CEA – Review

Lesson 4.1 Commercial Building Design Problem - Overview

Preface

The design of a commercial facility involves a wide range of professionals working together to accomplish a multitude of tasks. Productive teamwork and effective project management is essential in order that the efforts are coordinated and efficient.

One of the initial tasks associated with commercial project development is thoroughly researching the site on which the facility will be situated. This research must include document research as well as a physical investigation of the site conditions to identify factors that can affect the project. Before a commercial facility is designed, an architectural program should be created with input from all stake-holders in order to specify the project criteria and constraints.

Once the design team has an understanding of the project requirements, the design effort should be carefully managed to provide the most effective use of the available resources (time, materials, and people). The design process should be monitored throughout the project and adjusted as necessary to provide a smooth and efficient design effort. The final product of the design effort is project documentation (drawing and specification) that will provide enough information to the building contractor to successfully construct the facility to perform the intended function(s).

During this unit student design teams will design a commercial facility for a given site. During the design process, students will review applicable codes and regulations, research the site, and perform a site visit to identify factors that will affect development of the site. Based on the information and data collected, the teams will assess the viability of several commercial projects and select the most appropriate development option for the site. An architectural program will be created to document the criteria and constraints of the project. Additionally, a project management plan will be created. The project will be modeled using 3D architectural software. Students will produce project documentation to include a project report, engineering calculations, and construction drawings.

Understandings

1. Detailed planning, documentation, and management of a project is essential to its success.

2. People work in teams to produce solutions to complex problems.

3. A legal description of property is used to identify real estate in a legal transaction and can be found in a deed, mortgage, plat or other purchase documents.

4. The selection of a site and the project being planned are interrelated. A site should be thoroughly research to determine whether it is compatible with the project to be built.

5. Legal, physical, and financial conditions as well as the needs of the surrounding community should be taken into consideration when determining the viability of a project.

Knowledge and Skills

It is expected that students will:

· Work individually and in groups to produce a solution to a team project.

· Research codes, zoning ordinances and regulations to determine the applicable requirements for a project.

· Identify the boundaries of a property based on its legal description.

· Perform research and visit a site to gather information pertinent to the viability of a project on the site.

· Identify the criteria and constraints and gather information to promote viable decisions regarding the development of their solution.

· Create an architectural program, a project organization chart, and a Gantt chart and hold project progress meetings to help manage the team project.

· Communicate ideas while developing a project using various drawing methods, sketches, graphics, or other media collected and documented.

· Identify the criteria for commercial property/project viability.

· Investigate the legal, physical, and financial requirements of a project and consider the needs of the community to determine project viability.

· Apply current common practices utilized in Civil Engineering and Architecture to develop a viable solution in their project.

· Develop an understanding of how software is used as a tool to aid in the solution and then the communication of a project.

Essential Questions

1. Why is it important for every team member to understand and carry out the appropriate team role when working together on a project?

2. As the developer of a piece of property, what factors must you consider for cost effectiveness and success of your development?

3. What types of information should you gather about a site before making a decision on site selection?

4. What is meant by “viability analysis”? What kinds of questions should a viability analysis answer?

5. What regulatory agencies should you know? Why is it important to work with them in preparing to develop property?

6. As an owner of the property, what issues are of concern to you and may affect the development of the property?

Lesson 4.1 Commercial Building Design Problem - Key Terms

Term

Definition

Architectural Programming

Research and decision making process that identifies the scope of work for a design project.

Architectural Program

Written statement setting forth design objectives, constraints, and criteria for a project, including special requirements and systems, and site requirements. The program is usually prepared by the architect with input from the owner regarding the goals, needs, and function of the project, design expectations, available budget, and pertinent building code and zoning regulations.

Baseline

A parallel of latitude running through an arbitrary point chosen as the starting point for all sectionalized land within a given area.

Bearing

A horizontal direction indicated by an angle from either due north or due south toward either the east or west.

Benchmark (BM)

A relatively permanent object, natural or artificial, bearing a marked point whose elevation above or below the adopted datum is known or assumed.

Floor Plan

A representation of a building as seen from above at an imaginary horizontal plane approximately 4 feet above the floor.

Gantt Chart

A horizontal bar chart used in project management to graphically represent the schedule of a set of specific activities or tasks.

Land Patent

The legal documents that transferred land ownership from the U.S. Government to individuals.

Metes and Bounds

A method of land description in which property lines are successively described using lengths and bearings from a point of beginning.

Plat

A plan or map showing property boundaries and geographical features.

Principal Meridian

A meridian (north-south line) through an arbitrary point chosen as the starting point for all sectionalized land within a given area.

Project Management

The discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of a project.

Public Land Survey System

A system used to divide public domain lands in the United States in which land is divided into 6-mile square townships and subdivided into sections, portions of sections, or irregular lots. Also referred to as Rectangular Survey System.

Range

A vertical column of townships in the Public Land Survey System.

Rectangular Survey System

A system used to divide public domain lands in the United States in which land is divided into 6-mile square townships and subdivided into sections, portions of sections, or irregular lots. Also referred to as Public Land Survey System.

Section

A one-square-mile block of land, containing 640 acres, or approximately 1/36 of a township.

Setback

Minimum distance that the zoning ordinance requires must be maintained between a structure and property lines or between two structures.

Specifications

A set of technical requirements that provide a detailed description of materials and quality of work for a project.

Township

An approximately 6-mile square area of land, containing 36 sections. Also a horizontal row of townships in the Public Land Survey System.

Viability Analysis

An evaluation process that takes into account the factors that will influence and determine the successful implementation of a proposed project

INSERT LEGAL DESCRIPTION HERE

Rectangular Survey

The following is a metes and bounds description of the Palmetto Property. Use a protractor and an engineer’s scale or ruler to sketch the property lines on graph paper. Use a scale of 1 inch = 200 feet.

 “From the point of beginning (POB) on Bee Hive Road, N 48º 03’ 29” E a distance of 440.55', thence N37º 24’ 11” W a distance of 344.57, thence N45º 44’ 30” E a distance of 496.45’, thence N37º 27’ 44” W a distance of 346.24, thence S48º 47’ 04” W a distance of 165.00, thence N37º 27’ 44” W a distance of 300.00’, thence S 48º 47’ 04” W a distance of 619.67’, thence S36º 00’ 00” E a distance of 372.76, thence S51º 59’ 11” W a distance of 149.76’, thence S38º 18’ 30” E a distance of 658.60 back to the POB.”

Site Discovery:How do you know that a site is “right” for a particular development? Often, there are many properties available for development, but each site is unique. What should you look for in a property before selecting it for development? Or, if you are responsible for developing a particular site, what site characteristics might affect the type of development chosen for the site? Many aspects of a property can have a significant effect on the design of a planned project and the time and cost of construction.

Any important decision should be based on as much reliable information as you can gather. A multitude of site conditions can affect site development, and you should make a significant effort to research any property under consideration. This process of investigating a property for potential development is called site discovery.

Once you have thoroughly researched the site, you can evaluate the information to decide whether or not the site will provide a good fit for the proposed project

Site Visit:A site visit should be well-documented with sketches, notes, and photographs. You can never have too much information. Document all aspects of the site.

Select a Solution:What is a Gantt Chart?