PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS -- The Philippines is recognized as

the world's epicenter of marine biodiversity. It lies at the center of the

world’s center for tropical marine biodiversity, it is blessed with the richest

concentration of marine life on the entire planet. Our marine biodiversity is

both an asset and a need for our people.

Being an archipelagic country, most of our country’s population get

their livelihood in our seas. Many depend on the health of our marine

ecosystem. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness causes these people not to

take good care of our marine resources, further resulting to the destruction

of the gem that upholds our name.

With that in consideration, this architectural thesis aims to answer to

the problems of marine biodiversity conservation, and global warming

adaptation in the Philippines. The goal is to explore the possibilities of

integrating architecture with naval design and renewable energy to further

producing a prototype design capable of adapting and coexisting with the

environment particularly with the marine ecosystem.

The result of this research will be applied to the conceptual design for a

resort and marine observatory that will be able to adapt itself with the

environment and different environmental conditions without harming the

marine biodiversity.

The provision of a type of Maritime Complex unique to our country

should help improve our tourism industry; furthermore, its marine

observatory along with the technology to be applied to the design should

help improve the natural situation of our ever depleting natural oceanic

treasure and hopefully boost people’s awareness regarding the

preservation of our marine biodiversity.

 This thesis addresses the degradation of marine biodiversity of the

Philippines resulting from increasing demand for residential floor space

within a limited supply of urban land. Demand for floor space is being

driven by a number of factors – falling household size (meaning a need for

more one- and two-person dwellings and a demand for more floor space

per person); a growth in multi-generational households (meaning a need

for homes with more than three bedrooms); the trend towards bigger

homes; and steady population growth in New Zealand’s main urban

centres, especially Auckland. This demand for more residential floor space

within limited areas of urban land drives intensive development. In

Auckland, intensive housing in the form of terrace houses and apartment

buildings makes up 35% of the housing market (2007) and is predicted to

become the housing market rather than just a segment within it. A

consequence of intensification is a steady loss of urban open space. This

thesis addresses the problem of how to deliver more amenity within less

open space. The thesis argues that multivalent communal space will make

more efficient use of urban land and improve the quality of living

environments for residents compared with current observations of typical

medium density housing in New Zealand. The aim of the research is to find

principles for making communal space multivalent. The research design

arises from the view that both people and the environment matter – the one

shapes the other. The research attempts a participatory approach whereby

practitioners (professional designers, planners, developers, builders etc.)

and academic researchers assist communities to develop their own ‘best-fit’

solutions to problems of providing quality environments for caring

communities. The research therefore investigates the viewpoints of

practitioners, academics and the community to develop principles of

multivalent communal space in medium density housing.