Regulations and Documentation
On any interior design project having certified or licensed professionals is key to ensuring that all codes and regulations are attended to and applied in the design. These certifications and licensures are what helps design professionals feel confident that the project will get done correctly by trained professionals. Working in accordance with government regulations, restrictions and, codes helps to provide a safe environment for everyone who inhabits the space.
Phases of a Design Project
The first step in any project is gathering client information, their needs and wants for the space shape the direction the project goes into. Once this has begun the designers enters into the programming phase of the project. During this time additional research is conducted as well as case studies to relevant spaces to yours. When finding a case study its important to nail down which occupancy type your space is, this helps to ensure that regulations cane be properly implemented for the space. Schematic design begins once case studies have been found and reviewed, this starts to become loose ideas of how the space will look and function.
To the left is an example of what the cover sheets of the sets typically looks like. During the construction process is it necessary to make regular visits to the site. For designers it helps them to see that the design intent is being executed. At the end of the construction phase there will be an evaluation to make sure everything was done correctly and that the safe is space to be inhabited.
Purpose of Building Codes
There are many different building codes that must be applied in spaces, these may vary depending on the occupancy level. One of the most important codes is means of safe egress. There are three main components to this it relates to exit access, exits, and exit discharge, exit access refers to a consistent path to an exit, typically a fire rated corridor or stairs. The exit refers to the exit door itself, and the exit discharge is the destination area where someone goes when escaping a fire. For designers there are four main principles for the means of egress
- A designer needs to provide alternate paths for travel to avoid fire
- A design must shelter occupants from fire and the products of combustion (smoke)
- Buildings must accommodate all occupants of a structure
- The building must have a clear and unobstructed path that is both well marked and illuminated as well as under the user's control
Signage is a very important component to ensuring that the means of egress are easy to find. These signs must be visible from any direction of egress travel and must be located withing 100 feet of the signs viewing distance.
Case Study
Judson does a great job at making sure that buildings are up to codes and that they are easily accessible for all people. I chose to look at the University Center building. This building houses the cafeteria, bookstore, post office, and the commuter lounge. This building has first floor access so it is easy for those with ADA accommodations to easily enter into the building. Large doorways are used for both the cafeteria and the bookstore, again for easy access. There are options for elevators or stairs in this building as well. Exit signs are clearly placed by all exterior doors and clear pathways are provided to ensure easy exit in case of a fire.
Resources:
Construction Cover Sheet - Bing images
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteYou did a nice job explaining the reasoning behind the codes and importance of the regulations. I liked how you talked about phases of a design project in correlation to the building codes. I think that is very important to keep in mind as interior design involves many different aspects. Your analysis of the University center was interesting to read about. Overall, great job for the final blog post!
I think you did a really good job of summarizing this chapter an covering everything. It as very clear and concise which can be challenging in a topic that isn't known to be very interesting. I also liked that you spent some more time going into depth on the phases of design.
ReplyDeleteMeaghan,
ReplyDeleteYour post was great, nice and detailed and clear about the phases of a design project and what that includes. You also touched on the purpose of building codes, and the means of egress and signage. Your egress image I think was an effective image communicating the different important things to focus on when exiting downstairs.
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteGreat organization of your blog! I like how you went into certain aspects of the design process and why it is important to regulations. You also touched on the fire regulations and why codes are important, which helped round out the blog post.
Meaghan,
ReplyDeleteExcellent Blog post! I appreciate the images that support the information that you presented. You described the design process and the importance of building codes in an interesting manner. The University Center Building was the perfect building to analyze on campus. This is a building that must be accessible for all people. It sounds like the basics are covered. I wonder about the bathrooms and if any of the signage is in Braille? Thank you for a great post! Total Points: 50/50.