Good design o Mt.
Kitanglad Natural Park
o Mt. Apo Natural Park
- essential for the full enjoyment of ecotourism
o Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park
sites
o Siargao Protected Landscape and
- promotes environmental preservation, cultural
Seascape
sensitivity, inclusion, gender sensitivity, and
o Turtle Island Wildlife Sanctuary
safety
- Rawsthorn (2008), if it fulfills its function - Mehta (n.d.)
efficiently but is also beautiful o ecotourism site must have access to
- enable the exploration of a place and create public utilities, proximity to various
satisfying experiences. transportation modes and
transportation infrastructure, and social
Choosing an Ecotourism Site services
- The next stage is to assess the place in terms of
- In the Philippines, ecotourism sites had been
access.
selected based on their natural and/or cultural
features, availability of ecotourism product(s), Sustainable Building Design
level of social/political support, accessibility
from major international and domestic - Fisher (1992 in Soliman & El-Din Rashed, 2002)
gateways and tourism sites, current market o five major principles of an
demand from international and domestic environmentally sustainable building
visitors including the potential appeal to these design:
markets, availability of visitor facilities and (1) healthful interior
services, local benefits accruing to the environment,
community through livelihood and employment (2) energy efficiency,
opportunities, and peace and order, security (3) environmental form,
and safety (National Ecotourism Strategy, 2002) (4) use of ecological materials,
- Banner Sites and
o ones with the highest natural and (5) good design
cultural values Ecotourism Facility Design
- Prof. Felipe de Leon, Jr
o cultural identity derives from: - compatible with the landscape and local
: (1) originality, conditions
(2) indigenousness, - sense of place
(3) authenticity, o e feeling of being in a unique and
(4) uniqueness, authentic setting as compared to what
(5) historicity, one feels when in a replicated site
(6) magnitude, and (replica tourism)
(7) excellence - Landscape features must be reflected in design
- 18 were given priority status for ecotourism through scale, form, color, and texture of the
development (NES, 2002): facility.
o Coron Island, Palawan - Adaptive reuse
o El Nido Managed Resource Protected o Republic Act 10066 (2009)
Area, Palawan "the utilization of buildings,
o Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape other built-structures, and sites
and Seascape, Palawan of value for purposes other
o Mt. Guiting-guiting Natural Park, than that for which they were
Sibuyan Island, Romblon intended originally in order to
o Mts. Iglit-Baco National Park, Mindoro conserve the site, their
o Mt. Isarog National Park, Camarines Sur engineering integrity, and
authenticity of design."
o Mt. Malindang National Park, Misamis
Occidental Inclusive design
o Mt. Pulag National Park, Ifugao, Nueva
- advisable to make the site accessible to persons
Vizcaya
with disability (PWDs)
o Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary
- PWD; friendly design must provide for ample
o Apo Reef Natural Park
width for paths and boardwalks, manageable
o Batanes Protected Landscape and
slopes or inclines (1:8 ratio), and firm surface
Seascape
materials for wheelchairs
o Bataan National Park
o Kanlaon Natural Park
- tips from Byahut et al. (2004) and Parks Canada - Situate facilities away from wildlife habitats to
(n.d.) on accessible outdoor facilities avoid close encounters of humans and
o wheelchair spaces for a seating capacity potentially dangerous animals
o accessible route complying with - Designate trails for biking and hiking to prevent
necessary dimensions for wheelchair park users from wandering into potentially
access dangerous areas
o Walks, halls, corridors, passageways, - Single entry unisex bathrooms rather than
aisles, or other circulation spaces shall multiple stall restrooms are preferred because
have 2,000 mm minimum clear they prevent attacks from strangers because of
headroom better visibility
o universal standard color contrast code
of white and blue in all the signage and
all numeric as well as alphabetical
information sources.
o Ground and floor surfaces along
accessible routes and in accessible
spaces should be level, stable, firm, and
slip-resistant.
o The edges of reflecting pools must be
protected
o Accessible parking spaces shall be at
least 2,400 mm wide
o one accessible parking space must be
provided for every 25 slots
o one entrance in the facility should have
accessibility to the disabled person
o Door handles should be lever type
o Clear knee space provided below a
drinking fountain
o Provide boardwalks if topography is
broken or rough
o Campgrounds must have natural-
looking firm surface
o Provide floating docks in places where
water level rises and falls
Tropical Design
- principles in designing a tropically responsive
building are:
o heat gain minimization during daytime
and heat loss maximization at night in
hot seasons;
o site selection according to micro-
climatic variables (e.g., air temperature
extremes between day and night,
humidity and precipitation, radiation,
winds);
o building structure optimization with
respect to thermal storage and time lag;
control of solar radiation; and
o regulating air circulation
Safety Considerations
- The roofs of cottages, visitor center, lodges, and
other covered structures must be able to
withstand 150 kph winds (Calanog et al., 2012).
- should be prepared for emergency situations
- Parking lots must be on level ground
Cultural Sensitivity
- signage must be multilingual based on the
biggest nationality groups visiting the area.
Toilet facilities must accommodate cultural and
religious preferences.
Gender Sensitivity
- needs of everyone must be taken into
consideration in the design of facilities
Ecotourism facilities
- enable visitors to view attractions at a
comfortable but safe distance, engage in
activities that excite and educate, offer comfort
when nature calls, be protected from the
elements and from danger, and for wildlife and
plants to be conserved
- trails, walking paths, boardwalks, bike trails,
campsites, scenic overlooks, canopy walks,
ecolodges, wildlife viewing and photography
blinds, composting toilets, and buildings, among
others
