Site Considerations and the Building Enclosure

When doing a site analysis it is important to look at key things such as the relation the building site has on the interior design, the foundation system, the components of a building enclosed, and the materials used throughout the building, especially on the roof and the form of the roof. To simplify analyzation, it is divided into four steps- structural system; mechanical, plumbing, electrical system; enclosed system; and interior systems. The processes will always be changing and usually will never be the same depending on what the building is and how it was built. 

Beginning with the site analysis, the overall features to consider are regulatory, aesthetic, and environmental; what the space is surrounding and how the building fits in the space. While the architect is responsible for positioning where the building is located on a site; input is needed by a landscape architect, civil engineer, and interior designer. Allowing more professions in this field to help dictate where a building is located will lead to the best placement of the building because more opinions are being weighed in. 

An example of a site diagram is pictured to the left

Architects and civil engineers look at more of the exterior of the building on the site. An example of exterior features is the enclosed system, trusses, and roofs. Enclosed systems are referenced to the exterior foundation. There are many different types of foundations depending on the location and surrounding conditions of the building. The shallow foundations are used in residential construction and include slab-on-grace, crawl space, and basements. While deep foundations are used for larger buildings that have a higher barring load. This foundation type consists of piles and cassation. Trusses and roofs are also important enclosed systems to look at by architects and civil engineers. A truss is a web-like roof structure made of steel or wood that employs tension and compression to produce sturdy, lightweight parts that may span a great distance. In order to prevent separation, the bottom is in tension while the sides are compressed. The different shapes of trusses (belgian, bowstring, fink, scissor) are selected depending on the weight of the building. Roof and tresses go hand in hand because depending on what roof is being used, will depend on which trusses to choose for the most structural support. Depending on which material is chosen for the roof, should depend on where the building/ home is located based on the weather that occurs in the area. The material is made to endure the majority of weather conditions, including hail damage, wind, rain, and snow.  Your house and everything inside of it will be weatherproofed.

The interior design is not in charge of the roof due to it being structural. However, the interior design must consider the roof type as part of the interior design choice because the ceiling finish is full under the designer. The different roof type shapes include shed, gable, hip, and dome. Furthermore, the interior design must look at how the sun, wind, rain, cold, view, and outdoor rooms affect the interior as well before coming up with a final design. The sun can impact the interior space due to the orientation of when it sets and rises. An example of taking this into effect is having the bedroom orientation face the east due to the sun rising in the east. Additionally, it is best to locate the area that will have the most sunlight come in and make that area the most public space. Secondly, evaluating the wind, cold, and rain is important based on capturing breezes effectively for thermal comfort. This will tell interior design the kind of ventilation and walls to but in where in the building. Thirdly, external views are important due to the placement of windows. Interior designers must find the best exterior views in order to really make the space memorable. Lastly, outdoor spaces are taken into account when organizing the interior spaces to allow access and views to the outdoor rooms. The image above shows the use of windows being placed correctly to give the homeowner a view of the outside area while also opening it up more due to the outdoor space being there. 

Harm. A Weber Case Analysis

The Harm. A Weber Academic Center located at Judson University was built for the use of a library and the division of art, design, and architecture. With that said, the central library occupies 30,000 g.s.f while the division of art, design, and architecture occupies 40,000 g.s.f. Harm. A Weber was built on the idea of becoming LEED Gold certified which means being sustainable for the environment. The building achieved sustainability by using 47% of the energy of a conventional academic building by using natural ventilation for half a year.  The use of Natural Ventilation comes from the use of pre-cast concrete being b
uilt used allows the building to draw cool air at the lower level, circulate this air throughout the facility through various routes, and ultimately exhaust the air through roof termini. 

The main material used is concrete in both the walls, floors, and ceilings. Concrete material was chosen due to the purpose of thermal mass. "The exterior finish materials are brick veneer at the lower level, and a combination EIFS and metal panels at the top. Window sill, jamb, and head are finished in a white metal panel system, primarily to indirectly bounce daylight into the facility." As for the interior, there is a glazed atrium in the middle of the building going through the library and studio that brings in daylight as well as conduits of fresh air. 

To make the building more sustainable, the site of the building comes into play by being "replaced with a sustainable landscape “quadrangle” scheme that incorporates a series of complementary ecological elements including down lighting, stormwater flow, control and storage, bioswale elements filtering phosphorous and other groundwater pollutants, infiltration through retention and permeable surfaces, with resultant evapotranspiration."


Comments

  1. Susan E. KirshSeptember 9, 2023 at 9:43 AM

    Izzy,

    I really liked your summary of Chapter 2 and the way you described it, it felt like I was reading a similar book to our textbook (but not the same as our textbook). It was very nicely paraphrased and the picture you added to display the sun in comparison to the interior made understanding your text a lot easier. Your case study of the Harm A. Weber Academic Center at Judson University was also very well done. I like how in-depth you went with the background of the building and its certification and that significance to the Architecture world. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Delia T.September 9, 2023 at 9:49 AM

    Izzy,

    Good blog! You touched on all the primary points of the reading and summarized it well, especially from the perspective of how it all pertains to Interior Designers. I enjoyed your pictures, and especially appreciated your final paragraph which was a more detailed analysis of how Interior Designers can utilize the sun, and view, etc. Maybe add some headers throughout that first part, or just one to title your summary.

    Your case study was also done as you touched on all the necessary points, and included two very helpful, detailed photos.

    Once again, good job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Eva SerratoSeptember 9, 2023 at 10:07 AM

    Izzy,
    I liked how you started off your blog by explaining the different roles of an architect, civil engineer, and interior designer play when creating and designing a project. I like how you went into detail about the benefits of properly placing your building in relation to the sun, wind, and other environmental components. I enjoyed how you explained the purpose of HAWAC. You went into great detail about how the material effect the energy consumption in the building and you emphasized that this was the purpose of the HAWAC building.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Professor VanderNoordaaSeptember 10, 2023 at 7:18 AM

    Izzy,
    This summary was outstanding. I really appreciated your detailed thought into the considerations that must be made when analyzing the site. You also discussed how weather and sun patterns affect the interior of a home. I also enjoyed how you encouraged us to think about the roof type and how that will affect the interior of a structure. Your analysis of HAWAC was detailed and I appreciate how your included the site and the landscape plan.
    50/50 Total Points

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jay CallentineSeptember 27, 2023 at 9:44 AM

    Izzy,
    I Loved reading your blog! You did a great job of emphasizing the interconnection of all the factors while giving a thorough review of the essential components involved in site analysis for architectural design. In order to convey the best building placement and functionality, you really emphasize the value of professional collaboration between architects, landscape architects, civil engineers, and interior designers and how they all come together. The examination of outside components such foundations, trusses, and roofing shows just how important they are to structural integrity and resilience to weather. Additionally, you provide insightful information on how natural elements like sunlight, wind, and exterior views affect interior design choices. The Harm Weber building pictures give a real illustration as to picture all these elements as a whole. The Weber building, which emphasizes natural ventilation and careful material selection, serves as an example of how sustainable design concepts may be successfully used. Overall, this blog does a good job of interpreting the difficulty and significance of site analysis.

    ReplyDelete

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