UNIVERSITY OF NUEVA CACERES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

JAIME HERNANDEZ AVE., NAGA CITY 4400

Commercial Building/ Arcade

Genesis Ian Von F. Reyes

Bs Architecture

Ar. Janine Lizette Obias

Instructor

April 2020
1.1 COMMERCIAL BUILDING
A Commercial building is one that is dedicated to commercial activities.
The technical classification of a commercial building for zoning purposes is
that it has more than half of its floor space used for commercial activities.
An alternative definition of commercial building is a structure that is not
used for residential or civic functions. Various retailers and other businesses
lease space in commercial buildings in order to operate without buying a
property. Additional qualities of commercial real estate include:

 A space that allows companies to carry out day-to-day operations and

serve customers or clients. As such, a commercial property does not
strictly need to be a store or restaurant; it can also be a space in which
income is being generated by providing services to people, such as a law
office or a doctor’s office.
 Schools do not qualify as being commercial real estate; however, places
of worship and lodging entities such as hotels, may be qualified as
commercial properties.
 Unlike residential rental properties, in which a tenant pays a set monthly
fee for the entire apartment (and, that is how the lease agreement is
spelled out), commercial property leases are generally drawn up in such a
way that the occupant is paying a certain amount per square foot of
space[ CITATION UPC \l 13321 ]

1.2. Types of Commercial Building

1. Office

P1-B Office Building

Source: bworldonline.com

Office buildings can be single-tenanted or multi-tenanted, and many

are build-to-suit. They are typically categorized into urban and suburban
 properties. Urban office buildings are found in major cities and include
high rise properties and skyscrapers. Suburban office buildings include
midrise structures located outside of a city center. Office buildings can
also be classified into:

 Class A buildings are considered to be the most prestigious

and have state-of-the-art systems, high-quality finishes,
definite market presence, and excellent accessibility
 Class B buildings are deemed to have fair finishes,
adequate systems, but with a less desirable location
 Class C buildings compete for tenants looking for purposeful
space at rents below the average.

Central Business District (CBD)

Office buildings located in a central business district (CBD)
are those that are in the heart of a city.
In larger cities like Chicago or New York, and in some
medium sized-cities like Orlando or Jacksonville, these
buildings would include high rises found in downtown areas.

Suburban Office Buildings

This classification of suburban office space generally
includes mid-rise structures of 80,000-400,000 square feet
located outside of a city center.
Cities will also often have suburban office parks which
assemble several different mid-rise buildings into a campus-
like setting.

2. Retail

Swati Clover
Source: magicbricks.com
 Retail includes the properties that house restaurants and retailers.
They can be multi-tenanted or single-use, standalone buildings. The
retail sector is complex because the type of shopping centers – such as
community retail centers, regional malls, power centers, out parcels, or
strip centers – is determined by metrics like the size, trade area,
concept, and types and number of tenants.
 Shopping Mall
Since 1970s there has been a trend towards building large
shopping malls in the suburbs away from the business
district that were traditionally the places to shop and conduct
business. Today virtually every large suburb in the U.S. has
a large shopping malls have adequate parking, baby crèches
and even medical centers incorporated into them.

 Community Retail Center

Community retail center are normally in the range of 150,000
– 350,000 square feet. Multiple anchors occupy community
centers, such as grocery stores and drugs stores.
Additionally, it is common to find one or more restaurants
located in community retail center.
Retail commercial businesses range from mom-and-pop
convenience shops to massive "big-box" discount outlets
that provide all retail services, including a fast-food
restaurant or tea room under one roof. Since retail store
buildings account for about 48 percent of the world's
greenhouse emissions and consumes 68 percent of the
world's electricity, more aggressive efforts are being made to
make retail commercial buildings more energy efficient.

 Power Center
A power center generally has several smaller, inline retail
stores, but is distinguished by the presence of a few major
box retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Lowes, Staples, Best Buy,
etc. Each big box retailer usually occupies between 30,000-
200,000 square feet, and these retail centers typically
contain several out parcels.
3. Industrial

Carcemal
Source: archdaily.com

These buildings house industrial operations for a variety of

tenants and are usually located along major transportation routes
outside of urban areas. Industrial estates are built away from the central
business districts and residential areas because of pollution and noise
factors, and they typically feature one- or two story offices and
warehouses with individual parking and loading bays. Commercial
leasing companies build industrial estates in developing areas to lease
to manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. Industrial buildings
can be grouped into industrial parks and are classified into four types:

 Heavy manufacturing: heavily customized buildings with

machinery required by manufacturers to operate and
produce goods and services.
 Bulk warehouse: these buildings are usually large and serve
as distribution centers. These properties are very large,
normally in the range of 50,000 – 1,000,000 square feet.
Often these properties are used for regional distribution of
products and require easy access by trucks entering and
exiting highway system.
 Flex industrial: industrial buildings that can be easily
converted and typically comprises a blend of both industrial
and office space.
 Light assembly: these commercial properties are not
customized and can be easily reconfigured. Typical uses
include product assembly, storage and office space.
4. Multifamily
Multifamily properties are the go-between for residential and
commercial real estate. While they can serve as a residency, the general
purpose for the property type is for investment (owner-occupied or not).
The multifamily asset class includes everything from a duplex up through
a multi-hundred unit apartment building.
 Duplex / triplex/ Quadruplex
Duplexes are two-unit rental properties, triplexes are three-unit
properties, and quadruplex, four units. The “ plex” suffixed
property types are found I virtually every market, but are more for
beginning investors and those that would like to make a profit on
their own residence(by renting out other units.)
Apartment buildings, on the other hand, are typically
distinguished as being low, mid or high rise based on the amount
of stories they have.

 Mid-Rise Apartments
These properties are usually 5-12 stories, with between 30-110
units, and elevator service. These are often constructed in urban
infill location.

 Garden Apartments

Beirut Terraces by Herzon & de Meuron

Source: inhabitat.com

Suburban garden apartments started popping up in the

1960s and 1970s, as young people moved from urban centers to
 the suburbs. Garden apartments are typically 3-4 stories with
500-400 units, no elevators, and surface parking. Essentially, it is
a collection of low-rise apartment buildings on one piece of
property, those which may share yard or other land space.

 High-Rise Apartments
High-rise apartments are found in larger markets, usually have
100+ units, and are professionally managed. The number of
stories is less explicit for high-rise buildings, but typically once
you exceed 10-12 stories, most markets will consider the building
as a high rise. Once a high –rise building exceeds 40 stories and
meets a certain height, it’s generally considered as skyscraper.

5. Hotel

Manila Hotel (Hyatt Regency Manila City)

Source: hyatt.com

Hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short term

basis. The operation vary in size, function, complexity, and cost. Most
hotels and major hospitality companies have set industry standards to
classify hotel types. Large hotel are traditionally built in the main
business district of cities with fantastic landscape garden, spacious
lobbies, restaurants and specialty shops, as well as luxury room with
balconies that overlook the cities. Hotel building are classified into 10
groups:

 International Luxury
Offers high quality amenities, full service accommodations, on –
site full service restaurant, and the highest level of personalized
 and professional service in major or capital cities. International
luxury hotel are classified with at least a five diamond rating or
Five Star Hotel rating depending on the country and local
classification standards.[ CITATION Jul13 \l 13321 ]

 Lifestyle Luxury Resort

Branded hotels that appeal to a guest with lifestyle or personal
image in specific locations. They are typically full service and
classified as luxury. A key characteristic of lifestyle resort are
focus on providing a unique guest experience as opposed to
simply providing lodging.

 Upscale full service

It provide a wide array of guest services and on-site facilities.
Commonly found amenities may include: on-site food and
beverage (room service and restaurants), meeting and
conference services and facilities, fitness center, and business
center. Upscale full-service hotels range in quality from upscale
to luxury. This classification is based upon the quality of facilities
and amenities offered by the hotel.

 Boutique Hotels
Boutique hotels are smaller independent non-branded hotels that
often contain mid-scale to upscale facilities of varying size in
unique or intimate settings with full service accommodations.

6. Mixed Use
Mixed use properties, while their own distinction, can actual be a
combination of any of the aforementioned types of commercial property.
The most common form of mixed-use properties, especially in cities, are
retail/restaurant properties with offices or residences sitting a top. Think
of your general downtown high-rise building, and there’s a good chance
that the asset is considered mixed-use.

Typically, mixed-use properties are some combination of office,

residential/multifamily, retail, and/or industrial.[ CITATION Uni18 \l
13321 ]
1.3. Benefits of these Types of Commercial Building to the Community
1. Benefit of New Office Buildings
In today’s business climate it’s imperative to constantly be looking
ahead. Having a plan for the years to come keeps budgets balanced,
customers happy, and revenue generating. One critical part of business
planning is keeping your office space up to date and relevant. Changing
design trends and wear and tear are realities every business needs to
account for. Remodeling an existing office space or upgrading to a
completely new space both have several key benefits.
Having updated offices is a signal of growth and stability to the
community and, more importantly, prospective clients. When clients
come to your office, your waiting room will be making the first
handshake. It needs to be a reflection of the capability and quality of
your company.

2. Retail

Local business owners often have incentive to support other local

businesses, patronizing local establishments for both business and
personal reasons. Chain businesses, on the other hand, tend to get
their supplies from corporate, as well as having store managers and
employees that aren’t as personally invested in buying local.

3. Industrial

The most evident advantage of industrialization would be the

development of wealth or capital. Industrialization generated a great
deal of wealth for many people. Workers were able to find a source of
work that could expand to employ more people. Factory owners
experienced more of a wealth bounce from industrialization. I would
also suggest that another advantage of industrialization was the
movement to a more urbanized setting. Prior to industrialization,
individuals lived apart from one another and in distant settings. With
most of the factories being located in the cities, individuals were able to
move to these areas and become closer to one another with greater
physical examples of community being formed. Finally, I would say that
the development of roads, canals, and changes in how information was
 relayed as well as the improvements in transportation ended up being a
result of industrialization because of the desire to move goods to farther
reaches of the nation. Underscoring all of these is the fact that in order
for any nation to emerge into a concept of modernization and
contemporary settings of power, industrialization has to be evident.

4. Multifamily

Another reason to invest in multi-family real estate is this: multi-

family real estate investment has a positive global impact. Multi-family
real estate fills a diverse and significant market need while enriching the
communities where they are located. The construction of multi-family
properties enhances the economic vitality of a neighborhood or region
through the creation of jobs. More jobs are created as building supplies
are needed for construction, and workers are needed to complete the
design, financing, and management of building projects.

Multi-family housing growth also fuels the demand for goods and
services that both workers and residents need nearby. A balanced mix
of housing options also makes a region more attractive to businesses
looking to expand or relocate. Not only does this level of density provide
businesses with opportunities to reach a wider market, but the
apartments and condominiums in the area can also play an important
role in housing a large segment of their workforce.

1.4. Different Consideration and its explanation to be applied or done in

commercial building/arcades
1. Whole Building Design Guide
Office Building
An office building must have flexible and technologically-
advanced working environments that are safe, healthy, comfortable,
durable, aesthetically-pleasing, and accessible. It must be able to
accommodate the specific space and equipment needs of the tenant.
Special attention should be made to the selection of interior finishes
and art installations, particularly in entry spaces, conference rooms
and other areas with public access.
 Flexibility
  Consider raised floors to allow for easy access to cabling
and power distribution, as well as advanced air distribution
capabilities to address individual occupant comfort.
 Incorporate features such as plug-and-play floor boxes for
power, data, voice and fiber, modular and harnessed
wiring and buses, and conferencing hubs to allow for daily
flexibility at work as well as future reorganization of office
workstations.

 Productive
 Utilize strategies such as increased natural
ventilation rates, the specification of non-toxic and low-
polluting materials and systems, and indoor air
quality monitoring.
 Natural light is important to the health and psychological
well-being of office workers.

 Technical Connectivity
 Plan new office buildings to have a distributed, robust, and
flexible IT infrastructure, which would allow technological
access in virtually all the spaces.
 Consider and accommodate for wireless technologies as
appropriate.[ CITATION Bri \l 13321 ]

2. Sustainable Design Consideration for Commercial Building

Here are six sustainable building design considerations for
commercial buildings.
 Low Maintenance Exterior
Low-maintenance exteriors come with durability to withstand the
elements and give a modern look to new buildings
 Fiber Cement Sliding
As a composite material made of cement that’s been reinforced
with cellulose fibers (plant-based), your building can be resistant
to rot, termites, and impact (i.e. airborne debris in high-wind).
 Modified Wood Siding
With wood siding your building can feature a natural look, but
incorporate increased decay resistance, dimensional stability,
 and an impressive hardness not traditionally thought of. Best of
all, visually-appealing woods like beech, ash, birch, alder, and
other varieties can be used.

 Steel Siding
Building can benefit from steel siding that not only reinforces the
structure, but can offer an impressive visual impact and speak
volumes about your building’s modern ecological style.
 Eco Friendly Insulation
Eco-friendly insulation materials, like ecologically friendly building
wrap, your building can benefit from improved air circulation and
moisture control.
 Improved Waste Management
Some of these emerging designs for green plumbing include
steel/PEX pipes for heat retention and longevity, eco-friendly
toilets that significantly reduce water bills, outdoor water systems
that recycle water, and sanitary drainage systems that improve
the health of the building’s occupants. [ CITATION Gle18 \l 13321 ]
 REFERENCES
Conway, B. (n.d.). Office Building. Retrieved from Whole Building Design Guide:
https://www.wbdg.org/building-types/office-building

Counsel, U. (n.d.). Commercial Building Definition: Everything You need to know.

Retrieved from upcounsel: https://www.upcounsel.com/commercial-building-
definition

Hasek, G. (2018, October 8). Sustainable Design Consideration for Commercial

Building. Retrieved from Green lodging news:
https://www.greenlodgingnews.com/sustainable-building-design-considerations-
for-commercial-buildings/

Team, U. N. (2018, August 24). What are the Different Types of CommercialBuilding?
Retrieved from Unique Properties: https://www.uniqueprop.com/what-are-the-
different-types-of-commercial-buildings/

Weed, J. (2013, December 23). By-the-Hour Microstays add to Big Hotels' Bottom Line.
Retrieved from The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/business/a-room-by-the-hour-to-
refresh.html