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Function follows precedent (form)

This idea espoused that you designed something in a particular way because that is how, say, churches, were supposed to look. E.g. a giant block limestone building complex with high walls is good for a prison, a large cross shaped building clearly would be used as a church.

Form follows function

Function follows form is a principle associated with 20th century modern architecture which says that the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose.

The architect Louis Sullivan coined the maxim. Better said, tell me what you want to use the building for, and I'll tell you how to build it. The implication being that decorative elements, which architects call "ornament", were superfluous in modern buildings.

If the shape of the building wasn't going to be chosen out of the old pattern book something had to determine form, and according to Sullivan it was going to be the purpose of the building. It was "form follows function", as opposed to "form follows precedent". Sullivan's assistant Frank Lloyd Wright adopted and professed the same principle in slightly different form—perhaps because shaking off the old styles gave them more freedom and latitude.

What does it all mean?

Architecture has to do with the planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambiance that reflect functional, technical, social, environmental, and aesthetic considerations. It requires the creative manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light and shadow. Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realizing buildings and structures, including scheduling, cost estimating and construction administration. As documentation produced by architects, typically drawings, plans and technical specifications, architecture defines the structure and/or behavior of a building or any other kind of system that is to be or has been constructed.

Architecture is the study of...

• Sociology

• Psychology

• Philosophy

• Material Science

• Engineering

• Mathematics

• History

• Construction

....in the context of building structures for mankind.

Things to consider when designing a house:

- What type of house (1, 1.5, 2, split)

- Site consideration (both on the lot and as a part of the larger community)

• Cost and restrictions (deed/title/liens/easements/restrictions)

• Zoning and codes (type of building, single family, multifamily, how tall, how far from road).

• Topographic features (rock in ground, relief) determine lot layout.

- Traffic circulation

• How you want flow between bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, family area.

From there we go to a:

- Bubble diagram

- Block diagram

- Sketch plan

- Elevation sketch

Disadvantages:

• Impinging ceiling on 2nd floor - any space under 5' in height is not considered to be living space.

• Not suitable for the elderly. Often 1 1/2 story homes have steep switchback stairs.

• If dormers are present, they increase the cost associated with roofing.

Bubble Diagrams

Bubble diagrams are free flowing concepts to help you start getting ideas for your design. You can represent ALL aspects of a design with a bubble diagram from the site plan, to the building itself.

Begin by taking your base floor plan and laying your tracing paper over the top of it. Keep your site programming and any notes and photographs you’ve taken handy as you may want to reference them throughout the process.

To start designing you begin with a “bubble diagram”. This bubble diagram defines spaces within the base plan. Later on, these spaces will be further developed to include specific rooms, circulation, and designated spaces. Start by sketching various shapes and sizes of bubbles. These bubbles represent areas within the base plan. But by using this freehand type drawing you are free to be creative and not confined to any specific elements. This is the time to have fun with the design process.

Bubbles can represent different areas, and any other amenities you would like to have in your building. This diagram will provide a general organizational structure for a design. It is similar in effect to what an outline is for a written report. Remember, you are not concerned about specifics at this time, but rather overall design concepts. This is a creative function; don’t over think the process; just put your pencil to paper and start drawing circles, ovals, etc. and get some ideas flowing.

These diagrams are very critical to the overall design process. The reasoning behind doing several bubble diagrams is that they encourage you as a designer to explore various design solutions. This is an excellent time to experiment with overall shapes and decide things such as whether you want the design to be formal or informal. One common mistake people make is to get too specific while drawing the “bubble” diagrams. Getting too specific too soon makes you forget that there are other design possibilities available for the design.

As you are playing with your design, label your “bubble areas”. If you like, use colored pencils to distinguish your different areas. Compare the various sizes of your “bubbles” to make sure your areas are proportional. It is important to keep the appropriate scale of features and areas as you will transfer these ideas over to your final drawing.

Remember, several of the types of spaces to incorporate into your bubble diagram area as follows:

1) Private areas.

2) Public areas.

3) Circulation areas.

Room planning

Sleeping area:

- # bedrooms can make/break selling and living in a house.

- 3 bedroom is most saleable, but with a trend towards home offices 4 is often more desirable.

- Bedrooms may be designed as a split plan which segregates the rooms off from living areas to minimize noise disruptions (either on a wing, or on another floor AND wing.

- Sizes of bedrooms at 100 sq. ft. +

- Arc-fault plugs are necessary to prevent fire

- Large bedrooms are over 175 sq. ft.

- It’s always a good idea when planning a sleeping area to make rough shapes of dressers/beds to make sure shapes fit properly in the area that are free of windows/doors etc…

- When designing for accessibility it’s important to make a 3’ path available to persons in wheelchairs to make the house more saleable.

Closet

- All rooms to be considered to be bedrooms must have a closet. It must have at least 4 linear feet of rod for a male or 6 ft. of linear rod for a woman.

- If a bedroom room has 3 outside walls for some reason, one wall should be taken for closet to minimize breezes.

- Closet doors can be standard, sliding, bifold, pocket or accordion depending on appearance desires and space constraints.

Windows/doors

- Wide short windows (called ribbon) may be desirable if windows are on ground level if privacy is an issue.

- 2 windows are ideal, but breezes should not cross the bed area.

- Doors should swing into the bedroom and typically be located in corners of the room to maximize wallspace.

- Again, doors can be standard, sliding or pocket depending on space considerations.

Kitchen

- plugs mounted in kitchen must be GFCI

- no code for size, but typically no less than 75 sq. ft.with the average creeping higher as kitchens become increasingly centers of guest entertainment and focal points in the house

- account for traffic flow and the 'golden triangle' of kitchen design (stove/sink[counter]/refrigerator)

• Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet

• The total of all three legs should be between 12 and 26 feet

• No obstructions (cabinets, islands, etc.) should intersect a leg of the work triangle

• Household traffic should not flow through the work triangle

Bathrooms

- Often designs for houses will indicate the minimum number of baths needed, but the rule of thumb is that you need at least 1 ½ baths for a 2 story house. (full bath means tub/shower, ½ bath are toilet/sink)

- Splits are considered to need the same as 2 story houses, as are large ranches (often ranches should have 2 full to accommodate the potential large footprint).

- ¾ occur and are shower, toilet, sink

- locating plumbing pathways near to each other minimizes cost.

- Minimum size of bathroom is about 5’x8’ where a large bathroom is >10’10’

- It must have ventilation & GFCI’s by code.

Living Rooms

- It should be a functional part of the home, but at the same time be beautiful and charming.

- Average sized is about 250 sq. ft.

- Natural traffic patterns in the house should not pass through the living room.

- Furnishing and orientations should reflect use (e.g. tv or not)

Windows and doors

- living rooms should be oriented for comfort and energy (e.g. good sun exposure in northern climates, northern exposure in southern climates)

- décor should be used to reflect and complement the existing natural materials and hide flaws or weak aspects to the room.

- If space provides it, separate TV viewing area from living room (2 separate rooms).

Dining Rooms

- plans include open or closed (an area vs. a room)

- temporary screens or partitions may be used if you are looking for a closed feel in an open room.

- Sizes are in the order of 120 sq.ft. For seating for 4 with a buffet. 12'x15' for 6-8 people while 14x18' for more.

- Typical furnishing includes table, chairs, buffet, china closet and some sort of server or cart.

- Outdoor vantage points are considered desirable.

- 32” of space between table and chairs are considered to be optimal for wheelchairs.

Location and decor

- located near to the family room as well as proximity to the kitchen to allow natural movement.

- Décor and lighting reflect a happy environment. Colour schemes are important.

Relevant dimensions for designing houses:

Door openings: 30"x80", 34"x80" are wheelchair accessible

Window openings: usually no smaller than 24"

Kitchen:

• counter top heights: 36" above ground x 24" depth, 8" toe kick space. Counter depth is 30"

• stove/fridge 24" - 36" depth (24" typical)

Wall thickness':

• interior - 2x4 framing which means 3.5 inches. Drywall is about 4" (actually closer to 4 1/8")

• exterior

  • foundation

    • 8" concrete - footing extends an additional 6" to 8"

  • ground floor

    • 2x6 or 2x8 framing which means 5.5 inches or 7.5 inches thick

  • cladding

    • vinyl siding is 3/4" finished

    • brick 1" air space - brick thickness is 2.5"

      • cultured stone varies between 2"-6"

      • stacked stone dry varies between 1"-5"

      • wood - no air space, wood typically 3/4"

Foundation Plan

- shows foundation size and material.

- Give info. Relating to drainage, excavation, supporting structures (I beams, floor support etc…)

- Could include basement info. If applicable.

- While spanned floorspace requires support (i.e. beams and joists), garages and porches require only the outside foundation wall, then packed gravel to the height of the finished grade.

Foundation Exercise:

Try indicating the direction of the beams and joists for the following foundations:

Floor Plan

- Shows exterior and interior walls, doors, windows, patios, walks, decks, fireplaces and major furnishings (e.g. tables, beds, counters, major appliances)

- Dimensions for major rooms may be added as external dimensions, or interior room sizes (under the room labels)

- A separate floor plan is required for each floor.

Elevation Drawings

- Are drawn for each side of the structure (orthographic).

- Placement of windows, doors, types of exterior material, chimney, rooflines

- Shows material types and dimensions

Sections

- show detail of house walls or floors or roofs.

- as if a giant knife had cut through the house at that location (for vertical sections).