The Schematic Design Stage

The Architects first Design stage | The Schematic Design | 

This is the initial stage in the practice of Architecture. Before an architect presents his design, he makes an analysis to the design requirement and present a design solution in response to the client's requirements. There are other things that the architect should look at whenever he is doing a design scheme.

There are different styles of presentation at this stage. The perspective view is the architect's impression of the design. The graphic styles are the architect's tool in conveying his ideas . Aside from showcasing his artistry, the design solution goes beyond that. The perspective is what will make the client understand the whole concept of the design. Plans, however, are essential drawing requirement to justify the whole design presentation.

At this point, The client and the architect should come up with initial agreement of the architect's scope of services. May have some probable construction cost of the project where the basis of the Architect's fee is determined. The size of the project will also be determined with the budget costs so that the design will not overshoot the budget.




The Different Presentation of Styles

First impression last. The presentation of the design is dependent on how well you can present the project in different styles. This is one of the discipline an architect should possess or improve to be able to communicate his design properly.

Here are some of the styles done;

1. Sketches are presented on the next appointment with the client. These sketches are the result of the architect's careful analysis of the design solution. It will start with the idea as to what would be the client's perception of what they want to achieve.

2. Manual Renderings and Digital prints

on multiple media, this is the type of presentation done in water color, acrylic, markers as shown below. 

A photo montage is a manual and digital renderings using an actual photo and photoshop software to edit the rendering. 

From this old sample of manual rendering in pen and ink, you can see the drastic change in the design presentation of projects in architecture.

3. 3D Renderings are computer generated renderings. 3d models are done with 3d softwares like 3D Studio max, Sketchup, Autocad 3d, Rhino, Revit and many more.

4. 3D Animations - There are more highly sophisticated 3d animations but in this example, as it is still in the schematic stage, the design and 3d presentation are still being developed. This is done in sketchup to show the overall size and shape of the proposed structure.

Posted by 3dartrender on Sunday, February 18, 2018

There are several ways the architect can do to achieve a design to the client.

For exterior outlook, here are some of the ways to generate the design ideas;

• It can be a design inspiration from any existing design and modify some of its features.
• it can be a metaphor of  shape coming from observation to nature. Like a Seashell, a spider web, ant hill, or to any object that may relate to the context of the design requirement.
• It can be an analogy to any historical building that may be a good basis for a representation of the design and function of the structure you are designing.
• It can be a response to a particular situation that will help solve a particular problem of a client. Like a disabled person who wants to have a multi-level floors without necessary using stairs and lifts. A circular design with ramp can influence the building envelope.
• It can also be an influence of the natural land terrain.

The Schematic design stage is the analysis stage where all aspects of the design is considered, aside from the technical consideration that will influence the design approach. The architect then gives the professional advise as to the Cost of the project.

The Fee of the Architect in this stage is part of the whole fee broken down into the different stages of the design process. It comes usually about 10% to 20% of the architects fee. If the architect's fee ranges from 7% to 10% of the construction cost, The Schematic design fee is determined by computing the 20% of the agreed architect's fee of 7%  to 10% of the construction cost.

For more detailed explanation about the breakdown of fees, see our blog on How do architect's get paid? - a case study


If you have any comments and questions, you can do so by typing  your questions on the comment box below. I would love to discuss further.

Exploring new Ideas for House Design | The Design Process

Introduction

This one is another response to a design request of a longtime friend. She would like to see her initials in her own Dream home. As I continue to explore my thoughts in composing a new design with the initials DFA, i thought of making a sketch that will speak of the same approach done in the previous post.

As a design exercise, house design are limitless. you can explore new ideas for house design with the initial requirement of exterior design that would bear the initials.

As a Design request, I came up with this design. More options come into play but this one may be appropriate in my initial design study.

The design concept will now be tested if this will be acceptable or not.

Let me walk you through the design process of an architect in terms of creating new design for a prospective client. 

The Design Process

The Design process started from a presentation of a previous design that somehow got the attention of an old friend. made a request to do similar approach to her dream house.

Then the conceptual design of the exterior. Though this process may not seem to be the normal, while developing design composition, the size and shape of the house is already being considered so as to look like a functional house design. As part of the test, this design will be presented to see if it meets the expectation of the client.

The next stage is to present this to the client and see the feedback or the impression so that the space plan will follow afterwards. 

What will be the arrangement of the spaces?  

 

The form of the building layout will dictate the spaces within. I will share the approach to planning the spaces within the house of this design and the previous one. The intention is to show you the different approaches to creating a space for the built in size and shape of the house.

 

Space planning is one of the aspect of studies and architect should master. To create the spaces required and group them according to the level of privacy from public to semipublic to private spaces. In house design, public spaces are the entrances, living and dining areas. while semiprivate can be a guest hall while private spaces are the bedrooms and the toilets.

 

 The outline of the plan is the outcome of the space planning analysis. The spaces are organized in such a way that they interact with one another based on the needs of the client. This image shows the different areas within, as we are dealing with the exterior design, architects build the design composition based on the outline of the building. This will cover the spaces within which will be an opportunity for interior designers to do their own design proposals. 

The building envelope is the outcome of the design composition. There are different ways to approach the exterior design, The Spaces defines the form, following the standard sizes of every element within and without. The major elements in exterior design are the placement of windows and doors. According to building laws, there are also certain requirements to follow for the minimum areas required for window openings. This is to achieve light and air ventilation.

The structural components form the structure as well. This are all tied up together to make a rigid and strong structure, withstanding natural calamities and disasters such as flooding, earthquakes and storms.

The ground floor and the upper floors follow the same grid of the structural components. The massing study in the creation of the 3d model is a good starting point to evaluate the design composition of the house. 

The overall design composition of the plan is now complete.

Watch out for the next post to explain the Space planning approach.

The design composition

 

The form shall be so mix together so as to create a design that will look like a house, sizes and shapes are proportionately considered while choices of building material shall be well placed to balance the texture and the identity of shapes forming the whole design and make the design requirement stand out - that is to show the initials of the client.

Somehow, these approaches made me finish the initial design concept of this house.

Comment below is you have some thoughts about it and I would be very glad to explore new ideas for house design till my next design challenges will come. I will keep sharing my thought about it to help you get more information about my house design experiences.

Thanks for taking some time reading my blog.

Personalized House Design

The trend in architectural design | what is a personalized house design?

House Design is also a trademark you can make to give you a unique and personalized design. Creating a character of Architectural Design that is more so functional.

Would it be wonderful to welcome your visitors in your lovely home with this type of design?

Here's an example of a personalized House Design. It bears my initial LRD which is very obvious. I showed the sketch to my wife and she told me, "the letters are prominent". Then i replied "that's the real intention of the design".

As a bold move, one of the greater challenge as an architect is to go beyond the norm of designing a house. Make it more personal.

I believe this is the challenge to every architect/designer. You can play around with ideas that can be translated into the sketch and make a wonderful composition unique to individual.

How to find Architectural Design Ideas?

This is one of the method you can do to find more design ideas. As I shared this thought in my previous blog, this method may be very limited because it is personalized. unlike other means, ideas can be general.

Some people find this very good because you will create a design approach that is so unique. imaginations will work so well with the goal in mind. Clients would love it because it is a design that is personally designed for them will bear their own signature, a seal of ownership.

What are the constraints?

As you are designing a house, forms play a very important role in showcasing the design intention that will make it very obvious in creating the building envelope. The spaces should be well thought in such a way that it will function well as a house. There are no constraints as to considering the whole process of designing a house. All areas of study are well considered so that you will know the limitations needed to avoid while developing the design.

The design should not be over design and should still appear to be a house.


Modern Design

This is one of the best advantage of a modern design. The form can be put together in a composition that will depict a house design. The contrasting of colors through the use of outdoor building material will help you achieve what you want to achieve. As a designer, you can still incorporate traditional design by combining materials and shape that will compliment your design. It may serve as an accent rather to break the monotony of the design.

For your comments and suggestions, please let me know your thoughts through the comment box below. I would love to hear from you and develop this thought and bring out more design principles as a guide for all architects and designers.

Combining Architectural Style

Discussed in my previous blog about Finding Architectural Design ideas, many of you who are actively involved in Architectural Design will be challenged  by your client about creating new designs that will require combining two different styles, the old and the new architecture. This term is simplified as Bisociation.

I thought of exploring this thought and find more practical examples to show so that we can see how to achieve this. What are the criteria we can formulate to guide you through the process.

Two different styles into one.  This is a creative means to come up with a unique architectural design ideas. In terms finding design solution as to the form and style, we need to identify the major and minor.

Here are some of the tips, hope this will help you create more innovative ideas in your design project.

1. Create a major and a minor style of architecture - Blending the two or three architectural styles is a bold move which create an old and new architecture design relationship. Just like composing a song, this would be very difficult to achieve if you don't know how to blend things together. Establish an architectural style to create and determine which one is the major and the minor. 

What will be your blending ratio so that the style will compliment rather than compete. Establish 80 - 20 percent ratio or 70 - 30 up to 60 - 40 percent. Obviously, 80-20 sets the standard to make a clear and dominant style to the least dominant style. While others will give us a subtle blending that will be discussed in tip number 3.

2. Linking the old and the new - The best way to create and decide which architectural style you should pick is in the old style. Linking the past to the present will give you a nostalgic design. People will appreciate the style in terms of catering a structure for different ages. 

In most cases, this is what we call the Transition Period, where you bring new ideas with the old. As in the music, the choice of old song to new melody brings a good composition.
Architectural designs are inspired by the past designs. Setting the trend in architectural design will give you a competitive edge in the public eye. More so, creating your identity and reputation to be the leader in setting the design trend in architecture.

3. Don't over design, keep it simple - in as much as you want to set the trend, remember to keep it simple. Some design may be trendy but won't last longer. Avoid over designing, Make your architecture simple and functional. Consider the construction methodology and cost. Some combination of style can be in the form and shape, color and harmony, contrasting of patterns, size and proportion. List all the things that you need to combine and blend it all together into a single yet simple composition.

4. Find a theme from a previous architectural design trends - as mentioned earlier, finding design from the past is a good idea but you need to consider the design trends in the contemporary. this may go further by observing the design trends in the community and stick to the theme and introduce a new style. 

This will somehow condition the public to the new design trend you are introducing.

In achieving a good architectural design composition, Simplicity and balance will top it all.

Hope you enjoyed reading my post and if you have some comments or suggestion, you can comment below. I would love to explore new tips to achieve this.

Some helpful Book resources I recommend:

This is an affiliate program in Amazon, buying from this site will give me a little commission. I would appreciate it if you do. Other than that, this is a highly recommended book to help you get a better understanding of how you can formulate design ideas and with that, you can combine architectural styles in your Design practice.

The author of this Book Francis D.K. Ching is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Washington and a registered architect. He is the author or coauthor of numerous architecture and design books, including Architectural Graphics; Building Construction Illustrated; Architecture: Form, Space, and Order; A Visual Dictionary of Architecture; A Global History of Architecture; Interior Design Illustrated; and Design Drawing. James F. Eckler is the Architecture Program Director of the Marywood University School of Architecture. In addition to teaching, Professor Eckler is actively engaged in research concerning the culture of place in the urban environment and architecture's role in the development of community. He is also the author of Language of Space and Form.

If you are and architecture student and is looking for some resources, Here's another book of Francis D.K. Ching and James F. Eckler

The Introduction to Architecture. All in one place so you will not be hovering over the internet. Learn and get resources from our recommended section.

Find Architectural Design Ideas

Architectural Design Ideas, where can you find them? 

For Architects and Architectural Students may find this a very challenging task. Every time you are starting with a new project, Design ideas does not come immediately. There are times you are facing a blank paper you cannot do anything but just stare at the paper. All white, no ideas and don't know where to start.

In this blogpost, i would like to share some thoughts on where to find your Design Ideas and how to start the Design process. 

I find this video by Eric Reinholdt very helpful in exploring our minds and come up with a design solution to a new project or any project that you might be starting.

How to find Architectural Design Ideas

In his design approach, he listed 7 different ways you can get your ideas from, these are;

• Bisociation

• Trusting the Design Process

• Embracing Constraints

• Inventing deadlines

• Doing the Opposite

• Subtracting to solve

• Stealing

These words seem very different but as you watch the video, you will get the better understanding of how you can generate your own ideas. I have discussed some of these in the design process in one of my previous blog on How to generate design concepts . 
Today, let us get more knowledge and understanding so that you can have practically more ways to get your design done. Let us learn from this video.
What does it mean to get your design ideas through Bisociation?

1. Bisociation means the linking of two completely separate, unrelated ideas. How does that work?

2. Trust the Design Process - There are 4 Stages of the design process:

• Preparation - fill the mind with information. This is the research process where you need to get all the information required that will influence your design solutions. It is where you determine the problems to solve. 

• Incubation - is the generation of design ideas from the subconscious mind. Discovering and forging connections leads to solving multiple problems. This is the most maddening experience where you have to unconsciously investigate several briefs at one time. 

• Illumination- This is the idea generation based on the problems you determine from those two process of preparation and incubation. somehow come up with the solution. Test and refine it as you develop your ideas.

• Verification - finally coming up with the design solution led to the conceptualization of the project you are doing.

These are the process that allows us to produce creative work.
3. Embracing Constraints - Constraints are opportunities for us to innovate and boundaries push against.There are far more deeper reasons that needs to be well taken care of. its not just solving a particular need but more so considering technical issues that may influence your design.
Eg.
Roofing syles, height of buildings, size of rooms, setbacks and building codes.
4. Inventing Deadlines- Set aside a time to accomplish something. It is rather a discipline to work within a time frame and accomplish something. Become an Observer -Profound Architecture interprets the world for us! By observation, you can find a lot of ideas. How can observing what's already existing will help us make better buildings?
5. Doing the Opposite- What's the one thing that if removed will lead everything pointless? What would it be like to have a theater without a screen?
6. Subtracting to Solve- Often the best solutions are the simplest
7. Stealing (like an artist) - There is nothing really new in this world. understanding this would free you from looking at the solutions others have developed before you. 

Useful references related to our topic,
These are the recommended books that will help you explore more design ideas by Francis D.K Ching
Architecture: Form, Space, & Order




It is my hope that you will benefit from this blog and hope you can share your thoughts on this by giving your comments below.