SRT722

Week 3
Deakin University
Sustainable Construction Studies

Jamie Lampard

Building Design
Weekly Activities
Agenda

 Introduction of building design

 Building design process
 Understanding building drawings
 Sustainability in building design
Three major types of
Building Design

 Architectural design

 Engineering design

 Building services design

Key elements of Architecture
design
Architectural design consists of three elements:

 Function is about how a building to be used. It is the purpose of a

building. Without function though it may be beautiful, but it is a
sculpture, not architecture.
 Structure refers to how a building could stand. Structural achievability
is the necessity that architects must consider in their design.
 Beauty. Beauty refers to the artistic value of a building. Beauty is
regarded as the ultimate test of a good architecture. Without beauty,
a highly functional building could only be regarded as a building box.

It is important to see these three factors at the same time. None of them
can stand alone as each is dependent upon the other two to form the
work of architecture.
Key elements of Engineering
Design
 Engineering design = Structural civil engineering
 Building engineering design is also commonly called as building
structural engineering.
 It is a branch of civil engineering which concerns on safety and
economic performance of the building structure.
 Unlike the architects who focus on the appearance, shape, size
and use of the building, structural engineers mathematically
analyze and calculate to decide about how the building can
stand up and safely resist the all the loads and possible forces
coming on it.
Key elements of Engineering Design

 Types of building structures

 Timber Masonry
Concrete Steel

Commercial building structures: steel and concrete are

the most predominated structure types which are
typically used in a combined way.

Critical concerns
 Force balance (equilibrium)
 Types of loads to be considered: dead loads and live
loads
Key elements of Building
Services Design (MEP)
 Historically building services design have been
underestimated as just to design cables, pipes and ducts.
 However in recent decades with the increasing demands
for highly sustainable performance of buildings, building
services design plays a vital role on the environmental
sustainability in terms of reducing energy consumption of
a building.
Key elements of Building Services
Design (MEP)
 Mechanical design
 Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
 Acoustics
 Mechanical transportation-lifts, escalators  and  autowalks
 Services supply and storage

 Electrical design
 Electricity distribution
 Lighting
 Gas
 Telecommunications
 Building security systems

 Plumbing design
 Fire prevention and control
 Water supply and drainage system
 Sanitary fitments and appliances
Factors that affect the
building design
Client
 Generally designers are commissioned by clients who are the
decision-maker of a project.
 Some clients have a clear idea of a program, budget, and project
objectives, such as the final appearance of the building. While
some clients cannot state their requirements clearly.
 In both cases the effectiveness of the relationship between client
and architect is a major factor in making and implementing
design decisions throughout the project.
 For the past decades, the building design and construction
approaches, particularly for the commercial and industrial
buildings have change so fast. This has been largely due to
clients increased involvement in decision-making in building
design.
Factors that affect the
building design
Cost schedule
 In most cases there is a defined budget that available for design and
construction.
 Therefore the cost schedule can significantly affect the subsequent
design outcomes, from building size, configuration to material
selection and detailing.
Cultural desires
 Architects must adjust their designs to meet the local cultural
requirements and community demands.
 A successful building design should well balance the proposed design
and the existing patterns and characteristics of a society.
Codes and regulations
 Codes and building regulations now place different constraints to the
building designer. Building codes and regulations have now become a
major force in design that regulates every aspect of building design.
Factors that affect the
building design
Site conditions
 In fact, site conditions include a number of factors that
can really influence the building design early in the
process.
 These factors include land size, configuration,
topography, ecological features such as vegetation,
water elements, wild-life habitats and so on.
Building technology
 Since last century building technology has been
undertaking a revolutionary change.
 A huge number of modern building machinery and
materials and advanced systems have appeared and can
affect the building design.
The Five Steps of Building
Design
 Stage 1: Pre Design

 Stage 2: Conceptual Design

 Stage 3: Schematic Design

 Stage 4: Detailed Design

 Stage 5: Construction Stage

Stage 1: Pre Design

 An initiation to identify, analyze, confirm, and coordinate the

parameters or constraints that will influence the
development of design concept.
 Before the exact design process commence, there is always a
need for a full analysis of all factors that can affect the
design of building, which is called as a pre design analysis.
Stage 1: Pre Design – Steps

 Identify project objectives

 Develop the initial project brief

 Examine site information

 Prepare economic feasibility studies

 Determine preliminary procurement strategy

 Define design team

Stage 2: Conceptual Design

 Generally architects create their design concepts

throughout this stage according to the criteria
established in the initial design brief.
 The concept design could be respected as the
most creative, vibrant and dynamic stage that
could reflect the gift an talent of architects.

 Establish agreement between client and architect

 Finalize design responsibilities

Stage 3: Schematic Design
 Define a clear and feasible concept

 Present the design concept in a form that achieves client

acceptance

 Though the design is not entirely represented at this

stage, the schematic drawings can demonstrate basic
building spaces, scale and relationship of different design
elements.

 Clarify the project program

 Prepare the submission documentations of planning

application.

 Provide a reliable basis for the overall cost of the project

Stage 3: Schematic Design –
Deliverables List
 Site plan
 Building floor plans
 Building elevations
 Major building sections
 MEP descriptions
 Major system and material specifications
 Cost estimate
 Code compliance
 Energy report
 Other illustrative works: 3D perspectives, computer
scene stimulation, building models or other drawings
Stage 4: Detailed Design
 The tasks of the detailed design are different from those of in the Schematic
Design Phase.
 The phase of detailed design is a design development period to work out all
the issues left from the schematic design stage. The primary task at this
stage is to refine and describe all important aspects of the project so that
all that can remain as formal documentation for construction, include all
architectural, structural and mechanical services information and
specifications.
 The detailed design stage focuses on presenting specified technical aspects
of materials and building systems, so this design stage is also often called as
technical design as well.
 At this stage, design itself achieves the refinement and coordination
necessary for a really polished product.
 It is important to enable the client to understand and approve how the
project will function as well as what it will eventually look like. Also it is
important to review construction strategy again before moving forward to
the forthcoming building construction process.
Stage 5: Construction Stage

 As the development has already moved on the construction phase,

the design still goes through the entire construction phase.

 It is the obligation for the building designers to assist the selected

building contractors to fully understand all the working drawings
and guild the construction and installation process.

 Therefore the building designers, in particular of the architect

needs to always have periodic visits to ensure the construction
fulfill all the design requirements
 Always there are numbers of manipulating problems rise during the
construction process because of different reasons, therefore the
architect should provide adjustment plans and solutions to ensure
the construction not be stuck there. So these could be
communication, written works or some refined drawing details.
Basic Components of
Construction Drawings

 Six major types

 Civil
 Architectural
 Structural
 Mechanical
 Plumbing
 Electrical
Civil Plans

 Used for work that has to do with construction in or on

the earth.
 AKA: Site plans, survey plans, or plot plans
 Show the location of the building on the site from an
aerial view.
 Shows natural contours of the earth.
 THIS IS WHERE IT ALL STARTS! IF THE SITE IS NOT
ACCEPTABLE, THERE IS NO REASON TO CONTINUE!!
Architectural Plans

 Show the design of the project

 One part is the floor plan.
 Any drawing made looking down on an object is commonly
called a plan view.
 Floor plan is an aerial view of the layout of each room.
 Provides the most information about the project.
 Roof Plan
 View of the roof from above.
 Shows the shape of the roof
Architectural Plans

 Elevation drawings are side views.

 Show height
 Section drawings-show how the structure is to be built
 Cross-sectional views that show the inside of an object or
building
 Show the construction materials to use and how the parts
of the building fit together.
 Detail drawings-enlarged view of some special features.
Structural Plans

 A set of engineered drawings used to support the

architectural design.
 Includes general notes which give details of materials to
be used.
 Includes a foundation plan
 Shows the lowest level of the building, including concrete
footings, slabs, and foundation walls.
 Shows the materials to be used for the walls, whether
concrete or masonry, and whether the framing is wood
or steel.
Mechanical Plans

 Engineered plans for motors, pumps, piping systems,

and piping equipment.
 HVAC(heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) plan is
included in mechanical plans.
Plumbing/Piping Plans

 Show the layout for the plumbing system that supplies

the hot and cold water, for the sewage disposal system,
and for the location of plumbing fixtures.
Electrical Plans

 Drawings for electrical supply an distribution

 May appear on the floor plan for simple construction
projects
 Can include lighting plans, power plans, and panel
schedules.

 Fire Protection Plans

 Show the piping, valves, heads, and switches that make up a
building’s fire sprinkler system
Scale(s)
Preferred scales commonly used are

 Site plans 1:500

1:200

 Floor plans 1:100

1:50

 Interior drawings 1:20

 Detail drawings 1:10

1:5
1:1
Building Design - Sustainability

 A sustainable society is one which satisfies its needs

without diminishing the prospects of future generations.
Lester R. Brown (1981)

 “.....is meeting the needs of the present without

comprising the ability of future generations to meet
their needs.”
Common Future (1987)
Why sustainability is important
 Water scarcity affects almost every continent and more than 40 % of the
people on our planet.

 By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in areas with absolute water
scarcity, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under
water stressed conditions.

 The world’s population is growing by about 80 million people a year,

implying increased freshwater demand of about 64 billion cubic metres a
year; this means an additional 1 trillion cubic meters of water is needed
by 2025 for agriculture alone to feed these people.

 In 60 percent of European cities with more than 100,000 people,

groundwater is being used at a faster rate than it can be replenished.
(Source: UN 2012; Seametrics 2012)
Buildings are responsible for

 40% of global greenhouse gases

 36% of CO2 emissions (in the EU)
 40% solid waste
 33% of world recourses
 13% of world water
(European Commission Energy, 2018 )
Trends in future building design

 Green buildings
 A focus on the future
 Green Building incorporates principles of sustainable
development – meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the future.
 A green building has design, construction and operational
practices that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative
impact on the environment and its occupants.
 Green building promotes efficiency – it can reduce
construction and ongoing performance costs significantly.
 By building green we can use resources effectively and
create healthier environments for people to live and work in
(GBCAus)
Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council

Matters of sustainable building

 Green building
 High performance building
 Natural building
 Zero energy building
 Low impact building
Sustainable Design Assessment
in the Planning Process
 1. Indoor Environment Quality
 2. Energy Efficiency
 3. Water Efficiency
 4. Stormwater Management
 5. Building Materials
 6. Transport
 7. Waste Management
 8. Urban Ecology
 9. Innovation
 10. Construction and Building Management
 1. Indoor Environment Quality
Objective: to achieve a healthy indoor environment quality for the wellbeing
of building occupants.
Examples of design decisions: daylight , thermal comfort , natural
ventilation.

 2. Energy Efficiency
Objective: to ensure the efficient use of energy, to reduce total operating
greenhouse emissions and to reduce energy peak demand.
Examples of design decisions: effective shading, building fabric enhanced
above the minimum Building Code of Australia (BCA) requirements, efficient
heating and cooling services.

 3. Water Efficiency
Objective: to ensure the efficient use of water, to reduce total operating
potable water use and to encourage the appropriate use of alternative water
sources.
Examples of design decisions: use efficient fixtures and fittings, avoid the use
of mains water for landscape irrigation, re–use water (e.g. greywater).
 4. Stormwater Management
Objective: to reduce the impact of stormwater run-off, to improve the water quality
of stormwater run-off, to achieve best practice stormwater quality outcomes and to
incorporate the use of water sensitive urban design, including rainwater re–use.
Examples of design decisions: minimise watercourse pollution, maximise stormwater
capture, maximise onsite rainwater reuse (e.g. for flushing toilets and irrigation).

 5. Building Materials
Objective: to minimise the environmental impacts of materials used by encouraging
the use of materials with a favourable lifecycle assessment.
Examples of design decisions: embodied energy of materials, use of materials with
recycled content, future recyclability of materials.

 6. Transport
Objective: to minimise car dependency and to ensure that the built environment is
designed to promote the use of public transport, walking and cycling.
Examples of design decisions: providing convenient and secure bike storage, providing
access to showers and lockers at work, Green Travel Plan for residents, visitors and
staff.
 7. Waste Management
Objective: to ensure waste avoidance reuse and recycling during the
construction and operation stages of development.
Examples of design decisions: preparation of a construction Waste Management
Plan, adoption of a demolition and construction material recycling target,
preparation of a operation Waste Management Plan.

 8. Urban Ecology
Objective: to protect and enhance biodiversity and to encourage the planting
of indigenous vegetation.
Examples of design decisions: maintaining / enhancing the site’s ecological
value, creating resident amenity, encourage biodiversity areas.

 9. Innovation
Objective: to encourage innovative technology, design and processes in all
development, so as to positively influence the sustainability of buildings.
Examples of design decisions: significant enhancements of best practice
sustainable design standards, introduction of new technology, good passive
design approach.
 10. Construction and Building Management
Objectives: to encourage a holistic and integrated design and
construction process and ongoing high performance.
Examples of design decisions: Building Users Guide that explains a
building’s sustainable design principles, preparation of operation
Environmental Management Plan, contractor has valid ISO14001
(environmental management) accreditation.
Strategies for sustainable building design

1. Site assessment (TERI Press, 2004)

 Should select a site taking into account its proposed and

existing land use.

 Reuse negative urban spaces or industrial sites.

 Identify the site characteristics in light of the sustainable goals

of the project.

 Identify and balance the site inputs available in the form of

resources against the environmental cost inherent in its
development.
2. Energy efficiency
 Building envelope
 Natural lighting
 Solar energy
 Natural ventilation

3. Passive design

“A true passive building design.......uses its physical

architectural configuration and its materials to provide
the necessary insulation, day lighting, heat, and coolness
within a building, without the use of mechanical an
electrical equipment.” -Yao
.

4. Water

Reduce, re-cycle, re-use.

5. Materials

 Reduce the quantity of materials needed for

construction

 Re-use materials from existing buildings

(Deconstruction)

 Use Recyclable materials

6. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ)

 Quality of indoor air

 Lighting comfort

 Thermal comfort

 Acoustic comfort

 Daylight and views

 Hazardous materials

 Occupant comfort and satisfaction

 Sustainability ratings
 Green Star
Green Star is the only voluntary sustainability rating tool
for buildings and communities in Australia, NZ & South
Africa with over 1,715 projects being rated. Green star
was launched by the Green Building Council of Australia
(GBCA) in 2003
Green Star is an internationally-recognised sustainability
rating system
There are four Green Star rating tools available for
certification of design, construction and operation of
buildings, fitouts and communities.
 NABERS
NABERS was initially known as the Australian Building
Greenhouse Rating (ABGR), a rating now known as
NABERS Energy. The program was renamed the
National Australian Built Environment Rating System
(NABERS) in 2004.

 LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,
developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
is the most widely used green rating system in the
world, servicing areas such as North America, South
America and Asia.
References:
 1. Asbec,2011. Defining zero emission buildings (finalist
report). Sydney: ASBEC.

 2.Bauer, M., Mösle, P. & Schwarz, M. 2009.

 Green Building: Guidebook for Sustainable Architecture,
Springer.

 3.Brown, L. R. & Institute, W. 1981. Building a Sustainable

Society, Norton.

 4. World Commission on Environment and Development.

1987. Our Common Future. Oxford University Press, Oxford,
GB.

 5.TERI, A. U. 2004. Sustainable Building Design Manual: policy

and regulatory mechanisms, Energy and Resources Institute.

 6. Yao, R. 2013. Design and Management of Sustainable Built

environments. , Springer.