Introduction Building Design

The design and construction of the new car-dealership involves people who fulfil generally understood roles and have professional relationships with one another throughout the duration of the project. Their purposes vary substantially from the creatively proactive to the incidentally supervisory, often taking individualistic views about what is appropriate under the circumstances. The first section of this book reviews the nature and process of design, and outlines the essential skills and potential contributions of the members of the design and construction teams as they communicate ideas and instructions to each other. The section concludes with a summary of the extensive legal constraints governing the design, construction and occupation of new buildings in the UK.

The first chapter begins with consideration of what design might mean, what is involved and what designers are trying to achieve. Understanding the concept of the ingredients or elements involved in product and building design can help to appreciate the way that the design process can move forward towards a workable solution. There are many sources of reference data and good practice guidance to help building designers to realise practical, attractive, safe and economical design solutions, but perceptions of the success of any particular project may depend on the expectations of judges. It is enlightening for the building designer to recognise that clients, users, authorities and the general public may all take different views about the merits of the finished building. The chapter concludes with a review of the nature of professional responsibility and an explanation of the personnel involved in typical design and construction processes.