BUILDING PLANNING DIVISION (CADD GRAPHIC)

 

Block Diagram vignette

Draw a bubble diagram and develop a scheme (parti, concept) first. Use the computer CADD program to create a series of squares of the correct area. Arrange these squares in accordance with the program directions with regard to adjacencies. This will quickly lead to a parti.

Interior layout vignette

Get familiar with the ANSI Handicapped standards book (ANSI A117.1-1987), and the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines. The requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines are very similar, but there are a few differences.

Toilet room planning is complex. You should have some practice drawing a plan that works before you go into the exam.

Show accessories such as grab bars and towel dispensers/disposers in plan, and label them.

Show key dimensions in plan.

Provide min. 18" wall space on latch side of doors. Note that this is a frequently overlooked requirement.

Always provide one 5' x 5' toilet stall along with a 5' diameter turning area in each toilet room.

Schematic Design vignette

This part is the most difficult one for most candidates to pass. It is a four hour test, and involves producing a floor plan for a building based on a written program which describes the functional spaces required in the building, their areas, and which spaces are related closely to one another.

A typical building to design would be a two story commercial or institutional building, 15,000 to 20,000 square feet in size, on a slightly sloping site, in an urban setting, one side has good views, one double-height space is usually programmed. They are simple buildings with a main ornamental/monumental stair, two exit stairs, an elevator, and some form of assembly space with a higher ceiling requirement.

LIFE SAFETY is the most critical item of the exam. There are usually several "fatal" errors connected with this. Remember that life safety is what we are licensed to protect. Check exiting patterns to make sure that the following is true:

Exit stairs must exit directly to outside

Provide two exit stairs from second floor (a so-called "monumental" stair does not count as an exit stair, since it does not exit directly out of the building)

Do not wrap an exit stair around the elevator.

Do not exit any room into a stair landing or entrance vestibule.

Stairs should be min. 44" wide by model codes. (Note that ADA requires a 48" wide stair where there is an area of rescue assistance in a non-sprinklered building).

Stair landing width should be adequate to accommodate swing of door into it without reducing the travel width.

Do not show double doors into or out of exit stairs.

Show fire ratings in hours around stairs and shafts by noting next to the wall: "2 HR".

Make all doors 36" wide.

Exit doors swing in the direction of egress travel.

Show doors from large rooms (50 or more people) swinging out; do not reduce corridor width if doors swing out (provide a pocket for door swing)

Check to see if there are enough doors; large rooms which will contain more than 50 people require two remote exits in most cases. Remote does not mean both exiting into same corridor. If possible, provide one of the two exit doors from room exiting directly to the outside (if on first floor).

No dead end corridors longer than 20 feet

Maximum of 100 feet travel distance to at least one exit from every room

Maximum of 150 feet travel distance to at least one exit from every point

Show all door swings swinging in the direction of egress.

Do not spend too much time finding the ideal plan, just a plan that works and is simple.

Make overall building shape simple.

Use a simple parti.

Avoid fancy design methodologies -- do not attempt to "deconstruct" the design, and do not try Field Theory for the first time.

Avoid "funny " (odd) shapes in plan or elevation.

Be "conventional"

Limit design to two major floors and no intermediate floor unless the program specifically asks for it.

Organize building into PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE spaces.

Group related functions together.

Keep floor areas the same on both floors, if possible -- avoid overhangs over 1st floor and small roof areas at 2nd floor level.

Make sure there is one (and only one) main entrance to the building and that it is in the most logical position with regard to the surrounding environment. Give the building a "front."

Make front (main) entrance properly related to the major site access point, vehicular drop-off area and accessible parking for disabled persons.

Provide near and convenient access from parking lot handicapped stalls to main entrance of building

Do not remove trees if you can avoid it

Do not significantly change contours of site.

Do not change level in the building unless there is an elevator or ramp access.

Avoid odd proportions for rooms -- keep to 1 or 1.5 :: 2

Make sure that rooms which were listed in the program as requiring desirable views have the best view from the building.

Make entrance lobby "generous" in size, regardless of what the program calls for. These are all public buildings.

Locate men and women toilet rooms on every level unless the program specifically says not to. Avoid "unisex" toilet rooms unless program specifically calls for them.

Position toilet rooms back to back (try to make into a mirror image of one another)

When given a choice, do not put mechanical room on the second floor (more difficult to maintain).

 

Source: Frank Heitzman, AIA, Triton College.