A Proposed Natural Disaster Preparedness Experiential Museum
Thesis Proponents: Nichole Kate R. Aldea & Marielle B. Jeciel
Research Adviser: Ar. Alma Libranda
Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite
Year of Defense: 2024m (6th Placer, Best Thesis)
Museums have long served as vital institutions for education, preservation, and community engagement. As spaces where history, science, and culture converge, they provide immersive experiences that encourage learning, reflection, and public awareness. Beyond their traditional role as repositories of knowledge, museums have evolved into dynamic environments that foster interaction and experiential learning. Through this approach, visitors become active participants rather than passive recipients of information, enabling deeper understanding and retention of complex concepts. This educational potential becomes especially significant when applied to disaster preparedness, where practical knowledge and immediate response skills can directly impact public safety and resilience.
A disaster preparedness museum presents a unique opportunity to merge educational, cultural, and civic functions with the urgent need for disaster awareness and risk reduction. By featuring exhibits on historical disasters, scientific principles, climate change, and emergency response strategies, such a museum can serve as an interactive learning hub that equips communities with life-saving knowledge and skills. Interactive exhibits, simulations, and hands-on activities can transform disaster education into an engaging and immersive experience, helping individuals better understand the realities of disasters and the importance of preparedness. Through the integration of experiential learning within architectural spaces, the proposed Disaster Preparedness Experiential Museum aims to strengthen community resilience and promote a culture of preparedness in the Philippines.
The relevance of this proposal is underscored by the Philippines’ geographic vulnerability to natural disasters. The country is frequently affected by typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, resulting in recurring threats to lives, infrastructure, and local economies. Despite ongoing government programs and disaster risk reduction initiatives, many communities still face limited public awareness, inadequate preparedness training, and insufficient access to engaging educational resources related to disasters and climate change. Traditional methods of disaster education often fail to effectively capture public interest and participation, reducing their overall impact on community preparedness.
These challenges are particularly evident in San Fernando, where recurring typhoons, flooding, and seismic risks continue to threaten the safety and well-being of residents. In addition to environmental vulnerabilities, gaps in community awareness, education, and coordination among stakeholders contribute to fragmented disaster response efforts. Limited collaboration between government agencies, non-government organizations, and local communities further weakens the effectiveness of preparedness initiatives. As a result, there is a growing need for a centralized and engaging platform that can educate, train, and unite the public toward disaster resilience.
In response to these concerns, the proposed Experiential Disaster-Centered Museum in San Fernando is envisioned as a proactive architectural solution that addresses both educational and community resilience needs. Determined through careful site selection and planning criteria, the museum will provide a dedicated space for disaster awareness, training, collaboration, and experiential learning. Through immersive environments, interactive exhibits, and educational spaces, the project seeks to empower residents, students, organizations, and government agencies with the knowledge and skills necessary to respond effectively during emergencies. Ultimately, the museum aims to foster a culture of preparedness, cooperation, and resilience, contributing to the long-term safety and well-being of the community while demonstrating the significant role architecture can play in disaster risk reduction and public education.
PROJECT GOALS
The goal of this project is to provide an architectural solution drawn on Disaster Risk Reduction approach focusing on disaster preparedness as a moving force that can be used as a model for fostering an environment where residents are aware and prepared of disaster risks. This will serve as a fundamental element in establishing a community that can withstand disasters through enhancing the capacity and resilience of San Fernando, Pampanga to do so.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
1. To establish a disaster-centered museum that will help promote the community’s resilience against disaster on a long term, continuous basis.
2. To provide a facility that would establish coordination and collaboration between government agencies and the community to ensure a coordinated approach to disaster education and preparedness.
3. To adapt experiential learning as an approach for capacity building in which architecture can be used as a bridge to impact people's knowledge, experience, and awareness on climate change and various disasters that test resilience and readiness when faced with disaster.
DESIGN OBJECTIVES
1. To design that effectively educates visitors on natural disasters, climate change, and emergency preparedness through interactive exhibits, immersive simulations, and informative displays.
2. To incorporate sustainable design principles and renewable energy solutions into the museum's infrastructure in response to climate change.
3. To design a museum that can seamlessly transition into an additional evacuation center, providing safe, flexible spaces for shelter, medical services, and essential needs during natural disasters.
The Site Development Plan (SDP) illustrates the pedestrian and vehicular circulation of the museum within the site context. The main structure is the Experiential Museum surrounded by public and private parking areas, the Memorial Garden which serves as the recreational outdoor area of the site, and the esplanade park located along the creek.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
The experiential museum serves as one of the main attractions of the proposed town development center which aims to promote community resilience against disaster. It features spaces that exhibit an immersive experience for learning; educational spaces for training, disaster education and awareness; and multi-functional space in case of an emergency. It seeks to connect the visitor experience through technology-based exhibits and simulation galleries of real-life scenarios from visitor learning in training rooms. The building also utilizes sustainable features to ensure long term functionality and promote resiliency among the community. The primary spatial organization utilized in the museum are based from the basic and security zones to ensure the safety and security of the users as well as the collections which are categorized from highest security zones to secure zones.
Memorial Garden
The Memorial Garden is the first immersive experience located at the front of the museum which welcomes any guests, connected with nature. The design aims to utilize the natural characteristics of water by providing an immersive experience of the past disasters in Pampanga. As you enter, you'll find yourself walking along a pathway that varies in levels, offering a unique and experiential journey that simulates the feeling of navigating through floodwaters. With each step, users will be immersed in the memories of past disasters, feeling the water rise and fall, and experiencing the resilience of those who have weathered these storms before us. Letting the users honor the memories of those who have been affected by disasters. Through its design, it honors the resilience of the human spirit, inviting visitors to reflect on the enduring power of remembrance and renewal.
Within the memorial garden, an Indian Laurel tree can be found which is one of the common plants in Pampanga wherein it is believed as a meeting place for spirits in some east Asian cultures. The design of the memorial garden signifies the resilience of Filipinos in times of disaster. The highlight of the journey is the lone tree located at the center of the 'flood-like' memorial. This signifies that despite the numerous calamities that have passed, the tree remains standing, even if it is now alone. This enduring presence symbolizes the steadfastness and strength of the Filipino spirit, standing firm in the face of adversity.
Roof Garden
The Roof Garden serves the purpose of providing architectural enhancement, environmental and ecological benefits, sustainable functions, and recreational opportunities to the building. It is strategically designed to offer users a panoramic view of Mt. Arayat, the park, on its front and rear view, respectively, and the beauty of Pampanga that offers connection within the site context. It also serves as an ending experience in the museum which aims to make the users feel that there is always hope after a disaster.
Lecture Hall
The lecture hall serves as a special room in the building for learning, giving instructions, and a glimpse of what the visitors will experience inside the museum. it is designed for the convenience and comfort of the users as they are free from any distractions in consideration from design standards as well
Multi-purpose Hall/Evacuation Area
The multi-purpose hall serves as an area for temporary art exhibitions, and the like during regular museum operations. It is designed to provide emergency temporary shelter in times of disasters. The flexibility and multifunctionality of the museum ensure its continuing and long-term value.
Training Rooms
The training rooms inside the museum take a playful and practical approach to teaching disaster preparedness and in providing knowledge, assistance, and experience for the community and visitors in care of the CDRRMO council. It is designed as a dynamic and engaging environment for maximum productivity, collaboration, and idea sharing. The spaces include the training room exhibit, protection against disaster section, and first aid section.
Typhoon and Flood Exhibit
The typhoon and flood exhibit are designed to create immersive experiences and relatable scenarios that enable learners to apply skills and knowledge easily and directly in their daily roles and tasks. It allows users to illustrate concepts such as natural flood management becoming clearer and more realistic. By engaging with the technology such as light, breathtaking color, horrific sounds and vibrations, and the raw power of wind and waves with audiovisual and special effects surrounding the audience, each user can express their selections, acquiring knowledge that meets their own interests and preferences.
The Storm Wind Simulator utilized cutting-edge technology to recreate the dynamic forces of a typhoon in a controlled environment. At its core were a series of powerful fans, strategically positioned to generate winds of varying speeds and intensities. With each step forward, the wind speed increased incrementally, creating a gradual escalation of intensity. This subtle yet effective progression ensured that visitors were gradually immersed in the gaming experience, allowing them to acclimate to the growing force of the storm. To maintain energy efficiency, the Storm Wind Simulator employed innovative air recirculation technology, ensuring that the same air was continuously used, minimizing energy consumption while sustaining the immersive environment.
Volcanic and Earthquake Exhibit
The earthquake and volcanic exhibit showcase modern interactive, educational displays about earthquakes and volcanoes that deeply explains the different kinds of volcanoes and their characteristics. It offers a more comprehensive understanding of the science and history of these catastrophic events, as well as the steps that can be taken to prepare for and mitigate their effects.
The earthquake simulator is a computer-generated program that applies a real or simulated vibrational input to a structure that possesses the essential features of a real seismic event. It can recreate different magnitudes of earthquakes and was based on different historical quakes in the country. The system provides experiences of various shakes, which depend on the mechanisms of the earthquake and on the response characteristics of the building through pressurized equipment to produce stress transfer and frictional resistance to describe earthquake sequences.
0 comments:
Post a Comment