Environmental, Social & Economic Issues Flashcards
With regard to site development, what are the architect’s primary concerns?
- Pedestrian and vehicular circulation/transportation network.
- The disposal of runoff and the effects of surface drainage.
- Landscaping
- Access to services and public facilities
- Natural and artificial lighting
- Site access for emergency vehicles
- Security
- Subsurface Conditions and Topography: A high or fluctuating water table may cause excavation or foundation problems such as heaving.
- Bedrock near the surface may interfere with subsurface construction such as basements or foundations and may add significantly to the cost of construction.
- Unstable soil due to the presence of clay or organic material may require alternative foundation systems or extensive regrading.
Nonconforming Use
A special zoning exemption (variance) for a parcel of land which, due to changes in the current zoning ordinance, no longer complies.
A building on the parcel may remain in use if it is shown that the use of the property conformed with the prior zoning ordinance. If major alterations are to be made the building may need to satisfy the current ordinance.
When designing to incorporate cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles, what design solutions can be implemented to avoid a conflict?
- Create a separate bicycle path: use abandoned rail road tracks, utility easements, etc.
- Eliminate street parking and add a designated bicycle path.
- At major intersections of pedestrian and bicycle paths they should be separated.
- One-way streets serve to channel and regulate vehicular traffic. For cyclists, however, they can limit direct connections. This may force cyclists onto heavily tafficked arterial streets or lead to cyclists traveling in the wrong direction. On one-way streets, provide a designated, parallel bicycle path separate from the street.
Name two ways of reducing solar energy gain in a building.
- Louvers, overhangs or baffles incorporated into the design of the building admit light and views, block direct sunlight, and can reduce energy gain by 15% or more.
- Locate the building in the shadow of existing trees (deciduous trees allow insolation in winter months), building or topographical features.
Describe the following: 1. Ahwahnee Principles 2. Hannover Principles
- In 1991 at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, several architects presented their collective vision of how urban and suburban planning should follow certain fundamental principles regarding community size, integration, transportation, open space, pedestrian paths, native vegetation, water and energy usage, etc. In addition to local planning issues, they presented regional principles as well as guidelines for governing new growth.
- For EXPO 2000 at the World’s Fair in Hannover, Germany, William McDonough presented a living document called Design for Sustainability. These guidelines were meant to inform the international design competitions and insure that Fair-related design and construction represented sustainable development. The principles set priorities for sustainability in the built environment and were to be implemented globally.
When tall building act as wind breaks, what condition may be created?
A Vortex. When moving air encounters a building perpendicular to a broad face, it flows both over the roof and down the facade. The air tends to collect at the base of the building which results in a high velocity swirl of wind.
Describe the following: 1. Well-Graded Soils 2. Uniformly-Graded Soils 3. Gap-Graded Soils
- Has a good representation of all particle sizes, in proportionate quantities, from the largest tot he smallest. the smaller particles fill the voids between the larger particles. This proportioning generates stability through increased grain-to-grain contact.
- Consists primarily of particles that are all approximately the same size. A type of Poorly Graded soil.
- Consists of both large and small particles but the continuity of gradation is interrupted, typically by the absence of intermediate sized particles. Also called skip graded or step graded. A type of Poorly Graded Soil.
How does a monument impact a land survey?
It represents a reference point. Whether it is man-made or natural, its location is recorded as a permanent landmark.
The Piazza of Saint Peter at the Vatican is an example of what type of planning?
Renaissance planning. Typical of Renaissance planning, space was created amid a cramped medieval town for a grand piazza, where a more modest square once stood.
While Renaissance in planning, Bernini, a quintessentially Baroque architect, redesigned much of the architecture and interiors of the Piazza of Saint Peter (1655-67).
In the 15th century, rulers began to display their power and wealth by improving their cities. They dressed their existing medieval building in facades composed of classical Roman elements. The church was part of this movement as well. Bernini designed an oval shaped colonade of Tuscan columns, surrounding a pre-existing obelisk, That colonnade now defines the space as a formal piazza and organizes an otherwise haphazard urban pattern.
What is the best location for a summer camp on this site?
Location B
This site is sheltered from northern winds, has a southern exposure, is protected from rising water and has a view of the lake.
How do natural lighting conditions affect one’s choice of orientation for a building?
While many theiries of building/sun orientation exist, most agree that principal facades ideally face south (in the northern hemisphere) for optimal living conditions (warmth in winter and coolness in summer).
The quality of light is also a concern. Souther light tends to be direct, bright, and intense while northern light is more evenly diffused. Most importantly, all of these generalities must give way to regional and local conditions. The location of a 2nd building or other microclimate condition may trump any general rule of orientation.
Name a significant drawback of the New town Concept developed in Great Britain as a result of the New Town Act of 1946.
This concept orginally aspired to produce self-sufficient, planned communities. In actuality, these towns remained suburban and dependent on larger urban centers, mostly for employment.
Crawley, Harlow, Stevenge, Basildon etx. in England and Columbia, Maryland and Reston, Virgnia in the united States, for example.
Typically criticized for thier standardized rigidity and lack of the dynamics found in a town that has developed over time.
Name several methods used to control erosion, due to runoff or wind, during construction.
In the interest of site sustainability, these methods have been implemented to reduce the negative impact of construction of water and air quality, and minimize the loss of topsoil and native vegetation.
- silt Fence: Filter fabric usually fixed to wood stakes filters fine sediment from runoff before it reaches receiving streams or storm sewers.
- Straw Bale Dams/ Earth Dikes: Strategic placement prior to grading will minimize the loss of topsoil by runoff.
- Hydroseeding or Mulch: Temporary seeding with quick sprouting annual grass or a layer of mulch will help stabilize the topsoil.
- Retaining Walls: A more permanent solution incorporated into the design.
In addition to soil stabilization, many of these methods also protect the site from infestation by weeds and help maintain native vegetation.
