HOTEL PLANNING GUIDELINES
highest quality befitting a
Hotel – a building, edifice or premises
or a completely independent part
thereof, which is used for the regular
reception, accommodation or lodging
of travelers and tourist and the
provision of services incidental
thereto for a fee.
CLASSIFICATION OF AND STANDARD
REQUIREMENTS FOR HOTELS
Requirement for a De Luxe Class
Hotel. The following are the minimum
requirements for the establishment,
operation and maintenance of a De
Luxe Class Hotel:
Location
 The locality and environs
including approaches shall be
suitable for a luxury hotel of
international standard;
 The facade, architectural
features and general
construction of the building
shall have the distinctive
qualities of a luxury hotel.
Bedroom Facilities and Furnishings
 Size - All single and double
rooms shall have a floor area of
not less than twenty-five (25)
square meters, inclusive of
bathrooms.
 Suite -There shall be one (1)
suite per thirty (30) guest
rooms.
 Bathrooms- All rooms must
have bathrooms which shall be
equipped with fittings of the
luxury hotel with 24-hour
service of hot and cold running
water;
- Bathrooms shall be
provided with
bathtubs and
showers;
- Floors and walls
shall be covered
with impervious
material of elegant
design and high
quality
workmanship.
 Telephone- There shall be a
telephone in each guest room
and an extension line in the
bathroom of each suite.
 Radio/Television- There shall
be a radio, a television and
relayed or piped-in music in
each guest room.
 Cold Drinking Water- There
shall be a cold drinking water
and glasses in each bedroom.
 Refrigerator/Mini-Bar- There
shall be a small refrigerator
and a well-stocked bar in each
guest room.
 Room Service- There shall be a
24-hour room service
(including provisions for snacks
and light refreshments).
 Furnishings and Lighting- All
guest rooms shall have
adequate furniture of the
highest standard and elegant
design; floors shall have
superior quality wallto-wall
carpeting; walls shall be well-
 furnished with well-tailored
draperies of rich materials;
- Lighting
arrangements and
fixtures in the
rooms and
bathrooms shall
 Information Materials- Room
tariffs shall be prominently
Housekeeping- Housekeeping shall be
displayed in each bedroom plus
of the highest possible standard.
prominent notices for services
offered by the hotel, including
food and beverage outlets and
hours of operation, fire exit
guidelines and house rules for
guests.
Front Office/Reception- There shall be
reception, information counter and
guest relations office providing a 24-
hour service and attended by highly
qualified, trained and experienced
staff.
 Lounge- There shall be a well-
appointed lounge with seating
facilities, the size of which is
commensurate with the size of
the hotel.
Food and Beverage
 Porter Service- There shall be a
24-hour porter service.
 Foreign Exchange Counter-
There shall be a duly licensed
and authorized foreign
exchange counter.
 Mailing Facilities- Mailing
facilities including sale of
stamps and envelopes shall be
available in the premises.
 Long Distance/Overseas Calls-
Long distance and overseas
telephone calls shall be made
available in the establishment.
 Reception Amenities- There
shall be a left-luggage room and
safety deposit boxes in the
establishment.
 Telex and Facsimile- There
shall be telex-transceiver and
facsimile facilities in the
establishment.
 Linen- There shall be plentiful
supply of linens, blankets,
towels, etc., which shall be of
the highest quality and shall be
spotlessly clean. The linens,
blankets and towels shall be
changed daily.
 Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service-
Laundry and dry cleaning
services shall be available in
the establishment.
 Carpeting- All public and
private rooms shall have
superior quality carpeting
which shall be well kept at all
times.
 Dining Room- There shall be a
coffee shop and at least one
specialty dining room which are
well-equipped, well-furnished
and well-maintained, serving
high quality cuisine and
providing entertainment.
 Bar- Wherever permissible by
law, there shall be an elegant
and wellstocked bar with an
atmosphere of comfort and
luxury.
 Kitchen - The kitchen, pantry
and cold storage shall be
 professionally designed to
ensure efficiency of operation
and shall be wellequipped,
well-maintained, clean and
hygienic;
- The kitchen shall
have an adequate
floor area with non-
slip flooring and
tiled walls and
adequate light and
ventilation.
 Crockery- The crockery shall be
of elegant design and of
superior quality; There shall be
ample supply of it;
- No piece of crockery
in use shall be
chipped, cracked or
grazed. The
silverware shall be
kept well-plated and
polished at all times.
Recreational Facilities
 Swimming Pool- There shall be
a well-designed and properly
General Facilities
equipped swimming pool.
 Tennis/Golf/Squash/Gym
Facilities- There shall be at
least one recreational facility or
a tie-up with one within the
vicinity of the hotel.
Entertainment- Live entertainment
shall be provided.
Engineering and Maintenance
 Maintenance- Maintenance of
all sections of the hotel (i.e.,
building furniture, fixtures,
etc.) shall be of superior
standard.
 Airconditioning- There shall be
centralized air-conditioning for
the entire building (except in
areas which are at a minimum
of 3,000 feet above sea level).
 Ventilation- There shall be
technologically advanced,
efficient and adequate
ventilation in all areas of the
hotel.
 Lighting- There shall be
adequate lighting in all public
and private rooms.
 Emergency Power- There shall
be a high-powered generator
capable of providing sufficient
lighting for all guest rooms,
hallways, public areas/rooms,
and operating elevators, food
refrigeration and water
services.
 Fire Prevention Facilities- The
fire prevention facilities shall
conform with the requirements
of the Fire Code of the
Philippines.
 Outdoor Area- The hotel shall
have a common outdoor area
for guests (e.g., a roof garden
or spacious common terrace).
 Parking/Valet- There shall be
an adequate parking space and
valet service.
 Function and Conference
Facilities- There shall be one or
more of each of the following:
conference room, banquet hall
(with a capacity of not less than
200 people seated) and private
dining room.
  Shops- There shall be a barber
shop, DOT-accredited travel
agency/tour counter, beauty
parlor, and sundries shop.
 Security- Adequate security on
a 24-hour basis shall be
provided in all entrances and
exits of the hotel premises.
 Medical Service- A medical
clinic to service guests and
employees shall have a
registered nurse on a 24-hour
basis and a doctor on-call.
 Service and Staff -
Professionally qualified, highly
trained, experienced, efficient
and courteous staff shall be
employed.
-The staff shall be
in smart and clean
uniforms.
 Special Facilities- Business
center, limousine service and
airport transfers shall be
provided.
DESIGN AND PLANNING
CONSIDERATIONS:
Site selection and decisions on hotel
facilities are largely dictated by town
and country planning and other
conditions, market feasibility and
investment appraisal.
Criteria:
1. Attractive appearance:
All over appearance of a Hotel
is one of the very important
consideration for a Hotel. It
should be attractive and should
reflect the architecture of that
area and should also have
character of the services
being provided in that Hotel.
2. Efficient Plan:
The plan of the Hotel should be
such that it should
be functional and also appeal to
the eye. All the services should
be so designed that it meets
various principles of lay-out
and design.
3. Location:
The design of the Hotel will be
guided by the geographical
location of the Hotel e.g. if a
Hotel is situated near the
airport or railway station, the
reception of the Hotel will be
designed in such a way that it
could handle large number of
guests at one time because
there is a possibility of guest
checking in large groups
and around the clock. Similarly,
Hotel situated at hill
stations, beaches and the
Hotels located in heart of the
cities and metros will be
designed differently.
4. Suitable Material:
The Hotel should be designed
in such a way that it should be
able to use the material locally
available which will be cost
effective and efficient.
5. Workmanship:
While designing a Hotel one
should consider the fact
that what kind of workmanship
is available and
designer should take advantage
 of local expertise. This will
not only make the hotel
efficient but also will be
economical.
6. Sound Financing:
One of the very important
factors is finance in
designing the Hotel. The
availability of ready funds
and management of finance is a
crucial factor and it should be
considered very carefully in
Hotel Design.
7. Competent Management:
The design of a Hotel will
depend upon the quality
of management available to
operate the establishment.
If we have the quality
management and manpower
only then Hotel should be
designed for sophisticated
equipment and high tech
gadgets.
CATEGORIES OF HOTEL:
Hotels may be categorized in terms of
location, market orientation and
standards, the latter affecting the
levels of tariffs charged. Individual
hotels may also be operated
independently or as part of a chain,
the latter usually specifying standards
to meet brand requirements. The
residential areas of a hotel normally
account for at least 65-70% of the
total built space, and the number of
bedrooms is critical in relation to
hotel operation.
FRONT OF HOUSE:
The front of the house
comprises every area that the
guest will see; lobbies, dining
spaces, rest rooms, passenger
elevators, corridors, hotel
rooms, etc. These spaces must
be handled and planned with
one thought in mind : the
convenience and continued
approbation of the guests . A
hotel registration desk must be
located so that it is
immediately visible as one
enters the hotel lobby. The
average hotel usually has the
cashier's counter located
adjacent to the registration
desk . Mail and keys should
also be allocated in the front of
house. The administrative area
should be accessible to the
registration desk for fast
transactions and information.
Every hotel, regardless of its
size, must have a public lobby.
BACK OF HOUSE:
The back of house is where the
guests or patrons don’t usually
go, because the back of house is
a place for cooking and storing
of foods, maintenance,
dishwashing area, loading
docks, employee’s entrance and
dining area, locker rooms for
staff and many more. The back
of the house must be laid out
with two paramount
objectives: control and
efficiency. Foodstuffs,
housekeeping supplies, and a
great many other items must be
received out of sight of the halls.
hotel guests. Such receiving is
usually done at a loading dock,
Programming Guestrooms
which should be covered so
that deliveries can be made The most fundamental planning for a
regardless of the weather. hotel involves the guestrooms—not
There should be a receiving only do they account for the bulk of
department that should be space within a hotel, but a large
located directly On or adjacent measure of the hotel experience is in
to the loading dock. the guestroom. Developing an
efficient and effective design of these
FUNCTIONAL areas is critical for your initial
RELATIONSHIPS: development budget, but this is also a
Four distinct types of areas are key to long-term guest satisfaction
involved: guest rooms, public and operating efficiency.
areas, administration offices
and ‘back-of-house’ facilities.
Relationships between these
areas must be planned to
provide separation of customer
and back-of-house areas but
also allow efficient service
without cross-circulation or
distraction

Layouts depend on the location

and surroundings, the area,
contours and cost of site, plot
ratios and other planning
conditions, and the required
size (number of guest rooms)
and sophistication of hotel.

Guest rooms are sited to take

advantage of the best views
and orientation while
minimizing noise and
disturbance. This also applies
to those public areas in which
daylight is essential: from
restaurants, small meeting
rooms and foyers or lounge
areas to larger convention

Working within the program and with
the developer's vision for the property
in mind, the design professionals add
an appropriate look and feel for the
quality level of the hotel—one that is
suitable for the locale and
surroundings. As an example, it is
typical for guestrooms in tropical
resort locations to have tile floors
throughout the room, with mats or
area rugs adding interest, softening
the look and feel, and providing
comfort. This would be completely
inappropriate for an urban hotel in a
temperate climate, where some
combination of carpet and wood is
appropriate, with tile floors reserved
for the bathroom. Another example is
that hotels built for vacationers
staying more than a few days need
much larger closets and storage space
than would an urban hotel with an
average stay of one to three days.
Programming Public Areas
The major public areas that you'll
need to program are the lobby and
public flow space, the food and
beverage outlets, and the meeting
spaces. These areas are the hotel's
"living spaces"; they set the stage for
other activities, frame the image of
property, add interest and amenities
to the guest experience, and provide
space for the formal and informal
meetings that take place in any hotel.
Hotel lobbies have become the most
iconic of all hotel spaces. The lobby
must function not only as the hotel's
"front office," but also as an
important transition space. The
transition from an often hectic and
arduous journey to the security and
serenity of the hotel takes place in the
lobby. If you think about it, the best
lobbies work so well that guests do
not even notice the attention to
program and planning detail.
Figure 21.9 provides a schematic
diagram for a lobby with the major
connections indicated.7 In addition,
the lobby program should include the
following support functions:
 Clear access to stairs, elevators,
or escalators
 Lobby seating, for both
individuals and small groups
 Concierge desk and storage, if
appropriate
 Front desk administrative areas
 Bell stand and luggage storage
 Public toilets, coatrooms, and
house phones

For larger hotels, especially those that
are resort or convention oriented,
management creates an overall vision
for the F&B operations. The multiple
outlets must offer variety, value, and
excitement; in general, the program
includes fine dining, casual dining,
and a set of beverage-oriented outlets
with different themes, from quiet
lounges to nightclubs.
Programming standards for food and
beverage outlets include the following
objectives:
 Provide fine-dining venues with
direct access to the exterior to
maximize street presence and
to enhance the restaurant's
positioning as a local eatery
 Locate the hotel's main casual
dining restaurant as
conveniently as possible in the
hotel's main circulation
patterns to maximize internal
business.
 Conserve back-of-the-house
space by sharing kitchens
among F&B outlets, except for a
kitchen used by a celebrity
chef.
 If possible, provide a shared
restaurant and banquet kitchen,
again for economy of
construction and operation.
 Provide satellite bars with an
appropriately sized service area
for preparation, storage, and
backup.
 Design restaurants and bars so
that sections can be closed off
during slow periods to create
more intimate venues.
 If possible, provide separate
restrooms for each outlet. This
is especially true for high
volume beverage operations.
Function Space Programming
 Function space programming,
like F&B programming, varies
widely across different types of
hotels. The largest hotels in any
market have at least one
distinct ballroom, smaller
meeting rooms, boardrooms,
conference rooms, exhibition
space, and dedicated banquet
rooms; a small hotel might have
only a single multipurpose
room for all events. A
convention hotel or a
conference center hotel is
created specifically for
meetings; for these hotels, the
size, configuration, and
capabilities of the various
function spaces are one of the
primary design drivers.
Public Space Design
Arrival
THE ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS OF
THE BUILDING, OF COURSE ARE BEST
OBSERVED ON THE APPROACH TO
THE HOTEL ENTRANCE, AND THE
DETAILS OF THE SITE AND EXTERIOR
DESIGN, LANDSCAPING, THE NIGHT
ILLUMINATION, THE ENTRY DRIVE
AND CANOPY , ALL CONTRIBUTE TO
THE GUEST’S ANTICIPATION OF
THEIR STAY. THE DESIGNERS
SHOULD ASSESS THE RELATIVE NEED
FOR THE FOLLOWING ENTRANCES:
 MAIN HOTEL ENTRANCE
 BALLROOM/BANQUET
ENTRANCE
 RESTAURANT/BAR/NIGHTCLUB
/CASINO ENTRANCE
 HEALTH CLUB/SPA ENTRANCE
 TOUR BUS/ AIRPORT DROP OFF
 SUITE ENTRANCE
 Space Allocation Program

Space allocation of various facilities

in a hotel is a task that involves lot of
study and research.

Impetus is always given on higher

revenue generating areas like rooms
then the support areas.

1. Rooms Division
2. Public Facilities
3. Support Facilities and Services
4. Hotel Administration
1. ROOMS DIVISION
The total sq. ft. area for the guest
room block varies between 65-75% of
the total floor area of the hotel .The
net guest room area included living
 space, bath room and water closet as
follows-
1. Budget category hotel: 200-275 sq.
ft.
2. Standard hotel: 275-325 sq. ft.
3. First Class hotel: 325-375 sq. ft.
4. Luxury hotel: 375-450 sq. ft.
To determine the total area of the
guest room block including corridor,
elevators, stairways, storage
generally add 50% of the net guest
room area.
The minimum finish width of the
corridor on guestroom floor is usually
6 ft. which may be reduced to 5 Ft. if
guest room doors are opening inside.
1. PUBLIC FACILITIES
(Restaurants, Spa, Lobby, Washrooms,
Banquets, Conference Halls, Lounge
etc.)
The amount of space allocated to the
various public facilities will fluctuate.
It varies between 10 to 20% of the
total floor area of the entire hotel
a).Lobby
It varies between 2 to 6 % of the total
floor area of the hotel
Main lobby (for the circulation and
movement of guest) is 7 to 10sq. ft.
/guestroom
*Seating area- 0.7 to 1 sq.
ft. / guestroom
* Front Desk- 3 to 4 sq.
ft. / guestroom
* Left Luggage Room- 0.5 to 1 sq. ft.
/ guestroom
*Public washrooms – 0.5 to 1 sq. ft.
/ guestroom for gents and ladies.
b). Retail Shop
A gift/ sundry shop is included with 1
to 1.5 sq. ft/guestroom. The size of the
outlet can range from 100 to 1200 sq
ft depending on whether they are desk
operations or regular shop.
(Desk Operations-table space to carry
out tasks like airline ticketing , car
rentals, tourist guides etc.)The scope
is dependent on market requirement.
c). Dining Room and lawn.
Varies between 4 to 6% of the total
floor area of the hotel
 Coffee shop- 15 to 18 sq. ft./ seat
 Specialty Restaurant-18 to 20 sq. ft./
seat
 Formal dining- 20 to 22 sq. ft./ seat
 Cocktail lawn- 15 to 18 sq. ft./ seat
d). Function space
– can range from none to substantial
depending on market requirement.
-When meeting space included it
varies between 1 to 2 meeting seat/
guestroom,
-Function space could be of various
nature
* Ball room- 10 to 12 sq. ft./ seat
* Conference / Meeting room- 10 to
12 sq. ft./ seat
 * Board room- 12 to 16 sq. ft./ seat
*Public washroom- 0.4 to 0.6 sq. ft./
seat
Pre function area – 25 to 40 % of the
meeting room area
e). Recreational Facility
-Can range from none to extensive
depending on market requirement
* Swimming pool- 10 -20 sq ft./ guest
room.
* Locker/Shower/Toilet Area- 02 sq
ft./ guest room
* Health Club- 02 sq ft./ guest room
*Greenery required- 1500 sq. ft. lump
sum
* Circulation Area- It varies from 15
to 20 % of the total public area
(excluding meeting room area as it is
already considered under pre function
area)
1. SUPPORT FACILITIES & SERVICES
These are required to run the public
facilities-
Ex Swimming Pool- Filtration Plant
and Pump house is support facility
Restaurant- Kitchen is support
The amount of space allocated here
varies between 10 to 15 % of the total
floor area of the hotel which depends
upon the public facilities provided by
the hotel.
1. Food Preparation
 Coffee shop kitchen : 10 to 25% of
the coffee shop area
 Main dining room kitchen (Any
specialty restaurant): 30 to 45% of
the specialty restaurant area.
 Banquet kitchen (formal dining): 20
to 30% of the meeting room area.
 Room Service : 01 sq ft/ guestroom
 F&B Storage area (dry fruits, liquor
etc. ): 35 to 40 % of kitchen space.
1. Receiving
 Receiving office-0 .3 to 0.5 sq
ft/guestroom
 Receiving platform- 100 to 250 sq ft
1. Hotel Employee facilities
 Locker/ restrooms- 06 to 10 sq. ft/
guestroom
 Cafeteria- 04 sq ft/ employee
 Lounge- 01 sq ft/ guestroom
1. Housekeeping
 Laundry- 07 sq ft./ guest room
 Linen storage( not on the guest
floor) – 03 sq ft./ guest room
 Guest Laundry ( receive and dispatch
area) – 0.8 to 1.5 sq ft./ guest room
 Uniform Issuing- 01 sq ft./ guest
room
1. Other storage areas, Maintenance
and MISCELLANEOUS
 Hotel general storage- 03 to 07 sq
ft./ guest room
 Meeting room storage- 01 to 1.5 sq
ft./ seat OR 10 to 20% of meeting
room area
 Miscellaneous storage (Garbage,
empty bottles, cans etc.)- 01 to 1.8 sq
ft./ guest room
 Telephone switch board and
equipment- 1.3 to 02 sq ft./ guest
room
 Computer room (Main server along
with battery backup)- 01 to 1.5 sq
ft./ guest room
 Mechanical, Electrical and Air
handling rooms and systems- 13 to
18 sq ft./ guest room .
 Maintenance workshop- 05 sq ft./
guest room
 Security- 0.3 to 0.6 sq ft./ guest
room
 Circulation- 10% of the total area for
support facilities and services
1. HOTEL ADMINISTRATION
– Can range between 01 to 02 %
of the total floor area of the hotel
– It includes the Executive
Offices as well as Sales, Accounting
Personnel and any other admin
support offices.
– A total of 10 sq ft./ guest room
is allocated for this category.
The Space Allocation Program
Among the many tasks of the
development team is to establish a
space allocation program. The
allocation of space among the
principal functions in a hotel varies
from property to property, The most
obvious difference among properties
is the ratio of guest room space to
public area space and support area
space. This varies from 90% in budget
hotels and many motels to 50-65% in
large commercial hotels.
Architectural Considerations-will
include the Site Design and the Design
Phase
Site Design– The Architect is
responsible ffor site planning,
analysis of site, its constraints and
opportunities. Before firming up
design, the Architect must consider-
1. Visibility and Accessibility– Consider
road access and surrounding street
patterns.
2. Surface Conditions– Analyse terrain,
vegetation, existing buildings and
roads and environmental
constraints.
3. Sub Surface Condition– Confirm
location and underground utilities,
height of the water table, bearing
capacity of the soil, existence of
environmental hazards etc.
4. Regulatory restriction– Height
restrictions, parking requirements,
highway restrictions etc.
5. Site Character– Describe qualities of
the site such as surrounding uses
and views.
6. Orientation- for Sunlight
7. Adaptability-Potential for future
development
Design Phase
Commences with the preparation of
schematic design (set of alternate
plans) and establish design directions
considering the space allocation
program. Provide design teams with
approvals. Establish design schedule.
Freeze structural drawings and
specifications of finishes etc.
While working on design, it is
important to consider-
 1. Site Benefit– Potential sites needs to
be considered in relation to the main
tourist and service attraction. View
influences the plan from
compensatory attraction (garden
view, recreational focuses) should be
provided for disadvantaged rooms.
The orientation of sun, shade and
prevailing winds will affect building
design.
2. Traffic Analysis– An analysis of
traffic flows is necessary to identify-
i. Counter flow of traffic.
ii. Restrictions on new entries to the
highway and,
iii. Condition relating to signage on
highway
iv. Density and Height– The density
and massing of building is dictated
by location, land costs and local
regulation.
v. Circulations- The movement of
guests, nonresident visitors, staff
and suppliers in a hotel tend to
flow distinct circulatory patterns.
Where practical guest, supply and
staff circulation be kept separate.
BASIC THEORIES OF HOTEL
PLANNING
 The guest arrived at the front
door, where he was greeted and
arrangements were made for
his lodging and food. A stable
for horses and carriages, or a
compound for cartels and
cargo, were provided at the
rear of the establishment. A
rear yard was used by the
innkeeper's wife and her
assistants to prepare food
which was then cooked in a
kitchen. We therefore had a
house divided in two.
 The front half of the house
included the reception area arid
the public rooms, or the
covered arcades in the
caravansaries, where the guests
gathered to dine and to
socialize.
 The other half of the house, or
to use a tern which is still
applicable, the back of the
house, was where food was
prepared arid where the guests'
service amenities were taken
care of, such as laundering, the
shoeing of horses, or the repair
of harness and traveling gear.
 FRONT OF THE HOUSE
 We have now established the
activity which controls the plan
of a hotel as far as the back of
the house is concerned. We will
now examine what happens in
the so-called "front of the
house"-that area which
concerns itself with the guest
as distinct from that area which
concerns itself with the smooth
functioning of the hotel. It must
be borne in mind that a hotel,
like Janus, wears two faces. The
guest or the paying customer
sees only the front of the house,
 and this must be all that he received out of sight of the hotel
desires-a wish fulfillment, an guests.
ego builder, a status symbol,
 Such receiving is usually done
and above all else a pleasant
at a loading dock, which should
and satisfying place in which he
be covered so that deliveries
will spend a night, a week, or a
can be made regardless of the
month. The back of the house,
weather. An operating hotel,
which has already been
even a small one, will have
discussed, is where all that
deliveries going on throughout
makes this happen takes place.
the day. The receiving of
These are the areas of
shipments as well as the
burnishing, butchering, baking;
checking of whatever comes
of boilers, motors,
into the hotel and, finally,
compressors, and ovens. The
sending the various items
guest never sees all this, but
received to their proper
these unseen spaces will
destination must be under tight
precisely determine his degree
control. This is usually the
of contentment. These are the
function of a receiving
areas that will ultimately
department that should be
dictate whether the hotel will
located directly on or adjacent
run at a profit or a loss. The
to the loading dock.
front of the house comprises
 Tight control must be exercised
every area that the guest will
in two directions . In one
see; lobbies, dining spaces, rest
direction, it is not uncommon
rooms, passenger elevators,
for material to be delivered
corridors, hotel rooms, etc.
and, within a short time of its
These spaces must be handled
having been left on the dock
and planned with one thought
unchecked, for the management
in mind: the convenience and
to find that this material has
continued approbation of the
disappeared or that some parts
guests.
of the shipment have gone

astray.
 The second part of the control
is to make sure that, once these
BACK OF THE HOUSE
shipments have arrived, they go
Though rarely seen by a guest, directly to their destination
the back of the house is the most without a chance- of becoming
crucial part of the plan. It must be lost on the way. A good back-of
laid out with two paramount the-house plan will be worked
objectives : control and efficiency. out in such a way that the flow
Foodstuffs, housekeeping supplies, of supplies is tightly controlled
and a great many other items must be by the security that the
architect works into his plan.
 A tight, well-planned back of the
house will have circulation patterns
that will provide the utmost in
control. It is this type of planning that
is definitely the province of the
architect . There is one further item in
the control area which, at first glance,
might seem highly unimportant :
namely, the movement of garbage out
of the hotel to a point where it will be
picked up by garbage trucks.
LAUNDRY FACILITIES
A laundry is a usual adjunct of
most good sized hotels. Many hotels
avail themselves of city laundry
service, in which case there is no
laundry room at all or only a small
laundry which handles towels only.
 A hotel laundry that does its
own uniforms and flatwork
(sheets, pillowcases, linens,
etc.) requires a good-sized
space for washers, dryers,
drum ironers, and various
pressing machines-each
suitable for its own type of
flatwork, uniforms and
guests' laundry, and men's
and women's wearing
apparel. If the laundry is
done by a laundry service
out of the hotel, then items
like towels require a
comparatively small space
for washing and drying,
since only washers and fluff
dryers are necessary,
together with an area for
folding and stacking the
clean towels.
HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
The housekeeping department,
having several functions, is the
province of the chief housekeeper,
who will usually have assistant floor
housekeepers. Under the
housekeeper's strict control and
supervision will be all the maids and
porters. These people, after donning
their uniforms, will come to the
housekeeper for instructions and vary
often for supplies to take with them to
the various guest-room floors.
FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE
We have now taken care of the
bed portion of the "bed and board."
Now let us examine the "board" part
of a hotel service. The board, of
course, refers to the old English
trestle table where guests took their
meals. In the earliest hostelries, the
innkeeper's wife took care of the
cooking, maids took care of the
serving, and a large board or table
sufficed for the guests. Today's food
operation is a highly complicated one,
and an architect should be familiar
with the entire operation.
MECHANICAL SPACES
Another area that should be
considered in designing the back-of-
the-house spaces will be the boiler or
mechanical room. In this area will be
found the various pieces of equipment
for heating and cooling as well as all
the tanks and pumps to keep all the
mechanical systems in operation.
 Each mechanical room
will be of a size and
shape that will satisfy
 the requirements for all ADMINISTRATIVE AREA
the creature comforts
The administration of a hotel
that a modern hotel has
operation depends entirely upon its
to offer.
size. A small hotel will most likely
 In this area will also be
have an office for a manager, who
found all central switch
may have his secretary working in the
gear that controls
same room with him. The door to his
electric current for every
office faces the public lobby, and an
purpose in the hotel
additional door is provided so that he
complex. This domain
can go from his office to the front
belongs to the house
desk. This is the simplest operation
engineer and, naturally,
and is found only in the smaller
there should be provision
hotels.
for an engineer's office,
with a mechanical repair  A larger, medium-sized
shop close by. hotel will have a
 There area number of manager and an assistant
other shops that probably manager and, as a rule,
will be located in this there will be e reception
area of the hotel. These office where one or two
would include a typist receptionists will
carpentry shop, an be acting as a buffer
upholstery shop, and an between the public and
area for a locksmith the manager. As a hotel
project grows larger, the
Guest Registration
administrative area
A hotel registration desk must be grows more complex.
located so that it is immediately  Aside from the manager
visible as one enters the hotel lobby. and the assistant
The size of the desk will be manager, there may be
determined by the size of the hotel. an office for a food and
There is no special rule to be followed beverage manager and a
except that a hotel of let us say, banquet manager. A
2,000rooms might have anywhere larger hotel, with sizable
from four to six registration clerks, convention facilities, will
while a hotel of 100 to 200 rooms will also have an office for
have one or at roost two spaces at the convention manager
which guests may register. There are and his assistants.
certain requirements for the clerk Obviously, es the
behind the desk as far as equipment is complexity of thi office
concerned and administrative area
grows, a more careful
and detailed study is,
 perforce, made to  Accessibility to the
arrange e smoothly public, therefore, is of
functioning suite of
administrative offices
together with secretarial
pools, bookkeepers,
teletype machines, a
mailroom for incoming
mail and for voluminous
outgoing mail, etc.
 The accompanying
illustrations show how
these areas have been
handled in various
hotels. It must be borne
in mind that this front of
the house works closely
with the back of the
house. Many of the the utmost importance.
people in the GUEST-FLOOR CORRIDORS
administrative area will
deal with guests as well  We will now accompany
as hotel customers our guest from the
seeking to arrange for elevator to the guest's
luncheons, banquets, and room. As the elevator
conventions. doors open, the guest
should find himself in an
era which can be
designated as an elevator
foyer.
 This may be a large open
space or a space slightly
wider than the corridor
itself. Whatever its size,
it should, by its width,
denote the fact that it is
the elevator foyer. It is
wise to remember that
no guest-room doors
should be placed opposite
the elevators.
 BANQUETING
FACILITIES
 Most hotels and motels NATIONAL BUILDING CODE
include meeting and
RULE 7: CLASSIFICATION AND
banquet facilities. The
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF ALL
smaller hotels may
BUILDINGS BY USE OR OCCUPANCY
provide only a number of
meeting rooms which
may also be used for
luncheons and dinners.
Larger hotels will have a
more diversified
arrangement for
meetings, luncheons,
dinners, and banquets.
The largest hotels are
usually designed with a
full banqueting and
convention facility. The
extent of these facilities
will be determined by the
hotel operator who, in
turn, will convey his
requirements to the
architect.
 The normal meeting
room requirements are
rather simple. The rooms
will vary in size to
accommodate anywhere
from 10 to as many as
100 people. In most
instances, wherever it is
feasible, the meeting
rooms will be arranged
in a straight line, so that
the walls separating one
room from the other can
be made movable.
SECTION 701. Occupancy Classified 1.
There are 10 Groups of Occupancies
sub-divided into 25 Divisions. The
accompanying matrix shows the
Groupings and Divisions and the
corresponding uses. The final column
indicates the Zoning Classification. a.
Buildings proposed for construction
shall be identified according to their

use or the character of its occupancy

and shall be classified as follows:

SECTION 703. Mixed Occupancy

1. General Requirements
When a building is of mixed
occupancy or used for more than
one occupancy, the whole building
shall be subject to the most
restrictive requirement pertaining
to any of the type of occupancy
found therein except in the
following:
a. When a one-storey building
houses more than one occupancy,
each portion of the building shall
conform to the requirement of the
particular occupancy housed
therein and;
b. Where minor accessory uses do
not occupy more than 10% of the
area of any floor or a building, nor
more than 10% of the basic area
permitted in the occupancy
requirements, in which case, the
major use of the building shall
determine the occupancy
classification.
2. Forms of Occupancy Separation
Occupancy separations shall be
vertical or horizontal or both, or
when necessary, of such other
forms as may be required to afford
a complete separation between the
various occupancy divisions in the
building.
3. Types of Occupancy Separation
Occupancy separation shall be
classified as “One-Hour Fire-
Resistive”, “Two-Hour Fire-
Resistive”, “Three-Hour Fire-
Resistive” and “Four-Hour Fire-
Resistive.”
a. A “One-Hour Fire-Resistive
Occupancy Separation” shall be
of not less than one-hour fire-
resistive construction. All
openings in such separation
shall be protected by a fire-
assembly having a one-hour
fire-resistive rating.
b. A “Two-Hour Fire-Resistive
Occupancy Separation” shall be
of not less than two-hour fire-
resistive construction. All
openings in such separation
shall be protected by a fire
assembly having a two-hour
fire-resistive rating.
c. A “Three-Hour Fire-Resistive
Occupancy Separation” shall be
of not less than three-hour fire-
resistive constructio n. All
openings in walls forming such
separation shall be protected by
a fire assembly having a three-
hour fire-resistive rating. The
total width of all openings in
any three-hour fire-resistive
occupancy separation wall in
any one-storey shall not exceed
25% of the length of the wall in
that storey and no single
opening shall have an area
greater than 10.00 sq. meters.
All openings in floors forming a
“Three-Hour FireResistive
Occupancy Separation” shall be
protected by vertical enclosures
extending above and below
such openings. The walls of
such vertical enclosures shall
be of not less than two-hour
fire-resistive construction, and
 all openings therein shall be
protected by a fire assembly
having a three-hour fire-
resistive rating.
d. A “Four-Hour Fire-Resistive
Occupancy Separation” shall
have no openings therein and
shall be of not less than four-
hour fireresistive construction.
4. Fire Rating for Occupancy
Separation
Occupancy Separations shall be
provided between groups,
subgroupings, or divisions of
occupancies. The Secretary shall
promulgate rules and regulations for
appropriate occupancy separations in
buildings of mixed occupancy;
Provided, that, where any occupancy
separation is required, the minimum
shall be a “One-Hour Fire-Resistive
Occupancy Separation”; and where
the occupancy separation is
horizontal, structural members
supporting the separation shall be
protected by an equivalent fire-
resistive construction.
SECTION 704. Location on
Property
1. General
a. No building shall be
constructed unless it adjoins or
has direct access to a public
space, yard or street on at least
one of its sides.
b. For the purpose of this
Section, the centerline of an
adjoining street or alley shall
be considered an adjacent
property line.
c. Eaves over required windows
shall not be less than 750
millimeters from the side and
rear property lines.
2. Fire Resistance of Walls Exterior
walls shall have fire resistance
and opening protection in
accordance with the
requirements set forth by the
Secretary. Projections beyond
the exterior wall shall not
exceed beyond a point one-third
the distance from an assumed
vertical plane located where the
fire-resistive protection of
openings is first required to the
location on property whichever
is the least restrictive. Distance
shall be measured at right
angles from the property line.
When openings in exterior walls
are required to be protected due
to distance from property line,
the sum of the areas of such
openings in any storey shall not
exceed 50% of the total area of
the wall in that storey.
3. Buildings on Same Property and
Buildings Containing Courts
For the purpose of determining
the required wall and opening
protection, buildings on the
same property and court walls
shall be assumed to have a
property line between them.
When a new building is to be
erected on the same property
with an existing building, the
assumed property line from the
existing building shall be the
distance to the property line for
each occupancy as set forth by
 the Secretary; Provided, that
two or more buildings on the
same property may be
considered as one building if the
aggregate area of such building
is within the limits of allowable
floor areas for a single building,
and when the buildings so
considered, house different
occupancies or are of different
types of construction, the area
c. Footprint Based on Firewall
shall be that allowed for the
most restrictive occupancy or
construction.
4. Building Footprint and Firewall
Requirements
a. The following rules shall be
observed in the determination of
the Allowable Maximum
Building Footprint (AMBF) for
buildings and related habitable
structures. If the stated rules
are compared with (1) Rule VIII
Table VIII.1.- Reference Table on
Percentage of Site Occupancy
and Maximum Allowable
Construction Area (MACA); (2)
Rule VIII Tables VIII.2. and
VIII.3. (setbacks, yards and
courts); or (3) with the
applicable stipulations under
this Rule and with the applicable
stipulations of the Fire Code, the
more stringent but applicable
regulation out of the
aforementioned rules should be
observed;
b. If without a firewall, the
footprint of a proposed
building/structure shall be
measured horizontally from the
property line to the outermost
faces of the exterior walls of the
building/structure; Provided,
that the distance measured from
the property line shall conform
with the applicable stipulations
of this Rule and Rule VIII; The
resultant area established at
grade level upon which the
proposed building/structure
may stand shall be the AMBF;
Provisions
i. If with a firewall on one (1)
side, the footprint of a proposed
building/structure shall be
measured horizontally from the
property line with a firewall to
the outermost faces of the
opposite exterior walls of the
building/structure; Provided,
that the applicable stipulations
of the Fire Code are strictly
followed;
ii. If with a firewall on two (2)
sides or on one (1) side and the
rear property line, the footprint
of a proposed building/structure
shall be measured horizontally
from the opposing property lines
in case of a firewall on two (2)
sides or from the rear property
line with a firewall to the
outermost faces of the opposite
exterior walls of the
building/structure; provided,
that the applicable stipulations
of the Fire Code are strictly
followed;
v. For high-density residential
(R-3) uses or occupancies, two
(2) types of firewall
construction may be permitted:
(a) For a R-3 use or occupancy
with a firewall on two (2) sides,
a firewall can be erected on a
maximum of 85% of the total
length of each side property
line; provided that all firewall
construction shall not exceed
65% of the total perimeter of
the R-3 property, i.e., total
length of all property lines;
provided that firewalls in R-3
lots shall only be allowed for a
maximum two (2) storey
component structure; and
provided further that all the
applicable stipulations of the
Fire Code are strictly followed;
and
(b) For a R-3 use or occupancy
with a firewall on one (1) side
property line and at the rear
property line, a firewall can be
erected on a maximum of 90%
of the total length of the side
and rear property lines and up
to 100% in case the rear
property line is only 4.00
meters wide; provided that all
firewall construction at the side
property lines shall not exceed
50% of the total perimeter of
the R-3 property, i.e., total
length of all property lines;
provided that firewalls in R-3
lots shall only be allowed for a
maximum two (2) storey
structure but not at the rear
property line where the
maximum allowed firewall
height shall only be 3.20 meters
measured vertically from
established grade; and provided
further that all the applicable
stipulations of the Fire Code are
strictly followed.
vi. For townhouse residential
(R-4) uses or occupancies,
firewalls on the two (2) sides of
each townhouse unit may be
permitted; the R-4 firewall can
be erected on a maximum of
85% of the total length of each
side property line; provided that
all firewall construction shall
not exceed 50% of the total
perimeter of each R-4 property,
i.e., total length of all property
lines; provided that firewalls in
each R-4 use or occupancy shall
be allowed for a maximum three
(3) storey structure; and
provided further that all the
applicable stipulations of the
Fire Code are strictly followed;
vii. For residential condominium
(R-5) uses or occupancies, two
(2) types of firewall
construction may be permitted:
(a) For a R-5 use or occupancy
with a firewall on two (2)
sides, a firewall can be
erected on a maximum of
75% of the total length of
each side property line;
provided that all firewall
construction at the side
property lines shall not
 exceed 50% of the total Fire Code are strictly
perimeter of the R-5 followed.
property, i.e., total length of
all property lines; provided viii. All existing openings on
that side firewalls in R-5 all firewalls shall be sealed
uses or occupancies shall
only be allowed for a
maximum eight (8) storey
component structure, i.e., the
podium; and provided
further that all the applicable
stipulations of the Fire Code
are strictly followed; and
(b) For a R-5 use or occupancy
with a firewall on one (1) completely to maintain the
side and at the rear property fire integrity of adjoining
line, a firewall can be erected buildings/structures.
on a maximum of 65% of the
total length of the side SECTION 705. Allowable Floor Areas
property line and on a
maximum of 50% of the total
length of the rear property 1. Determination of Building
line; provided that all Height:
firewall construction shall BHL excludes the height of
not exceed 60% of the total permitted/allowed projections
perimeter of the R-5 above the roof of the
property, i.e., total length of building/structure, e.g.,
all property lines; provided signage, mast, antenna, telecom
that the side firewalls in R-5 tower, beacons and the like.
uses or occupancies shall
only be allowed for a
4. Parking Slot, Parking Area and
maximum eight (8) storey
Loading/Unloading Space
component structure and that
Requirements
at the rear property line, the
a. The parking slot, parking
maximum allowed firewall
area and loading/unloading
height shall only be 14.00
space requirements listed
meters measured vertically
hereafter are generally the
from established grade; and
minimum off-street cum on-
provided further that all the
site requirements for
applicable stipulations of the
specific uses/occupancies
 for buildings/structures,
i.e., all to be located outside
of the road right-of-way
(RROW).
b. The size of an average
automobile (car) parking
slot must be computed at
2.50 meters by 5.00 meters
for perpendicular or
diagonal parking and at 2.15
meters by 6.00 meters for
parallel parking. A standard
truck or bus parking/loading
slot must be computed at a
minimum of 3.60 meters by
12.00 meters. An articulated
truck slot must be computed
at a minimum of 3.60
meters by 18.00 meters
which should be sufficient to
accommodate a 12.00
meters container van or bulk
carrier and a long/hooded
prime mover. A jeepney or
shuttle
parking/loading/unloading
slot must be computed at a
minimum of 3.00 meters by
9.00 meters. The parking
slots shall be drawn to scale
and the total number of
which shall be indicated on
the plans and specified
whether or not parking
accommodations are
attendant-managed.
c. The parking space ratings
listed below are minimum
off-street/off-RROW cum
on-site requirements for
specific uses/occupancies
for buildings/structures,
i.e., all to be located outside
of the road right-of-way
(RROW):
d. In computing for parking slots, a
fraction of 50% and above shall be
considered as one (1) car parking slot
to be provided. In all cases however, a
minimum of one (1) car parking slot
shall be provided unless otherwise
allowed under this Rule.
i. Multi-floor parking garages may
serve the 20% parking requirements
of the building/structure within
200.00 meter radius, provided at
least 80% of the parking
requirements are complied with and
integrated in the building design.
iii. Traffic generating buildings such
as shopping malls or similar facilities
that have very high volumes of
pedestrian and vehicular traffic may
be located at major intersections or
within 100.00 meters of such
intersections, provided that the
distance between the street curb of
the ingress/egress of such a
commercial lot/property (nearest the
intersection) and the straight curb of
the intersection shall not be less than
50.00 meters. (Fig. VII.9.)
SECTION 806. Sizes and Dimensions
of Rooms
1. Minimum sizes of rooms and
their least horizontal
dimensions shall be as follows:
 a. Rooms for Human
Habitations - 6.00 sq.
meters with a least
dimension of 2.00 meters;
b. Kitchen - 3.00 sq. meters
with a least dimension of
1.50 meters; and
c. Bath and toilet - 1.20 sq.
meters with a least
dimension of 900
millimeters.

SECTION 807. Air Space Requirements

in Determining the Size of Rooms

1. Minimum air space shall be

provided as follows:
a. School Rooms - 3.00 cu.
meters with 1.00 sq. meter
of floor area per person;
b. Workshop, Factories, and
Offices - 12.00 cu. meters of
air space per person; and
c. Habitable Rooms - 14.00 cu.
meters of air space per
person.

SECTION 808. Window Openings

1. Rooms intended for any use,

not provided with artificial
ventilation system, shall be
provided with a window or
windows with a total free area
of openings equal to at least
10% of the floor area of the
room, provided that such
opening shall be not less than
1.00 sq. meter.
SANITARY CODE BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS
ELECTRICAL CODE

11. Electrical Room
a. An adequate space or area shall be
provided at load centers where panel
boards, breakers, switchgears and
other electrical equipment are
installed.
12. Service Equipment
a. An adequate space or area shall be
provided for the service equipment
that shall be located in a readily
accessible area, either inside or the
outside walls of the building.
13. Metering Facilities
a. Metering Vault, when required for
primary service, shall be provided
with natural or artificial ventilation.
b. Metering space shall be provided
for single metering or multi-metering
centers for secondary service.
2. Elevators
a. Hoistway for elevators shall be
substantially enclosed throughout
their height, with no openings
allowed except for necessary doors,
windows or skylights.
b. Ropes, wires or pipes shall not be
installed in hoistways, except when
necessary for the operation of the
elevators.
c. Hoistway pits shall be of such
depth that when the car rests on the
fully compressed buffers, a clearance
of not less than 600 millimeters
remains between the underside of
the car and the bottom of the pit.
d. When four (4) or more elevators
serve all or the same portion of a
building, they shall be located in not
less than two (2) hoistways and in no
case shall more than four (4)
elevators be located in any one
hoistway.
e. Where a machine room or
penthouse is provided at the top of a
hoistway, it shall be constructed with
sufficient room for repair and
inspection. Access shall be by means
of an iron ladder or stairs when the
room is more than 600 millimeters
above the adjacent floor or roof
surface. The angle of inclination of
such ladder or stairs shall not exceed
60° from the horizontal. This room
shall not be used as living quarters or
depository of other materials and
shall be provided with adequate
ventilation.
f. Minimum number of hoisting ropes
shall be three (3) for traction
elevators and two (2) for drum type
elevators.
g. The minimum diameter of hoisting
and counterweight ropes shall be 30
millimeters.
h. Elevators shall be provided with
Fall-Free Safety Device, over-load
switch and reverse polarity relay.
i. In apartments or residential
condominiums of five (5) storeys or
more, at least one (1) passenger
elevator shall be kept on twenty-four
(24) hour constant service.

PLUMBING CODE
MEANS OF EGRESS
APPLICATION
A. Means of egress for both new
and existing buildings shall comply
with this Division except as may be
modified for individual occupancies
by Divisions 8 through 17 of this
Chapter.
B. Any change, alteration or
addition that would reduce the means
of egress below the requirements for
new buildings is prohibited.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Protective Enclosure of Exits
1. When an exit is required to be
protected by separation from other
parts of the building by some
requirements of this IRR, the
construction of the separation shall
meet the following requirements:
a. The separation shall have at
least one (1) hour fire
resistance rating when the exit
connects three (3) storeys or
less, regardless of whether the
storeys connected are above or
below the storey at which the
exit discharge begins.
b. The separation shall have at
least two (2) hours resistance
rating when the exit connects
four (4) or more storeys,
whether above or below the
floor of discharge. It shall be
constructed of noncombustible
materials and shall be
supported by construction
having at least a two (2)-hour
fire resistance rating.
c. Any opening in the
separation wall/construction
shall be protected by an
approved self-closing fire
resistive door. d. Openings in
exit enclosure shall be confined
to those necessary for access, to
the enclosure from normally
occupied spaces and for egress
from the enclosure.
2. No exit enclosure shall be used for
any purpose other than for means of
egress.
Occupant Load
1. The total capacity of means
of egress for any floor, balcony,
tier, or other occupied space
shall be sufficient for the
occupant load thereof. The
occupant load in any building
or portion thereof shall be the
maximum number of persons
that may be in the space at any
time, as determined by the
City/Municipal Fire Marshal
having jurisdiction, but shall
not be less than the number
computed by dividing the floor
area assigned to that use by the
occupant load factor in
accordance with the
requirements of Divisions 8
through 17 of this Chapter for
individual occupancies
2. Where exits serve more than
one floor, only the occupant
load of each floor considered
individually need be used in
computing the capacity of the
exits of that floor; Provided,
that exit capacity shall not be
 decreased in the direction of
exit travel. When means of
egress from the floor above and
below converge at an
intermediate floor, the capacity
of the means of egress from the
point of convergence shall not
be less than the sum of the two.
3. When any required egress
capacity from a balcony or
mezzanine passes through the
room below, that required
capacity shall be added to the
required egress capacity of the
room below.
Measurement of Means of Egress
1. The width of means of egress
shall be measured by clear
width starting from the
narrowest point of the egress
component under
consideration, unless otherwise
provided in para (2) hereof.
2. Projections of not more than
one hundred fourteen
millimeters (114 mm) at a
maximum height of nine
hundred sixty-five millimeters
(965 mm) within the means of
egress on each side shall be
permitted.
Minimum Width
The width of any means of
egress shall not be less than
nine hundred fifteen
millimeters (915 mm) except
when specifically provided
under Division 8 to Division 17
of this Chapter.
Number of Means of Egress
1. The number of means of
egress from any balcony,
mezzanine, storey, or portion
thereof shall not be less than
two (2), except when
specifically permitted in
Division 8 through 17 of this
Chapter.
2. When the occupant load for
any storey or portion thereof is
more than five hundred (500)
but not more than one thousand
(1000), the means of egress
shall not be less than three (3);
in excess thereof, the means of
egress shall not be less than
four (4).
3. The occupant load of each
storey considered individually
shall be required to be used in
computing the number of
means of egress at each storey,
provided that the required
number of means of egress is
not decreased in the direction
of exit travel.
4. No doors other than hoist
way door, the elevator car door,
and doors that are readily
openable from the car side
without a key, tool, special
knowledge, or special effort
shall be allowed at the point of
access to an elevator car.
5. Elevator lobbies shall have
access to at least one exit. Such
exit access shall not require the
use of a key, a tool, special
knowledge, or special effort.
Arrangement of Exit
1. Exits shall be located and exit
access shall be arranged so that
exits are readily accessible
always.
2. When exits are not
immediately accessible from an
open floor area, continuous
passageways, aisles, or
corridors leading directly to
every exit shall be maintained
and shall be arranged to
provide access for each
occupant to not less than two
exits by separate ways of
travel.
3. Corridors shall provide exit
access without passing through
any intervening rooms other
than corridors, lobbies, and
other spaces permitted to be
open to the corridor.
4. Remoteness shall be
determined in accordance with
the following:
a. When more than one
exit is required from a
building or portion
thereof, such exits shall
be remotely located from
each other and shall be
arranged and constructed
to minimize the
possibility that more
than one exit has the
potential to be blocked
by any fire or other
emergency condition.
b. When two (2) exits or
exit access doors are
required, they shall be
located at a distance
from one another not less
than one-half (1/2) of the
length of the maximum
over-all diagonal
dimension of the building
or area to be served,
measured in a straight
line between the nearest
edge of the exit doors or
exit access doors, unless
otherwise provided in
para (c) hereof.
c. In buildings protected
throughout by an
approved supervised
automatic sprinkler
system, the minimum
separation distance
between two exits or exit
access doors measured in
accordance with para (b)
hereof shall not be less
than one-third (1/3) the
length of the maximum
overall diagonal
dimension of the building
or area to be served.
d. Where exit enclosures
are provided as the
required exits specified
in para (b) and para (c)
hereof and are
interconnected by not
less than 1-hour fire
resistance-rated
corridor, exit separation
shall be measured along
the line of travel within
the corridor. e. Where
more than two exits or
 exit access doors are
required, at least two (2)
of the required exits or
exit access doors shall be
arranged to comply with
the minimum separation
distance requirement.
5. Interlocking or scissor stairs
shall be considered only as a single
exit for new buildings.
Access to Exits
1. A door from a room to an exit or to
a way of exit access shall be of the
side-hinged, swinging type. It shall
swing with exit travel.
2. In no case shall access to exit be
through a bathroom, bedroom, or
other room subject to locking, except
where the exit is required to serve
only the bedroom or other room
subject to locking, or adjoining rooms
constituting part of the same dwelling
or apartment used for single family
occupancy.
3. Ways of exit access and the doors to
exits to which they lead shall be
designed and arranged to be clearly
recognizable as such. Decorations or
draperies shall not be placed on exit
doors. Mirrors shall not be placed in
or adjacent to any exit in such a
manner as to confuse the direction of
exit.
4. Exit access shall be arranged that it
will not be necessary to travel toward
any area of high hazard occupancy in
order to reach the nearest exit, unless
the path is protected by suitable
partitions.
Headroom
The minimum headroom shall not be
less than two meters (2 m) nor any
projection from the ceiling be less
than two meters (2 m) from the floor.
Interior Finish in Exits
The flame spread of interior
finish shall not exceed Class B in
accordance with Section 10.2.6.3 of
this IRR in exit enclosures except
when allowed in Division 8 through 17
of this Section.
DOORS
Swing and Force to Open
1. Any door in a means of egress
shall be of the side-hinged or pivoted
swinging type. The door shall be
designed and installed so that it is
capable of swinging from any position
to the full required width of the
opening in which it is installed. Doors
required to be of the side-hinged or
pivoted-swinging type shall swing in
the direction of egress travel where
serving a room or area with an
occupant load of fifty (50) or more
persons.
2. A door shall swing in the
direction of egress travel when used
in an exit enclosure or where serving
a high hazard contents area, unless it
is a door from an individual living
unit that opens directly into an exit
enclosure. During its swing, any door
in a means of egress shall leave not
less than one-half of the required
width of an aisle, corridor,
passageway, or landing unobstructed
and shall not project more than one
hundred seventy-eight millimeters
(178 mm) into the required width of
an aisle, corridor, passageway, or
landing, when fully open. Doors shall
not open directly onto a stair without
a landing. The landing shall have a
width not less than the width of the
door.
3. Any door used in an exit and,
unless exempt by other provisions of
this Rule, shall be designed and
installed that when a force is applied
to the door on the side from which
egress is to be made, it shall swing in
the direction of exit travel from any
position to the full instant use of the
opening in which it is installed.
Width and Floor Level
1. Door openings in means of
egress shall not be less than
seventy one centimeters (71
cm) in clear width. When a pair
of doors is provided, not less
than one of the doors shall
provide at least seventy one
centimeters (71 cm) clear width
opening.
2. No single door in a doorway
shall exceed one hundred
twenty two centimeters (122
cm) in width.
3. The elevation of the floor
surfaces on both sides of a door
shall not vary by more than one
and three-tenths centimeters
(1.3 cm). The elevation shall be
maintained on both sides of the
doorway for a distance not less
than the width of the widest
leaf. Thresholds at doorways
shall not exceed three-tenths
centimeters (1.3 cm) in height.
Raised thresholds and floor
level changes in excess of six
millimeters (6 mm) doorways
shall be beveled with a slope
not steeper than 1 in 2.
STAIRS
Dimensional Criteria
1. Standard stairs shall meet the
following criteria:
a. New stairs shall be in
accordance with Table 2 and 4.
b. Existing stairs shall be
permitted to remain in use,
provided that they meet the
requirements for existing stairs
shown in Table 3.
c. Approved existing stairs shall
be permitted to be rebuilt in
accordance with the following:
i. Dimensional criteria of
Table 3.
ii. Other stair
requirements of Section
10.2.5.4 of this IRR.
d. The requirements for new
and existing stairs shall not
apply to stairs located in
 industrial equipment access requirements of para B 2(c), (d), and
areas except as otherwise (e) of this Section.
provided in Division 15 of this
Table 4: NEW STAIR WIDTH
Chapter.
Total Width
Cumulative mm in
Table 2: DIMENSIONAL CRITERIA Occupant
FOR NEW STAIRS Load Assigned
to the Stair
Feature mm in <2000 persons 1120 44
>2000 persons 1420 56
Minimum Width See Table 4
Maximum 180 7
height of risers c. The total cumulative
Minimum height 100 4 occupant load assigned to a particular
of risers stair shall be that stair’s prorated
Minimum tread 280 11 share of the total occupant load, as
depth stipulated in (d) and (e), calculated in
Minimum 2000 80 proportion to the stair width.
headroom
Maximum 3660 144 d. For downward egress travel,
height between stair width shall be based on the total
landings number of occupants from storeys
above the level where the width is
measured.
Minimum New Stair Width
e. For upward egress travel,
a. Where the total occupant
stair width shall be based on the total
load of all storeys served by the stair
number of occupants from storeys
is fewer than 50, the minimum width
below the level where the width is
clear of all obstructions, except
measured.
projections not more than one
hundred fourteen millimeters (114
mm) at or below handrail height on
each side, shall be nine hundred
fifteen millimeters (915 mm). INTERIOR FINISH
b. Where stairs serve occupant 1. Interior finish of exits of all
loads exceeding that permitted by stores shall be Class A and Class B in
para B 2(a) of this Section, the accordance with Section 10.2.6.3 of
minimum width clear of all this IRR.
obstructions, except projections not
more than one hundred fourteen 2. In any Class A or Class B
millimeters (114 mm) at or below store, interior finish of the ceiling
handrail height on each side, shall be shall be Class A or Class B in
in accordance with Table 4 and the accordance with Section 10.2.6.3 of
this IRR, unless completely protected
by an approved, supervised automatic
fire suppression system in accordance
with Section 10.2.6.5 of this IRR, in
which case Class C interior finish may
be used in any Class A or Class B
store, interior finish of the' walls
shall be Class A, Class B or Class C in
accordance with Section 10.2.6.3 of
this IRR.

3. In any mercantile occupancy,

exposed portions of structural
members complying with the
requirements for heavy timber
construction may be permitted.
Laminated wood shall be delaminate
under the influence of heat.

4. In a Class C store, interior

finish shall be Class A, B or C in
accordance with Section 10.2.6.3 of
this IRR.

Sources:

National Building Code of the

Philippines
Philippine Electrical Code
Department of Health
Hotel code of the ph
Hotel planning design book
Time saver standards
Public space design book