Factors Affect 

Planning of Building

The following are factors affecting to planning of residential buildings,

1. Function of Building Planning

Building Planning depends on its functional use like Residential buildings, Educational buildings,
Institutional buildings, Assembly buildings, Public buildings, Business buildings, Mercantile
buildings, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, Storage buildings, Hazardous buildings,
etc.

Shape and size of the plot on which building is to be proposed.

2. Topography

The topography of the site is also affecting factor for Planning of Building. Topography like Plain
grounds, Sloping grounds, Undulating ground, Elevated site, Low lying area, etc.

3. Climatic Condition

Climatic parameters such as sun and humidity are the most controlling factors in the design of a
building Planning.

4. Building Bye-laws

Every local Municipal body and Urban development authorities have their bye-laws and
regulations regarding the planning of buildings like clear open spaces to left around the
building, permissible height of the building, permissible construction area, etc.

The developer has to approve the proposed building plan with the Local Authority as per
Building bye-laws. Gujarat has Comprehensive General Development Control Regulation for the
entire state for regulation regarding the planning of the building. 

5. Orientation

In building planning orient means East. Orientation means the placement of building to face the
East. The orientation of a building has a deep relationship with its surrounding environment.

Proper placement of various components of building concerning sun, wind, and rain which
enables the inmates to enjoy the desirable feature of nature.
 12 Principles Of Building Planning & Factors
Affecting It 10
Figure 1.   Some building planning has a long axis running east-west. Smaller surface areas
facing east and west receive less sunlight in the early morning and late afternoon of summer
months, while a larger surface facing south receives more sunlight at noon over the winter
months.

In Building planning, orientation is a very important factor that is directly connected to the
standards of thermal comfort and ventilation within the building.

It mostly depends on natural elements like sunlight and its intensity, the direction of the wind,
seasons of the year, and temperature variations.

Orientation is generally done by considering the climatic factors of wind and solar radiation.

Standard Size of Rooms in Residential Building and their Locations

1. Size of Drawing or Living Room:
Drawing room or living room is a common, comfortable and attractive place for sitting of family
members and to receive friends and guests. Sometime it is used as reception room and dining
room and special occasions. Drawing room should be located in the middle of the building and
should be connected to the front verandah and dining place. It should be well-lighted and
ventilated.Generally, drawing or living room is the biggest room of the building so that it can be
utilized for some ceremonial function in the house. Size of the drawing room should be
determined by type of furniture to be used. Standard size of drawing room may range
from: 4200mm (14ft) X 4800 mm (16ft) to 5400mm (18ft) X 7200mm (24ft)

2. Size of Bedrooms:
Bedrooms should be so located that they are well ventilated and at the same time provide
privacy. Generally, they should be located on the sides of the building so that at least one wall
is exposed for good ventilation and lighting. The bedroom should be located on the side of the
direction of prevailing wind. The location should be such that the bedroom receives sunlight
during morning hours. The minimum window area should be 1:10th of the floor area. In
bedrooms 9.5 cubic meter per adult and 5.5cubic meter per child space should be available and
suitable allowance should be made for furniture.
If good water supply and drainage system is available, a bedroom should have an attached
bathroom and water closet. Standard size of bedrooms may range from: 3000mm (10ft) X
3600mm (12ft) to 4200mm (14ft) X 4800mm (16ft)

3. Size of Guest Room:

Guest room should be well lighted and ventilated. It should be located on one side of the
building, generally by the side of the drawing room.
Guest should be disconnected from inside of the house and should have separated bathroom
and water closet. Standard size of guest rooms may be: 3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft)

4. Size of Verandah:
The best location for verandah is south and west. If the frontage of the building is east then
they are located in east also. The verandah also serves the purpose of a waiting room. It
segregates the private apartment from the entrance area. The veranda should shade the walls
of the building during greater part of the day. For this it is necessary that it must not have
openings of a height greater than 2:3rd of the floor width. Each house should have one front and
rear verandah. If space doesn’t permit, the rear verandah can be omitted. Verandah have
width ranging from 1800mm (6ft) to 3000mm (10ft) Verandah opening should always have a
chajja projection for protection from sunlight and rain water.

5. Size of Office Room:

Office rooms should be on one side of front verandah, disconnected from other rooms.
Sometimes an office room serves the purpose of guest room and vice versa. Standard size of
office room may be: 3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft)
6. Size of Dining Room:
Generally, the dining room should be provided in rear of the drawing or living room and near
the kitchen. In modern houses drawing room and dining room are combined to have a big room
for special occasions. For orthodox families dining room is kept separate.
Size of bedrooms may range from: 3600mm (12ft) X 4200mm (14ft) to
4200mm (14ft) X4800mm (16ft)

7. Size of Kitchen:

The kitchen should be provided in rear corner of the building but NE corner is the best. It should
be connected with dining room and should have one approach from outside also. If possible,
the kitchen should be so located that sun light should come in the morning hours, when it is
used most. It should have windows for good ventilation and chimney for smoke escape. The
window space should be min. of 15% of floor area. Sink should be provided for washing and
sufficient number of shelves should also be provided. Sometimes storeroom and kitchen are
combined together, if less space is available. Standard size of kitchen rooms may range
from: 2500mm (8ft) X 3900mm (13ft) to 3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft)

8. Store Room:
Store rooms should be located near the kitchen and should have sufficient number of
racks. Standard size of store room may range from: 2500mm (8ft) X 2500mm (8ft) to 3000mm
(10ft) X 3000mm (10ft)

9. Pantry:
Pantry is a small room adjacent to dining room for keeping cooked food. It should have
sufficient numbers of cup-boards and shelves. For ordinary building, kitchen serves the purpose
of pantry. Size of pantry may range from: 2500mm (8ft) X 3000mm (10ft)

10. Size of Bathroom and WC:

Now-a-days it has become common practice to provide attached bathroom and water closets
with each bedroom. This is preferable only when good drainage and water supply is available. It
is not attached to the bedrooms, bath and WC should be provided in rear of the building
separately so that the two can be used at a time. Good ventilation should be provided for bath
and WC. There should be two windows in a bathroom. One for ventilation at a height of
2000mm above outside ground level and another at usual low level with frosted glass shutters
for admitting light and maintaining privacy. Sometimes ceiling height is kept low (2100mm or
7ft) and upper space is used for storage purpose
Common sizes of bathroom and water closet may be:
Bath and WC (combined): 1800mm X 1800mm to 1800mm X 2500mm Bathroom (separate):
1200mm X 1800mm WC (separate): 1200mm X 1200mm Read More: Height and Size
Regulations for Rooms

How Does the Sun Impact Building Design?

One of the vital things to factor in when designing a house is the energy requirements. In colder

months, people use energy to heat their homes or houses. However, larger energy-related

bills in summer go into the air conditioning to keep the houses cool. Therefore, you need to

orient the house to take advantage of the natural light and heating from the sun. So, how

exactly do you do this when working on a building design project?

Because the earth is positioned on an axis, the sun shifts its position and causes changes in

seasons. For a person living in the northern hemisphere, summer takes place when the sun is in

the far north. The winter takes place when the reverse happens: the sun is in the southern sky.

So, you need to understand and optimize these facts for passive solar gains in your building

designs. With a good design, you can help your clients to cut down the cost of home heating by

up to 40%. Check out the best practices that every architect needs to follow and apply in

building.
Best Practices for Orientation of Buildings in Relation to Sun and Wind

Here are some best practices to help you optimize passive solar effects in building design:

●        Consider orienting your building designs longitudinally

This implies that the length of the home should take a west-east orientation. Again, the smaller

width should be on the northern side to optimize solar gains in colder months. If you are

designing a home for a client in the southern hemisphere, the length should still be on an east-

west consideration for maximum solar energy gains. However, the smaller width should face
the south. In the equatorial region where the sun is available most of the days of the year, the

orientation might not target getting direct radiation but a cool breeze to cool the house on hot

days. An interactive façade would come in handy in this case to make the house design more

appealing.

●        Make Sure to Use True North and South

To be able to optimize the benefits of building orientation, you need to differentiate between

the true north and magnetic north. The sun follows the true north and this is what you should

use when designing a building to cut down energy-related bills. Ensure that the short axis of the

house orients towards the true north or south to capture maximum sun light and heat

●        Ensure the House Floor Plan is Oriented Towards the Sun

Can you imagine getting the sunlight right in your house in winter? It is possible with the right

building orientation. By designing houses with regularly used rooms, such as the living room

and kitchen on the south (for houses in the northern hemisphere) and north (for houses in the

southern hemisphere), it will be possible to receive sun most times of the year. You should also

design decks and patios on the side where they will get maximum sunlight. Then, those that are

not used regularly, such as the bedroom and library, can be positioned away to act as buffers

during the cold months.

●        Position Windows to Serve as Source of Heat and Light

There is nothing as enjoyable as being able to enjoy passive heating in the house. Whether it is

in the form of light or heating, a house becomes more comfortable, and energy-related bills will

go down. If you are designing a building with large patios and verandahs, orient them in a way

that the user will be able to enjoy every minute the sun is up. Sure it might not be all the
months of the year, but the satisfaction from your building when the sun finally shines above

the sky will be unforgettable.

●        Factor the Direction of Mountains

You need to appreciate that the north-south orientation can be exaggerated if the site is

located in a hilly or mountainous region. For example, what if the site is sloping towards the

west as opposed to the common north-south direction? What if the plot is positioned at the

mountain peak where there are strong winds?

One of the solutions to the above two scenarios is working on a building design that allows for

about 30% from the east-west orientation. This means that during the cool and warm months,

you will still get sunlight and heat because of the angle.

●        Use Wind Data to Take Advantage of Wind Breezes

The wind is another crucial environmental factor that you must include in the equation of

building design and orientation. You can check for solar and wind data to determine the

predominant and general wind direction so that the house can enjoy cool breezes to reduce the

cooling needs on hot days. When there are strong winds, the house design should be strong

enough to protect both the structure and occupants.

Other important considerations related to the orientation of building in relation to sun and

wind are drainage, scenic views, street appeal, and drainage considerations. Make sure to also

understand your client well because there are some who have special attachments to regions,

mountains, or religious places and would do anything to stick to them and bypass all other

factors.