Buildings and Circulation Flashcards
What 5 best practices should be used for locating a building
1 oreint building with respect to topography
preserve existing veg
locate near a site entry
such that a primary entry will fall along a major pathway
such that primary entry will fall on the south side of a building
buildings should be located in accordance with what principle regarding previous site use?
locate builidings on a previously distrubed site if possible, to conserve open space
buildings should be located in accordance with what principles regarding site topography
in such a way to minimize grading to greatest degree
buildings should be located in accordance with what principles regarding access points
locate structues as close to existing access points as possible to reduce road lengths (cost impact ect)
building should be located in accordance with what principles regarding site veg
locate buildings to minimize impact on exisitng veg
buildings should be located in accordance with what principles regarding entrances
buildilng entrances should have a southern orientaiton. SSE and SSW are MOST idea for solar gain during winter
buildings should be located in accordnace with what principles regarding site cirulation
such tha entraices are places along MAJOR pedestrian pathways
Building massing and scale should be desing in accordance with what pricniple regarding wind and shade
taller buildings should not cast shadows or create wind tunnel effect TOWARD STREETSCAPES AND PUBLIC SPACES
building height should take what into consideration? what is considered a “human-scale”
2-4 stories is human scale
any higher stories are recessed or stepped back
What 5 key considerations should be made when designing ‘SITE CIRUCULATION’
connectivity - MUST connect to existing circulation
ALIGN ENTRIES AND EXITS - must be located at periphery and aligned
VISIBLE ENTRIES AND EXISTS - if multiple exist - establish heiarchy
ESTABLISH A HEIARCHY - all major site cirulation should lead to entry and exits
FACILLIATE WAYFINDING
What rules can a design follow to establish successful wayfinding
break up site into regions that use visual language to differentiate themselves
establish clear site lines
craete vantage points and overlooks - esp of site landmarks
COLOR IS A POOR CHOICE - color blindness
What two sites may be expection to rule when establishing connectivity to existing ciruclation when designing a site
hosptials - establish clear public vs private
private campuses - have their own distinct interior circulation
What are the four categories of roadways - from busiest to least
PRINCIPAL arterial
minor arterial
collector
local
what is a principal arterial?
designed to carry large traffic volumes long distances
typ a highway, typ can only be accessed by specific connecting roads (onramps)
what is minor arterial?
provide continuous routes through urba areas
“backbone” of urban street network (residential streets typ DO NOT directly access a minor arterial
What are the two basic geometrci components of horizontal roadway alignements?
straight lines and arcs
What are the components of a roadway curve?
see diagram
What rules should be followed when designing horizontal roadway alignments
road should be as direct as possible while also addressing toop and natural and cultural features
all straight lines should be TANGENT to any arcs in the roadway
longer curves in roadways are safer than tighter
abrupt changes in road character should be avoided (i.e sharp transitions)
What is sight distance?
the length of road ahead of the vehicle that is visible to the driver
What situations may reduce sight distance and cause safety issues
insufficient pruning
obstrucgive elemtns like signage,
street parking
curves, bumps and rise in road
What is a sight triangle?
What two general rules are true of site traingles
The sight distance located at an intersection
sight triangles MUST be free from obstructions including trees and veg
plants in sight triangle should be NO GREATER than 2’ tall
What are the pros and cons of roadways that run PARALELL to contours
pros
easy access between road and building
cons
building disrupts natural drainage patterns - grading must direct water around the buildings
What is advantage of roadways that run PERPENDICULAR to contours
pros
orientation is conducive to natural drainage
cons
road will be steep
awkard relationship between roads and buildings (paths perpenicular to direction of road must be cross-sloped)
cost grade changes (retaining walls)
What is the PREFERRED layout of a road relative to topo and what are the advantages
diagonal across contours
pros
efficient storm drainage
good access between road and adjacent structures
less steep gradients
least amount of disturbance
When designing parking and drop off areas - what 6 best practices should be followed
minimize distrubance
make parking convenient - locate near buildings (aka less than 700 feet)
flat sites - slope BETWEEN 1 AND 5 PERCENT
No dead ends - if exisits needs hammerhead turnaround
separate peds and vehicles
create safe drop offs - away from main traffic flow with drop off area on the passenger’s side
Describe the key features of a safe drop off area (diagram)
What is preferred location of parking area
Away from streetscape to allow for engaging and active streetscape
allow access for shipping and reciving - away from public parking
maintain visibility and ease of access for business goers
What are strategies to reduce parking lot size / impervious area
introduce angled parking to reduce the required drive aisle width
reduce dimensions of each stall
reduce overall parking requirment
When accounting for total parking numbers - which type of stall accomodates the most cares per square feet - and which the least?
90 degree the most
45 degree the least
What is the relationship between the angle of a stall and the cross section dimension of the parking lot?
the narrower (smaller) the angle, narrower the overall cross section - aka 45 is narrowest. then 60 then 90 is widest cross section
describe speed bumps raised crosswalks and speedtables and raised intersections
describe neckdowns
traffic circles
roundabouts
and chokers
describe realigned intersections
textured surfaces
center island narrowing
and chicanes
What is a woonerf
Woonerf (“Street for living”) is a Dutch term for common space created to be shared by pedestrians, bicyclists, and low speed motor vehicles. They are typically streets without curbs and sidewalks, and vehicles are slowed by placing trees, planters, parking areas, and other obstacles in the street.
What is typical streetscape comprised of
paving
planting
lighting
furnishing
public and private amenties and facilities
What is the most and least appropriate location for site furnishings and lighting in a streetscape?
What shape of bench is most conducive to interactions between users?
“L”
what is the max amount pedestrians are willing to walk to a destination?
under site specific scenario - 700 ft or 1/8 mile according to Time Saver Standards
1/4 to 1/2 mile pedestrian shed according to Planning and Urban design standards - better applied to more general situations
What 6 best praictces should be used in pedestrain crossing design to reduce risk
ensure onobstructed visibility - THIS SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY CRITERIA
crossings should be PERPENDICULAR
crossing distances should be reduced (by ped islands called bulb outs) at midblock DRIVERS ARE LESS VIGILANT AT MIDBLOCK CROSSINGS
one should lower vehicle speeds where possible
for NEW ROADWAYS reduce the the roadway width
use visible signage and flashing lights
NOTE CLARB texts typ discourage grade separated crossings because they are expensive and difficult to navigate
What are the characteristics of a bicycle path?
8-12’ wide
MAX 2% cross slope - 1.5% ideal
typ asphalt
What are the characteristics of a Bicycle LANE
Portion of larger roadway dedicated to bicyclists
generally 5-6’ wide
Delineated by signs markings or textured strips
Bike lanes can be integrated into an exisitng ROW by - what 4 things
narrowing existing vehicular lands
removing a vehicle land
removing street parking
widening the road
What is a wide outside lane?
a lane on the right side of traffic that can be shared with vehicles withou obstructing traffic
~14’ wide
SHOULD ONLY BE USED ON LOW SPEED LOW TRAFFIC
what is a shared roadway
THE MOST DANGEROUS FORM
Signage indicates presence of bikes in roadway, may impede traffic flow
SHOUDL OWNLY BE USED ON LOW SPEED LOW TRAFFIC
What two facts are true about all bikeways
Accomodate users traveling up to 20mph
provide overhead clearance of 10’
Please list common bike - car points of conflict at intersection
cyclists turning left across traffic
cyclists crossing traffic when vehicles are entring or turning from the right
cyclists or motorists fail to yeild
What is a multi-use trail designed for?
A range of users including walkers. hikers. bikers skaters
should be accessible to broad range of fitness levels
MAIN TRAILS SHOULD BE LOCATED ALONG GRADIENTS OF 5% OR LESS
What is main conflict on multi use trail
Peds and bikers
What are the ADA slopes for walkways, ramps and handrails
Any walkway that exceeds 5% is a ramp
MAX slope for ANY ADA walkway (including ramps) is 8.33% (1 to 12)
ADA walkways WITHOUT handrails should have MAX cross slope of 2.1% (1 to 48)
ADA RAMPS should have max cross slope of 2% (1 to50)
What are 8 best practices to consider when designing for ADA compliance and universal accessibility?
stairs are the MOST significant barrier
ANY level change is a barrier
RAMPS are not necessarily easy for all (even if easy for wheelchair)
HANDRAILS are critical
paving materials strongly influcent
tactile warning strips delineate any change
bollards should never be placed in the center or main flow of pedestrain walkway
chain barriers are dangerous - undetectable by cane users
When designing for elderly or aged - What should you consider?
walking is most common activity
playgrounds and daycare are considered complementary uses because the site of young people playing is often greatly appreciated by elderly
