Week 3

Design Preliminaries

Objective

• This chapter discusses the types of information that must be gathered, researched, and analyzed before commencing the design process

• Specifically, it discusses programming, taking a visual inventory, sketching, building codes, and accessibility

Introduction• Information must be gathered, analyzed,

and synthesized, a process called programming– Determine the spaces required, their

functions and square footage– How many people will use them and how– Which spaces should be adjacent,

separated, public, private, or secured– Traffic flow of goods, services and people;

and the furnishings and equipment needed

Introduction (cont’d.)

• Building codes and regional limitations, context, cost, maintenance, energy usage, and accessibility all must be considered

• Aesthetic and functional requirements such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems also need to be evaluated

Other Considerations• Environmental concerns include any of the

interior environment’s physical conditions that affect occupant health and safety

• Maintenance concerns include the ability of the products and materials to be kept in good condition

• Sustainability concerns long-term effect on the environment and resource depletion

• A program is a written statement that describes these issues

Taking a Visual Inventory - The Site Visit

• If there is an existing building, a visual inventory needs to be done

• Documentation of existing conditions– Measuring floors and walls for carpet and

wallpaper– Examining windows to determine where to

place a drapery pull– Note finishes and colors, traffic patterns– Location of air vents, outlets, light switches

Tools

• Tape measure– 25-foot metal tape that is rigid, retractable,

and lockable, with a hook at the end for attaching it to a wall

• Surveyor’s wheels– Measuring devices that click off distances

on an odometer when hand-pushed

Tools (cont’d.)

• Electronic tapes– Use an ultrasonic beam to record distance

on a digital readout• Profile gauge

– Measures complex moldings– Magnetic handle and moving pins that take

on the contour of whatever object they are pressed against

Tools (cont’d.)

Digital cameraPictures can be used as an underlay for sketching thumbnail perspectivesClipboardPreferably a 11" x 14", provides a nice surface for sketching and holding paper

Grid Paper or Vellum

Figure 5-3 This grid can be used as a 1/8“ = 1'-0" scale

Calculator

• Basic four-function calculator is enough for most uses, although one with trigonometry functions is useful for calculating angles

Pencil and Notebook

• Dark lead pencil and eraser, and a pocket-sized spiral notebook for note-taking

• Other useful tools– Plumb bob to check vertical walls– Metal triangle to check square corners– Level to establish horizontal reference (or

datum) lines– Flashlight– Ladder

Sketching

• Freehand drawing• Enable a designer to problem-solve in 2-D

and 3-D manners• Sketches should look like what they are:

early stages of design inviting input

Sketching Tips

• Hone observational skills• Estimate proportions• Point-to-Point method• Scale the picture to the paper

Sketching Geometric Figures

Figure 5-6 Sketch circles, ellipses, and irregular curve shapes by boxing in their approximate size and using the box edges as a guide

Sketching Irregularly Shaped Items

• Sketch a square of its approximate size first, and then inscribe the figure inside

Sketching in Perspective• Photographic in nature• Lines are drawn to a vanishing point

Figure 5-7 One-point perspective grid

Sketching in Isometric• Draw a vertical z axis, and then draw x

and y axes at a 30-degree angle to the horizontal

• Measure the length, depth, and height of the lockers along the x and y axes for the outline

• Measure and draw details• Remember that all vertical lines are drawn

parallel to the y axis and all horizontal lines are drawn parallel to the z axis

Sketching the Floor Plan of an Existing Space

• Size must be sufficient to clearly show everything while fitting on the clipboard

• Only length and width is recorded• Wall attachments such as marker boards,

mirrors, and wood trim are not drawn unless the scale is very large

Measuring an Interior Space

• Measuring floor plans• Measuring elevations• Measuring stairs• Additional measurements

– Note odd and oversized pieces, existing furniture, and special characteristics of the room

Measuring Tips• Do not assume that rooms are square,

walls are plumb, or floors are level• Check corners for squareness• Compare the wall’s overall measurements

with the sum of its subsections• Measure walls with windows from:

– Wall to wall– Corner to outside trim of window– Outside window trim to outside window trim– Outside trim of window to corner

Photographing Details

• Hold the lens parallel to the object to minimize distortion

• Measure by hand for verification

Calculating Square Footage (Area)

• Rectangle or square Length multiplied by width

• Triangle 1/2 base multiplied by its height

• Circle π r2 (π = 3.142)

Design Constraints

• Building Codes• Occupancy• Means of Egress• Accessibility

Summary• Information must be gathered before you

begin the design process• The project must be studied, and

information on goals, existing conditions, and constraints must be researched

• This provides a foundation on which to build the design

• When all the information has been gathered and analyzed, the project is ready for synthesis

Week 3

Space Planning

Objective

• This lesson discusses planning, sizes, and clearances for rooms in a single-family house

What is Space Planning?• Process of designing a space to make it

functional for the occupants• Integrates design concepts with

programming needs• Considers spatial and occupancy

requirements, layouts, knowledge of architectural features, furniture sizes and clearances, and distances between objects, human proportions and behavior

The Bubble Diagram• Visual means of organizing thoughts and

developing a concept• Consists of labeled circles represent

spaces and functions that occur inside • Arrows show circulation: movement within

a room and from one room to another• Short lines between bubbles: may

represent visual or auditory inaccessibility

The Bubble Diagram (cont’d.)

• Group areas into three zones: public, private, and dining

• Make the kitchen physically and visually accessible to the outside

• Plan bathroom placement effectively• Keep halls short and to a minimum• Determine the types and placement of doors• Place windows high on walls that face

unattractive views, but admit light

Anthropometry, Proxemics, and Ergonomics

• Anthropometry: study of human sizes and proportions and their variations and reaches

• Proxemics: describes set, measurable distances among people as they interact

• Ergonomics: applied science of using design and anthropometric data to make the work environment more comfortable

Anthropometry• Statistical data on height, weight, limb, and

body segment size enables designers to create things that are sized to fit the user

• Different age, gender, and ethnic populations have different size and proportion norms– Therefore, designers must know the targeted

market

• Designers must also know how much of the population they want to accommodate

Anthropometry (cont’d.)

Figure 6-20 Anthropomorphic data: Workplace dimensions.

Proxemics

• Encompasses spatial relationships, body language, boundaries, colors, physical territory, and personal territory

• Vary with culture, gender, age, social situation, and individual preference

• Determine which rooms are public and which are private

• Defines whether the space feels cozy or formal

Proxemics (cont’d.)

Figure 6-22 American proxemic spaces. Personal space varies culturally and ethnically.

Residential Rooms

• Kitchen• Bathrooms• Living room/gathering centers• Home office• Bedroom• Laundry room• Closets• Foyers and mudrooms

Kitchen

• Three activity centers: – Cooking

oRange, cooktop, and microwave– Clean-up

oSink, dishwasher, trash compactor, and garbage disposal

– StorageoRefrigerator, pantry, and cabinets

Kitchen (cont’d.)

• Work triangle is the area between the stove, sink, and refrigerator

• When the lengths of the triangle’s three sides are added together, the total length should be between 12' and 26'

• Should not be subject to pass-through traffic or intersected by an island

Kitchen (cont’d.)

Figure 6-29 G-shaped (peninsula) kitchen.

Bathrooms

• Half-bath, also called a powder room, has a water closet and lavatory

• Three-quarter bath has a water closet, lavatory, and shower

• Full bath has a lavatory, water closet, and tub or a tub/shower combination

Bathrooms (cont’d.)

Figure 6-60 Types of bathrooms and NKBA-recommended fixture clearances.

Living Room/Gathering Centers

Figure 6-81 Home theatres and media centers are popular features in new construction

Home Office• Has the support infrastructure of the

corporate office• Consider areas that clients will pass

through when visiting• Should be located in a quiet area of the

house• Typical home office furnishings and

equipment include a desk, chair, computer, printer, fax, scanner, phone, storage, file cabinet, tables, and shelves

Bedroom• FHA recommends 100 square feet as a

minimum to hold required furniture• Group bedrooms together in the home’s

private zone, in an area quiet and near bathrooms

• Ensuites are bedrooms connected to bathrooms

• When planning a bedroom layout, placing the bed is the main factor

Bedroom (cont’d.)

Figure 6-90 Master bedroom ensuite.

Closets

• Wardrobe for clothing• Pantry for food• Broom closet may have cleaning supplies• Linen for bedding and towels• Utility closet for furnace, water heater,

washer and dryer

Laundry Room

• Historically, the laundry room was in the basement or on a back porch

• Today, placement near the kitchen is popular, but second-floor laundry rooms are also useful because bedrooms are a large source of dirty clothes

• Should not be located in a traffic area• Leave 48" in front of each appliance to

walk around open doors

Foyers and Mudrooms• Foyer is the home’s front entry and should

be an inviting space– Contains a coat closet and room for

accessorizing décor such as a bench, rug, artwork, or plants

• Mudrooms are back entrances that offer a place to clean up– May have a shelf to store wet umbrellas, a

bench to sit on when removing boots, pegs to hang up keys, a wall-hung sink, shoe racks, cubbies for backpacks and purses, etc.

Summary

• Space planning is an integral part of the design process– Involves synthesizing project requirements and

researching sizes and clearances

• After all such factors are known, a hard-line floor plan can be drawn