Museo Realonda: The Manila Multisensory Interactive Exhibition Hall and Learning Hub For The Visually Challenged

Museo Realonda: The Manila Multisensory Interactive
Exhibition Hall and Learning Hub for the Visually Challenged
A Thesis Proposal Submitted to

The College of Architecture
University of Santo Tomas
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements
For the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
FREAZEL ANNE S. TALAMPAS

5AR-7
03 September 2020
September 3, 2020
Ar. RODOLFO P. VENTURA, MSc.

Dean
University of Santo Tomas
College of Architecture
España Blvd., Manila
Dear Sir:
I have the honor to submit my thesis proposal entitled, “Museo Realonda: The Manila
Multisensory Interactive Exhibition Hall and Learning Hub for the Visually
Challenged” as a partial requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Science in
Architecture. With the goal of shedding more light to the blind and visually
impaired people by constructing a museum designed especially for them, which
enables them to experience being able to learn about history and appreciate art
better through their other senses. The following are its project objectives are deemed
to be attained:
1. To provide a museum which caters to every kinds of people specifically for

those who are blind and visually impaired.
2. To learn more about blindness and visual impairment, and to give awareness to
normal people to remove the stigma from the blind and visually impaired
people.
3. To contribute towards the goal of improving the economy of the Philippines
through designing an innovative museum which can attract all kinds of tourist in
the country.
Upon the approval of this proposal, it is understood that I shall proceed with the
research work and submit it on the designated date. Justification and other requirements
for the proposal are included herewith.
Sincerely yours,
TALAMPAS, FREAZEL ANNE S.
5AR-7
Recommending Approval: Approved by:
Ar. LEAH P. DELA ROSA, PhD. Ar. RODOLFO P. VENTURA, MSc.

2
Thesis Adviser College Dean
3
The Pontifical and Royal
University of Santo
Tomas España Blvd.,
Manila
OFFICE OF THE DEAN

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
Certificate to Proceed
This Certificate is hereby given to FREAZEL ANNE S. TALAMPAS whose thesis

proposal entitled “Museo Realonda: The Manila Multisensory Interactive Exhibition
Hall and Learning Hub for the Visually Challenged” has been carefully evaluated and
endorsed by the Thesis Adviser and has subsequently been reviewed and approved by this
office.
You are now tasked to proceed with your research works in accordance with the existing
guidelines and policies of the College. You are likewise enjoined to submit the said research
work on the time and date designated by the Thesis Adviser this Semester.
This Certificate to Proceed is issued on August 26, 2020.
Ar. RODOLFO P. VENTURA, MSc.

Dean, College of Architecture
Table of Contents
Title Page....................................................................................................................i
Letter to the Dean.......................................................................................................2
Certificate to Proceed.................................................................................................3
Abstract…...................................................................................................................4
Table of Contents…....................................................................................................5
List of Figures….........................................................................................................6
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction.............................................................................................7
1.1 Background and Nature of Project….....................................................7
1.1.1 Origin of the Name of Project
1.2 Statement of Problem...............................................................................8
1.3 Project Goals and Objectives…..............................................................8
1.3.1 Project Goal…...........................................................................8
1.3.2 Project Objectives......................................................................9
1.4 Significance of the Project…....................................................................9
1.5 Scope of the Project..................................................................................9
1.6 Limitation of the Project
1.7 Acronyms and Abbreviations…............................................................10
1.8 Definition of Terms….............................................................................10
Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature................................................................12
2.1 Blindness and Visual Impairment.......................................................12
2.1.1 Common Types of Visual Impairment
2.1.2 Common Causes of Visual Impairment
2.1.3 How Blind and Visually Impaired People Deal with their
Condition
2.2 Museum Architecture
2.2.1 History and Background
2.2.2 Common Types of Museum
2.2.3 What is a Multisensory Museum?
2.2.4 Contemporary Art

2.2.5 Museum Activities
2.2.6 Current Situation of Museums in the Philippines
2.3 Case Studies
2.4 Innovations
2.4.1 Braille
2.4.2 Audio Descriptions
2.4.3 3D Printing
2.4.4 Extra-texture Paintings
2.4.5 Tactile Art
Chapter 3: Research Methodology….....................................................................22
3.1 Overview
3.2 Theoretical Framework
3.3 Research Design
3.3.1 Qualitative Research
3.3.2 Quantitative Research
3.3.3 Descriptive Research
3.3.4 Historical Research
3.4 Research Participants
3.4.1 Direct Participants
3.4.2 Indirect Participants
3.5 Research Tools and Instruments
3.5.1 Survey
3.5.2 Interview
3.5.3 Online Research
3.6 Timeline
Chapter 4: Site Profile and Analysis….....................................................................25
4.1 Overview.................................................................................................25
5
4.2 Site Selection..........................................................................................26
4.2.1 Criteria for Site Selection........................................................26
4.2.2 Site Description........................................................................27
4.2.3 Site Selection Table…...............................................................30
4.3 Site Selection and Justification................................................................31
4.4 Site Profile...............................................................................................32
4.4.1 Macro Site Profile....................................................................32
4.4.2 Micro Site Profile.....................................................................33
4.4.3 Location....................................................................................33
4.4.4 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP)…...........................34
4.4.5 Contour Map............................................................................34
4.4.6 Flood Map................................................................................35
4.4.7 S.W.O.T. Analysis....................................................................36
Bibliography….........................................................................................................38
List of Figures
Chapter 1
Figure 1-1: Teodora Alonzo Y. Quintos
Figure 1-2: Linear trends of visual impairment, Philippines
Figure 1-3: Prevalence of visual impairment, 1995 vs. 2002, Philippines
Chapter 2
Figure 2-1: Marilyn Monroe
Figure 2-2: They say your eyes are the window to your soul, and my soul was hungry.
Figure 2-3: Grapes by Ai Weiwei
Figure 2-4: Frank Stella, Die Fahne Hoch! (1959)
Figure 2-5: Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art
Figure 2-6: Hubris Atë Nemesis installation curves up Maine contemporary art gallery
Figure 2-7: Exhibition | Anish Kapoor: Earth Art in Brussels
Figure 2-8: Untitled by Jean-Michael Basquiat
Figure 2-9: Camila Soato, Imundas e Abençoadas 0, 2014. Zipper Galeria
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Figure 4.1 Site A (Google maps, 2020)....................................................................27
Figure 4.2 Site B (Google maps, 2020).....................................................................28
Figure 4.3 Site C (Google maps, 2020).....................................................................29
Figure 4.4 Contour map (Google maps, 2020)........................................................32
Figure 4.7 5 Year Flood Hazard (NOAH, 2020).................................................35
Figure 4.8 - 25 Year Flood Hazard (NOAH, 2020)...............................................35
Figure 4.9 - 100 Year Flood Hazard (NOAH, 2020)................................................36
List of Tables
Chapter 1
Table 1-1: Prevalence of visual impairment, Philippines
Table 1-2: Prevalence of blindness by region
Table 1-3: Main causes of bilateral
blindness Table 1-4: Main causes of low
vision
Table 1-5: Visual impairment by age and gender
Table 1-6: Prevalence of visual impairment by region
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background and Nature of Project
A museum tells a story about how humanity has overcome a lot of challenges
and important events over the years. It contains natural historical elements, collections
of heritage, identities, records of historical events, artifacts, and a lot more. Museum
acquires and conserves rare objects, researches, communicates and exhibits the
tangible and intangible heritage of humanity and its environment for the purposes of
education, study and entertainment.
“Nothing replaces the authenticity of the object presented with passionate
scholarship. Bringing people face-to-face with our objects is a way of bringing them
face-to-face with people across time, across space, whose lives may have been
different form our own but who, like us, have hopes and dreams, frustrations, and
achievements in their lives.” (Campbell, 2012) The capability of seeing something in
person has a bigger impact rather than seeing something on a book or on a computer
screen because seeing something with your own eyes gives you the privilege of
visualizing and witnessing different perspectives from everything and anything in the
world.
However, accessing museums has been difficult for those people who are blind
and partially sighted, often due to objects being placed in glass cases creating a barrier
to access. Many museums around the world provide some accessibility but what
happens when a museum looks at the issue in its entirety and sees blind and partially
sighted visitors as important as everyone else.
Accessibility for blind people do not depend on their ability to deal with
obstacles in the physical environment, rather, it results when access requirements are
considered during initial planning so that blind people can freely share, enjoy, and
participate in social and cultural life. Museums should serve as a beacon of hope to
everyone, especially for those blind and visually impaired people, to encourage them
to visit the museum and have the assurance of being welcomed and well-appreciated
despite their condition.
1.1.1 Origin of the Name of the Project
Figure 1-1: Teodora Alonzo Y. Quintos On the other hand, the name of
the project was inspired on a well-
known hero, Teodora Alonzo
Realonda, who is the mother of Jose
Rizal. According to history, Teodora
was almost blind at the age of 64 years
old due to the advanced stage of her
cataracts. This is the reason why Jose
Rizal took medicine and specialized in
ophthalmology, for him to cure her

Source: Buhay at Mga Ginawa ni Dr.
Jose Rizal by Poblete, Pascual Hicaro,
1857-1921
cataracts. Rizal longed to give his
mother sight just as he longed to bring vision to his “blind” countrymen.

The researcher came up with this idea since the project is located in
Manila City, which is well known for being the heart of heritage and history of
the Philippines.
1.2 Statement of The Problem
According to a 2012 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), an
approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, with 39 million
blind and 246 million with low vision. The leading cause of blindness is cataracts,
followed by glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration as the secondary causes,
while visual impairment is mainly caused by uncorrected refractive errors. Based on
the 2018 report of the Philippine Blind Union (PBU), there are approximately 500,000
people who are blind or visually impaired and majority of them are poor and
uneducated. In addition, data from Resources of the Blind Inc. (RBI) shows that
40,000 of them are in school age and a very small percentage have been able to enroll
due to financial instability and lack of knowledge.
A legislation called R.A. 6759, also known as “White Cane Act of 1989” was
initiated by the first leaders of the Philippine Blind Union (PBU) namely Capt. Oscar
Taleon and Mr. Michael Barredo. Every August 1 of each year, the law mandates the
celebration of the White Can Safety Day to remind the public of the need for respect
as well as assistance for people using white can for their mobility. Along with this, the
PBU often conducts white can provision projects with the support of government and
non-government donors. This is to insure safe, convenient and independent mobility
of
the blind in the country. In terms of safety and precaution for the blind and visually
impaired, PBU also participates in initiatives to insure Disability Inclusive Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management (DIDRRM). In October 2017, a national conference
was held in Cebu City which nationally declared DIDRRM and its framework of
action. A workshop was conducted which includes blind delegates to ensure inclusion
of measures on how to help the blind and visually impaired people in an emergency
situation.
Table 1-1: Prevalence of visual impairment, Philippines.
Source: Cubillan, L. D., MD, MPH, & Olivar-Santos, E. O., MD, MHA. (2005). Third National
Survey on Blindness. Philippine Journal of Ophthalmology, 30(3), 100-114.
In addition to the statistics stated above, a Third National Survey on Blindness
in the Philippines was conducted from October 2001 to May 2002 to determine the
major causes of visual impairment in both national and regional levels in the
Philippines. The results showed that a total of 29, 888 people among 6, 757
households were visually impaired, 24, 624 (82.39%) of them were examined. The
commonness of visual impairment, such as bilateral blindness, monocular blindness,
bilateral low vision and monocular low vision nationwide is 4.62%, while the regional
prevalence of blindness is from 0.16% to 1.08% and low vision from 0.60% to 4.07%.
It also showed that cataract is the most common cause of blindness. In conclusion of
the results, there are over 400,000 bilaterally blind people in the Philippines, 62% of it
is caused by cataract.
Table 1-2: Prevalence of blindness by region
Based on the results shown in
Table 1-2, the total number of
bilaterally blind persons per region
ranged from 3 to 19 per region. The
lowest prevalence was seen on
regions 1, 13, 14, and 15 while the
highest prevalence was in region 11.
Source: Cubillan, L. D., MD, MPH, & Olivar-

Santos, E. O., MD, MHA. (2005). Third National
Survey on Blindness. Philippine Journal of
Ophthalmology, 30(3), 100-114.
Figure 1-2: Linear trends of visual impairment, Philippines
Figure 1-2 shows the dissemination of the visually impaired persons according
to their age in 10-year intervals. An increase in visual impairment was notices as the
age increased, with the peak at the 70 to 79 age intervals.
Figure 1-3: Prevalence of visual impairment, 1995 vs. 2002, Philippines
Figure 1-3 illustrates comparison of the commonness of visual impairments
between year 1995 and 2002. It shows that bilateral low vision was the highest in the
year 1995 and bilateral blindness was the lowest in 2002.
Table 1-3: Main causes of bilateral blindness
Table 1-3 demonstrates the main causes of bilateral blindness. Cataract has the
largest number of 108 of the 174 (62.1%), while amblyopia has the lowest number of
1 of the 174 (0.6%). Other causes of blindness, in decreasing order, were glaucoma,
retinopathy, maculopathy, corneal opacity, optic atrophy, and phthisis bulbi.
Table 1-4: Main causes of low vision
Table 1-4 presents the main causes of low vision. 317 out of 598 persons had
error of refraction at presentation (1.06%) which followed by cataract in 244 out of
598 persons (0.82%). Other causes of low vision were maculopathy, retinopathy,
glaucoma, amblyopia, optic atrophy, and corneal opacity.
Table 1-5: Visual impairment by age and gender
Table 1-6: Prevalence of visual impairment by region
On the bright side, avoidable blindness is possible if prioritized immediately by
the right people. However, the people responsible for resolving it do not give enough
attention to this problem which can cause reduced ability and loss of self-esteem of
the blind and contributes towards the reduction of quality of life of the blind people
and their respective families. This may lead to economic complications with loss of
productivity and income which can lead to poverty and social dependency of these
people.
1.3 Project Goals and Objectives
1.3.1 Project Goal
The project aims to shed more light to the blind and visually
impaired people by constructing a museum designed especially for

them, which enables them to experience being able to learn about
history and appreciate art better through their other senses.
1.3.2 Project Objectives
 To contribute towards the goal of improving the economy of the
Philippines through designing an innovative museum which can attract
all kinds of tourist in the country.
 To provide a museum which caters to every kinds of people
specifically for those who are blind and visually impaired.
 To learn more about blindness and visual impairment, and to give
awareness to normal people to remove the stigma from the blind and
visually impaired people.
1.4 Significance of The Project
Museums have always been one of the most visited institutions around the
world because it gives knowledge to the people especially to the tourists on a certain
country. The project aims to produce an institution for learning and creativity through
designing a museum which is accessible for everyone especially the blind and visually
impaired people.
Through this project, the range of possibilities for the people to visit this
museum will go wider and higher which will give a big impact on the economy of the
country. In addition, more people will have the opportunity to learn and have
awareness
regarding blindness and visual impairment. And most importantly, blind and visual
impaired people can visit the museum without worrying about their incapability of
seeing things.
1.5 Scope of the Project
This project focuses on the construction of an innovative museum which caters
to people with low vision in all ages. Since it is a multisensory museum, this can also
give opportunity for the deaf, mute and people with disabilities. A learning facility is
also a part of this project to offer education not only for the blind and disabled, but
also for people without complications to give more knowledge about visual
impairment and disabilities in general. The scope of this project includes research
studies and data analysis regarding museums, blindness and visual impairment.
The research study covers the significance, innovations, technologies and
operations of a museum and its management. It also includes the different innovations
that can be applied for the easy access for the blind and visually impaired people.
These are some of the main topics to be discussed: visual impairment, blindness,
accessibility, sensory design, museum design, architecture, the project site and its
constraints, design strategies and design solutions, The data gathering includes online
research, case studies, statistics, surveys and interviews. These are the forms of data
gathering conducted by the researcher to be able to come up with plans and solutions.
The final output is consisting of the following: conceptual analysis, floor plans,
elevations, sections, site development plan, perspectives, structural computations,
design and detailed specifications.

1.6 Limitation of the Project
1.7 Acronyms and Abbreviations
CLUP – Comprehensive Land Use Plan
DIDRRM – Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
DOT – Department of Tourism
EOR – Errors of Refraction
FAR – Floor Area Ratio
MoMa – The Museum of Modern Art
NMP – National Museum of the Philippines
NOAH – Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards
PBU – Philippine Blind Union
PLO – Percentage of Land Occupancy
PUV – Public Utility Vehicle
RBI – Resources of the Blind, Inc.
WHO – World Health Organization
WWT – Worldwide Fund for Nature

1.8 Definition of Terms
Amblyopia
Artifacts – an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical
interest.
Bilateral blindness – a condition being blind on both eyes.
Bilateral low vision
Blindness – the state of being unable to see due to injury, disease or genetic condition.
Braille
Cataract – a medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes progressively
opaque, resulting in blurred vision.
Corneal opacity
Glaucoma – a condition of increased pressure within the eyeball, causing gradual loss
of sight.
Graffiti
Heritage – it is the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and
culture.
Legal blindness
Low vision – it is a kind of visual impairment that is not correctable through surgery,
pharmaceuticals, glasses, or contact lenses. It is often characterized by partial sight,
such as blurred vision, blind spots or tunnel vision, but also includes legal blindness.
Maculopathy – any pathological condition of the macula, an area at the center of the
retina that is associated with highly sensitive, accurate vision.
Monocular blindness
Monocular low
vision Museography
Museum – an institution dedicated to conserving and preserving a collection of
artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance.
Near
sightedness
Optic atrophy
Poverty - a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial
resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living.
Refractive error – a common eye disorder which occurs when the eye cannot clearly
focus the images from the outside world. It may result to blurred vision, which is
sometimes so severe that it causes visual impairment.
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinopathy – a diabetes complication that affect eyes. It is caused by damage to the
blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).
Slate
Stylu
s
Visual impairment – a decrease in the ability to see to a certain degree that causes
problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses.

Chapter 2: Review Of Related Literature
This chapter presents the information gathered from the different reading
materials such as books, journal articles, websites, and personal communications. The
literatures are specifically relevant to the overall architectural aspect of a museum.
2.1 Blindness and Visual Impairment
People who experience any kind of visual impairment are having trouble seeing
clearly, especially those who have a severe condition which may lead to total
blindness. Sight loss is one of the most common causes of disability around the world,
based on statistics, everyday there are 100 people start to lose their sight and one out
of twelve people will become blind or partially sighted by the time they reach the age
of 60, which can rise to one in six people by the time they reach the age of 75. There
are many causes of sight loss. Some people may inherit an eye condition from their
parents, some may get it from illness or being too old. The most common cause of
sight loss is cataracts which is an age-related condition. There are different kinds of
visual impairment which varies depending on how severe the condition or whether it
is treatable or not.
2.1.1 Common Types of Visual Impairment
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are different
classifications of visual acuity and impairment, this includes:

- Visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/400 (inclusive) is considered moderate
visual impairment or low vision.
- Blindness is defined as a visual acuity worse than 20/400 with the best
possible correction, or a visual field of 10 degrees or less.
- Legal blindness in the US means visual acuity of 20/200 or worse with
the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.
- Visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/400 (inclusive) is considered moderate
visual impairment or low vision.
2.1.2 Common Causes of Visual Impairment
2.1.2.1 Glaucoma
It is a condition wherein the normal fluid rises which causes
pressure inside the eyes. It causes a tunnel-like vision. The clear vision
remains at the center while the peripheries start decreasing. The tunnel-
like vision at the center of the eye reduces its size which can lead to
total blindness if left uncorrected.
2.1.2.2 Age-Related Macular Degeneration
This is a painless condition wherein the central area of woolly or
cottony opacity darkens the central part of the vision. This condition
blurs the sharpness of central vision which hinders the person to do
activities that needs close viewing such as reading, sewing, etc.
2.1.2.3 Cataract
A common condition in older people It is a condition wherein
the vision starts to get cloudy which affects the whole eye lens. This
results to blurring of vision which may be diffused until it totally lost.
2.1.2.4 Diabetic Retinopathy
It is a damage of the smaller arteries and blood vessels at the
back of the eyes over the retina cause by diabetes. It is the most
common diabetic eye disease and leading cause of blindness in adults.
2.1.2.5 Near Sightedness
Also known as myopia or short sightedness. It is a condition
wherein a person can see nearby objects clearly, but distant objects
appear blurred. High myopia may lead to vision impairment.
2.1.2.6 Retinitis Pigmentosa

It is an inherited condition which initially manifests as night
blindness. Tunneling of vision with loss of peripheral vision will occur
in the long run which can be followed by complete blindness.
2.1.3 How Blind and Visually Impaired People Deal with their Condition
It is true that being blind or visually impaired is not a joke. A normal
person will have a hard time understanding the situation unless they
experience it themselves. Having an eye condition is not a game, the people
who experience it need to learn and adjust on their condition to help them live
without seeing the world around them. Here are some of the common coping
skills of blind people:
2.1.3.1 Environment Awareness and Arrangement
A blind person should be highly familiar to the arrangement of
the objects in their home, depending on their lifestyle. A lot of things
inside their house should be taken into consideration. Materials inside
should be chosen properly to avoid accidents to happen, stairs should
have a railing to guide them, less clutter to avoid tripping, and a proper
distribution of lighting for those people who are partially blind. Each
of these changes can be done with slight adjustments and enough time
to accomplish everything to make sure that everything is ready for the
blind person to live in it.

2.1.3.2 Communication
Communicating is one of the hardest things to do when you are
blind or partially sighted. At first, a blind person can have a difficulty
on communicating but once he/she learned to read Braille, the system
of raised dots that allows the blind to use their fingers to read,
everything will be much easier for them. It will give them a lot of
opportunities despite their condition, they can put Braille in everything
around them such as their items inside their home to guide them daily.
The world of technology is now possible for blind people to experience
because of talking devices on computers, or special magnifiers for
those who have partial vision.
2.1.3.3 Travel
Getting from one place to another is a real challenge for blind
people especially on huge open spaces. A long cane is the traditional
option for the blind people to help them navigate around. Another
option is for them to take care of a trained dog which can accompany
them on their everyday life and travels.
2.1.3.4 Emotional Well-Being
Losing one of your senses can be very exhausting. A blind
person might feel frustrations and anxiety more often than a person
who have a
clear vision. Reaching out to people can help them a lot such as
attending to support groups or seeing a counselor, these experts will
help them cope with their emotional struggles.
2.2 Museum Architecture
2.2.1 History and Background
As institutions that preserve and interpret the material evidence of
humankind, human activity, and the natural world, museums have a long and
varied history, springing from what may be innate human desire to collect and
interpret and having discernible origins in large collections built up by
individuals and groups before modern era. (Lewis, 2019).
During the identification of the role of museums in society, a theory of
study has been slowly developed which is known as museology. It is a study
wherein museum personnel were trained and experienced in a discipline
related to a collection for them to have a better understanding of the operation,
role and significance of a museum. Borrowing from other disciplines and other
techniques lead to a more practical aspect of museum work, regardless of the
requirements of the museum and its public. Museography, known as
museology’s practical applications, did not meet the expectations because of
its slow development. Because of this, museums suffered from a conflict of
purpose, with a resulting lack of clear identity.

2.2.2 Common Types of Museum
Given their diverse origins, varying philosophies, and differing roles in
society, museums do not lend themselves to rigid classification. Certain
museums provide for a specialist audience—for example, children, societies,
universities, or schools. Some have responsibilities for a defined geographic
area, such as a city or region. Other museums—especially ones where the
primary ethos is nationalistic, religious, or political—may offer unusual
perspectives, resulting in alternative interpretations of artistic, historical, or
scientific collections. (Lewis, 2019).
2.2.2.1 General museums
General museums, sometimes known as multidisciplinary or
interdisciplinary museums, contain collections in more than one
subject. Some of these museums hold a few important collections that
would qualify them to be arranged in more than on category of
specialization.
2.2.2.2 Natural history and natural science museums
Museums of natural history and natural science are concerned
with the natural world; their collections may contain specimens of
birds, mammals, insects, plants, rocks, minerals, and fossils. (Lewis,
2019).
2.2.2.3 Science and technology museums
Museums of science and technology are concerned with the
development and application of scientific ideas and instrumentation. A
later development in science museums involved the applications of
science, so that museums began to preserve the material evidence of
technological as well as scientific endeavor. Some science and
technology museums concentrate on demonstrating science and its
applications; in these museums the preservation of process is
emphasized over the preservation of objects. (Lewis, 2019).
2.2.2.4 History museums
The term history museum is often used for a wide variety of
museums where collections are amassed and, in most cases, are
presented to give a chronological perspective. Because of the
encompassing nature of history, museums of this type may well hold
so many objects of art and science that they would more properly be
called general museums. (Lewis, 2019).
2.2.2.5 Art museums
The art museum (called art gallery in some places) is concerned
primarily with the object as a means of unaided communication with
its visitors. Aesthetic value is therefore a major consideration in

accepting
items for the collection. Traditionally, these collections have comprised
paintings, sculpture, and the decorative arts. (Lewis, 2019).
2.2.2.6 Virtual museums
A virtual museum is a collection of digitally recorded images,
sound files, text documents, and other data of historical, scientific, or
cultural interest that are accessed through electronic media. A virtual
museum does not house actual objects and therefore lacks the
permanence and unique qualities of a museum in the institutional
definition of the term. (Lewis, 2019).
In this project, it is important to distinguish the specific type of museum
to be designed and built. Since the majority of the visitors are visually
impaired, the main focus of this study is all about multisensory museums.
2.2.3 What is a Multisensory Museum?
It is a museum with new trends and untapped opportunities for using
such modalities as scent, sound, and touch in museums to offer more
immersive experiences and diverse sensory engagement for blind and visually
impaired people. (Levent, 2014).

Majority of the museums only allow visitors to experience the artworks
through viewing them with their eyes, neutral smells and sounds are applied in
galleries so that the visitors can focus on the artworks, but those factors can
alter the whole purpose of a museum experience. All of the senses – sight,
sound, touch, smell, and hearing – are a part of a real museum experience
which is a multilayered journey that is proprioceptive, sensory, intellectual,
aesthetic and social. The end result might be learning, wonder, reflection and
relaxation, sensory stimulation, conversation with friends, new social ties,
creation of lasting memories, or recollection of past events. Museums need to
consider their potential impact on visitors and the opportunity they represent
to shape visitors’ brains through considering the combined complex
interactions between visual, auditory, olfactory, spatial, and other aspects of
the visitors’ experience.
2.2.3.1 Touch
Tactile perception and similarities between touch and vision
contributes to the recognition of an object. Exploration of objects
through touch is not unisensory and it is different from experiencing
the object through seeing it, but that haptic processing employs many
of the same visual brain regions. Based on a neuroscientific study,
visual input can now be activated using tactile or haptic (passive or
active touch) tasks. This shows that activation of classical visual
regions during haptic perception reflects visual imagery. There are two
types of visual imagery which varies on an individual’s preference.
“Object” imagers
tend to generate images that are pictorial and deal with the actual
appearance of objects in terms of shape and surface properties such as
color and texture. On the other hand, “spatial” imagers tend to generate
more schematic images dealing with the spatial relations of objects and
their component parts, and with spatial transformations. This concludes
that object imagers encode information based on the properties of an
object while spatial imagers do not and employed tasks that required
shape discrimination across changes in texture and texture
discrimination across changes in shape. In conclusion, object imagery
is associated with familiar, more than unfamiliar objects while spatial
imagery may be associated with both.
2.2.3.2 Sound
The development of sound gallery and acoustic museum
experiences may contribute to the simulation of the brain through
sound. Sound connects spaces, illuminates unseen relationships
between museum objects, invites a different appreciation of its
architecture, and encourages different curatorial strategies.
2.2.3.3 Smell and Taste
It is about the use of olfaction and taste in a museum. This helps
to manipulate mood and to generate sense of becoming part of what is

being smelled. Some of the downside of an olfactory art care the
following: difficult to control in space, often has strong subliminal
effects, and can trigger strong emotional responses. Overall, applying
pleasurable smells can turn a museum into a place wherein people with
visual impairment can experience an object through their sense of
smell.
2.2.4 Contemporary Art
The definition of contemporary art can be uncertain and tricky to
determine for most of the people. It is not simply called as a ‘modern-day art’
since it has a deeper meaning in it. Luckily, understanding what constitutes as
“contemporary” is entirely possible once one learned about its history and
explores its underlying themes.
What is Contemporary Art?
The term “contemporary art” refers to art such as painting,
sculpture, photography, installation, performance, and video art –
produced today. Although it is easy to understand, a lot of people are
still confused on its definition, since interpretations of “today” may
vary on different individuals. Therefore, the exact starting point of the
genre is still debated; however, many art historians consider the late
1960s or early 1970s to be an adequate estimate.

Contemporary art movements focused on “how” art was created
and disseminated, rather than “what” was produced. It emphasized
ideas and concepts rather than precious objects and the skills needed to
make them. In the attempt to popularize and broaden access to visual
art, art historians introduced a series of new art forms such as
Conceptualism, Performance, Happenings, Installations, Earthworks,
Projection Art, and in the process took full advantage of new media
like video, computers, and digital technology.
What are the Main Contemporary Art Movements?
Pop Art
Figure 2-1: Marilyn Monroe
It is the first contemporary
art movement which is intended to
react to the preceding modern art
movement. Pop Art was pioneered
by artists like Andy Warhol and
Roy Lichtenstein during the post-
war between Britain and America.

Source: Pop Art: The Art History
Archive – Movements (2007) It is defined by an interest in
portraying mass culture and re-imagining commercial products as
accessible art. While the movement lasted roughly from the 1950s
through the early 1970s, it was reborn by artists like Jeff Koons as
Neo- Pop Art in the 1980s.

Photorealism
Figure 2-2: They say your eyes are the

window to your soul, and my soul was Artists from Pop Art
hungry.
movement sought to reproduce
objects, those involved with
Photorealism – a concurrent
movement which aims to create
hyper-realistic drawings and
paintings. Artists in this
movement often worked from

Source: Hannah Moghbel –
Contemporary Paintings (2014) photographs, which enabled them
to accurately reproduce portraits, landscapes, and other iconography.
Artists like Chuck Close and Gerhard Richter often worked in this style.
Conceptualism
Figure 2-3: Grapes by Ai
Weiwei This movement also came
from Pop Art. Conceptualism
rejected the idea of art as an
entity but rather, the conceptual
art has the idea behind a work of
art which takes precedence.
Major
conceptual artists include

Source: Artnet Worldwide Corporation
Damien Hirst, Ai Wei Wei, and
Jenny Holzer. Though this experimental movement is rooted in art of
the early 21st century, it became a formal movement in the 1960s and
remains a major contemporary art movement today.
Minimalism
Figure 2-4: Frank Stella, Die Fahne
Hoch! (1959)
Minimalism came to life in
the late 1960s and still significant
today, just like Conceptualism.
According to the Tate, both
movements “challenged the
existing structures for making,
disseminating and viewing art.”
Source: The Artling (2019) What makes Minimalism different,
is that it’s simple, abstract aesthetic invites viewers to respond to what
they see – not what they think a given work of art represents. So the
meaning of the works of art under this movement depends on the
perspective of each viewer. Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, and Dan Flavin
are some key Minimalist artists.

Performance Art
Figure 2-5: Radical Presence: Black
Performance in Contemporary Art
The idea of this
movement came from
Conceptualism, and it also began
in 1960s and retained its
popularity today. Performance
Art is a drama-inspired approach
to art. While the art form is
Source: Walker Art Center (2020) performed by artists, it is not
solely intended as entertainment. Instead, its goal is to convey a
message or idea, just like the usual work of art that can be seen in a
museum. Predominant performance artists include Marina Abramović,
Yoko Ono, and Joseph Beuys.
Installation Art
Figure 2-6: Hubris Atë Nemesis
installation curves up Maine
contemporary art gallery Like performance pieces,
Installation Art is an immersive
medium of art. It consists of
installations which are three-
dimensional constructions that
transform their surroundings and
alter viewers’ perceptions of
Source: Dezeen (2019) space. It is often large-scale and

site-specific, which enables artists to transform any space into a
customized, interactive environment. Well-known installation artists
include Yayoi Kusama, Dale Chihuly, and Bruce Munro.
Earth Art
Figure 2-7: Exhibition | Anish Kapoor:
Earth Art in Brussels
It is like Installation Art,
but what makes Earth Art
different from it is that artists
transform natural landscapes into
site- specific works of art. Robert
Smithson, Christo and Jeanne-
Claude, and Andy Goldsworthy
Source: C-File (2020) are celebrated for their avant-
garde
earthworks.
Street Art
Figure 2-8: Untitled by Jean-Michael Basquiat
It is one of the most
recent contemporary art
movements. Street Art is a genre
that gained prominence with the
rise of graffiti in the 1980s. It
Source: ArtWizard (2020)

includes murals, installations,
stenciled
images, and stickers erected in public spaces which often rooted from
social activism. Key street artists include figures from the 1980s, like
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, as well as practicing artists
like Banksy and Shepard Fairey.
Feminist Art
Figure 2-9: Camila Soato, Imundas e
Abençoadas 0, 2014. Zipper Galeria
An art movement
involving female artists which
addressed specific gender-based
issues, such as motherhood, as
well as wider issues like racism
and employment conditions.
Leading figures include Nancy

Source: Artsy (2020)
Spero, Miriam Schapiro, Judy
Chicago, Barbara Kruger, Joan Jonas, and Louise Bourgeois.
2.2.5 Museum Activities
Museums have a goal of creating different collections. Some of these
collections contains a wide variation of subjects but sometimes, some of them
tend to depend on the expertise or whim of the curator. This produced some
outstanding special collections but resulted from circumstance rather than
long- term planning. One of the biggest responsibilities of a museum is to be

able to
conserve and maintain its collections and to avoid deterioration. Conservation
involves treatment, control in temperature, restoration of objects back to its
original form, etc. This can be achieved through proper care of its collections
and a decent laboratory where preservation and restoration can be done in the
right way. Since a museum holds millions of items at the same time,
documentation is a significant function of a museum. It provides records of the
information related to the objects for research. Nowadays, a computerized
documentation system is being used on majority of the museums all over the
world because it is easily accessed and monitored. As an institution, research
must be done in order to study future exhibitions, catalogs, publications and to
promote a better understanding of the discipline that a museum serves. Regular
research and publication on a certain topic may contribute to the attraction of
more collections related to the topic. Because of this, a research facility is
needed for a museum to work properly. Lastly, a museum is pointless without
its exhibitions; this includes the displays, exhibits, collections and storage of
artifacts. Specialists such as designers, educators, curators, sociologists and
interpreters are tasked to improve the communication of objects to the people
who will witness and experience them. By using the proper amount of color
and light, sound, video, virtual reality and traditional methods, museums tend
to be more relaxing and inviting for the visitors which results to an increase in
overall museum attendance.

2.2.6 Current Situation of Museums in the Philippines
The current standing of museums in the Philippines today is quite
outstanding because of the restoration of the 90-year old office of the tourism
department which was turned into a museum known as The National Museum
of Natural History in Manila. "The opening of the museum marks the
completion of the conversion of the Department of Tourism (DOT) Building
into a world-class museum facility that will benefit all Filipinos by helping us
all to know better and develop a greater appreciation for the gifts of nature
with which our country is so richly endowed," National Museum of the
Philippines (NMP) chairman Ramon del Rosario said in a press conference.
The private sector gave funds to the government to erect the Tree of Life. Del
Rosario said that the museum is not complete without it, so they needed more
funds to construct this magnificent structure inside the museum. The Tree of
Life is a glass and aluminum dome with an elevator at the center which gives
opportunity to the visitors to see the topmost portion of the museum wherein
there is a big amount of natural light which gives more life to their museum
experience. Some of the galleries that can be found inside consists of beaches,
forests, mangroves, and ocean life. Marine and Forest life are also displayed in
some of the galleries in the museum. The newly opened museum received a lot
of compliments from the public especially the students who are too distracted
by technology and internet in our modern times. "It is very heart-warming to
see the response of the people, so many people especially young people in
particular are very interested in coming to see this new museum but not only
this museum all the other museums have generated crowds that surpassed our
expectations through
these months and years, it gives me a sense of pride and satisfaction,” del
Rosario said.
2.3 Case Studies
Case Study 1: Creating an Art-Making Workshop for Adults Who Are
Blind or Have Low Vision
MoMa has a long history of serving individuals who are blind or have
low vision. They started offering the first Touch Tours of original sculptures
in 1972 which made the museum establish itself as a leader in the field of
accessible programming. Over the years, MoMa learned from their blind and
partially sighted visitors that they wanted to access all of their collections and
special exhibitions, including two-dimensional paintings, drawings, prints, and
photographs that could not be touched. MoMa responded to the visitors’ needs
and began offering art appreciation courses that employed the use of tactile
diagrams, visual description, and art making. During the art courses, MoMa
learned that many of their participants wanted to spend less time in the
museums’ classroom and more time in the museums’ galleries. In 2005,
MoMa launched the Art inSight program as a monthly offering to the general
public. In the program, specially trained art historians provide detailed verbal
descriptions to help paint a picture in the mind’s eye and also share art
historical information to promote their discussion. The program includes
touching sculptures or design objects when possible. The program regularly
welcomes individuals who are just beginning to experience sight loss,

individuals who
have been blind since birth, and many others in between. The challenge that
MoMa faced was to develop a plan for an art-making workshop that would be
sophisticated enough not to feel childish but accessible enough that it would
allow individuals of all levels of vision and experience to feel successful.
Since there is not enough time to finish a sketch or a masterpiece,
MoMa focused more on the exploration of artistic ideas and processes rather
than finished products which would allow all participants to leave the
experience with a greater understanding of some aspect of contemporary art
practice, regardless of their level of satisfaction with their physical creation.
MoMa decided to focus on a theme of “Symbolic Self-Portraits” and to create
sculptural objects out of white paper clay. They chose paper clay because it is
virtually odorless, has a pleasing texture that is not overly sticky, is easily
manipulated, and can be used to create fine details. There are several reasons
on why MoMa decided to use clay in creating symbolic self-portraits, one of
these is because they do not want their participants to get caught up in trying
to create a physical likeness, especially under time pressure. Rather, they
wanted to create some of the more complex ways that artists translate ideas
into objects and employ symbolism in their work. They also wanted to
encourage self- expression to their participants and for them to share aspects
of their personalities and interests in one another. And lastly, they wanted
participants to make works that were small and sturdy enough to be passed
around and handled by others in the group.

The creations of the participants were as different as their personalities.
They seemed to enjoy the opportunity to share their creations and to see and
feel the sculptures that others had made. Even the few participants who
seemed less enthusiastic about making art at the beginning of the workshop
expressed their satisfaction with the experience. Everyone agreed that they
would sign up for another workshop in the future.
2.4 Innovations
2.4.1 Braille
It is a series of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people
who are blind or partially sighted. Braille is not a language; it is a code by
which languages such as English or Spanish may be written and read. Braille
symbols are formed within units of space known as braille cells. A full braille
cell consists of six raised dots arranged in two parallel rows each having three
dots. The position of the dots is identified by numbers from one through six.
There are sixty-four possible combinations using one or more of the six dots.
A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation
mark, or even a whole word.
There are many ways on how to write in braille. One of them is the
Grade 1 braille. It is when every letter of every word is expressed in braille.
The more complicated one is the Grade 2 braille. In this system, cells are used
individually or in combination with others to form a variety of contractions or
whole words. Braille can be written on paper using slate and stylus. With
paper
placed in the slate, tactile dots are made by pushing the pointed end of the
stylus into the paper over the depressions. Other way of producing braille is by
a machine called braillewriter. It is like a typewriter which only has six keys
and a space bar. The six keys correspond to the six dots or braille cell.
Learning braille is important for people who are blind or partially sighted for
them to cope with people and environment around them.
2.4.2 Audio Descriptions
It involves the accessibility of the visual images of theater, museum,
television, movies and other art forms for people who are blind, partially
sighted, or visually impaired. It is a narration service that attempts to describe
those images that a blind person cannot see. In museums, audio description is
commentary and narration which guides the listener through the presentation
with concise, objective description of new art, painting, sculpture, scenes,
settings, costumes, body language, etc. Audio descriptions can be delivered
through smartphones, audio players, and other technological devices which
produce sound. This is helpful for a blind person to explore the museum
independently.
2.4.3 3D Printing
Blind, partially sighted and visually impaired people can now visualize
an art without seeing it, this is because of the invention of 3D printing for
museums. It is a process of making a physical, three-dimensional object from
a digital model. Existing objects can be scanned and reproduced, and new
designs can also be created. This can be helpful for museums because it can
make
replicas of artefacts which are fragile and should be properly taken care of. It
can also bring galleries and exhibitions come to life by providing tactile
experience for the visitors. Overall, there is a whole lot of possibilities with
this kind of innovation. It gives museums the ability to make their collections
available to the blind and visually impaired people.
2.4.4 Extra-textured Paintings
Making art more accessible to people who cannot see does not require
changing already existing pieces. Paintings, for example, can be created with
the consideration of people with low vision in mind from the start, layering
paint to make it a more tactile experience. Though layering paint to created
more textured work is common, artists who use the technique specifically to
make their art more inclusive are relatively rare. Regardless of the lack of
popularity, painting with texture is a simple, low-tech way to bring art to those
who cannot experience it through sight.
2.4.5 Tactile Art
This technique has made possible through the use of screws of different
heights, to create a topographic-like portraits by inserting the screws into
wooden boards, making images with the meticulous gaps and grooves.
Because of this technique, people with low vision or even those who are blind
have the opportunity to experience the work of art through touch.

Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Overview
This chapter contains different research methods to be used and tested in
studying the thesis proposal. All the information gathered by the researcher will be
carefully analyzed to come up with a systematic composition that can be used to
figure out the proper architectural design solution for the problems of the research
proposal.
3.2 Theoretical Framework
Figure 3-1: Proposed Integrated Theoretical Framework
Souce: Uplane, Megha & Wadegaonkar, Ashwini & Sonawane, Sanjeev. (2015). THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK OF SOCIALIZATION FOR INCLUSION OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
International Journal of educational research studies. 1. 28-45.
3.3 Research Design
Different research methodologies will be used to have a better understanding of
the whole project, the following research methodologies will be applied:
3.3.1 Qualitative Research
This type of research will answer the why’s and how’s of decision
making. Understanding the behavior of blind and visually impaired people
will help the researcher to focus and analyze this information to come up with
a solution to the problem. This contains a more in-depth study of how blind
and visually impaired people feel about visiting a museum, how they want to
be welcomed, what works best for them, etc. Through qualitative research, the
researcher will be given the opportunity to adjust some details on the project to
be able to meet the standards of the visitors and to avoid misunderstanding or
misinterpretations in the future. Moreover, the researcher will observe, and
document behavior patterns and opinions of the visitors related to the
museum; how it works, the organization of it, the flow of the exhibitions, how
it serves people with disability, etc. The outcome of the design solutions and
strategies will depend on the information gathered from this research so it is
important to deeply understand and analyze the project through this method,
and to be able to attain more knowledge related to the typology of the project,
the core of the project, its uses and benefits to the people, etc.
3.3.2 Quantitative Research
Quantitative research will be used to deal with the total population of
the future visitors of the museum, especially those who are blind and visually
impaired. It will gather information based on population density depending on
the season, estimated population of the blind and visually impaired people, etc.
to be able to determine the required spaces needed for the project. This can
also serve as a guide for future expansions and innovations for the museum
itself.
3.3.3 Descriptive Research
This method will be used to identify key issues that will affect the
project in the future based on the design objectives mentioned in Chapter 1. It
will study the present situation of behavior of the people and function of a
museum in the society. Through this, the researcher will be able to come up
with questionnaires for the survey to be performed during the research
process.
3.3.3.1 Case Studies
Case studies will be included in this research to be able to study
existing projects with the same objectives or purpose will be gathered
and analyzed to help the researcher understand the proper way of
designing a museum made for the blind and visually impaired.

Through gathering information from case studies, the researcher will
be able to define the scope and limitations of the project, to have
more design
solutions for the problems that the project may encounter in the future,
to have more knowledge about new technology and innovations that
can be applied to the project, etc. This can also be helpful in
determining the required spaces and its benefits to the users and for the
researcher to be able to come up with the most efficient architectural
solutions and strategies.
3.3.3.2 Survey
Survey is one of the most challenging research methods since it
will require the researcher to communicate with different kinds of
people to gather information and opinions related to the project. In the
current situation, online survey forms are the only way of gathering
information. It will be given to people who have interest in museums,
tourists, people with eye problems, and other people that may
contribute to the project to be more precise and for the researcher to
gain knowledge from other people’s perspective.
3.3.4 Historical Research
This method will involve the careful analysis of the past events that deal
with the present situations. In relation to the project, historical research will be
applied to gain vital information regarding the past events or records on the
museums here in the Philippines. Information such as the evolution,

significance, impact, role of a museum in the society will be collected for the
researcher to be able to gain knowledge on the past and to understand the
history of a museum. This will open a whole lot of ideas and solutions that can
be applied to the project with consideration on the information gathered from
records from the past.
3.4 Research Participants
Vital information will be gathered from research participants that will
contribute in the planning process, strategies to be applied to the project, and for
general improvement of the facility and its service to the visitors.
3.4.1 Direct Participants
The main focus of this project is to give opportunity to those
people who are visually challenged to be able to have smooth access
and gain knowledge in the facility, that is why people with visual
impairment or blind are the primary participants of the research. In
addition, the researcher needs to fully understand the problem with
visual impairment. So, other participants who from the medicine field,
particularly those who specializes in the study of vision, are also
considered as direct participants for this research. These are the
following people:
A. Ophthalmologist
B. Optometrist
C. Low Vision Specialist
D. Orthoptist
E. Optician
F. Cornea Specialist
G. Retinal Specialist
H. Glaucoma Specialist
I. Neuro-ophthalmologist
3.4.2 Indirect Participants
People with sensory disabilities, such as hearing loss, deafness and
autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are also vital for this research since this
project will be primarily designed for people with incomplete senses. Other
people who are related to persons with these disabilities, such as caregivers
and family members, are also considered as participants of this research to
widen the gathering of information.
3.5 Research Tools and Instruments
The research instruments will help and guide the researcher in gathering
information, facts and opinion that will affect the output of the project. These
instruments will improve the quality and the feasibility of the design project.
3.5.1 Survey Questionnaires
Survey questionnaires will be used to gather information related to the
project. It has a combination of close-form questions (yes-or-no type),
recognition type (multiple choice and checklist format), and coding type (5-
point like scale).
3.6.2 Interviews
3.6.3 Online Research
3.6 Timeline
Chapter 4: Site Profile and Analysis
This chapter contains the discussion of the comparison between three selected
locations for the proposed study. Detailed analysis of each site will be presented as
well as the site criteria and S.W.O.T. analysis which will serve as a guide to choose
the most appropriate location for the proposed project.
4.1 Overview
One of the most vital parts of a thesis proposal is the location because it can
have a big impact on the overall design of the structure depending on the situation of
the site. Study of the site should be taken seriously as it will greatly affect the users of
the project.
Since the project proposal is a museum, it is important to build it in a place
wherein people visit more frequently especially tourists from around the world. In this
way, the museum has a big possibility to be noticed and to be known. The site will be
located in one of the busiest cities in the Philippines – The City of Manila, which is
located within Metro Manila also known as the National Capital Region of the
Philippines. According to a 2009 publication of the Worldwide Fund for Nature
(WWF), Manila has the second highest population density among all cities
worldwide. Being one of the major tourist destinations in the country, the city attracts
over 1 million visitors from all over the world every year. Overall, Manila has high
physical and social resilience and moderate economic institutional, and natural
resilience.
4.2 Site Selection
4.2.1 Criteria for Site Selection
The following criteria will help the researcher in determining the most
appropriate site for the project. It will be rated either one (1), two (2), or three
(3) with one (1) being the lowest score and three (3) being the highest score.
 Location and Accessibility – It is important that the museum is highly
accessible because its focus is to cater to blind and visually impaired
people and it would be a lot easier for them if the museum is located
somewhere they can easily go to despite which place they come from.
 Proper Land Use and zoning – The location must be able to follow
the city’s ordinances to be able to construct a museum without
violating the rules and to give consideration towards its surrounding
facilities.
 Good Orientation (sun and wind orientation) – Selecting a site with
a good air circulation and natural lighting will highly benefit the
project to lessen the energy consumption by maximizing the natural
resources in the area.
 Accessibility to utilities – Utilities such as water, electricity and
communication lines should be easily accessible for the proper
maintenance.
 Site must be big enough for easy navigation of the visitors and for
future expansion – The site must have an extra space allotted for
future expansion of the museum and for bigger spaces needed for
circulation to encourage more people to visit the museum.
 Must be in proximity/accessible to the Urban – People from other
cities are welcome to visit the museum which will encourage more
people to visit and check out the museum.
Natural, Environment, Physical Factors
Category Points
Land Area/Lot Size
Accessibility
Soil Characteristics and Condition
Utilities (Water, Electricity,

Communication)
Vulnerabilities to Natural Hazards
Site Drainage
Topography
Climate
Orientation
Vegetation
Future Expansion Plan
Socio-Economic and Cultural Factors
Category Points
Site Potential
Accessibility to Major Roads
Within Urban Area
Accessibility to Important Existing
Facilities
Pedestrian Access and Circulation
Legal, Institutional, Administrative, and Aesthetic Factors
Category Points
Proper Land Use & Zoning
Ease of Ownership
Land Cost
Compatibility with Adjacent Land Use
Natural, Environmental and Physical Factors
A. Evaluation for Land Area/ Lot Size
1- Lot size is inadequate to meet the suggested minimum lot size requirement set in
the national building code
2- Lot size is adequate to meet the suggested minimum lot size requirement set in the
national building code
3- Lot size exceeds 50% of the suggested minimum lot size requirement set in the
national building code and provides area for possible expansion for other amenities
and activities
4- Lot size exceeds 75% of the suggested minimum lot size requirement set in the
national building code and provides area for possible expansion for other amenities
and activities
5- Lot size exceeds more than 100% of the suggested minimum lot size requirement
set in the national building code and provides area for possible expansion for other
amenities and activities
B. Evaluation for Accessibility
1- Accessible by ride-hailing services, taxis, and private vehicles
2- Accessible by PUVs, ride-hailing services, taxis, and private vehicles
3- Accessible by jeepneys, PUVs, ride-hailing services, taxis, and private vehicles

4- Accessible by public bus, jeepneys, PUVs, ride-hailing services, taxis, and private
vehicles
5- In close proximity to airport terminal, and by public bus, jeepneys, PUVs, ride
hailing services, taxis, and private vehicles
C. Evaluation for Soil Characteristics
1- Soil is unstable all over and soil is mostly consisting of made ground or fill
2- Soil is unstable for most parts of site and is mostly consists of peat and organic soil
3- Some remote area of the site has unstable soils and is mostly consists of cohesive
soils (hard, firm and soft clays)
4- Most areas of the site have stable soils and is mostly consists of non-cohesive soils
(hard clays, gravel and sand)
5- Soils are stable and mostly consists of rocks (igneous, gneissic, limestone,
sandstone, schist, slate, mudstone)
D. Evaluation for Utilities (Water, Electricity, and Communication)
1- Non-existing utilities and services and has known difficulties of access on site
2- No existing utilities and services but is accessible far from the site
3- No existing utilities and services but is accessible near the site
4- Existing utilities and services are available adjacent to or near the site
5- Existing utilities and services are available within the site
E. Evaluation for Vulnerabilities to Natural Hazards

1- Site in proximity to hazards
2- Site is in proximity to three or more hazards
3- Site is in proximity to two hazards
4- Site is in proximity to one hazard
5- Site free of any potential damage/injury from natural hazards
F. Evaluation for Site Drainage
1- Site is mostly low and the neighboring areas drain into it
2- Drainage accumulates in some portion of the site
3- Drainage accumulates in the neighborhood near the site
4- Site has definite drainage with water coming from adjacent properties but can
merely be contained
5- Site has definite drainage with no unnecessary water coming from adjacent
properties
G. Evaluation for Topography
1- Site contains major topographic irregularity and cannot hold possible
uses 2- Site is not even, and can only hold certain possible use
3- Site is not even, but can still hold all possible uses
4- Site is chiefly even and can hold all possible uses
5- Site is relatively flat and can hold all possible use

H. Evaluation for Climate
1- The site has irregular dry and wet season
2- Site experiences greater wet season than dry season
3- Site experiences greater dry season than wet season
4- Site has fair climate and weather condition
5- Site has good climate and weather condition
I. Evaluation for Orientation
1- The site does not have good sun and wind orientation
2- The site has satisfactory sun and wind orientation
3- The site has good sun orientation but satisfactory wind orientation
4- The site has both good sun and wind orientation
5- The site has both excellent sun and wind orientation
J. Evaluation for Existing
Vegetation 1- The site has no existing vegetation
2- The site has 10% existing vegetation
K. Evaluation for Future Expansion

1- The site has no potential for future expansion
2- Relevant variances are approved to future
expansion 3- Some variances are approved to future
expansion
4- Has enough area for additional amenities for the property
development 5- Has larger area for additional amenities for the property
development
Legal, Institutional and Aesthetic Factors
A. Evaluation for Proper Land Use and Zoning
1- Land's present/future zoning does not allow use for a vertical structure
2- Land's current zoning does not allow vertical structure, but exemption can be
appealed
3- Land's current zoning permits skyscraper with provision on the
usage 4- Land is currently within a C-3 zone and but will probably
change
5-Land is within a C-3 zoning classification set in the National Building Code or
within a Central Business District and present/future zoning permits a vertical
structure or no zoning restrictions exist
B. Evaluation for Ease of Ownership

1- The site is divided with many property owners
2- The site is divided with a moderate number of property owners

3- The site is divided with few property owners
4- The site is relatively undivided
C. Evaluation for Land Cost Criteria
1- Site is high-priced
2- Site is above the reasonable value but is still affordable
3- Site is at reasonable value
4- Site is below the reasonable value
D. Evaluation for Compatibility with Adjacent Land
1- Incompatible with the adjacent land use and the surrounding context
2- Considerable differences with the adjacent land use and surrounding
context 3- Certain differences with the adjacent land use and surrounding
context
4- Relatively fit with the adjacent land use and surrounding context
5- Perfectly relates with the adjacent land use and surrounding context
Socio-Economic and Cultural Factor
A. Evaluation for Site Potential
1- Site is potential for job opportunities and rationalized residential plan
2- Site is potential for local business sectors and agencies, job opportunities and
rationalized residential plan
3- Site is potential for local and international business sectors and agencies, tourism
development, job opportunities and rationalized residential planning
B. Evaluation for Accessibility to Major
Roads 1- Site is more than 5 km away or 1 hour
vehicle ride 2- Site is within 4 km away or 1 hour
vehicle ride
3- Site is within 3 km away or 30 minutes vehicle ride
4- Site is within 2 km away or a minutes vehicle ride
5- Site is within reasonable walking distance or 1km and less
C. Evaluation for Must be within Urban Area
1- Site is not within an urban area
2- Site is within an urbanizing
area 3- Site is within an urbanized
area
4- Site is a progressive urbanized area
5- Site is within highly developed urbanized area
D. Evaluation for Accessibility to Important Existing
Facilities 1- Necessary existing establishments are within 5 km and above
2- Necessary existing establishments are within 3-5km from the site

3- Necessary existing establishments are within 3 km from the site
4- Necessary existing establishments are within 1-2km from the site

5- Necessary existing establishments are within less than a kilometer from the site
E. Evaluation for Pedestrian Access and Circulation
1- No existing pedestrian access are available that can reasonably be constructed
2- Pedestrian access can be constructed, but pathway work is required, and traffic
control system should be provided
3- Pedestrian access can be constructed without major road work
4- Site has existing pedestrian access that is suitable for 500-meter travel and has
existing traffic control system
5- Site has existing pedestrian access that is suitable for 250-meter travel and has
existing traffic control system
4.2.2 Site Description
4.2.2.1 Site A Taft Avenue corner Daang Radyal Blg.2 Ermita,
Manila
Figure 4.1 Site A (Google maps, 2020)

It is a corner lot which is bounded by two major roads, namely, Daang Radyal
Blg. 2 and Kalaw Avenue. It can also be accessed through a minor road called
General Luna Street. It is a heptagonal lot which has a total lot area of approximately
16, 976.83 square meters and it is zoned as general institutional zone (INS-G) based
on the Land Use Map of Manila. The establishments that can be found near the site
are National Museum of Natural History, Rizal Park, Asia Link Finance Corporation,
National Museum of Anthropology, Nayong Pilipino, Luneta Park, Manila Doctors
Hospital, Araullo High School, Santa Isabel College Manila, etc. It is within an area
where most of the tourists visit since most of the establishments around it are the go-
to-place to gain knowledge about the Philippines and its history.
4.2.2.2 Site B Taft Avenue corner Cecilia Munoz Street Ermita,
Manila
Figure 4.2 Site B (Google maps, 2020)
It is an interior lot which is bounded by one major and three minor roads,
namely, Taft Avenue, Cecilia Munoz St., and Antonio Villegas St. It is a trapezoidal
site which has a total lot area of approximately 14, 193.64 square meters and it is
zoned as general institutional zone (INS-G) based on the Land Use Map of Manila.
The establishments
that can be found near the site are SM City Manila, Unibersidad De Manila, Mehan
Garden, Manila City Hall, Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao, Maynilad Water
Services, Metropolitan Theater, Suntrust Parkview, etc. It is near Site A, but this site
can give more exposure to the museum since the area in front of it is empty.
4.2.2.3 Site C Muelle dela Industria corner Numancia Street San
Nicolas, Manila
Figure 4.3 Site C (Google maps, 2020)
It is an interior lot which is bounded by one major and two minor roads,
namely, Muelle dela Industria, Numancia St., and Prensa St. It is a rectangular site
which has a total lot area of approximately 11, 558.74 square meters and it is zoned as
general institutional zone (INS-G) based on the Land Use Map of Manila. The
establishments that can be found near the site are Jose Abad Santos High School,
Galeria De Binondo Condominium, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, Sky-
Med Health and Laboratory Center, San Nicolas Fire Station, etc. It is adjacent to the
Pasig River which can give not only a scenic view but can also give good air
circulation to the museum.
4.2.3 Site Selection Table

Table 4.1 Summary of points of each site in site selection criteria.
Site Criteria Site A Site B Site C
Location and
3 2 1
Accessibility
Proper Land Use

3 3 3
and Zoning
Good Orientation
(sun and wind 1 2 3
orientation)
Accessibility to
2 3 1
utilities
Site must be big
enough for easy
navigation of the 3 2 1
visitors and for
future expansion
Must be in
proximity/accessible 3 2 1
to the Urban
Total 15 14 10
The results above show that Site A had a total of 15, Site B with a total
of 14, and Site C with a total of 10. Site A, which has a total lot area of 16,
976.83 square meters, is the most appropriate lot which will be used for the
project.
4.3 Site Selection and Justification
The site selection is based on the results shown in table 4.1 above which
produced scores 15, 14, and 10 for sites A, B, and C respectively.
Sites A and B scores are the closest with each other because both of these sites
conform to the criteria that the researcher produced. Site C acquired the least point
since it is the hardest to access and it is quite isolated from the busy parts of the city.
Each of the chosen sites has a potential, site A is the nearest to most of the famous
establishments in manila, the front side of site B is currently empty which gives it
more benefit in terms of façade exposure, and lastly, site C has the best orientation
and air circulation since it is adjacent to the Pasig River. All of the sites have a proper
land use and zoning which is good for the project.
In terms of roads, sites A and B has a common road which is Taft Avenue
which is a major road in the south part of Metro Manila, it passes through three cities,
namely, Manila, Pasay and Parañaque. Since it connects three cities, sites A and B are
both accessible for the people. Lastly, Site A is the largest among three sites so it is
the most appropriate in terms of future expansions and it is also the best site that can
be used for this project.

4.4 Site Profile
4.4.1 Macro Site Profile
Figure 4.4 Contour map (Google maps, 2020)
The natural lighting that can penetrate the site is decent although it can be
blocked by the National Museum of Natural History beside it. In terms of air
circulation, more northeast monsoon can be felt in the site and less of the southwest
monsoon because it is also blocked by the existing museum. Since the site is located
in one of the busiest cities, it is expected to have a massive amount of noise pollution
from vehicles especially because it is surrounded by major roads. Overall, it is a good
place to construct a museum because of its decent qualities.

4.4.2 Micro Site Profile
Since the location of the site is classified as General Institutional Zone,
majority of the establishments around it fall under the institutional category.
Medium to high traffic flow exists in this area especially on the two major
roads, Taft Ave. and Kalaw Ave.
4.4.3 Location
Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, is the center of the country’s
economic, political, social and cultural activity which makes it the best place
to build a museum. Tropical climate occurs in this city which is characterized

by
a wet and dry season throughout the year. Manila has 17 districts and one of
those is Ermita. It is located in the central part of the city, it is the center of
finance, education, culture and commerce and it also serves as the civic center
of the city since it bears the city government and some of the employment,
business and entertainment activities. Private and government offices,
museums and universities thrive in Ermita and most of the tourist attractions
and landmarks can be found here.
4.4.4 Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP)
The zoning of the site is classified as General Institutional (INS-G)
based on the Manila City Ordinance of 2015. Land Use Intensity Control
ratings shall be observed in this zone. The maximum Percentage of Land
Occupancy (PLO) shall be 0.6 and the maximum Floor Area Ration (FAR)
shall be 4.
4.4.5 Contour Map

The contour interval of this map is 5 meters. Based on this map, the site
is relatively flat so the construction and design process will not be too difficult
4.4.6 Flood Map
Figure 4.7 - 5 Year Flood Hazard (NOAH, 2020)

4.4.7 S.W.O.T. Analysis
Strengths
 It can gather more visitors because it is located in an area where
most people go to see tourists’ attractions such as monuments,
historical buildings, museums, etc.
 Easy access for people especially for the visually impaired
coming from other cities since it is bounded by major roads.
 There are few alleys for pedestrian use only which makes it
safer for the blind and visually impaired people to navigate and
go around the area.

Weaknesses
 High noise and air pollution caused by vehicles around the site.
 Lacks space for people to appreciate the façade from a distance
since it is directly adjacent to the major roads.
Opportunities
 It has enough space for areas to be produced for better
experience of the visitors.
 In close proximity to other museums which may contribute to
the project for larger record of attendees daily.
 The entrance is properly guarded which makes it safe and
secured.
Threats
 There is no proper transportation terminal near the area which
can make the area more crowded
 LRT is on one side of the site which can block the façade of the
museum.
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Museo Realonda: The Manila Multisensory Interactive Exhibition Hall and Learning Hub For The Visually Challenged

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Museo Realonda: The Manila Multisensory Interactive

Exhibition Hall and Learning Hub for the Visually Challenged

A Thesis Proposal Submitted to

FREAZEL ANNE S. TALAMPAS

Ar. RODOLFO P. VENTURA, MSc.

1. To provide a museum which caters to every kinds of people specifically for

Recommending Approval: Approved by:

Ar. LEAH P. DELA ROSA, PhD. Ar. RODOLFO P. VENTURA, MSc.

OFFICE OF THE DEAN

This Certificate is hereby given to FREAZEL ANNE S. TALAMPAS whose thesis

This Certificate to Proceed is issued on August 26, 2020.

Ar. RODOLFO P. VENTURA, MSc.

2.2.4 Contemporary Art

1.1 Background and Nature of Project

education, study and entertainment.

“Nothing replaces the authenticity of the object presented with passionate

achievements in their lives.” (Campbell, 2012) The capability of seeing something in

sighted visitors as important as everyone else.

despite their condition.

1.1.1 Origin of the Name of the Project

the project was inspired on a well-

known hero, Teodora Alonzo

Realonda, who is the mother of Jose

Rizal. According to history, Teodora

was almost blind at the age of 64 years

old due to the advanced stage of her

cataracts. This is the reason why Jose

Rizal took medicine and specialized in

ophthalmology, for him to cure her

mother sight just as he longed to bring vision to his “blind” countrymen.

1.2 Statement of The Problem

According to a 2012 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), an

followed by glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration as the secondary causes,

while visual impairment is mainly caused by uncorrected refractive errors. Based on

due to financial instability and lack of knowledge.

non-government donors. This is to insure safe, convenient and independent mobility

impaired, PBU also participates in initiatives to insure Disability Inclusive Disaster

Risk Reduction and Management (DIDRRM). In October 2017, a national conference

Table 1-1: Prevalence of visual impairment, Philippines.

commonness of visual impairment, such as bilateral blindness, monocular blindness,

Table 1-2: Prevalence of blindness by region

Based on the results shown in

Table 1-2, the total number of

bilaterally blind persons per region

ranged from 3 to 19 per region. The

lowest prevalence was seen on

regions 1, 13, 14, and 15 while the

highest prevalence was in region 11.

Source: Cubillan, L. D., MD, MPH, &amp; Olivar-

age increased, with the peak at the 70 to 79 age intervals.

Figure 1-3: Prevalence of visual impairment, 1995 vs. 2002, Philippines

year 1995 and bilateral blindness was the lowest in 2002.

Table 1-3: Main causes of bilateral blindness

retinopathy, maculopathy, corneal opacity, optic atrophy, and phthisis bulbi.

Table 1-4: Main causes of low vision

error of refraction at presentation (1.06%) which followed by cataract in 244 out of

glaucoma, amblyopia, optic atrophy, and corneal opacity.

Table 1-5: Visual impairment by age and gender

On the bright side, avoidable blindness is possible if prioritized immediately by

1.3 Project Goals and Objectives

1.3.1 Project Goal

impaired people by constructing a museum designed especially for

history and appreciate art better through their other senses.

Source: Cubillan, L. D., MD, MPH, & Olivar-