Sample Design Problem 1

SUBJECT: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND SITE PLANNING
DATE/ TIME: 27 November 2009 and 03 December 2009, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
VENUES (4) : Al-Khobar & Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA); Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
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 reformat of the examination in this subject, the Examinee shall be allowed to make full use (open books) ONLY of Rule VII and Rule VIII of the 2004 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Presidential Decree (P.D.) No. 1096, otherwise known as the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) i.e. ONLY as downloaded and reproduced from the PRBoA website at www.architectureboard.ph. The use of other IRR versions are specifically disallowed during this examination.



A. PROJECT NO. 1,2,3,4 & 5 TITLE (and General Description):

A Proposed _______-Rise _______________ Project [development with Basement, Podium (with covered parking) and Tower components] on a Project Site with a ________ Percent (0.0%) Slope

B. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
A _________ has decided that its _________ (X-X, e.g. R-3, C-2, I-1)-zoned property (the “Project Site), with a Total Lot Area (TLA) of ______________square meters (0.0 SqM) and located in _____________, shall host a __________-rise __________________ Building (the “Project”).

C. PROJECT SITE FEATURES:
The Project Site is a _______ lot, with a _____ meter (0.0 m) wide frontage facing _______. The Project Site uniformly slopes at 0.0% towards the _______ (0.0) m wide street i.e. the road right-of-way (RROW) that is also relatively flat (at a slope of 0.0%) and which has ________ (0.0) m wide sidewalks at both sides. The surface of the sidewalk at the center of the Project Site frontage is considered as elevation 0.0 m.
The 0.0 m wide RROW was recently declared an arcaded street by city ordinance. The proposed building is also fully covered by a separate Green Building ordinance. To the _____ of the Project Site (as viewed from the RROW) are ____________ complexes. Across the Project Site is a long row of _____-rise ___________ buildings.

D. DESIGN OBJECTIVES:
a. To plan/ design a _______________ building with features such as _____________________;
b. To plan/ design the Project in a way that can maximize profits for the Project Proponent; the ratio of saleable versus non-saleable spaces based on GFA shall be at 0:0; and
c. To plan/ design the Project to serve as a landmark in the host area.

Sample FLEA Design Questions from Al-Khobar & Jeddah, KSA (administered 27 November 2009)

Project No. 2: A Proposed Medium-Rise Apartment Building
B. Test for Knowledge of Site Planning
(JAK, SEQUENTIAL QUESTIONS)
Note: Only the choices to the question are shown. The reader must do
research to arrive at the correct (or best) answers.
Project No. 2. Under the 2004 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of P.D. No. 1096 or the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP), what is the minimum unpaved surface area (USA) for the Project Site (zoned as Maximum R-3)? The answer is a percentage (%) of the Total Lot Area (TLA).
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must make use of table/s from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books).
a. 30
b. 20
c. 10
d. 70
Project 2. For the Project Site (zoned as Maximum R-3 under the NBCP), how much is the minimum USA (in square meters)?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must make use of table/s from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books).
a. 400
b. 700
c. 500
d. 600
Project 2. What is the maximum allowable impervious surface area (ISA) for the Project Site (zoned as Maximum R-3 under the NBCP), if the building shall NOT have a firewall? The answer is a percentage (%) of the Total Lot Area (TLA).
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must make use of table/s from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books) and use a simple calculator.
a. 10
b. 20
c. 70
d. 30
Project 2. For the Project Site (zoned as Maximum R-3 under the NBCP), how much is the maximum allowable ISA (in square meters)?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must determine the total lot area (TLA) from the information given in the Project description, then make use of table/s from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books) and finally use a simple calculator.
a. 1,800
b. 2,400
c. 1,200
d. 3,000
Project 2. For the Project Site (zoned as Maximum R-3 under the NBCP), how much is the combined total for the maximum allowable ISA plus the minimum USA (in square meters)?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must determine the total lot area (TLA) from the information given in the Project description, then make use of table/s from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books) and finally use a simple calculator.
a. 2,400
b. 2,700
c. 1,800
d. 2,100

III.Sample FLEA Design Questions from
Doha, Qatar & Abu Dhabi, UAE
(administered 03 December 2009)

Note: Only the choices to the question are shown. The reader must do
research to arrive at the correct (or best) answers.

Project No. 1:
A Proposed Open Market Residential Housing Prototype

A. Test for Knowledge of General Compliances Relative to Site Planning and to the Planning and Design of Buildings_(DAD, RANDOM)
Project 1. Under the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP), what is covered by the Building Height Limit (BHL) for the Project?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must extract the necessary information from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books).
a. antenna
b. electrical or electronic devices mounted on top of the parapet wall, if introduced
c. deck roof level parapet wall, if introduced
d. mast

Project No. 2:
A Proposed Medium-Rise Apartment Building

C. Test for Knowledge of Space Planning_(DAD, RANDOM)
Project 2. Using the maximum Total Gross Floor Area (TGFA) and the Building Height Limit (BHL) that are allowed for the Project under the NBCP, what shall be the resultant TGFA per floor (in square meters)?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee must determine the total lot area (TLA) from the information given in the Project description, then make use of table/s from the 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP (open books) and finally use a simple calculator.
a. 2,666
b. 4,222
c. 5,444
d. 3,888

Project No. 3:
A Proposed Medium-Rise Office Condominium

D. Test for Knowledge of Architectural Design of Buildings (General & Specific) _(DAD, RANDOM)
Project 3. In terms of material production, which of the following flooring materials is considered to have the lowest carbon footprint?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee (assumed to have worked for at least 2 years/ 3,840 hours) must read available information on the subject, do some independent research or make the necessary inquiries. The 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP is not needed to answer this question.
a. baked clay tiles
b. hand-cut natural stone
c. ceramic tiles
d. high-pressure laminate flooring

Project No. 4:
A Proposed Low-Rise National Government Office Building
E. Test for Knowledge of Structural Conceptualization_(DAD, RANDOM)
Project 4. Assuming a heavily forested location for the Project Site, what type of roof structure should be introduced?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee (assumed to have worked for at least 2 years/ 3,840 hours) must read available information on the subject, do some independent research or make the necessary inquiries. The 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP is not needed to answer this question.
a. steel deck roof
b. steep gable roof
c. RC deck roof
d. low-slope metal roofing on space frame

Project No. 5:
Proposed Medium-Rise Garment and Undergarment Factory Building
F. Test for Knowledge of Architectural Interiors (AI)_(DAD, RANDOM)
Project No. 5. Which of the following is a good lighting device for a general production area with the ceiling consisting of the soffit of a suspended slab?
Note: To arrive at the answer, the examinee (assumed to have worked for at least 2 years/ 3,840 hours) must read available information on the subject, do some independent research or make the necessary inquiries. The 2004 Revised IRR of P.D. No. 1096/ NBCP is not needed to answer this question.
a. pendant lighting (suspended incandescent lamps)
b. industrial lighting (suspended fluorescent lamps with reflectors)
c. pendant lighting (suspended CFLs with housing)
d. troffer lighting (fluorescent lamps with soffit-mounted lightboxes and diffusers)