Exploring Architectural Design: Understanding Space Functions and Standards

Introduction:

Architectural design is a multifaceted discipline that goes beyond mere aesthetics; it's about creating spaces that serve specific functions while adhering to established standards. From residential homes to commercial complexes, every building is a carefully orchestrated interplay of form and function. In this article, we delve into the realm of architectural design, exploring the significance of space functions and the importance of adhering to standards to ensure both functionality and user satisfaction.

Understanding Space Functions:

Space functions lie at the heart of architectural design. Before laying down a single brick, architects must meticulously analyze the intended purpose of each space within a building. Whether it's a living room, office cubicle, or laboratory, each area serves a distinct function that influences its design and layout.

Residential Spaces:

In residential architecture, spaces are tailored to meet the needs and lifestyles of the occupants. The living room, for example, serves as a social hub for family gatherings and entertainment, thus requiring ample seating and open layouts conducive to interaction. Bedrooms, on the other hand, prioritize privacy and relaxation, with considerations for comfort, lighting, and storage solutions.

Commercial Spaces:

Commercial buildings, such as offices, retail stores, and restaurants, must cater to the needs of employees and customers alike. Office spaces are often designed to promote productivity, with layouts that facilitate collaboration while providing private areas for focused work. Retail environments prioritize customer experience, with strategic layouts, lighting, and signage to guide shoppers through the space efficiently.

Public Spaces:

Public buildings, such as libraries, museums, and civic centers, are designed to serve the community at large. These spaces must be accessible, inclusive, and adaptable to accommodate diverse user needs. Libraries, for instance, offer a range of spaces for reading, studying, and community events, each tailored to different user preferences and activities.

Importance of Standards in Architectural Design: Standards play a crucial role in architectural design, providing guidelines and benchmarks for various aspects of building construction and operation. These standards encompass a wide range of considerations, including building codes, accessibility requirements, environmental sustainability, and ergonomic design principles.

Building Codes:

Building codes set forth regulations governing the design, construction, and occupancy of buildings to ensure safety and structural integrity. These codes cover aspects such as fire safety, structural design, plumbing, electrical systems, and occupancy loads. Adhering to building codes is essential to obtain permits and approvals from regulatory authorities.

Accessibility Standards:

Accessibility standards aim to ensure that buildings and spaces are usable by people of all ages and abilities. This includes provisions for wheelchair accessibility, ramps, elevators, handrails, signage, and tactile indicators for visually impaired individuals. Designing with accessibility in mind not only fosters inclusivity but also helps comply with legal requirements.

Environmental Sustainability:

With growing concerns about climate change and resource depletion, architects are increasingly embracing sustainable design practices. Standards such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) provide frameworks for designing environmentally friendly buildings that minimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and promote indoor air quality.

Ergonomic Design:

Ergonomic design principles focus on creating spaces that are comfortable, efficient, and conducive to human well-being. This includes considerations for ergonomic furniture, lighting, acoustics, and spatial layouts that support natural movement and reduce strain on the body. By prioritizing user comfort and health, architects can enhance the overall quality of the built environment.

As previously discussed, 3 main components are essential in Architectural Design namely: SPACE, FUNCTIONS, AND STANDARDS

On this page, we will explore the first component which is the SPACE

SPACE  is defined as a continuous area or expanse that is free, available, or unoccupied.
In architecture, we can set the boundaries of space. Space can be exclusive or it can be shared. The main element that can be considered to define the boundaries of space is the human body. The space can then be measured by the measurement of size and proportion of the human body - this is called Anthropometrics. This enables us to properly size items, including system interfaces, to "fit" the user.

the Anthropometrics

From the illustration above we can formulate a minimum length, width, and depth of a space dedicated to the human body's reachability. This is the human space. Observe from anthropometrics, starting from a standing position with arms stretched sidewards, length is established. As the arm moves upward or downward,  with a corresponding size, radius, and reachability of human body movement, you as a designer can now start determining the required size of a particular space dedicated to the end user's activity.

a. Activity - After defining the space according to its size, we can now determine its activity. How are we going to define space for human activities? Going back to a simple residence, how are activities classified in each of the user's activities? 

In this exercise, we can now define which one is private, public, semi-private, and semi-public.

This will introduce you to the functionality of the space. The boundaries that define the space are also considered to make it private or public. There are spaces in between that relate to the functionality of the adjacent space. like the dining and kitchen. The living and dining, The hallways and the bedrooms, the bedroom and toilets. 

Identifying these activities and their interrelationships of functions, you can group them in a bubble form. This is a good starting point to see how these spaces interact with one another.

b. Function -  The Balloon diagram is your guide to determine the groupings of each space according to function. In a bigger house design scope, all spaces are under one roof. But all are divided accordingly according to function and consider the next principle which is accessibility. The space hierarchy can start from a public space to a private space. In between, you can play around with how you, as the user, will move in and out of each of the spaces. 

The Functionality will consider the safety, ease of access between spaces, and the visibility of each space. 

Conclusion:

In the realm of architectural design, space functions, and standards serve as guiding principles for creating buildings that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional, safe, and sustainable. By understanding the unique requirements of different spaces and adhering to established standards, architects can design environments that enrich the lives of occupants and contribute positively to the built environment

DESIGN 101 Architectural Design | The INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 101?

DESIGN 101 is the first course you are going to undertake once enrolled in architecture.  It is basically from design 101 to design 110. This will be your ladder. In order to complete the whole course, you have to finish 10 design courses. Each course is unique and is a pre requisite of the next higher design class.

Design 101 is an introduction to the basics of architectural design. This will enable you to learn the tools and the skills you need to become a designer and understand the principles in designing a structure.

While you are learning to develop your visual skills and the standard drafting,
Design 101 will develop your analytic skills. You will learn the value of space, functional grouping and minimum standards.

structures are categorized according to functions and complexity of design, therefore Design 101 will guide you through your learning process from designing basic structure, that is learning the first place where we got involved with in defining space and it's functionality.
What is it? that is the place you live in - your house.

1. Starting with your house - Have a look around you and observe what you see inside your house. Let your observation be focused on the spaces within your house and determine the function of each area that is within your house. Then let your observation be more focused on the building elements like the windows, doors and other details - this will help you become more familiar with the minimum standards.

The DESIGN PROCESS

This is your first journey to develop your design skills in architecture. The first stage will be the ANALYSIS. Let's determine and develop some design principles by taking the example below:
( you can also make your own sketch of your house and see how they are arranged. The floor plan as shown is a top view of the house. As you see the spaces arranged together, start drawing your own plan as you enter and then link them altogether)

a. In determining the space - What are the spaces  can you find inside your house?
you can list down all the spaces you see. Let's have an example on the plan shown below:
 


floor plan

  
These are your space requirements. 

starting from far left down, there are two groups of spaces that are arranged without any partition.

Notice the furniture placed in the first area, 3-seater and two-seater sofa with single sofa, center table, tv console and a cabinet. Can you now identify this area? Yes this is a

LIVING ROOM / AREA

second area, is a dining table with six chairs, this area is the

DINING AREA


Next one is a long corridor connecting 3 mores spaces:

One with an office table and chair, with credenza this space is a

PRIVATE OFFICE

Another one with a table with 3 chairs, sink, working counter, this is the

KITCHEN

and lastly, there is a water closed and a lavatory. This space is the

TOILET

You can also identify the stairs along, this is the access leading to the next floor level.

Putting them all together, you have now established the space that are available within a simple residence. These are:

LIVING AREA ,DINING AREA ,CORRIDOR, STAIRCASE, PRIVATE OFFICE, KITCHEN and the  TOILET                    
 

isometric view



b. In determining the function - How was it arranged? This is where you determine the public areas, private areas, semi-private and the common areas. This is what we call Functional Grouping

The best way to classify the spaces as private and semi-private and common area, we can best express this by balloon diagramming. Place a circle as to how the plan is arranged and identify the classification of its spaces.

Analyze: 

How are these space interrelates with one another other?
What are the areas that are considered private in relation to its function?
What are the areas that needs to be adjacent that will compliment to their function?
Can you arranged them better?

This is the best exercise to group the spaces together and analyze it according to the usage and interrelationship of each space.

In relation to the question "can you arrange them better?", this question is more appropriate to ask when you are analyzing the activities within. In exploring your idea within the design process, keep on thinking about the ways and means to improve your design in terms of arranging the space in accordance to the most efficient way of solving the problem.  


You can make your own arrangement and try to move each balloon representing the area. Make you own sketch and move the areas you think should be in close connection with each other. Once you have done that, you can make your own reason why you are placing that space next the space you think would be more reasonable. Arrows are good representation showing a circulation pattern. Draw an arrow to interconnect these spaces and determine which one should have direct access and which one should have indirect access.

After establishing your functional grouping, you can now start doing a single line presentation. What is the single line presentation? The balloon diagram is now translated into a more accurate space plan, that is the layout of your floor plan. As shown on this example, you are now going into the next phase of the design process.

c. In determining Minimum Standards - Do you see all the building elements that were put together? What do you see? if you noticed all those elements, these are the components within the building that were set to standards in relation to its size.

a. Let's start with the floor, do you see varying sizes? what's connecting the floor and the wall? what about the level changes from one area to the other, do you recognized the heights of each level change?  

b. what about the walls? do you see anything that are attached to it like the doors and  windows, do they have varying heights and widths?

c. and lastly, let's look at the ceiling. how are lights fixed? what are the attached elements that connects the ceiling and the wall? Aside from that, you can also see all the furniture that are within the rooms or areas. You can also observe that all have sizes relevant to the space and the usefulness of each furniture in relation to the end user - you. 

All these are set to a minimum standard in order to guide you, as the designer, to know the required size of each of the space you are dealing with.

DESIGN 101 Architectural Design | SPACE