Urban Planning and Site Occupancy Regulations

RULE VIII - LIGHT AND VENTILATION

• Buildings must be designed for adequate light and ventilation, subject to the provisions of the Civil Code of the Philippines and specific provisions of the Code.
• Buildings must face a street or public alley, or a private street that has been duly approved.
• No alterations to existing buildings should reduce room sizes or window areas unless additional rooms meet rule requirements.
• Building enlargements must not reduce required court or yard sizes.

SECTION 802. Measurement of Site Occupancy

• Site occupancy measurement is taken at ground level, excluding courts, yards, and light wells.
• Courts, yards, and light wells are measured clear of projections like roof leaders, wall copings, sills, or steel fire escapes (not exceeding 1.20 meters in width).

SECTION 803. Percentage of Site Occupancy

• The percentage of site occupancy is measured at ground level, excluding courts, yards, and light wells.
• Courts, yards, and light wells are measured clear of projections like roof leaders, wall copings, sills, or steel fire escapes (not exceeding 1.20 meters in width).
• For proposed additions on existing lots, the percentage of existing structures' occupancy is included in the calculation. The lesser value between the maximum allowable percentage of site occupancy (PSO) and other light and ventilation metrics determines the resulting building footprint or floor area.

SECTION 804. Sizes and Dimensions of Courts

• Minimum sizes of courts and yards depend on use, type of construction, and height of the building, with a minimum horizontal dimension of 2.00 meters.
• Inner courts must connect to a street or yard, either via a 1.20-meter-wide passageway or a door.
• Open space must be located within the lot to maximize light and ventilation (refer to figures VIII.12-15).
• Yard requirements for commercial, industrial, institutional, and recreational buildings are detailed in Table VIII.3.

SECTION 805. Ceiling Heights

• Habitable rooms with artificial ventilation need at least 2.40-meter ceilings.
• The minimum ceiling height for the first floor of multi-story buildings is 2.70 meters, while subsequent stories require at least 2.10 meters above the finished floor.
• Rooms with natural ventilation have a 2.70-meter minimum ceiling height.
• Mezzanines require a minimum ceiling height of 1.80 meters.

SECTION 806. Sizes and Dimensions of Rooms

• Rooms for human habitation must be at least 6.00 square meters, with a minimum 2.00-meter dimension.
• Kitchens need at least 3.00 square meters, and the minimum dimension is 1.50 meters.
• Bathrooms and toilets must have at least 1.20 square meters and an 0.9-meter minimum dimension.

SECTION 807. Air Space Requirements

• School rooms require 3.00 cubic meters of air space per person.
• Workshops, factories, and offices need 12.00 cubic meters of air space per person.
• Habitable rooms require 14.00 cubic meters of air space per person.

SECTION 808. Window Openings

• Rooms without artificial ventilation require windows providing at least 10% of the floor area (or 1/20th for toilets and bathrooms) with a minimum 1.00 sq meter opening.
• Windows must open directly to a court, yard, street, alley, or watercourse.
• Porches with windows must meet height, open area, and clearance requirements.

SECTION 809. Vent Shafts

• Vent shafts need a horizontal cross-sectional area of 1.0 sq meter per meter of shaft height, though not less than 1.0 sq meter.
• Minimum dimension is 0.60 meters.
• Skylights or louver openings with a minimum area equal to the shaft area are required if the shaft does not open directly to the exterior.
• Air ducts need a minimum unobstructed cross-sectional area of 0.30 sq meters with a minimum 0.30-meter dimension.
• Openings to the duct or intake should be at least 0.3 meters above the ground.

SECTION 810. Ventilation Skylights

• Skylights must provide a glass area equal to the replaced window.
• Movable sashes or louvers are needed, with a net free area equivalent to the opened sections of the window.

SECTION 811. Artificial Ventilation

• Rooms with heating or industrial equipment require artificial ventilation.
• Required air changes per hour are detailed in Table VIII.4.

GUIDELINES ON EASEMENTS

• Easements are public land, suitable for recreational use, not residential or commercial.
• No vehicle parking is allowed.
• Specific industrial, commercial, and recreational activities are prohibited.

VIEW CORRIDORS/SIGHT LINES

• Commercial signs that obstruct views from or to important structures are prohibited.
• Buildings should not obstruct views of other buildings.

STREETS/ROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY (RROW)

• Buildings must have an access to a street, alley, or road.
• RROW types include roadways, sidewalks, arcades.
• Structures in the RROW are generally restricted to utilities, transportations structures, and ancillary commercial elements consistent with the RROW purpose.

GUIDELINES ON SIDEWALKS, ARCADES

• Local planning authorities determine where sidewalks or arcades will be located and the specific design and width.
• Sidewalk minimum widths are given by RROW.
• Sidewalks must have appropriate grades (slope), with no obstructions.
• Planting strips are a part of the sidewalk design.

GUIDELINES ON BASEMENTS

• Basement levels, while permissible for high-density use, must comply with setback and yard requirements for the building above ground.
• Basements require natural lighting and ventilation shafts, with specific dimensions.
• Basement levels are restricted to one-half of the height of the constructing building from grade or to a maximum of one-third of the combined height of the building above and below grade.

GUIDELINES ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES

• Public buildings and structures should reflect their local cultural and traditional values.
• Design must integrate function, use, and aesthetic appeal.
• The use of locally sourced materials is encouraged where possible.