Introduction to Architectural

Programming and Space Planning

• Stages of Building Construction
1. Statement of Problem
2. Collection of Data Pre Design
3. Analysis of Data
4. Program
5. Design Concepts/ Schematic Design (Space Planning- Phase I)
6. Design Development (Space Planning- Phase II)
7. Construction Documents
8. Tender
9. Construction
10. Post construction
What is Programming?

– Process of identification and systematic organization of data

related to a building and its function
➢ Important step in getting a good design
➢ Guide to decision making in the design process
➢ Architectural, structural, mechanical, aesthetic and budget
criteria
– Part of pre-design process
• Purpose of Programming?
– To identify and understand the nature of the
problems associated with a particular building

Program states the problem

Program vs Design Process
– “Program is problem seeking”
– “Design is problem solving”
– Programming is Analyzing
– Design is Synthesizing
 SIX STEP PROCESS:
1. Research Project Background
2. Identify Goals and Objectives
3. Collect, Organize and Analyze Facts & Data
4. Formulate Relationships
5. Establish Priorities, Determine Quantitative
Requirements
6. State the Problem
 1. Research Project Background
• Project typology
➢Become familiar with issues associated with the
building type
• Site visits
– Visiting operating facility
– Number of sites
– Ask what works well or not
• Literature research
– Books, periodicals
• Local info
– Client/owner/user
– Local papers, library
– Climate info
– Political environment
– Neighbors support
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
 2. Identify Goals and Objectives
• Overall purpose of building
• Project Goals
– What and why?
– “i.e. medical center for children or Algonquin Centre for Construction
Excellence (ACCE Bldg.)
• From broad scope to narrow scope of project
– Organizational goals
➢ Function, Structure and Systems, Construction Techniques and
Material
• Close collaboration between designer, consultants and client
– Program Requirements
– Site Budget
– Project timeline
– Sustainable Design Factors
• Identify Potential Areas of Conflict
– Communication and proper research is the key to successful
programming
 2. Identify Goals and Objectives
• Form: physical and psychological
– Image
– Site qualities (site analysis), relationships
– Environmental analysis
– Quality of space – see and feel

“For office building for firm of accountants “The

new office building should respond, take advantage
of and be a good neighbor to the TD Bank Tower
across the street.” (Image, Surrounding)

“The design should reflect the character of the firm:

growing, dynamic, professional, contributing to
the city. (image).”
 2. Identify Goals and Objectives
• Function:
– Number and types of people
– Relationship between parts
– Activities

“The design must provide initially for 24 lawyers

and their support staff.” (Number)

“The organization must reflect the firm’s desire to

mix lawyers specializing in different areas of law
in order to increase knowledge of the practice of
law in general.” (Activities, Relationships)
 2. Identify Goals and Objectives
• Economy:
– What is the budget?
– Initial costs
– Operating costs
– Life cycle costs
– (debate between quality and quantity)

“build the facility for a total project budget of …”

The facility should take advantage of passive solar

heat …”

“Solar heating features with a payback period of 12

years or less should be considered. “
 2. Identify Goals and Objectives
• Time:

– Project Schedules, move-in dates

– Changes over time
– Long range growth
– Life-cycle costing

“Building shall be ready for occupancy at

least two weeks before the opening of the
fall terms.”

“Provide for doubling of the space within

four to six years.”
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
3. Collect Organize & Analyze Facts and Data
• Access to lots of info, need to decide what is
important
– Does it help achieve the goals
– Does it help designer in general
• Facts have to be appropriate and accurate
• State assumptions
– Facility users – user profile
– Organizational networks
– Projections – staff, costs, production
– Activities, schedules
– Space criteria
– Site analysis
– Code
– Energy info
 4. Formulate Relationships
• Abstractions – not design solutions
– Functional relationships through the use of schematic
diagrams
• How client wants to achieve goals

Goal – “The community Centre should make visitors feel

welcome.”
Strategy – “Entry should be visible from bus stop and parking,
Reception desk should be inviting and well lit at night, visitor
should not feel intimidated by building scale.”
 4. Formulate Relationships
• Strategies
– Aesthetic
– Functional Relationships – how people use
building, relationships, activities,
–Centralization
–Flexibility
–Flow
–Features
–Phasing, Level of access
• Bubble diagrams
4. Formulate Relationships
4. Formulate Relationships
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
4. Formulate Relationships

Spatial relationship
4. Formulate Relationships

Centralized copying station VS de-centralized

4. Formulate Relationships- Adjacency Matrix
4. Formulate Relationships-
Adjacency Matrix and Diagram
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
 5. Establish Priorities/ Determine Quantitative
Requirements
• Sizes of areas required
• Cost
• Balance the program spaces with the Budget
• Construction cost per sq.ft or per sq.m. (Class
D or C)
• Schedule
5. Establish Priorities
Cost vs Schedule

Bahá’í Temple of South America

Hariri Portarini Architects, Toronto, Canada
5. Establish Priorities/ Determine Quantitative
Requirements

Cost:
– Preliminary estimates needed for funding project
– Square ft/m costs

– Building costs, site work, fees, contingencies,

equipment = Total Project Cost
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
 5. Establish Priorities/ Determine
Quantitative Requirements
• Net Areas – area required for activity, per person, object
➢rule of thumb, codes, graphic standards
• Often space requirements derive from nature of facility
• associated with activity/object
➢size of car for parking garage
➢size of basketball court
• for living/work spaces usually based on people load
➢user categories that require a specific amount of space
➢refer to codes, resource books
 5. Establish Priorities/ Determine Quantitative
Requirements
• Tare Area = circulation, interior walls/structure, exterior wall
thickness, mechanical/electrical rooms or shafts, washrooms,
custodial (janitor)
• Net Area = sum of usable floor space (inside finished wall within
the usable floor space)
Gross Floor Area (GFA) = Net area + Tare area

• Building Efficiency: (ratio of net usable to gross building areas)

Efficiency Ratio = Net area (x100) = %

Gross area
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
 6. State the Problem
• Commits designers to address the unique opportunities and
problems identified in the programming process

• Change from definition of problem to identification of solution

• The statement should be expressed in terms of functions, areas,

and relationships

• The statement should be sufficiently broad so as not to suggest

specific architectural designs, or to limit the passible range of
those designs.

“The best views from the site are to the north. Advantage of
these views should be taken without jeopardizing the energy
efficiency of the building.”
 SIX STEP PROCESS:
1. Research Project Background
2. Identify Goals and Objectives
3. Collect, Organize and Analyze
Facts & Data
4. Formulate Relationships
5. Establish Priorities, Determine
Quantitative Requirements
6. State the Problem

Open discussion:
Is there any difference between programming
techniques used for different building types?
 Space Planning:
• Moving from Program…
…to Floor Plans

• Program vs Design Process

– Programming is Analyzing
– Design is Synthesizing
Space Planning:
Space Planning:
Space Planning:
5. Establish Priorities/ Determine
Quantitative Requirements
5. Establish Priorities/ Determine Quantitative
Requirements
 Case Study
Harley Davidson Motorcycle Dealership
(from programming for design from theory to practice, by Edith Cherry,)
Space Planning:
 Summary
Programming and Space Planning
• Value of good programming
– Clarifies
– Reduces changes
– Resolution of differences
• Programming Limitations:
– no building, regardless of how carefully its intended
uses may be researched, analyzed and predicted, will
be used precisely as planned.
– Provide for possible change – loose fit
– Design spaces likely to require modification to
facilitate change
 Assignment # 2
Space Planning
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
(25% of term grade)
Interim
DUE WEEK 3
 Homework
• Bring the following to our next class:

1. Adjacency matrix
2. Bubble diagrams
3. Floor plan of Medical Clinic at required scale
4. Hand sketches of organization ideas and/or
preliminary floor plans
• Post interim work on Brightspace
• References:
– Programming for design, from theory to practice, Edith Cherry, Wiley
& Sons Inc.,
– Problem Seeing, An Architectural Programming Primer, Pena and
Parshall, HOK, John Wiley and Sons Inc.
– Programming, Planning & Practice, ARE 2011 Study Guide
 Class Work
• Provide Program requirements, Adjacency
Matrix and Adjacency Diagram for the
followings:
– Primary School, Gr. Jk – Gr. 6 (approx. 100 students)
– Physics Laboratory, (20 scientists, 15 Labs)
– Movie Theatre (7 Theatres)
– Library (housing 2000 books, magazines, computers)
– Bank (serving 500 clients per day)
– Small law office (3 partners, 20 employees)
– Architects Office (3 partners, 20 employees)