Submitted For
Module 3 - Points to Ponder
Please share your comments on 3 of the following Points to Ponder questions. (Choose 3 of the questions below.)
Why is it important to accurately model the land features of your project site with a toposurface?
- The condition of surroundings affects the design of a building. For example, windows should be positioned in the direction whose scenery is beautiful, and an entrance is expected to be in the place easy to access.
When designing a project...
- The building should adapt to the site topography. By minimize the change of the topography, the construction cost and environmental impact would be saved. In addition, by considering site features, architects can design unique buildings.
What considerations affect a project team's decision-making when deciding the floor-to-floor height to use in a multi-story building?
- From a real estate developer's perspective? Floor height depends on the usage of buildings. For instance, floor height in office buildings tends to be higher than apartment buildings. Generally, a building with higher floor height is flexible in the usage.
- From a designer's perspective? People are likely to feel comfortable when they are in spaces with a high ceiling. However, higher floor height leads to higher construction costs. So, designers should balance the aspect of design and costs.
- From an engineer's perspective? Higher structures suffer from disadvantages because the increase of the total mass causes larger stress. In the aspect of structural design, lower floor height is preferable.
- From a builder's perspective? Floor height affects construction costs and duration.
- From an owner's perspective? Since higher floor height leads to larger volume, rooms with higher floor height would increase the expenditures on heating and lighting.
What are the advantages of stacking the levels of a multi-story building vertically?
- Can you share an interesting example of a building that doesn’t vertically stack (where the floor plates change their shaped radically between the floor levels)?
- What were the advantages or reasons for non-vertical stacking?
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?