THE NEW UP ASIAN INSTITUTE OF

TOURISM COMPLEX:
RESOLVING IDENTITY THROUGH
ARCHITECTURE

by
Frances Leana Libranda Capellan

An undergraduate thesis proposal

submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for
ARCH 199.1: Design Thesis Proposal
College of Architecture
University of the Philippines
August 2010
 Capellan
1. BACKGROUND

Architecture always has been in some of its aspects, a branch

of psychological research (Canter, 1974). The thesis revisits
the metaphor, poetry and power that architecture has on its
viewer. The “viewer”, in this study, is not confined to the inhabi-
tants of the building (Prina, 2008). The end goal is to make an
architecture “work” and be truthful to its definition.

Like research, design does not take place at one moment in

time and on the basis of one clearly defined set of decisions.
By acknowledging the design process as a parallel field of ap-
plied research, the thesis will be a validation of the power of ar-
chitecture to reinforce the identity of an institution. The final
output for this thesis is expected to be a well-ordered, properly
conceived and technically viable architecture that will not only
be a validation of the essence of architecture but more so, a
proof that the architect’s main purpose for building structures is
to provide a functional, creative and inspiring environment for
its people.

The thesis aims to aid the Asian Institute of Tourism in its

quest to strengthen its niche in the University. Arguably, it has
now conceded to the new developments within its vicinity. Vi-
sualizing the complex at least ten years into the future, the
goal is to provide the institution with an architectural identity
that will be able to stand its ground against all the other future
developments. The premise is that a structure’s totality can be
envisioned as a response for the ultimate need of creating this
architectural identity. Additionally, the building should be as ef-
fective to its users as it is to the passerby who should be able
to recognize the complex as an institutional building that is still
part of UP.

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2. SETTING
2.1. Scope and Limitations
Although there are numerous schools of thoughts that seek to
define both the “identity” and “definition” of architecture, it is
still a relatively unexplored subject. There are no thesis topics
in the University of the Philippines College of Architecture
(UPCA) that attempted to design an institutional building using
the identity of the institute and translate it through the tectonics
of architecture.

To limit the scope of the thesis, the following will serve as

boundaries / basis:
1. Identity, on the end of the users, will be taken from the col-
lective memory or notion of AIT faculty, staff, students, and
alumni. They will be the primary source of information to
document what they believe constitutes their institute’s
essence.

2. Identity, in terms of architectural translation, will be based

on the “essence” or definition of architecture. This is under
the principle that architecture, if true to its nature, will be a
source of “delight” for its users.

3. The resulting “architecture” will be defined as a result of

three factors: the poetics of the space (Bachelard, 1958),
the identifiable form, and the structure. The totality of the
three will be referred to as “Tectonics”. (See: 2.3 Defini-
tions)

4. The final output will be set against the current develop-

ments in Commonwealth and will be tested by means of
random survey / interviews with both AIT and non-AIT ob-
servers. This will be done to validate if the architecture was
able to provide the formidable “presence” for the institute.
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2.2. Assumptions
Although the main and sub problems are based from real
issues of the institute, the thesis is still a theoretical project.

For the purpose of the study, the following will be held true:
1. Although the complex is envisioned to be a future develop-
ment, the existing curriculum will still be used as basis for
the computation and programming of spaces. These spa-
ces will be provided for the projected demographics.

2. The basis for the space programming will be taken from the
projected population of AIT. This will be done by collecting
the enrolment statistics of the college and theoretically as-
suming the institute’s future user density. The vision is to
provide a future development designed using today’s cur-
rent technology and processes.

3. The entire five-hectare AIT site is an empty lot and that the
current building is non-existent. However, the history and
existing facilities of the institute will still be revisited during
the conception phase of the thesis since it has been the
home of AIT for at least the past thirty years.

4. Following the notion that there are shared memories from

the existing structure, the original or existing AIT spaces
will serve as case studies in the process of the creation of
the new complex.

5. The new construction will be abiding with all the current city
and university rules on planning and construction.

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6. The premise is that the impact of the building for both the
“secondary” and the “tertiary” users should be as strong as
its effect on the “main users” since all these set of ob-
servers should be able to experience the “presence” of the
architecture in different settings.

2.3. Definitions
a) AIT Identity: the collective aspect of the set of
characteristics by which the Asian Institute of Tourism
is definitively recognizable or known. It is this
distinctiveness that sets AIT apart from all other
colleges within or outside the University of the
Philippines.
b) Character: the nature, quality and spirit that make up
UP AIT. The “AIT Character” can be treated as
synonymous with “AIT Identity”.
c) Institute: the UP-Diliman Asian Institute of Tourism,
also referred to as UP AIT or “the college”.
d) Tectonics: the skill of architectural expression which is
regarded as architect’s art (Dytoc, 1994).
e) Tertiary Users: users who use the building in the sense
that they arrange to meet people at its entrance, simply
look at it as they pass by, or use it as a landmark as
they move around the city (Canter, 1974). For the
purpose of the thesis, how this user group perceives
the resulting architecture will be as important as the
perception of both the main and secondary users.
f) UP AIT: the University of the Philippines – Diliman
Asian Institute of Tourism.

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2.4. Site Description

The AIT vicinity (Picture 1) is framed by a triangular lot joined
by two streets --- the Commonwealth Avenue and the Central
Avenue. The Institute is bounded on the west side by the
Philippine Social Science Center (PSSC) and on the east side
but the SEAMEO-INNOTECH building. Further along its east
side is the new UP-AYALA North Science & Technology Park

Picture 1: (Techno Hub) with its Phase 1 of development almost finished.

The UP AIT Vicinity showing nearby
structures.
The approximate site is the highlighted
rectangular lot.
In the projected future, it is expected that all the proposed S&T
park developments are completely finished.
The Commonwealth Avenue can be considered as the vantage
point for AIT with the highest impact as it is a busy highway
where most public and private vehicles pass by. The Central
Avenue is a relatively undeveloped street but is included for
possible metro-rail developments. Currently, the Institute is
most accessible to students coming from “inside” UP through
the footbridge connecting both ends of the Commonwealth
Avenue.

2.5. Significance of the Study

Architecture has the power to speak and it does so with a
highly precise grammatical language based on structural
elements, materials and techniques that are fitted together to
make up the syntax of the building (Prina, 2008). The thesis
will be a validation of the definition of architecture not only as
the marriage of art and science, but more particularly, a
tedious process of providing identity as a response to a
specific need for presence of an institutional building.

The thesis will also be a venue for revisiting the approaches on

creating schemes for buildings. An alternative to “user
analysis” is to use “tectonics” along with the space
programming for users. The thesis is an attempt to converge
the psychology of space and the tectonics in architecture into
reflecting an institute’s sense of identity. This is an application

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of thinking in three-dimensions and will highly benefit the field
of architectural design.

2.6. Initial Space Program

Architects are creators of environments. Canter (1974) noted
this and emphasized the importance of taking into account the
psychological effect of created spaces. Thus, it will be
essential for the thesis to include AIT’s future spaces in the
quest of communicating the character of the Institute. In the
process of visualizing the spaces, the collective spatial
memory of the users should be taken into account since
certain existing spaces may prove significant to the identity
that is of AIT.

The Institute will be designed for the projected population.

(See Section 2.2: Assumptions). As customary, space
requirements will be based from the needs of the college plus
the envisioned future spaces for the Institute. After a series of
interviews and ocular site inspection, the preliminary set of
spaces was envisioned.

The future complex will be composed of three sets of spaces:

(1) the Administrative Spaces, which will be the service area
for the college ; (2) the Academic Spaces, where the bulk of
architectural programming will be set; and, the Auxilliary
Spaces, that will serve as the Institute’s support system.

The Administrative Zone will include the Office of the Dean,

Office of the College Secretary, Administrative Staff’s Offices,
Faculty Room(s), Conference Room and other spaces deemed
necessary for the main control center of the Institute. The AIT
Library and the Classrooms (or Lecture Rooms) will be the
main parts of the Academic Zone. The thesis also proposes
Laboratories for each “specialization”. An example of this
laboratory will be “simulation spaces” for airline-related jobs or
specialized laboratory rooms for hotel and restaurant
management. The actual number of laboratories and their
specifications will be discussed once the demographics and

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curriculum are taken into account. Auxiliary Spaces will be the
Cafeteria / Canteen, Auditorium, Students Hubs / Tambayan
and Comfort Rooms. Open and landscaped areas will be
added to serve as buffer for both the noise and pollution from
the busy streets near the site.

3. DESIGN PROBLEM
While there are streams of literature about the design of
academic buildings, this cannot be attributed to the design of
every particular institutional structure. A complex for the
Institute of Tourism, for example, is a particularly difficult
building to plan for. The fact that it is located “outside” the
realms of the academe, along with all the political and social
issues connected with its inception and location, makes it both
an interesting and challenging thesis topic. With its constantly
changing curriculum and the continuously widening grasp of its
field, a generic academic structure would not be the
appropriate response. (See: Illustration 1 for Initial
Problematization).

MAIN AIT Students’ lack of pride for

PROBLEM their course and college

A New UP AIT building that will make the

SOLUTION: college “visible”, “elevate” its presence in
ARCHITECTURAL the university, and consequently re-ignite
INTERVENTION the sense of pride for its users.

Architecture as the physical stimuli to

EFFECT: create the desired psychological
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Illustration 1. Initial Phase of Problematization

By defining and simplifying the main problem as an issue on

the lack of pride for the students of the Asian Institute of
Tourism, an architectural resolution can be hypothesized:

A building that embodies the college’s identity, if

designed as a reflection of the college’s spirit, will not
only be a source and stimulus of pride for its users, but
more importantly, it will be a testament to the institute’s
core.

3.1 Main Problem

How can a design of a new UP Asian Institute of
Tourism (UP AIT) building aid the Institute’s visibility
and presence in the University and consequently reignite
the sense of pride for its users?

3.2 Sub-Problems
Sub-Problem 1:
What is meant by “visibility” and “presence”
and how can reinforcing these through architecture
help solve AIT’s “lack of pride”?

Sub-Problem 2:
What stimulus can reignite AIT’s sense of pride?

Sub-Problem 3:
What is the UP AIT Identity?

Sub-Problem 4:
What design and structural types will be necessary to
reflect the college’s identity?
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The New UP AIT Complex: Resolving Identity Through Architecture

Picture 2:
The Sculpture Building and Gallery at
Yale University.
New Haven, Connecticut
(Completion Date: September 2007)
Picture 3:
The New Studio Building at Woodbury
University
Burbank, California
(Completion Date: February 2008)
Capellan
4. PRECEDENTS AND RELATED
LITERATURE
4.1.1 Precedent Studies
Three architecture precedents were chosen from a varied list
of building resources. The projects were not specifically
“Institute of Tourism” buildings but were, in essence, able to
answer the two basic inquiries of the thesis:
1. How did the architect or design team resolved the
challenge of creating a new building given a site with
existing (and continuing future) developments?
2. What is the “impact” provided by the new architecture
into its landscape?
4.1a Yale University: Sculpture Building and Gallery
Yale University's Sculpture Building and Gallery (Picture 2)
"nods to Yale's gothic-style architectural legacy while allowing
the desire for daylighting and energy-efficiency to define its
aesthetic" (Architectural Record, November 2008). Observers
describe Yale University’s new sculpture building as a
contemporary take on Yale’s gothic-style older buildings.
The approach of the design was to incorporate the
architectural language of Yale, which was defined to be of
gothic, and combine it with the contemporary. The design team
“down played” the color scheme and finishes for the structure.
Although it is a very modern approach to the building, with
utilities such as daylighting techniques and energy efficiency
measures defining its aesthetics, the architectural language
conformed with the existing fabric in the university.
4.1b Woodbury University: New Studio Building
The design approach for the studio building (Picture 3) was
centered on the spatial requirement of the program. Rios
Clementi Hale Studios designed the space with an open,
flexible floor plan to accommodate future changes in the
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The New UP AIT Complex: Resolving Identity Through Architecture

Picture 4:
The Denton Corker Marshall Broadway
Building, University of Technology
Sydney, Australia
(Winner: Broadway Building Design
Competition, March 2010)
Capellan
architecture school, teaching philosophies, or administrative
needs (Archinovations, August 2008).
The resulting building form is a massive and dominating
structure making it the most visible structure within the
Woodbury perimeter. The building’s “impact” was not originally
intended. Functioning as an architectural studio, a part of the
building has exposed interior construction and mechanical
systems to foster an architectural learning environment.
4.1c University of Technology: Broadway Building
The winning design for a revitalized campus plan in Sydney
made use of the literal translation of “basic technology” to
create the identity for the Broadway building (Picture 4). The
building is made of aluminium sheets perforated with binary
code, the series of “1s” and “0s” that underpins computer
programming language (Sydneyarchitecture, 2010). The
building is envisioned to function as the Information
Technology and Engineering (ITE) Building.
A building always makes a statement. The three precedent
studies, although different on their design approaches, strongly
manifested their presence in terms of their form, colors,
materials, and the like. The three precedents either
harmonized with its vicinity’s architectural language, or went
against it. The set was limited to buildings inside universities to
further take note of how campuses adapt to change without
destroying their campus’ fabric.
Rarely does a building get a chance to be the first structure on
a site. For a university building, there’s always a possibility for
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new construction as dictated by the growing needs of the
campus. Although there are always zoning plans to guide
future and additional developments, they are still subject to
change that results to an assortment of architectural
languages. Similar to UP’s current and continuously changing
landscape, it is still integral for new construction to at least
have a basis for their chosen architectural language.

One particular challenge for the new UP AIT building is on how

it will be able to project UP’s architectural character when it is
“outside” the realm of the academe (at least in the cognitive
map of “outsiders”) and how its new architecture will be able to
reinforce its presence amidst the towering new structures
along Commonwealth Avenue. More specifically, should it
“harmonize” with the S&T Park developments? Or should it go
against it?

4.2 Related Literature

The thesis aims to reflect an institute’s identity through its ar-
chitecture. To fully design for identity, a clear definition of the
terms “identity” and “architecture” should first be established.

According to Johnson (1994), definitions are schizophrenic

creatures. Defining a word brings it to an end. The word “defi-
nition”, in its essence, means “to finish”. To define a word is to
delimit its boundaries, describe its properties, fix its meaning
--- all with a degree of precision that is intended to get at the
“truth” of the word. For this thesis, the goal is to design an insti-
tute using the definition of architecture. The researcher hypoth-
esizes that the source of identity can be the “architecture” of
the institute. Given that the final form and space requirement
will be the result of the AIT identity as translated through archi-
tecture. Defining the term, in this case, will not “put an end” to
the word, but rather provide the jump-off course of the thesis.
The definition is essential and required because architects, un-
like painters, work with a highly technical language.

4.2.1 Architecture and Identity

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4.2.1.1 Defining Architecture
There are as many definitions of the term “architecture” as the
number of design approaches used by architects in attacking
their design problems. The complexity of an architect’s respon-
sibility should be paralleled by their degree of creativity. Roger
Scruton, writing about the essence of architecture, says that
“Architecture, when successful, [...] like the essence of almost
every human being, lies in its elaboration” (as cited in Johnson,
1994, p. 80). Here, Scruton is defining architecture as the end
product itself. In his book “The Aesthetics of Architecture”
(1979), he discussed architecture from five viewpoints, each
with their own body of theory: function, space, kuntgeschichte
(art history), künstwollen (artistic intention) and proportion.
Scruton argues that none of these views is sufficient to define
the essence of architecture. He believes architecture should
not be inclusive. That an architect should not ignore any of ar-
chitecture’s significant aspect. But are these aspects complete-
ly definitive of architecture? It is notable that Scruton men-
tioned proportion, but not structure. His five aspects were pre-
dominantly related to “art” which is understandable since his
book focused on the aesthetics of architecture. However, his
book provides the notion that the structural element is not part
of the definition.

Le Corbusier’s definition presents architecture as an “event”

that an architect experiences and shares. He wrote: “... for ar-
chitecture is an undeniable event that arises in that instant of
creation when the mind, preoccupied with assuring the firm-
ness of a construction, with desires for comfort, find itself
raised by a higher intention than that of simply being useful,
and tends to show the poetic powers that animate us and give
us joy” (as cited in Johnson, 1994, p.75). In this sense, he is
not merely pointing to “function” as the main goal of architec-
ture, but the power of a building to provide people with a sense
of delight. Here, architecture is not confined to the technicality
of the term but to the senses it evokes. Architecture is also lift-
ed such that an architect’s power to create pushes him to
build.
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At its most fundamental meaning, architecture is often defined

as the “art and science” of building. As previously noted, Scru-
ton did not mention about the “science” part of architecture
while Le Corbusier focused more on the drive of the architect
to create. In layman’s term, architecture is interchangeable
with the terms “building” and “structure”.

A “building” is defined as “a structure that is essentially con-

structed with walls and a roof, commonly created for human
habitation or use” (Coates, Brooker & Stone, 2009). The physi-
cal aspect is thus regarded as the building itself. There is no
mention of the art nor the science involved in the make of the
building. On the other hand, “stucture” is defined as “a collec-
tion or assemblage of materials that when joined together will
withstand the loads and forces to which they are subjected”
(Coates, Brooker & Stone, 2009). The definition’s focus is on
the “engineering” part of the building. It acknowledges that the
technical part of a building, the process and its make, is its
structure. With these given definitions of the terms “building”
and “structure”, where does the term “architecture” fit in?

The most enlightening definition of the term “architecture” was

presented by Dytoc (1994) on his paper “Structure = Form:
The Relationship of Form to Principles of Structure”. The paper
revisits the definition of architecture and comes up with a defin-
itive meaning that stems from the very nature of the word itself.

Dytoc believes that there is more to architecture than “struc-

ture” and “form”. He discussed the danger in treating struc-
tures like machines, on using “function and efficiency” as main
form-finder. He warned architects into treating the subjects of
aesthetics or art as merely a decorative-finish, or a “band-aid”
cosmetic finish. He noted that although the art of “facadism” or
ornamentation in architecture is not a fault, it is best if these
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act of embellishments are related to, and rooted in the struc-
ture that support it.

Dytoc probed on the validity of the “most accepted” definition

of Architecture as the art and science of building. He believes
the definition creates confusion mainly because, most of the
time, the meaning of “art” and “science” are taken for granted
and not properly examined. The terminology may also not be
valid for all past, present of future periods of architectural histo-
ry. To fully search for architecture’s best definition, he present-
ed key examples of architecture from different stages in history
and traced how the technology in construction relates to both
art and science. His aim was to “attempt at a heightened ap-
preciation and redefinition of architecture by exploring how
constructed structure generates tectonic and expressive form”.
Here, he dismissed “movements” in architecture if it is purely
based on the ornament of form without technological basis.

The oldest definition of architecture is Vitruvius’ firmitas (firm-

ness), utilitas (commodity) and venustas (delight). Dytoc
claims that works of architecture have a much better claim of
being recognized as works of art when “delight” in form results
from the studied expression of “firmness in structure”. For ar-
chitecture to “delight” in form means that it must engage man
in visual and tactile dialogue. He considers this a priori or un-
voidable condition.

Architecture is a form of writing that a significant statement. It

is usually “read” just as literature, music and other forms of art
are criticized and analyzed. To be able to understand architec-
ture is to decipher its form and its structure. The problem is
that, most of the times, architecture is not aware of the “state-
ment” it makes. What it communicates visually may not be
consistent to its physical, constructed condition. It is thus im-
portant for architects to always be aware of every architectural

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form’s potential and promise and what it is “saying” to the user.
This skill of architectural expression which is regarded as an
architect’s art is what Eduard Sekler labels as tectonics (as cit-
ed in Dytoc, 1994, p.3).

Art and science should go hand-in-hand for a structure to be

truly a functional architecture. The most important requirement
in the making of architecture is the element of creativity and in-
genuity --- the drive to achieve the impossible. Another inter-
esting point raised by Dytoc was the much-needed close rela-
tionship of “architecture” and “engineering”. He dissected the
origin and meaning of the words “Architect” and “Engineer” and
traced the differences and similarities of their nature of work.

From the Greek words archè and tektôn, an Architect literally

means someone who is considered as the prime maker, mas-
ter builder, and chief craftsman. Loosely defined, this means
an architect is one who builds something which has not been
built before. Dytoc claims that with this very definition, architec-
ture should not be given to mere duplication or replication. Es-
sentially, there should not be an architecture that looks exactly
like anything done before. With this, the researcher agrees.
Every building is designed as a response to a particular set of
needs and should never be imitative of any other structure. Ar-
chitecture, in the very sense of the word, is the continous at-
tempt of realizing the future (Dytoc, 1994).

Engineering, on the other hand, is taken from the Latin word

ingenium and genus. Ingenium means ingenuity, and inven-
tiveness. Genum pertains to birth, nascence and ability to pro-
duce. An engineer, then, is a close relative of the architect, a
person that practices ingenuity and inventiveness, a person
committed to advancing convention and building the future.

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Combining the two previous definitions, Dytoc (1994) claims
that “Architecture is potent communication. It is creation; it is
invention; it is technology. Architecture is making the impossi-
ble possible.” Illustration 2 shows how the established Defini-
tion of Architecture will be used to translate the UP AIT Identi-
ty.

ARCHITECTURE

Form Structure
Space

TECTONICS Psychology of Spaces

UP AIT’s ARCHITECTURAL IDENTITY

Illustration 2. The Definition of Architecture as Creator of Identity.

4.2.1.2 Identity in Architecture

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The discussion of identity in architecture entails a revalidation
of the psychology of spaces. Identity can be translated in
architecture using a number of approaches. The thesis aims to
organize a theoretical framework after conducting an more in-
depth literature research combined with random interviews
with AIT students and staff. Illustration 3 shows the Initial
Design Approach for the thesis.

People Site Users Site Factors

Perception, Meaning Architectural Programming

THE AIT THE NEW AIT

IDENTITY BUILDING

RENEWED SENSE OF PRIDE

FOR AIT STUDENTS

Illustration 3. Initial Design Approach in Finding Identity

4.2.2 AIT and UP

4.2.2.1 Projecting UP’s Architectural Character
The University of the Philippines is a community with a
continuously changing landscape. Every corner of the
academe serves as a living testament of its historical past. The
architectural character and language of the Diliman Campus
was documented through two books published by the Office of
the Chancellor. Both books showcased the university’s “sites
and symbols” using photographs and essays that seeks to
provide nostalgic but official accounts of UP.

The book’s first volume featured UP’s initial set of sites and
symbols. It presented the academe’s older set of buildings
along with a list of memorable “landmarks”. Emerlinda
Roman’s Foreword spoke of the legacy that is reflected by
these structures. Roman (2000) wrote that for most people
“Landmarks are all too often merely stone or metal markers of
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[what used to be] important, now half-forgotten events,
preserved mainly for posterity”. She noted that more than
monoliths, landmarks in the campus are legacies. That they
are “icons, edifices and sites that inspired, sheltered and
spurred generations of students on pursuit of knowledge, truth
and [...] self-realization”.

In architecture and urban planning, a landmark is defined as a

“point of reference that is external” (Lynch, 1960). Kevin Lynch,
on his book focusing on the “imageability” of cities, defines a
landmark as a simply defined physical object. It can be as
large as a building or as small as a signage. They are used as
clues of identity of a place. They are external points because
the observers do not enter them. In UP, the familiar sites and
institutional symbols are not only landmarks of the campus, but
also of UP’s individual dreams and aspirations.

Landmarks in the univeristy are not only place makers, they

are also able to ignite different emotions to different people.
Similarly, they also serve different purposes. Roman’s choices
of what she called as “landmarks” ranged from the relatively
small oblation statue, to the assorted sculptures scattered
strategically around the campus, up to the huge edifices that
circles the academic oval. According to Roman, these physical
structures are flashpoints in time. Notably, UP buildings recall
“the glory and greatness of the immortalized moment”.

Ruben Defeo’s Introduction (2000) of the same book provided

a rundown of what the Diliman campus looked like “then and
now”. His recollection of the past fifty years gave an easy
glimpse at the developments in the academe. He believes that
although much of UP’s landscape have been altered
significantly, the spirit of the University endures. The first
buildings in UP were homogenous in character, or at least
each building tried to relate to its neighbor’s form and
character. He used the words “hellenistic fashion” to describe
the buildings’ feel in the 1950s and noted how the almost
uniform design brought about “an architectural harmony made
hallowed through time”.
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The second volume of the “Sites and Symbols” went into

further details on describing Diliman’s “changing shape”. This
time, Roman (2005) described UP’s skyline as a “constant
flux”. What used to be just “a handful of concrete structures
that jutted out like monolithic monuments in the vast cogonal
landscape” is now filled with building “of all shapes and sizes”.
The Hellenistic character of the older buildings is now
“complemented” by new construction. Roman shared that the
buildings were constructed as a response to the “demands of
the times and the growing student enrolment”. She believes
that it is with these new structures and the structure’s
interconnectivity that UP welcomed the information age.
Currently, the uniquely Hellenistic character of old buildings
have been lost to give way “to a position favouring an eclectic,
albeit confused, architectural persuasion.” What used to be
uniformly rectangular and symmetrical building forms are now
injected with diverse shapes. For instance, the Faculty Center
is of a square form while additional rooms for the College of
Music were octagonal. There is also Vargas Museum, the first
building on campus made mostly of glass.

Defeo believes that amidst the infusion of modern

developments in the original campus plan, it has “never
violated the sanctity of academic discipline that inheres the
campus by nature.” He even compared UP Diliman into a
modern-day monastery citing its “self-contained” but “self-
sustaining” reasons as source of its strong identity. He also
tagged UP as a “Campus of Scholars” and a “Community of
People”.

The second volume of the book is a tribute to “the architects

who shared magnanimously their artistic gifts in designing and
constructing the buildings that today define the architectural
landscape of UP Diliman.” Roman’s previous claim that
buildings are “flashpoints in time” is supported by the notion
that structures in the campus reflected dominant architectural
movements during the time that it was built. Defeo wrote of this
when he said that the rise of structures in UP parallels the
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development of architecture in the country. The architects that
created the first buildings in the University were also the initial
set of architects in the Philippines. Most of them have been
educated abroad, and were the pioneers of engineering and
architecture school in the country.

Defeo quoted former regent Oscar M. Alfonso on his

observation that “buildings may be inanimate, [but] lifeless they
need not be”. Buildings constructed before may be devoid of
the original design of those who conceptualized them, but they
were able to evolve along with the people who uses them. This
time, Defeo called UP “an academic asylum and a residential
refuge”. It is the collective of people that gives the University its
vibrancy while the architecture of the assortment of buildings
gives the campus its institutional look.

4.2.2.2 AIT in UP’s History

The University of the Philippines – Diliman is the first university
in Asia to offer a four-year baccalaureate course leading to a
degree in Bachelor of Science in Tourism. Graduates of the
course are expected to provide leadership and manpower for
the various sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry.
Work choices for a UP Asian Institute of Tourism (UP AIT)
graduate includes (but is not limited to) any of the following:
tourism promotions, hotel management, transportation / tour /
travel operations, research and other tourism – oriented
undertakings. Neighbouring Asian countries had since looked
up on AIT’s course offerings as basis on making their own
tourism curriculum.

The birth of AIT was UP’s answer to the country’s developing

and promising tourism industry in the early 1970s. Top hotels
were being managed by foreigners and the Filipinos were
technically inexperienced on handling such a diverse and
relatively new field. AIT’s vision was to upgrade the travel and
tourism profession by providing high quality education and
training to students who will be the industry’s future manager,
entrepreneurs, and technical experts.

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The plan for the creation of AIT was finalized in 1975 under the
administration of former UP President Onofre D. Corpuz. It
was executed through a tripartite agreement between the
University of the Philippines, the Department of Tourism
(DOT), and the Philippine Tourism Authority. The following
year, AIT’s plans was put forth as approved by UP’s Board of
Regents. Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos released
an initial 16 million pesos for the construction of the complex.
Total cost for the project amounted to 25 million pesos.

The UP AIT complex was designed by Efren R. Hernandez

and Lily De Leon. Aside from the institutional building, what
used to be an added attraction for the five-hectare complex
was the 28-room hotel with rooms patterned after those of top
hotels and resorts in the country. The hotel was originally
envisioned to serve as a laboratory for the student’s academic
learning and at the same time as a source of income for the
college.

It will be safe to say that the visibility of the Institute is fuelled

by its presence in the cognitive minds of both the UP popula-
tion and the people who pass by the building everyday.

At present, the once glorified UP Asian Institute of Tourism

Complex is visibly thwarted by newly constructed neighbouring
edifices. Although physically missing and easily unrecogniz-
able along Commonwealth Avenue, the future of the Institute is
still at its most progressive.

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5. METHODOLOGY
Desk research was the first point of topic validation for the
thesis. An interview with the Dean of the Institute and its
respective heads was also conducted to further have a grasp
of the college’s future plans.

After establishing the theories related to the architectural

problem, and analyzing precedent studies, the course of the
thesis will be divided into three major phases:
1. Architectural Programming
2. Design Translation
3. Design Evaluation

During the Architectural Programming and Design Translation

Phases, the following systems of inquiry will be used:
• Ocular Site Inspection and Documentation to further
establish the opportunities and strengths of the Institute’s
location.
• Continued desk / literature research, specifically on building
standards and codes, to validate space requirements as
aid for space programming.
• Random survey / interviews with AIT students and staff to
gain the collective notion for the “AIT spirit”, alongside
Recorded Observations of the behavior of AIT students
inside their college as basis for the zoning and creation of
their spaces.
• Interviews and consultations with knowledgeable
professionals to ensure that the concepts and architecture
proposed will work given the current technology.

For the Design Evaluation phase, the thesis’ goal is to come

up with at least three schemes for the UP AIT complex and
have the design evaluated by a group of people from the
Institute. Only the design that best captures the AIT Identity
and answers the architectural problem will be presented in the

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final thesis deliberation. Schemes not approved will serve as
case studies and can be used to further support the claims of
the thesis.

6. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abel, C. (1997). Architecture and Identity: towards a Global

Eco-culture. Oxford, England: Architectural Press.

Bachelard, G. & Jolas, M. (1994). The Poetics of Space.

Boston: Beacon.

Boehland, J. (July 2008) Case Study: Yale Sculpture Gallery –

GreenSource Magazine. Green Building, LEED

Projects and Sustainable Design -- Commercial Green

Buildings, Building Performance and Green Homes --

Sustainable Materials and Green Building Products --

GreenSource Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2010, from

http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0807_Yal

eSculptureGallery.asp

Canter, D.V. (1974). Psychology for Architects. London:

Applied Science.

Coates, M., Graeme, B., and Sally, S. (2009). The Visual

Dictionary of Interior Architecture and Design.

Lausanne: AVA Academia.

Defeo, R. D.F. (2000) Introduction. In Sites and Symbols: UP

Diliman Landmarks. (pp.3-7). Quezon City: Office of the

Chancellor, University of the Philippines.

"Denton Corker Marshall - Broadway Building, University of

Technology in Sydney, Australia." (March 2010).

Archinnovation: Online Architecture Magazine.

Retrieved July 7, 2010, from

http://www.archinnovations.com/featured-

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 Capellan
projects/academic/denton-corker-marshall-broadway-

building-university-of-technology-in-sydney-australia/

Dytoc, B. C. (1994). Form = Structure: The Relationships of

Form to Principles of Structure.

Gonchar, J. (November 2008) Yale University Sculpture

Building and Gallery - Building Types Study -

Architectural Record. Architecture Design for Architects

| Architectural Record. Retrieved July 13, 2010, from

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives

/universities/08_Yale/default.asp

Johnson, P. (1994). The Theory of Architecture: Concepts,

Themes & Practices. New York: Wiley.

Powow, V. G. (2009) A Report on Psychology and Architecture

GrandLodge of Manitoba. Retrieved July 5, 2010, from

http://www.grandlodge.mb.ca/mrc_docs/Psychology

%20of%20Architecture.pdf

Prina, F. (2008) Architecture: Elements, Materials, Form.

Princeton: Princeton University Press

"Rios Clementi Hale Studios - Woodbury University New

Studio Building." (August 2008). Archinnovation: Online

Architecture Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2010, from

http://www.archinnovations.com/featured-

projects/academic/rios-clementi-hale-woodbury-

university-new-studio-building/

Rivera, I. A. B. (2005). ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TOURISM: The

University's Concrete Contribution to Tourism

Development. In Sites and Symbols 2 : UP Diliman

Landmarks. (pp.084-087). Quezon City: Office of the

Chancellor, University of the Philippines Diliman.

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Roman, E. A. (2000). Landmarks As Legacies. Foreword. In

Sites and Symbols: UP Diliman Landmarks. (pp.1-2).

Quezon City: Office of the Chancellor, University of the

Philippines.

"UTS Broadway Building (ITE Building) |

Sydneyarchitecture.com." (July 2010)

Sydneyarchitecture.com | Sydney Architecture- Historic

and Contemporary. Retrieved July 20, 2010, from

http://sydneyarchitecture.com/?p=764 "Woodbury

University Architecture Studio Building - Building Types

Study - Architectural Record." Architecture Design for

Architects | Architectural Record. Retrieved from

http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives

/universities/08_Woodbury/default.asp

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