ADAMSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED COMMUNITY CENTER MALL IN MUNTINLUPA CITY

A Thesis Proposal Presented to the

College of Architecture
Adamson University

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements of the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Architecture

By

DECCA LYN GONZALES SALVADOR

DECEMBER 2022
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I would like to thank my professor, Architect Rosheilla

May Malit, for her unwavering assistance and guidance in undertaking this study,

as well as her patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm. During the research and

writing of this paper, her guidance was helpful.

My warmest gratitude also goes to my sister, Cherie Mae, for her time and

efforts in accompanying me in conducting such an experience and providing me

with all the support that I needed in order to accomplish this study.
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ABSTRACT

Community center malls are places that provide services and experiences
that fulfill and satisfy our needs. It is a place where the system of purchase and
sale takes place that makes the users communicate and interact with each other.
The conventional make-up of communal spaces like a center mall evolved
throughout the years. Civic spaces continuously adapt and innovate in order to
meet the needs and expectations of the diverse group of users and create a
balanced and harmonious relationship with each other and the environment. A
holistic environment is what the society needs. Through architecture, social and
environmental issues can be addressed and solved in a systematic and strategic
practice that renders a better and more fulfilling inclusive environment in society.

Keywords: architecture, universal design, holistic environment

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I
TITLE PAGE
II
APPROVAL SHEET
IV
ENGLISH EDITING CERTIFICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV
ABSTRACT V
TABLE OF CONTENTS VI
THE INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 2
1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 2
1.4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4
1.5. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 5
1.6. PROJECT SCOPE, LIMITATIONS & DELIMITATIONS 6
1.7. DEFINITION OF TERMS 6
THE LITERATURE REVIEW 8
2.1. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 8
2.2. CASE STUDIES 8
2.3. RESEARCH PARADIGM ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
2.4. SYNTHESIS 11
THE RESEARCH METHOD 14
3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN 14
3.2. DATA GATHERING 14
3.3. DATA PROCESSING 14
REFERENCES ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
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CHAPTER 1

THE INTRODUCTION

Given the variety of services they provide, community center malls have

been the throbbing center of society. A universal space that will serve all societal

groups is the prime intention of redefining the concept of traditional center malls.

The concept seeks to create an inclusive, flexible spatial environment with

modular elements accessible to everybody while incorporating architectural

strategies that match the social context of different categories of users.

1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Community center malls claim to be the heart of society, as they offer a

wide range of services that people enjoy. This kind of space facilitates the

exchange of human interaction through the system of purchase and sale of goods

and services that meet social needs. Center malls have paved the way for adapting

to the needs of their users over time, providing the most appropriate spaces and

experiences that will accommodate everyone. Today, community center malls

offer a wider range of services and commerce through entertainment, cultural,

and social activities.

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Spaces like community center malls are designed to attract users and have

them spend more time on the premises. Nowadays, center malls are designed into

a modern, dynamic, and pulsing hubs that function to satisfy the needs of all user

groups. Creating a universally designed communal spaces promotes a barrier-free

environment that ensures a higher quality of life experiences for all. The designs

are enriched with various features and spatial elements through strategic planning

and an understanding of the wide range of users in order to provide proper

mobility and multifunctional spaces that promote a holistic environment.

1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The conventional design of public spaces, like community center malls, are

inclined to focus on the “average” or “standard” category of users, which conflicts

with the reality of diversity inherent in actual users, who tend to have a wider

range of abilities, perception levels, and body shapes and sizes. The users within

the disadvantage groups such as disabled, children and elderly, face challenges

that influence their ability to accomplish daily activities such as moving freely,

communicating, fulfilling social roles, and enjoying a communal environment.

There has been progress in recent years in designing and creating an inclusive

environment that meets the needs of all users of varying

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ages, genders, physical structures, abilities, and perception levels. It is vital to

adapt and make changes to the physical and social environment in order to

encourage social inclusion and involvement of people of different social

backgrounds.

1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Modifying the idea of a traditional center mall aims to develop a universal

space that will cater to all sorts of individuals in the society. The awareness

pursues to devise an inclusive, human-centered design and flexible spatial

environment with modular features accessible to everyone while integrating

architectural aspects that correspond to the social context of different types of

users. Through the principle of Universal Design, this study aims to explore and

understand the potential of making commercial and social settings more

welcoming and inclusive to all. Universal Design's primary goal is to encourage

equality so that all user groups may fully engage in a shared, common

environment, fostering interaction among everyone.

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1.4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The principal drive in devising a universally designed community center

mall is to eradicate the barriers among the diverse range of users and to create a

holistic environment for all. This study will be beneficial for all user groups in the

municipality of Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Among those are the average users, the

children, the disabled, and the elderly. A universally designed environment

encourages all users from different backgrounds to interact and spend more time

together as a community.

Creating viable communal spaces fosters stronger social bonds and helps

everyone to feel more welcome and accepted. Moreover, the study will also

benefit the researchers themselves and other researchers who aim to pursue the

study further. This will benefit other researchers, for they will be able to use this

study as a source of information if they are going to explore a study about creating

a universal environment or any related topic to a greater extent.

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1.5. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

• Public spaces like community center mall are generally designed with respect to the
“average" or "standard” category of users. Other user groups face challenges that
Proble impact their ability to fulfill daily activities and social participation within the community
m as they feel segregated and different from other normal users.

• Everyone must have equal access to all opportunities, experiences, and services that the society
provides. Socially inclusive architecture that supports all user groups that make up the community
Input is significant in every design, especially for public spaces like the center mall.

• Environments implementing Universal Design principles are acknowledged as promoting equality

by allowing all different types of users to participate and enjoy the common, shared spaces,
Process enabling social interaction among all.

• To implement the principles of Universal Design and other significant guidelines that aid the social
dilemma in community-shared spaces.
Output

Outcom • A universally designed community center mall.

e

The conceptual framework of this study consists of the problem, input,

process, output, and outcome variable, which serves as the researcher's course of

direction in exploring the design approaches in order to create a socially inclusive

environment in the community. The problem variable tackles the physical,

emotional, and social impacts of the spatial setup in the shared environment. The

input variable expresses the main objective of the project, which is to create

equality among user groups. The process variable refers to the effects of

incorporating Universal Design into architecture in order to promote a holistic

environment that everyone can enjoy. The output and outcome variables

encompass the design objective, which is to implement the principles of UD and

other important building guidelines in order to create a universally designed

community center mall.

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1.6. PROJECT SCOPE, LIMITATIONS & DELIMITATIONS

This study focuses on exploring the impacts of creating a universally

designed community center mall that caters to different users. Through a socially

inclusive architecture approach, designing a community center mall will

emphasize the spatial planning, mobility flow, aesthetics, building features, and

social context impacts on the environment. The researcher will obtain the

supporting data from the varying type of user through qualitative methodology in

order to understand the multi-perspective of different range of users regarding

their experience and expectation of the basic spaces that provide social services

like the center mall.

This study is limited to the socioeconomic impact of communal spaces that

influence the activities, movements, and interaction of varying user groups in

shared public spaces.

The study is delimited to advance construction methods and management

and the proposed plan in terms of the social and political implications for the

community due to a lack of information availability and time restrictions since the

study is limited to a short period of time.

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1.7. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Commerce - buying and selling activity, especially on a large scale.

Community center malls - bigger versions of neighborhood centers defined by a

greater selection of retail stores.

Eradicate - throwing out or removal of anything that has set itself.

Holistic environment - broad and inclusive that takes into account the various

elements such as cultural environment, political environment and the global

environment.

Mobility - being able to move or move easily and freely.

Multifunctional spaces - a combination of multiple temporal and spatial functions

Spatial elements - the enumeration of all possible spatial components that could

be used to specify a spatial structure or specific geographic areas.

Universal design - is the process of planning and creating an environment so that

everyone, regardless of their size, skill, or disability, may use it to the fullest degree

possible.
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CHAPTER 2

THE LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Community Center Mall

Meeting the social needs of the people and encouraging their interactions

in order to buy and sell goods and services is the common goal of center malls.

With the advent of money and a wider range of products, the act of purchasing,

which was originally done through barter to satisfy basic needs, has evolved and

changed over time. This has paved the way for the differentiation of traditional

mall locations and the emergence of new spaces used for social activities as well

as commercial spaces (Dikmen, 2021). The characteristics of purchasing behavior

and retail locations have changed along with the dimension. In practically every

city nowadays, center malls combining entertainment, cultural, and social

activities have replaced traditional retail stores (Bozdemir, 2021).

Accessibility

To promote social inclusion and engagement of people with impairments,

modifications to the physical and social environment are required. The reality is

that actual users tend to have a considerably larger

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range of skills, body types, and sizes, which may conflict with the design of

buildings and public spaces, which tends to focus on the "average" person and

results in environments that are not inclusive for all (Afacan, 2012). However,

because UD primarily focuses on features of the physical environment, it does not

directly address all of the social and human components of mobility in a variety of

situations (Imrie, 2012).

There are reports about a study that looked at how to effectively include

people with impairments in social interactions in shopping centers. All people

should engage in shopping, and El Hedhli and colleagues (2013) believe that it can

greatly increase a person's satisfaction in key life categories (consumer, social,

leisure, and community life). In shopping malls, people from many different

backgrounds come together to engage in a variety of activities. The interaction

between the social and physical settings has a significant impact on meaningful

involvement (Goodrich, 2012).

Aesthetic

Unlike traditional retail establishments, shopping malls are designed with

the intention of attracting customers, keeping them there longer, and

encouraging them to make purchases. Due to this, the importance of the spatial

layout, which is supplemented with different activities and spatial features to

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respond to the needs and to provide pleasant circulation, in addition to the user's

education, entertainment, food and beverage, culture, etc., in shopping centers,

increases (Bozdemir, 2021). The requirements and desires of various user groups,

including children, the disabled, and the elderly, must be accommodated within

this spatial arrangement, as well as possibilities for enjoyment for all users

(Dikmen, 2021).

There has always been a demand for different locations to carry out

shopping. The act of shopping today spatially evokes retail centers. Modern,

dynamic, and living centers with a variety of services that aim to satisfy the needs

of all user groups now characterize the spatial organization of shopping malls in

the twenty-first century. To the greatest extent possible, meet the needs and

preferences of all user groups, captivate their attention, and provide a pleasurable

experience, it is now necessary to design the spatial structure of shopping centers

with functional, aesthetic, safe, high levels of physical comfort, and

environmentalist policies (Gilboa,2013).

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2.2. CASE STUDIES

Local Case Study

Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/6bQ27MJPx5GzMR7C7

The Glorietta Mall in the Ayala Center is the top urban entertainment and

shopping destination in the Philippines, and it is situated in Makati, the center of

metropolitan Manila's economic area. The Glorietta Mall was a suburban strip

mall that attracted shoppers in the 1970s with its spacious parking and imported

goods. The initial outdoor strip mall was enclosed and enlarged into Glorietta Mall,

the centerpiece of the Ayala Center, as the Ayala Company developed the

surrounding land into a high-density urban environment. Due to its variety of

stores, the mall attracts both upscale and budget-conscious customers. The

nearby hotels, offices, and residential areas serve as a broad client base for the
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nearby movie theaters, new food court, restaurants, parks, cultural programs, and

special events. The Ayala Center's urban setting and the vibrant atmosphere at

Glorietta Mall make it Manila's most well-liked hangout for daytime activities and

nighttime.

Foreign Case Study

Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/yUBREBVrtF5TQAXC8
In Putrajaya, Malaysia, the first regional shopping center constructed is

named after the five-petal, yellow flower known locally as "Allamanda Obesum."

Alam anda is also the Malay expression for one's location or habitat. At the end of

August 2004, it began operations. 700,000 square feet of shop space may be found

at Alamanda Shopping Center (65,000 m2). The mall is situated on a 27-acre plot

and has a gross size of over 1.2 million square feet. The architecture is a
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contemporary combination of base and body elements that are typically solid and

offset by lightweight roof structures. Three primary destination nodes, each

anchored by a different large tenant, make up the two and a half-storey mall with

a "Y" plan structure. In order to establish a clear hierarchy and presence among

the neighboring developments, four beacons that resemble traditional minarets

tower over the spanning retail podium. Through physical and visual connections,

retail, dining, and entertainment are seamlessly woven throughout, both

internally and externally.

2.3. SYNTHESIS

Community center malls play an important role in society because they provide

consumers with options and services that address their fundamental

requirements for entertainment, culture, and social connection through a buying

and selling system. It is carefully organized and developed to fascinate customers,

urge them to remain longer, and inspire them to purchase more of the available

items and services and services on offer. Due to the innate diversity of the users,

common spaces like the center mall must be able to provide equitable

opportunities and experiences that will meet all the needs and expectations of the

end users.
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CHAPTER 3

THE RESEARCH METHOD

3.1. RESEARCH DESIGN

The study is in a form of exploratory research, for it is an in-depth study

regarding the influence of socially inclusive architectural design on diverse groups

of users in a shared environment like the community center mall. It focuses on

understanding the query from a humanistic perspective, as it aims to determine

the viewpoint of the different types of users towards their experience in a public

setting.

Since it was an exploratory study, the researcher utilized a qualitative

technique. Because qualitative research will help for a deeper and better

knowledge of a topic, it is suitable for investigating varied groups of individuals

due to its importance and relevancy in identifying the interrelationship of

interaction between people, societal values, and the social dimension of the

setting.

3.2. DATA GATHERING

To obtain the multi-perspective of the center mall experience of the

various user groups, the researcher interviewed individuals from four (4)

stakeholder groups: children, average users, persons with disabilities and lastly,
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the elderly. All participants were recruited on a voluntary basis.

The researcher also conducted an observation on three (3) different center

mall: Robinsons Manila, SM Mall of Asia, and Glorietta, to understand social

mobility and interaction of the users in a commercial and communal environment.

3.3. DATA PROCESSING

Upon obtaining the necessary information that will support the study and

help understand the different social perspectives and spatial aspects of the

environment, the researcher will now be able to distinguish the weaknesses and

insufficiencies of the conventional center mall in the community. Through

identifying the physical, social, and environmental viewpoints of the participants,

the researcher was able to understand how the different contexts that affect

individual movements and experiences of the various users in a shared space like

a center mall.
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