Building Flashcards
What are the components of building analysis?
- Evaluating existing / historic structures
- Determining functional criteria
- Creating a program
- Creating a budget
- Creating a schedule
What are the general aspects of evaluating an existing building?
- Surveying the building and site
- Documenting other elements of the building, such as aesthetics, structural systems, ETC
- Researching any applicable codes or regulations
- Evaluating whether the existing building could meet the client’s programmatic needs
- Evaluating what existing / historic features that are advantageous to preserved
What are all the components that should be documented on a building survey?
- Site features
- Building location and configuration
- Structure and construction type of the building
- Type of roof
- Exterior envelope (assemblies, condition)
- Mechanical systems
- Plumbing (including number of fixtures, supply/sewar capacity, ETC)
- Electrical (including service capacity)
- Fire protection systems
- Major equipment
- Finishes
- Level of compliance with accessibility requirements
What are the common components of building survey documentation?
- Hand-drawings
- Notes
- CAD drawings
- Formal reports
- Photographs / videos
What information is necessary to gather in addition to preparing building survey documentation?
- Any design drawings of the existing building, site, or engineered systems
- Comparisons of design drawings to actual existing conditions
- Any existing site surveys
- Any existing soils investigations
- Property ownership records (deeds, ETC)
What are the two common types of surveying technology? What is the operation and efficacy of each?
EDM (Electromagnetic Distance Measurement)
- A laser is shined on a reflective prism, which uses a computer to measure the distance and angle.
- Is accurate to 1/64” over 1,600ft
REDM (Reflectorless Electromagnetic Distance Measurement)
- Similar to EDM, but uses a reflections directly off the measured object.
- Is accurate to 1/8” over 100ft
- Is less accurate with increased distances and angle of incidence (off normal) to the object
What are the primary aspects of Rectified Photography? How does it relate to Orthography?
- Created by taking a photograph directly normal to the facade of a building, then using measurements of specific points on the facade to flatten the image into a perspectiveless projection
- Can be used to scale off the photo without having to physically measure the facade
- Less accurate the less flat the facade is
- Orthography is a similar technique that uses a software to correct of optical distortion
What are the two types of Photogrammetry and what are their primary aspects?
Stereophotogrammetry
- Two overlapping photographs are taken at a known distance and orientation
- Software constructs these images into a 3D model of the object photographed
Convergent Photogrammetry
- Multiple photographts are taken of an object / space taken at different angles
- Physical measurements are taken of specific reference points
- Software synthesizes the overlapping photos and measurements into a 3D model
What are the primary aspects of Laser Scanning surveying?
- A machine uses pulsing lasers to scan an object / space
- Software develops a point cloud 3D model of the scanned object
- Does not require physical measurements as a reference point
- Multiple point cloud models can be stitched together using a reference point into a composide 3D model
What are the general comparisons between photography and laser 3D surveying?
Convergent Photogrammetry
- Less expensive
- Slower
- Accurate to ~0.05%
Laser Scanning
- More expensive
- Faster
- Accurate to ~0.01%
What legal / proceedural information should be gathered for a renovation of an existing building?
- Which building codes apply to the building
- Which zoning regulations apply to the building
- Existing easements
- Existing deed restrictions / covenants
- Applicable historic preservation rules
- Any other applicable local ordinances or agency regulations
What aspects should be evaluated when determining if an existing building can meet a client’s needs?
Existing Site Features
- do they work for the new use?
- can they be modified to work for the new use?*
Existing Size & Configuration
- is their enough space?
- does the configuration work for the new use?*
- can the building be modified to work?*
Existing Appearance & Aesthetics
Work to Retrofit Building
- How much time and cost are needed?
- Do fundamental structural aspects need to be modified (expensive) or just secondary structures and assemblies?*
Work to Retrofit Systems
- Do plumbing, HVAC, electrical, or monitoring systems need to be retrofitted?
Work to Meet Current Codes
Existing Use and Occupancy
- Will the new use require a re-classification of the buildings spaces?
- Will modifications be needed to satisfy new classifications?*
What are the list of steps in beginning a historic preservation project?
National Historic Status
Determine if the building is a historic landmark with the National Parks Service
State/local Historic Status
Determine if the building is a historic site with State or local agencies
Tax Credit
Determine if the owner wants to receive tax credits for their renovation and what rewuirements that entails
Treatment Approach
Determine which of the four historic treatment approaches is best or desired by the client
What are the four historic treatment approaches? What is the fundamental aspect of each?
- *Preservation**
- Keep the current features and state*
- *Rehabilitation**
- Keep current features but make some replacements*
- *Restoration**
- Keep features from most important period, remove/replace some features from others*
- *Reconstruction**
- Recreate a features that were lost or are behind repair*
What are the general aspects of Federal regulation of historic peservation?
- Reglated by the National Parks Service
- Offer detailed processes and recommendations on their website, NPS.gov
- In law under the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program
- 36 CFR 67 of that program establishes ten rehabilitation standards
What are the ten standards for historic rehabilitation? What are they called?
“The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation”
- Proprety’s new use shall require minimal changes to it’s defining characteristics
- Avoid alteration and removal of materials that define the property’s historic character
- Preserve the property as a record of its time, not a conjectrue or recontextualization
- Past changes to the property that constitute historic significance shall remain
- Distinct features, materials, or examples of methods shall remain
- Prioritize repair rather than replacement. Replacement should match the historic state as closely as possible
- Cleaning and other treatments shall not damage historic features
- Archeological features must be preserved
- New additions or modifications shall not damage the existing and shall complement the existing
What are the ten standards for restoration (which complement the ten standards for rehabilitation)?
- Property’s new use shall reflects its historic use
- Existing materials from the restoration period shall not be altered or removed
- Work needed to repair existing materials shall be identifiable from the existing upon close inspection
- Any alterations or removals from different time periods shall be carefully documented
- Distinctive features, materials, or examples of methods from the restoration period shall be preserved
- Repairs to materials or features from the restoration period shall match the original as closely as possible
- Replacement of lost features shall be clearly documented and shall not be conjecture or recontextualization
- Treatments and cleaning shall be as gentle as possiblle and shall not cause any damage
- Archeological features shall not be altered or removed
- Historical designs that were never executed shall not be constructed
What components must be included in a historical survey, in addition to those in a typical survey?
- Assestment of sturctural state (settlement, deflection, ETC)
- Assestment of damage by previous renovations (if any)
- What historic elements may have been removed or altered in the past
- Evidence of original features or state
- Identify key features that make up the historic character of the building, including:
- overall form
- materials
- spaces / program
- examples of workmanship
- Reports by historical testing / investigation experts, if necessary
What are the general aspects of preserving historic masonry?
- Provide proper drainage of masonry walls
- Clean only if necessary to prevent damage or remove excessive soil
- Only use cleaning methods that are guaranteed not to damage the masonry
- Never use sand blasting or chemical reactant cleaning
- Only remove paint if heavily damaged
- Remove paint gently and only down to the next viable layer
- Only repaint with colors that are documented to match the restoration period state
What are the general aspects of repairing historic masonry?
- Masonry should be repaired if there are signs of deterioration, looseness, ETC
- All work should be done by hand, no power tools
- Repointing should be done with low portland cement content mortar
- Repointing should be done with mortar that closely matches the strength and aesthetic aspects of the original
- Replacement of destroyed or missing masonry should be done with approved methods that closely match the original
What are the general aspects of rehabilitating historic masonry?
- Only replace features if they are destroyed or at risk of failing and CANNOT be repaired
- Use existing physical evidence as a model in fabricating replacements
- Use the same material or, if not possible, a closely matching material
- When removing features from a later historic period, they should be carefully documented and stored for future study, if possible
- Only recreate a feature if it is missing and there is physical documentation of its original existence
What are the five steps of programming, according to Peña and Parshall?
(stated in their book, “Problem Seeking: An Architectural Programming Primer)
- *Establish Goals**
- What are the client’s desires for the building …. not simple the spaces and function needed, but what they want to get out of it.*
- *Collect Facts**
- Identify the technically needs of the program and the constraints on the project.*
- *Uncover and Test Concepts**
- Develop abstract solutions to achieve the client’s goals …. not specific design features, but rather conceptual moves*
- *Determine Needs**
- Reconcile the goals with the existing limitations. Usually involves analyzing or creating the client’s budget. Helpful to separate ‘wants’ from ‘needs’.*
- *State the Problem**
- Synthesize all previous steps by identifying the problem(s) that needs to be solved by the design …. state in succinct words.*
What kinds of “facts” (according to Peña and Parshall) need to be collected during programming?
- Number of inhabitants to be accomodated
- Types of inhabitants and their unique needs
- Existing site conditions
- Space adjacency needs
- Equipment / systems to be integrated
- Finance available for construction
- Regulatory / code requirements
- Climate information
What are the four major concerns during programming?
Function
Form
Economy
Time
What is the Programmatic Concept of “priority”?
Establishes certain elements as critical to the program, or creates a size or positioning priorities between elements.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “Relationships”?
Relates spaces to people and their activities in those spaces.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “Heirarchy”?
Relates spaces to social or organizational heirarchies of the building’s inhabitants.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “Character”?
The manner in which the form (shape, materials, ETC) express the client’s desired ‘image’ or public perception of the building.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “density”?
The amount of concentration of people in a space and how it complements the expected activity in that space. Closely related to the desired amount of interation between people in the space.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “service groupings”?
Whether building engineered systems should be grouped or decentralized, and how they should relate to the spaces that complement them (loading docks, information desks, storage rooms, control rooms, waiting rooms, ETC).
What is the Programmatic Concept of “activity groupings”?
What spaces should be adjacent or remote, depending on the expected activities in those spaces.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “people groupings”?
What spaces should be adjacent or remote depending on the types of people that will be inhabiting those spaces.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “home base”?
Whether space for individual expression needs to be created. Closely related to Territoriality.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “neighbors”?
How building placement or arrangement may affect social interaction of inhabitants.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “accessibility”?
How the building can be made to be accessible to everyone equitably. In addition to managing physical barriers to using a building, may be concerned with how easily strangers are able to navigate the building or how psychologically comfortable a certain type of person is in a space.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “separated flow”?
The potential importance of physically dividing the movement of different inhabitants, such as service activity from visitors, detained persons from visitors, automobilles from pedestrians, or authorized personnel from subordinates.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “mixed flow”?
Whether it is desireable to cause inhabitants of different types or expected activities to mix and interact.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “sequential flow”?
Whether it is advantagous to have inhabitants use the building in series. Often used for museums, industrial facilities, or restricted buildings.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “orientation”?
Creating landmarks within a building or on a site that help visitors orient themselves within spaces and maintain a sense of position.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “flexibility” and its three sub-concepts?
Expansibility
Whether a building can accomodate growth over its lifetime
Convertibility
Whether a building can accomodate a modification to its function over its lifetime
Versatility
Whether a building can accomodate multiple different types of activities within.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “tolerance”?
Providing extra space or resources to a space beyond the minimum needed for the expected activity, in order to allow the space to accomodate additional activities in the future.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “safety”?
Whether elements should be employed to increase the safety of inhabitants beyond the minimum required by law or standard.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “security controls”?
What level of systems or spatial arrangement should be devoted to maintaining security, proportional to the amount and likelihood of possible loss due to misbehaviour of inhabitants.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “energy conservation”?
Whether limiting energy use or mitigating energy waste is important in the building.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “environmental controls”?
The level of importance of meeting the bodily comfort of the inhabitants. Can be acheived through temperature, humidity, light, or sound control.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “phasing”?
How the design, construction, and completion of the building should be sequenced to best meet the client’s needs. Often includes asynchronously completing part of a building or site.
What is the Programmatic Concept of “cost control”?
Whether budget needs to be of a higher importance than typical, due to clients financial needs. Often involves developing a more detailed and realistic budget and monitoring the construction cost more closely.
What are the common types of spaces that are needed in addition to the main use of a building?
- Mechanical / systems
- Restrooms
- Storage
- Circulation
What are the three methods that could yield minimum space requirements for a space?
- Number of person will use the space
- Object (EG equipment) in the space, including necessary clearances
- An activity with a known space requirement
