Thesis (BS Architecture) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2008

Planning for commercial development is not popular in the rural because such area is immediately envisaged as underdeveloped areas with little population that are too few to sustain any big enterprises. This is why commercial establishments usually flock in more populated cities. However, rural areas like Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur could offer a potential for a few and different shopping environment that could present an innovative shopping experience different from the shopping experience in the urban areas. Rural areas could attract consumers in and outside the rural area. This book presents studies showing certain features of commercial buildings that attract shoppers. The top feature that attracts shoppers is a safe and secure commercial building. The study also shows the features that the municipality of Santa Cruz possesses that could give a big economic potential for the town. In particular, various interesting products made by different industries in the town, its location, geographic features are identified to make the town capable of having a big and attractive rural commercial development. The Santa Cruz Rural Trade Center, which is the project of this study, serves as a physical means to promote indigenous products and crafts of Santa Cruz other than the usual agricultural products, and to stimulate rural commercial activities. In doing so, design concepts (green architecture, vernacular architecture and contemporary rural design concepts) are integrated in the design of project.