4.

ARCHITECTURAL Design - data: anatomical

A. Meaning of Anatomical Data
The factors which influence the design and decisions in design are referred as data.
In the design process, we have classified this data in four categories, viz. Anatomical,
Geophysical, Personality (Socio-cultural) and Technological.

Information of constituent parts of any object or building; their interrelations,

functions, and properties; flows and circulations; shapes, sizes and technical specifications,
etc. constitute the anatomical data. The term is literally borrowed from the medical science
to convey exact meaning. Anatomical data should essentially be collected from books or
literature, and only supplemented by case studies.

Anatomical data includes the functional (primary / secondary) components and

subcomponents. Normally it represents the requirements of the user or building type, in term
of function and purpose, qualitatively and quantitatively. In simple words it accounts for the
number and type of spaces and rooms with their sizes, shapes, and environmental conditions
(illumination, temperature, ventilation, acoustics and view). It also includes the relations of
rooms with each other, inside and outside the building, flow of men, material and energy
desired and resultant on account of the above configuration. Types of requirements
remaining same, requirement’s nature may change with economy and socio cultural data. In
a house of family of six people, six bed-space is required. However, it’s distribution in one
or four bed rooms, with or without beds, single/double and with or without attached toilets,
will be decided by the socio-economic data.

In case of public buildings, number of users/visitors, the width of passages, width

and number (or distance) of staircases, number of toilets (WCs and washbasins), quantity of
water to be stored overhead and underground; facilities for fire-safety, physically challenged,
number of parking spaces, etc. constitute anatomical data. The data regarding rescue and
safety is more critical in assembly buildings, standards of hygiene shall be critical for
Pharmaceutical industry. Size and turning radius of the vehicle (auto, bus or aeroplane)
becomes data for a transport terminal. In certain cases, like operation theatre, many
industries, telephone exchanges, and some offices, the layout becomes literally the data, and
needs to be used religiously. ‘Form follows function’ typically refers to design as per
anatomical data.
B. Presenting anatomical data
Initial representation of the anatomical data is through the bubble diagram. The term
is used to represent something which has not taken shape and size; or such parameters are
not important. Bubbles are freehand drawn circles. The process (freehand) indicates the
tentativeness or uncertainty about the contents of the diagram and the shape of bubble
indicates that the size and shapes are not finalised yet, or are not relevant at this stage.
 This bubble is a topological field, having no dimensions, and can be starched to
include or exclude objects. (Check dictionary for meaning of topology). It is similar to the
set theory. The purpose is to identify the spaces or elements and their relationship. There are
two ways- you may list all the areas and then group them as part of bigger unit, by character,
interdependence, etc., or conceive the total object or project as one entity and start sub divide
in to parts, in as many stages as required. This is known as bubble and sub-bubble concept.
The second method is recommended being open ended, and is discussed here.

A hospital is a single entity as bubble. It consists of three components, viz. IPD, OPD
and labs (treatment areas) and administration. So the components become sub-bubble of the
hospital as main bubble. In the next diagram, one of these three components is again
considered as a main bubble and its components are studied further.

The process may be continued to the bubble of a patient’s room, and all the
requirements of the room can be represented by such sub bubbles. This method deals with a
limited number of elements at a time there by facilitating better grip and understanding. It
analyses building from whole to part, and therefore facilitates considerations of details at a
differed appropriate time. In other words, when you are thinking of IPD, you don’t think of
consulting rooms in OPD, because they are not part of the set or bubble, and you are not also
thinking of furniture in patient’s room, because that one is subset of one of the subset of IPD.
Hence, it will be considered at differed appropriate time.
C. Analysis of Anatomical data
Analysis literally means breaking or disintegrating in to parts to study and
understand the nature of object and its constituents. Breaking does not mean destruction, but
disassembly for reconstruction partly or wholly, in the manner required by the other three
types of data. Just like your Lego game. First part of analysis is to sort the data in to
essential, optional, and incidental. It’s like classifying the bulk of vegetables brought from
market, and sorting them in to main items like potato, brinjal, etc., gravy items like onion,
tomatoes, etc., spice items like ginger, garlic, and the flavours like coriander and mint.

All these and many other items kept in the kitchen appropriately, though not all are
used in every dish. It’s the styling of the dish (e.g. Mix-veg, Veg Kolhapuri, Veg Jaipury,
Veg Hyderabadi, Veg handi,) which decides the appropriate items and quantities from the
stock. The styling is decided by Geophysical and socio-economic data.
D. Concluding Anatomical data
The anatomical data is processed in form of bubble diagrams and tables. The
addition of links helps to decide proximity of various spaces. The bubbles are then modified
in size proportionate to the areas required and transferred to the (generally rectangular) grid.
This leads to basic logical plan. The plan is then tested for circulation and flow. Circulation
is the movement of users (human beings generally) and flow is the movement of materials.
Generally, optimisation of circulation guides the plan. In transport building circulation and
flow both are equally important. Warehouse designs may be guided more by the flow.
The analysis of anatomical data should conclude in number of optional single line logical or
functional plans, which may suit different situations, say site, shape & locations; climatic
and social conditions, etc. It is also possible to have multitasking approach and have primary
trends of other three types of data available simultaneously. In this case the alternatives
generated shall be more relevant and optimise design time.
Ref. 01.14-Geophysical data; 15-Socioeconomic data, 16- Technological data; 01.22 bubble diagrams, Circulation diagrams
(Example of bubble diagram: Professional work)