Multi-Thematic Regional Disaster Agency Complex

Lyceum of the Philippines University cavite

Project idea

Disaster risk in the Philippines is primarily driven by high vulnerability and exposure to natural hazards. Among the regions in the Philippines, Region VIII-Eastern Visayas has primarily suffered multiple losses of life.

Project description

The proposed project is titled HELAXIS, an acronym for Hub for Emergency Learning Analytics x Intervention Strategy aligned with the Four Thematic Areas of NDRRM, that prioritizes functional activities, including Evacuation and Response Team aimed to serve as a model facility for multi-thematic interagency coordination facilities.

Technical information

Structural Concept
• Regular Structural Framing. A regular structure system with systematically interconnected columns and floors assemblies was implemented, forming an entirely integrated structural frame that ties the foundation, walls, and roof into a system, which effectively enhances earthquake resilience.
• Multiple-Bulb Under-Reamed Pier Foundation. Under-reamed piles, particularly multiple-bulb piles, were adopted to enhance load-carrying
capacity with added bulbs.
• Base Isolation System. In the event of a Richter 8.0 earthquake, a building will act as though it is enduring only a 5.5 earthquake.

Sustainability Concept
• Stormwater Retention Pond. Rainwater harvesting is a solution for water management in offices, educational institutions, data centers, and emergency shelters. Rainwater harvesting systems involve underground storage for collected rainwater.
• Bioswale. Bioswales manage stormwater runoff from roads and parking lots.
• Sewage Treatment Plant. It is recommended that all governmental, institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings use wastewater treatment systems, as stated by the DILG.
• Solid Waste Management. A material recovery facility (MRF) recycles solid waste by separating and processing it using manual methods.

Landscaping Concept
• HydroTurf was applied as a revetment solution that safeguards hydraulic structures from high velocity and shear stress. It merges the vegetation and fiber-reinforced concrete matrix.
• Pervious pavers were incorporated to allow the stormwater to flow through and into an underlying storage system.

Building Concept
• Low Building Height. Tall structures are avoided in the project development as it recreates critical factors during tropical cyclones, such as facing greater pressure and turbulence.
• Building Configuration: Rectilinear and Symmetrical. The form of a building is designed to enhance typhoon performance by regulating wind behavior around the structure and reducing formation of harmful wind pressure zones. Therefore, simple, compact, and symmetrical configurations, such as squares, rectangles, and L-shapes, are integrated which are the most effective to resist strong wind forces.
• Dispersed Development: Avoiding Grouped Building Patterns. Dispersed development of the main buildings is allocated to reduce the acceleration of the wind that flows through, as numerous elongated structures positioned close to one another are vulnerable to wind pressures.
High-Visibility Recognition. As the emergency operations center operated 24/7, transparency on the building envelope through the play of building facade and light utilization made the building more visible, especially at night, while making it easy to recognize during the day.