All the elements of a new building can be found in these categories, and some will be affected by all of them. It is not possible to decide whether any particular element of the building should be by looking at only one area. For example, consider the front wall of a shop in the high street:
What is its physical purpose?
Does it maintain internal comfort levels? If it is used to display expensive products, how is security arranged? Does it offer shelter from rain to passers by?
- How have cultural perceptions influenced its function and appearance?
To what extent is the shop front a reflection of present-day trading methods? Does the design say anything about the company’s history and beliefs, and is there any symbolic reference to the goods and materials being traded?
- What legal constraints applied to its design and construction?
How was the way the shop works and looks controlled originally? Would current controls mean that it would be different today? Would Planning, Building Control and Health and
Safety concerns alter the way the shop could be operated today?
- How is it constructed and maintained?
What materials have been used? How is it fixed to other elements of the structure? Is it holding up the roof? Are there any high-level windows which are difficult to reach and clean?
- Has it stood up to the weathering effects of the sun, rain and frost?
Was the selection and use of materials suitable for the long term? Are elements of the building or its function short term and likely to be renewed in the foreseeable future?
- Has it been damaged through wear and tear, or as a result of vandalism?
Is the shop front capable of being cleaned and/or redecorated?
- What is its impact on adjacent property?
Has it been designed to be sympathetic to other shops in the area, or does it stand out on its own? How does it relate to the public footpath and the road? Is it obscured by parked cars?
- How much did it cost and was it good value for money?
What is the useful lifespan of the building, the materials and the business operation? Is there a relationship between the lifespan of the business and the quality of the building? Is the building energy efficient, the operation sustainable?
- Does it allow any flexibility for alteration by new occupants in the future?
Could a change of use take place without major reconstruction?
There are more questions which could be asked about other issues, factors or elements which may have a bearing on design possibilities for this part of the building, which will inevitably affect other parts of it as well. The product design wheel at the picture can be used to suggest some of the questions as more and more implications are explored. Some answers are common to all building types but others must be discovered or determined in relation to the specific project.
- How have cultural perceptions influenced its function and appearance?
To what extent is the shop front a reflection of present-day trading methods? Does the design say anything about the company’s history and beliefs, and is there any symbolic reference to the goods and materials being traded?
- What legal constraints applied to its design and construction?
How was the way the shop works and looks controlled originally? Would current controls mean that it would be different today? Would Planning, Building Control and Health and
Safety concerns alter the way the shop could be operated today?
- How is it constructed and maintained?
What materials have been used? How is it fixed to other elements of the structure? Is it holding up the roof? Are there any high-level windows which are difficult to reach and clean?
- Has it stood up to the weathering effects of the sun, rain and frost?
Was the selection and use of materials suitable for the long term? Are elements of the building or its function short term and likely to be renewed in the foreseeable future?
- Has it been damaged through wear and tear, or as a result of vandalism?
Is the shop front capable of being cleaned and/or redecorated?
- What is its impact on adjacent property?
Has it been designed to be sympathetic to other shops in the area, or does it stand out on its own? How does it relate to the public footpath and the road? Is it obscured by parked cars?
- How much did it cost and was it good value for money?
What is the useful lifespan of the building, the materials and the business operation? Is there a relationship between the lifespan of the business and the quality of the building? Is the building energy efficient, the operation sustainable?
- Does it allow any flexibility for alteration by new occupants in the future?
Could a change of use take place without major reconstruction?
There are more questions which could be asked about other issues, factors or elements which may have a bearing on design possibilities for this part of the building, which will inevitably affect other parts of it as well. The product design wheel at the picture can be used to suggest some of the questions as more and more implications are explored. Some answers are common to all building types but others must be discovered or determined in relation to the specific project.
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