“Beyond predictable form
lies meaningful space.”
-Rod Avoyé
The Role of a Building Designer
In today’s world, there is a myriad and complex landscape of bylaws, codes, and environemntal hurldes that must be overcome in the design of a building. Add to this the client’s needs and the complex intra-discpline collaboration, and you can see that designing even a modest home can be challenging.
For many decades, drafters could create a suitable home design with a drawing set of 3-5 sheets for a building permit. Today’s projects however require much more skill and organization, and drawing sets are often 12-15 sheets or more, full of details, schedules, specifications and compliance data.
With such ever growing complexity being added to the construction of new homes and alterations, skilled building designers are in greater need than ever before. At Avoyé Design, we are constantly striving for excellence in service, design, efficiency, communication and coordination.
Our Role in More Detail
Building Codes
Compliance with the building codes is a major consideration of any project. Building codes are a body of law as well as a prescriptive solution for designs to meet requirements for safety, functionality, performance objectives, and other crieria.
As the early concept drawings are taking shape, there must be initial and ongoing consideration to how the design will meet all of these requirements. This chart helps to visualize the major aspects of the building codes that impact the design.
Importantly, depending on the project location, complexity and other aspects, some of these requirements will be of greater importance or may be not required at all.
Zoning & Other Bylaws
Additionally, compliance with municipal bylaws is also a major consideration of any project. A design must be carefully planned to account for these constraints before the first concept drawings are started.
This chart helps to visualize the varying constraints that may arise from municipal zoning bylaws, and their likely impact on the average project.
Not all projects are impacted by every item on this chart. In some cases, a feasibility study is advised to outline these constraints to determine what is reasonable to expect prior to committing to a design.
Environmental Studies
Furthermore, buildings can often impact the surrounding natural and built environment and certain protected habitats or treaty lands. Many build sites in proximity to oceans, lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands will require studies to ensure a harmonious co-existance.
Safety is likewise a concern where flooding, earthquake, soil erosion or slope failure is at higher risk due to site conditions. The limitations stated in these reports, as well as ongoing compliance, must be understood and accounted for before work begins on concept drawings.
This chart helps to visualize the impact a project location may have on the requirement for such studies.
Client’s Design Program
Considered no less important than other aspects, the client’s needs are a critical factor in the design that can never be understated.
The constraints are unique to each individual client’s needs and is what truly makes a house into a home. The true value of a design is where all other major requirements are met without compromising the cleint’s needs.
Some concessions have to be made at times, but the overall goal is to satisfy the client’s wishes for a beautiful and functional home.
Project Coordination
To bring a design project to successful completion, a high level of coordination is required between many professionals who contribute to the design.
For best execution, a building designer will collaborate with and coordinate many or all of these professionals, right up to the permit applications and sometimes well into the construction of the building.
This chart helps to visualize the various other roles and their levels of collaboration during the design project.
Want to Know More?
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We would love to discuss your project with you in more detail.