Design Constraints

8/13/2019 Design Constraints

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Design constraints


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Constraint; something that limits or restrains Design constraint; RULES and LEGISLATIONS STANDARDS VALUES and NORMS REQUIREMENTS WISHES, preferences etc. HABITS, tendencies TRENDS.which direct design activity. They are

produced by different actors who play a particular

role in design or generates his/her own part of theproblem

These can be named DESIGNER, CLIENT, USER ANDLEGISLATOR GENERATED CONSTRAINS


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In design, the problem usually originates not inthe designer's mind but with a client or users;someone in need who is unable to solve theproblem or perhaps even fully to understand itwithout help. But he expects more than just ahouse with rooms of appropriate sizes andrelationships. Client expects architect's

aesthetic-based contribution related toform, space and style.


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The client on the other hand cannot actuallydesign by himself but nevertheless may tosome extent know what he wants.

Obviously clever client chooses a designer

according to his/her past work The way that designers perceive and understand

problems is to some extent a function of thissocial relationship.The vast majority ofdesign today is commissioned by clientswho are not themselves the users.


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Public architecture such as hospitals,schools or housing is usually designedby publicly-employed architects whohave relatively little contact with theusers of their buildings.

A traditional image of designer establishinga personal relationship with a client/usermisleading today, and customed designis very rare

Even private practitioner architectscommissioned to design new buildings for alarge organizations are likely to be keptaway from the actual users by a clientcommittee.


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This increasing distance between designers andusers has created a need for user -requirementstudies. Designers have to communicate social andhuman scientist, ergonomists, architecturalpsychologist, urban sociologists to learn what their

users actually need.

But still relations between the users and designersremain the same and unsuccessful.

Recently participatory techniques have beeninvented to solve this problem. In 1970s userparticipation to design became an importantscientific issue. However it was not broadlyapplicable as it was expected at the beginning.


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Architect is expected to generate his/her ownconstrains. He is supposed to come up with anintegrative idea, an overall concept whichorganizes unifies the whole building. He may restrictthe range of colures and materials and establish

geometric and dimensional rules (he has to havehis own values, criterias and beliefs in short hisown discourse).

Clearly from the designer`s point of view clientsconstrains are not absolute as are legislator

constraints. Rather they all carry a relativevalue which is open to a certain amount ofdiscussion.


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The architects today must satisfy the fire officer,the building inspector and the town planner andin addition depending on the nature of theparticular project, the housing corporation,health inspectors, home office inspectors, the

water authority, electricity authority.

Legislators create constraints within whichdesigners must work. Such legislation andcontrol may range fromstandards and codes

of practice to guidelines andrecommendations. Such standards maygovern factors of safety, utility orappearance.


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Legislative constraints in design aregenerally value freethat is to say theymust be satisfied without question, andcannot be counted against other factorsand considerations.

It is obvious that designer-generatedconstraints are comparatively flexible. Ifthey cause too many difficulties, or justsimply do not work out the designer is freeto modify or change them.


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But design students often fail to recognizethis simple factbut they hopelessly obey to thecriteria that they put forward at the beginningof design.

One of the most important skills of a designeris to gain the ability to critically evaluate hisown self-imposed constraints, and give them upwhenever it is needed.

As we have seen the legislators demandis fixed, the client may alter his prioritiesand the designer may change his mindwhat links all the constraints is their

domain of influence: external and internal


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These are the constraints establish a relationshipbetween some elements of the building and somefeatures of its site. They relate the designed buildingto its context.

The site boundary, the sun, the street is theexternal to the problem. We can refer to them asexternal constraints.

Sometimes external constraints virtually determinethe whole form of design

the building regulations closely define thepermitted distances of windows from boundaries,

the client may have a strong preferences for theliving room which overlooks the garden and has sunnyaspect;

the architect may think important to continue the

existing street faade in terms of the line and height.


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Internal constrains generally allow a graterdegree of freedom and choice since theyonly govern factors which are underdesigner's control.

Number and sizes of spaces, various kindsand qualities of space forms are obviouslyclient-generated constraints.

The structure or pattern of the problem toreach the desired relationships betweenthese spaces. These relationships can be in

terms of human circulation, distribution ofservices or in the visual, acoustic and noicecontrols and barriers necessary to house thevarious communal and private functions ofthe buildings.


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This requires a balancebetween design fromoutside to inside andfrom inside to outside.


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Documents

Design Constraints