DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS

Development Controls (DC)

• “the set of inter-acting regulations concerning the physical utilization of a lot and
governing the planning/design of spaces and/or the use or occupancy of a
building to be introduced on a lot.”
• these are mainly discussed in Rules VII & VIII of the National Building Code of the
Philippines (PD 1096)
Important Terms:

• Total Lot Area (TLA) - is the surface area of a property on which a proposed
building is to be constructed. If the proposed building is erected
on 2 or more properties, the TLA shall be equal to the
surface area of such number of lots.

property line property line property line

TLA LOT 1 LOT 2

Area LOT 1 + Area LOT 2 = TLA

• Setback and Yard
§ Setback - is the horizontal distance measured 90 degrees from the
outermost face of the building to the property lines.
§ Yard - the area of required open space within the lot which is essential
to allow the flow of light and ventilation inside the building.

property line setback

setback

BUILDING

setback

YARD

setback
 • Allowable Maximum Building Footprint (AMBF) - is the maximum portion
of the lot that may be occupied by the building at grade level after
satisfying setback, yard and court requirements. The area of the AMBF is
measured from the outermost face of the exterior walls of the proposed
building.
2 ways to compute for the AMBF:
AMBF = TLA - Yard Areas
AMBF = PSO x TLA

• R1 Occupancy

Example 1: 16 meters
TLA = 224 sqm Yard 2 2m
Yard Area = (areaY1) + (areaY2) +
2m 2m
(areaY3) + (areaY4)
Yard 1 = 2m x 14m = 28 sqm
Yard 1 AMBF Yard 3
Yard 2 = 2m x 12m = 24 sqm 14 meters
Yard 3 = 2m x 14m = 28 sqm
Yard 4 = 4.5m x 12m = 54 sqm
Yard Area = 134 sqm
AMBF = 224 sqm - 134 sqm 4.50 m Yard 4
AMBF = 90 sqm

RROW
 • Percentage of Site Occupancy (PSO) - is the percentage of the maximum
allowable enclosed floor area of any building in relation to the Total Lot
Area. It can be calculated by dividing the area of the building footprint by
the lot area
PSO = AMBF/TLA

From Example 1: property line setback

TLA = 224 sqm
AMBF = 90 sqm
setback
PSO = 90 sqm/224 sqm
PSO = 0.40 or 40% BUILDING
(PSO)
setback

YARD

setback
• Gross Floor Area (GFA) - the total floor space within the perimeter of the
permanent external building walls (inclusive of main and
auxiliary buildings)

The GFA shall EXCLUDE the following areas:

1. Parking areas, driveways, services, utilities

2. Vertical penetrations
3. Uncovered areas for helipads, air-conditioning cooling towers, air
cooled condensing unit balconies, overhead water tanks, roof decks,
laundry areas and cages, wading or swimming pools, whirlpools or
jacuzzis, terraces, gardens, courtss or plazas, balconies more than 10
sqm in area, fire escape structures and the like.
 • Total Open Space Within Lot (TOSL) - the total open space required for
each type of use/occupancy for a given lot expressed as a
percentage of the total lot area.

2 ways to compute for the TOSL:

TOSL = TLA - PSO
TOSL = ISA + USA

From Example 1: property line setback

TLA = 224 sqm (100%)
PSO= 40%
setback
TOSL = 100% - 40%
TOSL = 60% BUILDING
(PSO)
setback

YARD
(TOSL)

setback
• Impervious Surface Area (ISA) - the percentage of the maximum allowable
floor area of any paved, tiled, or hardscaped surface at
the ground floor/grade level outside the building in relation to
the Total Lot Area.

• Unpaved Surface Area (USA) - the portion of the lot that shall be reserved
for softscaping/hardscaping; an open space that permits water
infiltration into the soil.

• Maximum Allowable Construction Area (MACA) - determines the area

within the lot that can be paved, regardless whether it is enclosed by a wall
or not. It is defined by the Code as the combined total of the Maximum
Allowable Percentage of Site Occupancy and the Maximum Allowable
Impervious Surface Area expressed as a percentage of the Total Lot Area.
MACA = PSO + ISA