Thesis (BS Architecture) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2007

A house undergoes a lot of significant changes over the years. An expansion of functions and rearrangement of space are observable changes that inhabitants make in their dwelling unit. Since a house is a prime reflector of a certain culture and man forms their dwellings in accordance to his lifestyle and socioeconomic needs, the modification process should be taken into consideration in designing these houses. A case study that was made on GSIS economic housing project in Davao City tackled the spatial organization by documenting its transformation through the years and analyzing the spatial morphological patterns they have undergone using the multivariate analysis and space syntax method. From the results of the study, thee were three identified core house models namely, the Open Plan, Close Plan, and the Combined plan. The Open Plan Model caters to the changes a highly sociable family goes through while the Close Plan Model accommodates the changes a Filipino family who places higher value on privacy undergoes. The Combined Plan on the other hand is flexible and structurally ready enough to cater to an extended, larger family in the future. It is therefore recommended that the developers in designing the core house models in their projects should take into consideration the kind of models that will adapt to the Filipino family culture since houses are constantly evolving to reflect changing economic conditions, culture and tradition, social values and technological innovations. The designers should keep current with the changing and growing needs of the people and their thirst for comfort and convenience.