CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Imagine a world in which people would not see trees and a blue sky when they go outside. Imagine stepping out of a house and not being able to walk a few feet without getting winded because of the amount of pollution in the air. This might become a reality if our society as a whole does not start to think about the reprocautions of our actions. The irrevocable decisions that we make today will ultimately be the arbiter of what the world will be like in the future. The environment is a very fragile thing and if we do not take care of it, future generations will not be able to enjoy it.

Moreover, due to rapid, unrestrained growth, housing, shopping, and entertainment construction has spread across the surface of the planet like an oil slick. We are depleting resources and altering ecosystems at an alarming rate. Only now are we beginning to comprehend the long-term effects of more than a century of environmental ignorance, neglect, and apathy. This world has already affecting not only its environment but lives of every single individual as well. Causes sudden changes in temperature resulting into climate alteration, rising sea-level coastal flooding, wild fires, coral reef bleaching, tidal waves, tsunamis and unusual warming of lands and massive landslides may occur because of heavy rains and typhoons that can destroy territories and kill hundreds and thousands of families each and every year. According to statistics, in 50 years or less numerous lands and countries throughout the entire planet (including Philippines) will sink back to ocean due to remorseless warming of the globe. If this catastrophe will carry on, millions and millions of lives will suffer in just short span years.

Historically, city and community planners lacked the vision and understanding that would lead to environmentally friendly and sustainable conditions, allowing us to live in

harmony with nature. This, coupled with irresponsible consumerism and poor individual choices, has led us to a crossroad. It is now clear we cannot continue to build communities that are unsustainable and we must change our lifestyles. We have arrived at the threshold of the 21st century where nothing less than a global call to action is necessary. We can continue on our current path, which will ultimately lead to severe health problems, loss of valuable resources, extinctions, and a wholesale denial of contaminated areas, or we can take positive, radical steps to break with the past.

On the other hand, "Approximately one-fifth of the worlds population, over one billion people, earns less than one dollar a day" (Readings on Poverty). Living in today's society, as unpalatable as it may be, it is succinct that homelessness is direct effects of destitute among people today. Everyone needs a house. Rich people poor people; all people are included. This is a problem, because housing costs a great deal of money. Poor people that can barely afford food and clothing also have a difficult time finding affordable housing. The government and society should take more time to help those in need become responsible for actions and regain respectable positions in society. "Being homeless is often defined as sleeping on the streets. Although this is the most visible and severe form of homelessness, there are many other types of acute housing need. These include living in temporary accommodation, poor or overcrowded conditions, or being in mortgage arrears and under threat of re-possession."

Low-Cost Housing Projects is an essential part in the line of developing sustainable solutions for the provision of shelter for ordinary people in the third world. In poor countries severe problems like population growth, uncontrolled urbanization processes, deforestation and erosion are present as a result of misuse of all different kinds of resources; this is the fact also in Philippines.

Searching for solution deals with a lot of confrontations and finding facts that must be suitable from its source as well as considering such limitations during the process. So, how can we solve both social issues and environmental crisis at the same time with less conflict?

The proposed Oasis: A Sustainable and Economical housing made out of material, energy sufficient housing serves as a future solution to global warming. This selfsufficient economic housing will features various green and organic hoses made out of used and recycled materials (such as plastic bottles with plastic wrapper inside for insulation and rammed tires) that will lessen up the heat and control changes in temperature. It provides its own electricity through solar panels and additional rain water catcher for conventional use. This green houses are very economical and environment friendly and has a lot of everyday benefits to be gain by or less fortunate families

We are at a turning point in history .Our planetary environment is severely damaged. Desertication is spreading, the globe is warming. Entire ecosystems are under threat. And the City is at the center of the storm of destruction. But that is the key! We must cease seeing the City as a problem. We must see the City as the solution. For the City is our home. It is what we make it to be. It is where we live. If we fail to seize the Future, We will be consumed by the Past. The Future begins NOW! The City Can Save the World

OBJECTIVES

1. To make an environmental friendly, sustainable and economical prototype house that is made of recycled materials

2. To provide decent and affordable residential dwellings for either small or large homeless families

3. To make new innovations in design and construction of residential

4. To articulate insight on how to avoid economical and environmental matters within the neighborhood

5. To analyze the variety facets of architectural design that is interconnected to the study (such as organization of spaces, mobility, good flow, circulation, proper ventilating measures and etc.)

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Major Problems with Concerns to design: 1. Conflict with community, nature and surrounding a. Is there any chance that it might affect the cycle of nature by any means necessary? b. What should the researcher do to produce a design that is economical and environment friendly?

2. Good flow of circulation and proper distribution of spaces a. What are the things to consider in planning and its function? b. Does it have to be like usual type of design? c. What are the spaces that should be near to or should be far from? d. Organization of spaces

3. Function, anthropometrics and aesthetics a. Does have a proper natural light and ventilation? b. Are the alternatives can be usable in other architectural purpose? c. Considering proper height and sizes (doors, windows, ceiling, etc.). d. The design must be appealing to people.

4. Law Ordinance MINOR AND SUB PROBLEMS 1. Proper orientation 2. Flow of circulation 3. Proper lightning and wind control 4. What are the abundant materials in the vicinity 5. Electrical lightning and acoustic must achieve 6. Good lightning and acoustics must achieve

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The proposed study, Eco Village, is intended to profit stakeholders of the community thru offering green housing that is within and not beyond of ones means and thru the gathered insights which can be used for further improvement and future development. One of the beneficiaries of this study is the people who do not have their own houses. The Eco village will give them the opportunity of owing a reasonable property and this pave way to the development of confidence and dignity among those people because the village will give them a good start for a directed life. The study will also serve as a guideline to government and non-government agencies in constructing local housing. Other beneficiaries are the future researchers wherein the generated concepts of this study may make them use as reference for having researches concerning new ways of planning and building residential dwelling. And this may serve as their stepping stone to create deeper analysis and study with regards to other benefits that people may get from this project. Others are the environmental agencies that can be a good influence and promoter of recycling waste materials and make them into useful forms like what the study proposes; using bottles filled with garbage on the wall of the house.

Moreover, the facts that are integrated within the study will be a reference support of college students in the near future, especially to those whom or will be taking up Bachelor of Science in Architecture. In some way it the main source of information with regards to the basic idea of the proposal.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The design evaluation of the proposed oasis eco housing will focus on such related architectural procedures such design, design concept, design considerations, aesthetic output, functional design, presentation of plans and working drawings etc. Unnecessary figures and inputs shall not be mentioned during the process. Here are some of the limitations to consider with: Scientific circumstances some of the design process of the proposal will feature several scientific research and experimentations (like the use of vehicular tires, aluminum cans and other recyclable materials) in order to achieve its goal of preventing its main problem which is global warming. Although it should be studied and analyzed further though shall not focus more on the said limitation. Electrical layouts, mechanical, sanitary fixtures and other unrelated mechanics shall not be stated as well. Computation of loadings, its structural design or anything that relates civil works not be considered.

METHODS OF RESEARCH

By looking to architectural thesis books of past students and comparing their proposals to recent research, to know if there are changes from the past up to this date.

Conducting formal and informal interviews with local architects and asking question on how and what appropriate location is best fitted to the proposal.

Through internet based research.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Dwelling a building designed or used as residence for one or more families. Eco mostly relating to ecological or environmental terms: anything that relaters the environment and nature

Economic housing a type of housing project provided to average income families.

Global Warming an increase in the average temperature of the earths atmosphere widely predicted to occur due to an increase in greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution

Recycled / recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh new materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal and lower greenhouse gas emission as compared to virgin production.