Structural system. To finish the schematic design, some structural elements should be determined to permit the design to proceed without later adjustments in key dimensions:

• The type of construction must be confirmed. In some areas and for certain building configurations, either steel or concrete is virtually inevitable.
• Column sizes, location, and spacing affect the quality of the rental spaces and exterior wall design. Interior columns are commonly viewed negatively but often cannot be avoided, so their positions have to be considered.
• The core typically provides resistance to wind by usages of shear walls. These affect the design and location of the primary elements in the core such as elevators.
• The determination of a structural grid assumes that the requirements of garages and loading areas at the base of the building have been determined, so that the relationships of lower floor and typical floor can be considered.
• The preceding decisions should be summarized in a framing plan for the typical floors.

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The design process for office buildings is a team endeavor, possibly more so than for other building programs, because of the relative speed required by commercial projects and because the issues involved demand calculations and decisions that are beyond the knowledge of the architect alone. Consultant must be brought into the process at the outset. To complete the schematic design, the architect must resolve a number of inter-related elements quickly, anticipating solutions to problems that will appear in the next phases. These elements are common to all office buildings, and some are specific to the building type.

Retailers can achieve a significant advantage when they optimize on a store’s exterior design to communicate their image to the marketplace. At the outset of the project, the merchant and the designer have to deal on answers to questions such as the following:

• Is the store totally a place of retail distribution, or major flagship statement?
• Will the building be a mass-market box, or a showcase for a luxury brand?
• Is the building just a bland, utilitarian enclosure, or is is an icon, a signature statement for the brand and the retailer?

The answers to these questions will impact the whole design goals for the project. The retailer typically establishes the project budget, which has a tremendous impact on whether the design goals can be achieved. The retailer’s budget must reasonable with the strategic value and importance of the storefront image as defined in the project goals. For any project, freestanding store, big box, strip, street, or mall, to create the exterior design, designers have to consider these parameters: the type of store, the context of the location, styles, and trends.

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As now I’m designing an elementary school, from several standards I have written the breakdown list for the school’s requirement. And here you are:

• Classrooms.
• Library.
• Staff and Administration.

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Site. In the heart of the town, open space is required around the cinema to accommodate means of space, create an identifiable entry and allow for possible queues. New multi-screen cinemas should provide easy access and spacious parking to meet Local Authority and urban requirements.

Multiple Auditorium. These are considered important in commercial cinemas. Various theories are used to apportion the total number of seats between different auditoriums in the same building. In dual cinemas, ratios of 1:2 or 2:3 are used, and 1:2:3 for triple cinemas. Further progressions in seat totals may be used in larger multiples but they rarely exceed a 1:3 of ratio between the smallest and largest screens. As well as offering visitors a choice of program, such venues allow the operator to judge the business potential of each film so as to show it in an auditorium that matches public demand: if the film is playing to half capacity audiences, it can be switched to a smaller auditorium, and vice versa.

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Courtyard housing is a particularly good solution on tight urban sites that offer little opportunity to set the building in a parklike setting. A courtyard form uses the building’s edge to define a protected space from the street. Outdoor courtyards accessible from common rooms are particularly attractive in group housing arrangements for older people. Seeing into spaces that are landscaped and outfitted with comfortable furniture makes these spaces more attractive and engaging.

Courtyard designs are typical in northern Europe because urban land is expensive. Single-loaded corridors are commonly utilized in combination with double-loaded corridors because they allow a courtyard to be visible from part of the corridor. A well-designed courtyard should be balanced, with both hardscape and softscape. In a smaller courtyard, the quantity of softscape might be larger. In urban areas where courtyards are established for public purposes and circulation, the quantity of hardscape may be also increase. When two courtyards are available, one can be designated for more active use, with a larger amount of hardscape, while the other can rely on more landscaping and serve as a controlled-view space.

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For the younger generation, recreation may be very important. What are now called extreme sports: skateboarding, BMX bikes, in-line skating, and snowboarding, are coupled with rock climbing and white-water kayaking to challenge the more adrenaline. To date, there are few designs of these sports through architecture. As these activities become more popular and increasing in number of participants, the entertainment value of these sports will lead to construction of buildings designed to facilitate them.

The focus of extreme sport site design is on the course and activity itself. Initial concepts using different approaches, however, are coming to light. Of the extreme sports, those that are already housed in buildings include:

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Lighting landscape and garden is one of the best ways to deal aesthetically with night lighting. Landscape elements like trees, hedges, garden areas, trellis structures, and gazebos located in the landscape are frequently visible from the street as well as from residents’ units. In contrast to illuminate the building, landscape effect lighting gives everyone something to look at after the sun goes down. Indirect lighting on porches and light emanating from interior windows gives the building a glow that is encourage from the street, giving a warm glow at night. This is always preferable to commercial lighting aimed at the building.

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There are several factors to be considered in designing clinical laboratory. Many traditional requirements have changed in recent years, as the invention of technology. The following are today’s key design considerations:

• Direct access from the specimen reception center to each section of the lab is important for expedient work flow. When needed, these sections may be ranked according to volume or work flow. For example, if compromise is required because of space configuration, chemistry and hematology are most frequently located nearest to the specimen reception area. Microbiology may be located farthest away from the reception area because of the lower volume of testing to be performed, and to isolate these biohazardous activities from other procedures. Pathology areas may also be farther away, as the specimens are fewer in number and may go directly from surgery or other procedure areas to the pathology lab, bypassing the reception center.

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Basically, it depends on the analysis of client’s business goals and objectives. It defines the physical requirements of the workplace and allocates space for every use and employee. By interviewing client executives and staff we will able to determine the following needs for the office project:

• Current staff and future projections.
• Current and future departmental responsibilities, work process, and functional requirements.
• Individual personnel functional requirements.
• Critical department adjacency requirements.
• Department support space requirements (workrooms, computer rooms, meeting spaces, training rooms, etc.).
• Office and workstation space standards.
• Technology requirements specific to departments.
• Base building requirements (structural, HVAC, plumbing, ceiling, height, etc.).

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First, we should define the scope of elementary school. Commonly, it includes grades 1 through 5, and sometimes grade 6. Elementary schools often also include pre kindergarten and kindergarten. The program elements of an elementary school can be categorized in three mayor areas:

Classrooms. For general purpose classrooms, it is typical to size rooms for approximately 28 students. Some schools lower than this, 22-24 students. Classrom sizes typically range from 750 to 1,000 NSF (Net Square Feet, refer to the net usable area of specific program elements. For example, if we refer to a 1,000 NSF, we mean a space that has 1,000 ft of actual usable space within its four walls). Larger the classroom is better.

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Views of the surrounding neighborhood often bring on better performance. Two types of views are available for planning purposes. One is an active view, often facing a city that overlooks the side walk, the streets, and the activity at the front entry. The other is a passive view of a garden, lawn, trees, a park, or a nearby creek. Buildings often have both an active and a passive view available from different sides. Each view has its own character and rhythm, and residents benefit from access to both.

Views of the street are bold, energetic, active, noisy, dynamic, and encouraging. The garden provides a passive green landscape that is soft, real, subdued, slower in pace, and relaxing. Each view has it advantages and disadvantages. Activity creates stimulation and noise, while the passive landscape is often subdued, at times boring. Common spaces like overlooks are better suited to active views, while the dining room benefits from the relaxed view of a lush, multicolored garden.

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One of the most effective ways to divide a space is to select a form that contains several smaller alcoves and room spaces. Half walls are a usual technique for defining rooms at the ground level while keeping open views at eye height. Half walls can be modified in width and height by cabinets, screens, plants, and built-in furnitures. Full and three quarter wall segments that subdivide spaces often utilize windows or an art glass panel to create a semitransparent separation. Adjustment to the ceiling can include dropped soffits, raised recesses, heavy beams, and strapwork to break up the ceiling plane.

Because the mobile status of many older residents requires a flat floor, ceilings are more likely to be used to express spatial variety. Whatever strategy is chosen, the outcome should be greater visual and auditory privacy within a space that is perceived as smaller and more intimate. Spatial variety can also be reached by designing rooms that differ in size, color, material, and lighting. Using different types of floor coverings like carpet, wood, tile, or sheet vinyl can dramatically influence the character of different spaces. Another common strategy is to use different types of lighting to create spatial differentiation.

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