In designing hospitals or schools, do you feel any pressure from programmers or clients to achieve a higher net-to-gross ratio? If so, what are some strategies that you utilize to make your designs more efficient? Also, do you sometimes double the functionality of your spaces - i.e designing hallways in schools which serve as learning spaces, or creating hallways in hospitals which could function as surge areas during a disaster?
1. Single point of entry.
2. One lobby for the building from which all other spaces radiate.
3. Double-loaded corridors.
4. Locate the entrance in the middle of the "long" side of the building, not the short side of the building (to minimize long corridors).
5. Rectilinear geometries. Canted walls, while sometimes appropriate, can eat up a lot of non-assignable space.
Your ideas about dual functions are also valid, and the client will probably appreciate your out-of-the-box thinking that will save them money.
If your client is squeezing you on efficiencies, focus on giving them the basic floor plan that they are asking for. Find alternate ways of creating architecture through the exterior massing and detailing of the building.
I was a programmer/owner's rep for a few years. Don't hate me.
design the hospital like it is a hotel and the client will be happy.
at least that is the way it seemed on the 4 or 5 i helped out on in my first office. i absolutely hate hospital design. in most cases there is next to zero room for making places that might be good for getting better in.
for schools the situation is different. never had that maximisation of floor area experience, beyond the regular professional expectations...
if you wanna see some interesting stuff, look at coelecanth (japanese firm) for examples of open planned schools, where hallways are made wide for un-programmed activity, and rooms are part of a complex spatial organisation. unlike NA, Japan is actually interested in doing good architecture for schools these past 10 years, so lots of good stuff to see.
Jan 26, 06 9:25 pm ·
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Tighter Net to Gross Ratios
In designing hospitals or schools, do you feel any pressure from programmers or clients to achieve a higher net-to-gross ratio? If so, what are some strategies that you utilize to make your designs more efficient? Also, do you sometimes double the functionality of your spaces - i.e designing hallways in schools which serve as learning spaces, or creating hallways in hospitals which could function as surge areas during a disaster?
Try the following strategies:
1. Single point of entry.
2. One lobby for the building from which all other spaces radiate.
3. Double-loaded corridors.
4. Locate the entrance in the middle of the "long" side of the building, not the short side of the building (to minimize long corridors).
5. Rectilinear geometries. Canted walls, while sometimes appropriate, can eat up a lot of non-assignable space.
Your ideas about dual functions are also valid, and the client will probably appreciate your out-of-the-box thinking that will save them money.
If your client is squeezing you on efficiencies, focus on giving them the basic floor plan that they are asking for. Find alternate ways of creating architecture through the exterior massing and detailing of the building.
I was a programmer/owner's rep for a few years. Don't hate me.
design the hospital like it is a hotel and the client will be happy.
at least that is the way it seemed on the 4 or 5 i helped out on in my first office. i absolutely hate hospital design. in most cases there is next to zero room for making places that might be good for getting better in.
for schools the situation is different. never had that maximisation of floor area experience, beyond the regular professional expectations...
if you wanna see some interesting stuff, look at coelecanth (japanese firm) for examples of open planned schools, where hallways are made wide for un-programmed activity, and rooms are part of a complex spatial organisation. unlike NA, Japan is actually interested in doing good architecture for schools these past 10 years, so lots of good stuff to see.
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