When designing a project...
- Should the building adapt to the terrain?
- Or, should you adapt the terrain to the building?
I believe this that the building should adapt to the terrain. If the building is being built on a landmark or unusually elevated land, it may be smarter to adapt to the terrain and built supporting structures around it to uphold the building. It would cost more and ruin the natural beauty and significance of the land that it is on, and forcing a certain design when it is not feasible in a terrain context could lead to a catastrophic collapse.
What considerations affect a project team's decision-making when deciding the floor-to-floor height to use in a multi-story building?
From an engineer’s perspective, the decision-making should be focused around the purpose of the building being built, the choice of structural system/integrity, and accessibility and maximizing safety. With an engineering mindset, the design should be made considering if it is a commercial or residential project, calling for specific room design and electrical and HVAC work. The material being used on the structure should also be considered, whether it is concrete or steel, depending on local weather conditions and physical activity that will be done in the building.
Why do stairs follow specific proportions with a set relationship between the tread length and riser height?
- How can building modeling help prevent the mistakes that often occur when designing and installing stairs?
This is done to ensure that safety and accessibility is a priority in design and construction. A guideline like the Blondel formula checks if the sum of the tread length and double the rise height comes out to 63 cm, giving a mathematical/engineering checkpoint for designers when building a model. Doing it virtually on design is a better precaution that doing it physically costing more materials to check, and preventing any violations to safety codes and compliances.