|
THE ARCHITECT'S ANGLE
June 2013 |
Greetings!
This month we are focusing on Design. Our feature article Design Matters and our companion article "Seeing the Light", stress the importance of design in a health care setting. Please let us know what you think. We welcome your feedback. |
In today's fast-tracked, tight-budget construction arena design professionals and their clients can sometimes feel that there is no time to think. That there is no time to take a step back, gain a renewed perspective and remember the primary goals that launched a given project in the first place.
Quite often, a project's success can be threatened when it's "soul" is value engineered away along with bricks and mortar cost savings. A successful building project can be defined as delivering a clients' program within a defined budget while conveying the project's purpose in a three dimensional environment that benefits its occupants. This three dimensional magic is achieved through the sometimes mysterious but always rewarding process known as Design.
Design matters. It is usually the answer to most questions that arise on a building project. A tight budget might be overcome by using simple, readily available materials in new and innovative ways. A tight time frame might be overcome by a design with a modular rhythm that allows for prefabrication of key building components. Getting "too many" program pieces to fit into a tight plan footprint might be solved through the design of modular furniture systems that when used interchangeably, allow a single space to serve multiple functions.
|
Seeing The Light
The health benefits of natural and "simulated" daylight have been much discussed and debated. However, it is generally agreed upon by both laymen and experts alike that daylight can improve a person's mood and outlook which, in health care facilities, can contribute to better patient outcomes. Numerous studies also indicate that the presence of daylight can lead to lower rates of employee turnover and absences.
It is much easier to plan a day-lighting strategy for a new building when decisions which optimize daylight such as building orientation and the type and location of fa�ade fenestration and shading elements can be made up front.
There is always a push-pull between the positive benefits of more daylight and the negative impacts of increased glare and heat gain. Passive fa�ade elements such as light shelves/eyebrows allow light to bounce-off them and be reflected towards the ceiling of space where the light, now diffused, is indirectly and evenly diffused across a room without glare.
Continue Reading |
We hope you enjoy this months issue. We want to continue to offer content that interests you, our readers. Please drop us a line and let us know what topics you might want to learn more about. As always, we love hearing from you.
Sincerely,
John Baumgarten John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C.
|
|
|
|
|