 pieces
d. 36 pieces
e. 40 pieces

164. For Problem No. 3. The street-facing façade of the circulation block is actually a 30-cm
thick shear wall that runs from ground up to roof deck. What is the approximate concrete
volume for this shear wall element?

a. 30 cu.m.
b. 40 cu.m.
c. 50 cu.m.
d. 60 cu.m.
e. 70 cu.m.

165. For Problem No. 3. Assuming roof deck

area to be equal to the area of the floors
below, an estimation on membrane
waterproofing shall be made. Based on the
information given at the right, how many
BUR felt rolls will be needed each layer?

a. 30 rolls
b. 36 rolls
c. 42 rolls
d. 48 rolls
e. 54 rolls