Concept architectural design checklist
Concept architectural design (as opposed to concept structural design or concept services design) should take the development of the design to a level where it is sufficient to make a detailed planning application.
This might include:
- The location:
- The site:
- Boundary treatment and the relationship of the development with its boundaries and existing buildings.
- Public rights of way.
- The position of trees.
- Landscape.
- Car parking.
- The relationship between buildings and spaces around them.
- Accessibility of the site
- The impact of the layout on energy consumption and comfort.
- Crime prevention measures.
- The height, width, length and orientation of buildings and their relationship to the local context and the human scale.
- Entrances and facades (including the proportion of glazing).
- The appearance of the buildings.
- Their distribution across the site.
- Accessibility to and between them.
- Their relationship to uses surrounding the site.
- Their flexibility.
- Lighting.
- Texture, contrast, tone and lighting in relation to accessibility.
- Access for emergency services.
- Description of hard and soft landscaping.
- Its relationship to the local context.
- Sustainability:
- Measures for the minimisation of energy consumption.
- Low-carbon and renewable energy sources.
- Adaptability to climate change.
- The use of materials and their potential for re-use and recycling.
- Waste handling (see site waste management plan).
- The buildability, packaging and co-ordination of the design.
- Identification of long lead-time and non standard items.
See also, detailed descriptions of the concept design stage available in the free work plans on the Designing Buildings Wiki home page.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Anthropometrics in architectural design.
- Briefing documents.
- Concept architectural design.
- Concept design.
- Concept design report.
- Concept services design.
- Concept structural design.
- Design methodology.
- Design phase.
- Design review.
- Design quality.
- Detailed design.
- Detailed planning application.
- Site waste management plan.
- Sustainability.
[edit] External references
- Department for Communities and Local Government: Guidance on information requirements and validation.
- Climate Change Supplement to PPS1 (December 2007) (now archived).
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