Architectural Program

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Architectural Program

• The product of Design 9

By I Quinto Jr.
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Seminar Objectives

• Appreciate how imperative programming is to the
  total design process
• Learn the essentials of programming
• Listen to ideas, answer questions, address
  issues, resolve controversies, discuss
  possibilities talk and listen

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Background

• Design 910 is not the usual research (scientific
  method), therefore
• It is a terminal project the most major
  design plate
• Student goes through major phases
• Proposal theme, search, gather information,
  write defend
• Programming using Problem Seeking by Pena and
  Parshall
• Designing Schematics design Development
• Final Architectural Presentation (defense)

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Pre-requisite of a Good Building

• Good buildings just dont happen. They are
  planned to look good and perform well.
  Programming is the first step. It is often the
  most important, but it is not a guarantee.
  (Pena,2001)

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The Interface

• The product of programming is the statement of
  the problem
• The statement of the problem is the first step
  designing.

PROGRAMMING
DESIGNING
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Background Information

• Lack of experience
• Develop basic understanding of the project
• Visit similar projects
• Do library and internet search
• Interview key persons
• Understand the jargon
• Appreciate the general nature of the building type

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Five Steps in Programming

• Establish goals
• Collect and analyze facts
• Uncover and test concepts
• Determine needs
• State the problem

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Establish Goals

• Client focused project generator
• Dont confuse with the users
• What does the client want to achieve (goals), and
  why?
• How to achieve the goals (concepts)?
• Bottom line
• monetary value profit
• non-monetary social value
• Could be both, of course

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Collect and Analyze Facts

• What do we (architects, design team members)
  know? What is given?
• Obtainable information, e.g. existing site
  conditions, building laws, meteorological, costs,
  design data
• Collect only pertinent information (Do they have
  architectural implications?)
• Usually involves numbers (quantitative)
• Avoid
• Impartial information, preconceptions,
  assumptions, fantasy, mere opinion

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Uncover and Test Concepts

• Programmatic Concept - abstract ideas intended
  mainly as functional solutions to the clients
  performance problems without defining the
  physical means that should be used to achieve
  them (e.g. convertibility, shelter)
• Design Concepts concrete ideas intended as
  physical solutions to clients architectural
  problems, this being the physical response (e.g.
  folding door, roof)

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24 Programmatic Concepts

• Priority (importance)
• Hierarchy
• Character (image)
• Density
• Service grouping
• Activity grouping
• People grouping
• Home base (territoriality)
• Officing concepts
• Relationships
• Communications
• Neighbors

• Accessibility
• Separated flow
• Mixed flow
• Sequential flow
• Orientation
• Flexibility
• Tolerance
• Safety
• Security
• Energy conservation
• Environmental control
• Phasing
• Cost Control

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Determine Needs

• Distinguish needs from wants
• This step deals with economic feasibility test
• Cost function (area, quality, budget, time)
• Area functional requirements of occupants/
  activities
• Quality austere, grand (cost per square meter)
• Budget availability
• Time phasing
• Cost control does not inhibit creativity it
  encourages it.
• Economy is not a constraint, it is a
  consideration.

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State the Problem

• Statements that will shape the building
• Premises for design / design criteria
• One statement for every major consideration (the
  minimum is therefore four)
• Maximum is ten
• Clear and concise using programmers own words
• Focus on the obvious
• Stress on the uniqueness of the project
• Avoid locking into one solution
• Look into performance rather than the description

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Four Major Considerations

• FORM
• FUNCTION
• ECONOMY
• TIME
• All interact with at each step.

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Function

• relates to the people and activities of the space
  or building and their relationships
• Performance
• The way people and things will move about to do
  the tasks they have to do.
• implies what is going to happen in the building

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Form

• relates to the site, physical and psychological
  environment of the building and quality of space
• it is what you will see and feel
• the what is there now and the what we will put
  there

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Economy

• The efficient and sparing use of the means
  available
• relates to money (budget)
• Implies optimization
• Cost effectiveness
• Looks into initial cost, operational cost and
  life cycle

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Time

• relates to life (existence) of building
• change, growth, duration, adaptability,
  convertibility, phasing, cost
• Past, present and future

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Information index / framework
University of Mindanao
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Programming Procedures

• Provide stimulus to the process
• Supply key issues to address
• Dont force it, if some statements do not seem to
  apply

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Dealing with Information

• Deal with pertinent information (those that can
  affect architectural solutions, have foresight
  therefore)
• Process and discard
• Organize information using the information index
• Use analysis card technique or a similar
  technique
• detect what has been omitted or missing
• Keep in mind that all the essential aspects of
  the architectural design is rooted or anchored in
  the architectural program. Otherwise, its basis
  become questionable.

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The Analysis Card Technique

• Paper
• Use an index card (1/4 of a letter size paper)
• Preferably with grid lines
• Wall Display
• Organize a display according to information index
  / framework
• Use header cards if needed

• Advantage
• Cards are easy to handle
• Cards are movable
• Cards may be joined to contain more information
• Wall display makes it easy to see and test
  interrelationships
• Shows progress
• Can be used in presentation

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How to Draw Analysis Card Thinking and Drawing

• Deal with one thought at a time
• Use visual images
• Diagrams, symbols, sketches
• Label the parts
• Use few words
• State the point
• Put numbers (if needed)
• Strive for legibility
• Design for display

• Plan for different cards
• Think cards quick
• Working cards clarification
• Presentation cards meticulously drawn for
  consistency
• Encourage documentation
• Promote the production of think cards
• Preplan Routine Cards

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General Negative Comments on the Past Manuscripts

• It is cluttered with too many irrelevant data
• Too obvious copying in verbatim
• Failure to discuss diagrams and figures
• Omission of citations (plagiarism)

• Assuming that the research is good, it is not
  carried out in the design
• Too vague
• Failure to focus on the crucial issues
• Copying chapters of the Building Code
• Wrong spelling

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Final Statements

• Programming is a process leading to the statement
  of an architectural problem and the requirements
  to be met in offering a solution.
• We cannot offer architectural solutions unless we
  know what the problem is.
• It is here where the challenge of the lies. We
  have to determine what the problem is and what
  requirements to satisfy.
• Every word in the program counts. It must find
  fulfillment in the design solution.

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Reference

• Pena, W. Parshall, S (2001). Problem Seeking
  4th Ed. New York John Wiley Sons, Inc.

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End