Essential Questions 2.3

1.     How do you achieve a balance between cost-saving measures, important features, and environmental responsibility when designing a residential structure?

By knowing the needs of your client, you can create a design that has the important features your client needs, if affordable. If you know your budget and you can use energy star rated appliances to save energey and protect the environment.

 

2.     What are the advantages and disadvantages of using 3D architectural software rather than creating hand-produced plans?

Hand Produced plans can be a lot quicker because you dont have to add all the base material details that are required in the software programs. An advantage of using the 3D software however, is that your drawings will be more accurately dimensioned and, due to the 3D imaging you can produce an image of your final product.

 

3.     Why are organizations such as LEED important?

Organizations such as LEED are important because they keep our buildings and projects more enviromentally friendly.

 

4.     When planning a project, how does the availability of public utilities impact the design?

The availability of public utilities impact the design because it can control where the house is built, how the house is positioned, and the placement of water heaters/softeners in order to allow specific pipes and lines to efficiantly get through the building.

 

5.     What options are available for the management of wastewater from a building?

Options for wastewater management depend on the location of your home. If you live in the country, a septic tank is the common method. If living in a more urban area a public sewer system is ususally available.

 

6.     What are the important considerations when design a plumbing system?

Some important considerations when designing a plumbing system would be to keep the water heater near the majority of plumbing fixtures that use hot water. Also, you should try to keep the warm water pipes away from the exterior of the home to prevent cold air from reaching them and freezing them in the winter. Finally, the sewer main and the water main should be seperated enough so that if the sewer main were to be comprimised, the water main would not be affected.

7.     Why should a designer know about the different types of lighting and their applications?

A designer should know about the different types of lighting and their applications so that they can provide the most efficient design to conserve energy. By knowing about the advantages of the most effecient window placements, the designer could make the home need much less artificial lighting during the daytime.

 

8.     What are the important considerations when designing an electrical system?

Some important considerations when designing an electrical system is the placement of outlets and the placement of switches and how they connect with eachother.

 

9.     What information is important when documenting the design of a building?

Having accurate dimmensioning, good use of annotation, and a key to identify marks. These help the client or whoever is looking at the design to get a clear picture of what you are going to make.