NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
APLANN
Planning 2: Fundamentals of Urban Design and Community Architecture
02
ARCH. IMELDA M.
Professional Instructor, School of
TRANCE
Architecture uap
APLANN02 <Module 3: Orientation & Identity in Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Orientation & Identity
in Community Architecture
Understanding the Components of Community Architecture
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Introduction
• Why identity
matters in
communities
• Orientation as
spatial + cultural
positioning
• Architecture as
both physical and
symbolic
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Defining Orientation
• Orientation: how
people locate
themselves in space
• Relies on:
landmarks,
pathways, spatial
hierarchy
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Defining Identity
• Identity:
uniqueness of place
• Created by: culture,
traditions, built
environment
Bahay na Bato in Vigan ([Link])
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Orientation & Identity
in Community Architecture
• Orientation: “Where am I?”
• Identity: “What place is this?”
• Together: Orientation and Identity
build sense of belonging and memory
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Components of Community Architecture
• Spaces – plazas, streets,
parks
• Structures – homes,
public buildings,
institutions COMMUNITY
ARCHITECTURE
• Networks – circulation,
utilities, digital access
• Symbols – landmarks,
monuments, cultural
icons
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Spaces
• Public gathering areas: plazas,
parks, streets
• Support interaction and
community events
People’s Republika Park, City of Malolos
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Structures
• Physical buildings
(residential, religious, civic)
• Reflect values and traditions
• Example: Church as both
religious and community
anchor
Barasoain Church, City of Malolos, Bulacan
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Networks
• Physical: roads, transport,
utilities
• Social: institutions,
organizations
• Digital: modern
communication networks
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Symbols
• Landmarks and icons of
culture
• Build collective memory
and pride
Inauguration of Plaza Rizal, which connects the Biñan Rizal
monument to the Los Maduros Stage, and turning it into an
open recreational park.
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Filipino Case Study
• Spanish-era plaza complex
(church, municipal hall,
market)
• Creates orientation and
identity through hierarchy
• Still visible in towns like
Vigan, Pila, and Baliwag
Plaza Salcedo, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Philippines
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Class Activity: Sketch your community center
Identify its:
• Orientation markers (landmarks, streets)
• Identity markers (symbols, traditions, activities)
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
REMEMBER:
“Community architecture thrives when people find their place
and identity in spaces that reflect their culture, values, and
shared life.”
The challenge for us, as future architects and planners, is this:
“How can you design communities that:
• Help people know where they are (orientation)?
• Help people know who they are (identity)?”
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE
NU
BALIWAG
SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE
Suggested Reading List
• Kevin Lynch – The Image of the City (1960)
• Christian Norberg-Schulz – Genius Loci: Towards a Phenomenology of
Architecture (1980)
• Amos Rapoport – House Form and Culture (1969)
• Fernando Zialcita – Authentic but Not Exotic (2005)
• Paulo Alcazaren et al. – Lungsod Iskwater (2011)
• Rodrigo Perez III – A Heritage of Stone and Wood (2004)
• National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) – publications
on Filipino towns & heritage
• Project for Public Spaces ([Link])
• UN-Habitat – Placemaking and the Future of Cities (2013)
APLANN02 <Module 3: Identity and Components of Community Architecture> SY <2025> ARCH. IMELDA M. TRANCE