1.1 Background and Nature of the Study A long period had passed since the shoe industry of Marikina made its greatest impact upon our country. It was in the year 1887 when the city had become the hometown of footwear manufacturers (Guzman, 2018). For years, the shoemakers have developed their skills as well as their work ethic adapting to the market demands. With great competence, the quality of the shoes in Marikina is what captures the buyers from cities around the country other than craftsmanship and artistry.
It is one of the reasons why the city is considered to have an important role in the Philippine economy. However, the problem arises as the number of expert shoemakers decreases, for not many are devoted enough to undertake in shoe making. People see it as a line of work preferable to the lower part of the social class due to the anticipated small income and limited job opportunities. This perception continues up to now as the footwear manufacturers have met the age of retirement.
Even if some senior natives still pursue in shoemaking, it will only be a matter of time before they have to refrain themselves from working. One local facility that exist today is the Philippine Footwear Academy in Marikina that comprises of lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities. This recent project stands as the mark of a new beginning to strengthen its identity. However, at this state, the city is still in the process to ascend. Despite having numerous efforts handed by the government of Marikina to support the industry, it is observed that the city still lacks footwear training and production facilities that will generate a line of workers and further expansion of and market sales. Furthermore, the city lacks in providing satisfying interaction between the locality and the shoe industry. It is necessary to conduct this study to find out how strengthen and revitalize the city’s identity through architecture. To enlighten people on how important connectivity is.Designing for a city must require a deeper and clearer understanding of the situation before initiating in solving problems. This research is conducted to satisfy the desire to find a better way in promoting footwear production as well as the desire to discover something innovative that will re-conceptualize how to design a Footwear Training and Production Center much more effectively and more engaging for the next generation.1.2 Statement of the Problem The local government of Marikina together with the Department of Science and Technology-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR) vowed to strengthen the shoe industry of the city by forming a new partnership that would generate a line of expertise in shoe making through the Marikina Shoe Industry Development Office (MASIDO) and the Philippine Footwear Federation, Inc. (PFFI). Some of the aspects needed to be considered are connectivity, transparency and visibility. However, it is apparent that the locality lacks in recognition of potentials that the industry can bring out. There isn’t that much places where people can buy locally hand-made shoes or places where they can openly learn how the natives make one. Even if there are some, are people really aware of that? The existing shoe training centers in Marikina are commonly adapted buildings. There isn’t one that is designed specifically for its own purpose. Proper planning and consideration in footwear production are disregarded because there are no in depth standards or guidelines to be followed in the first place. These spaces are important as they will inhibit the workers productivity as well as the people’s engagement and connectivity. In response to this problem, this research is conducted to further analyze the possible options for making the footwear training and production center more efficient and hospitable. Investigations will carry out the different activities that occur in the process of shoemaking in order to integrate anthropometrics in the design. Moreover, discussions will delve on how the public and the private users/workers can connect in such way they wouldn’t intervene on each others activity when they needed.1.3 Project Goal and Objectives The goal of this project is to investigate on how to design a shoe center that will comprise of Footwear Training and Footwear Production in a more hospitable and efficient way as to promote and strengthen the shoe industry of the city. The main objective is to identify the architectural aspects needed be considered to gain people’s engagement and participation.In this study the processes and specific objectives can be described as follows:-Study the historical background of Marikina and its economy-Geographic conditions of the study locale-Identify the architectural aspects that can motivate people to engage and participate in the shoe industry-Study Anthropometry related to the activities occurred in the shoemaking process-Review the design of international footwear production center and how it will be different from the locale-Classify building performance and approach in the scope of the user’s perception, energy consumption and comfort condition-Conduct personal observation on the use of space1.4 Significance of the Project The findings of this study will contribute in reinforcing the city’s identity more specifically in the shoe industry as it will be a tool in designing future projects of the same function for further expansion. The desire to increase the locale’s participation and support justifies the need for more effective, welcoming design approaches. Thus, future projects that apply the recommended approach derived from the result of this study will be able to encourage more people to join in. If the inquiry is made, the possible causes or reasons of the lack of participation of the locale may be discovered so that remedial measures may be instituted to solve the problem. Shoemakers will take part in a collaborative planning to gain more insights on how the building should be planned for a better outcome. This way, they will be able to wok more efficiently and productive while maintaining comfort. In the field of architecture, this study will help to uncover the critical areas in designing Shoe centers that other researchers were not able to explore.