Architectural Technology

272 Pages·2002·2 MB·English

by  Stephen Emmitt

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Architectural
Technology
Stephen Emmitt
Leeds Metropolitan University
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1988, without the prior permission Includes bibliographical references and index.
of the publisher. ISBN0-632-06403-X
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Contents
Foreword vi
Preface vii
PART I A PRIMER 1
1 Setting the agenda 3
1.1 A matter of detail 3
1.2 Enclosure and functional requirements 6
1.3 Buildability 10
1.4 Quality 11
1.5 Time and costs 13
1.6 An environmental agenda 15
1.7 The human factor 16
2 Evolving architectural technology 19
2.1 Building 19
2.2 Architecture, technology and detail 23
2.3 Detail design in practice 26
2.4 The evolution of construction specialists 28
2.5 Architectural technology – a ‘new’ discipline 29
3 Constructive links 33
3.1 Interfaces 33
3.2 Tectonic models 36
3.3 Co-operation, integration and information 40
4 A question of detail 43
4.1 Physical and social design generators 43
4.2 Structure and fabric 47
4.3 Materials and services 49
4.4 Joints and connections 52
4.5 Internal and external finishes 56
4.6 An environmental model 58
PART II THE BUILDING AND THE PROCESS 61
5 Planning for life 63
5.1 Briefing – setting the agenda 63
5.2 Feasibility 70
5.3 Conceptual design 71
5.4 Town planning and development control 73
5.5 Planning permission 75
5.6 Concern for detail 78
5.7 Environmental impact 80
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iv Contents
6 Regulations, codes and standards 83
6.1 Control and creativity 83
6.2 Regulatory frameworks 86
6.3 Standards and codes 90
6.4 Trade associations and independent standards organisations 92
6.5 The Building Regulations – control and approval 93
6.6 Staying up to date 95
7 Healthy, safe and secure buildings 97
7.1 Detail design and human factors 97
7.2 Healthy environments 100
7.3 Safe environments 102
7.4 Secure environments 103
7.5 Fire protection 106
7.6 Conflicting demands and risk limitation 108
8 The art of detailing 110
8.1 Detail design decisions 110
8.2 Typologies 114
8.3 Typical details 116
8.4 Manufacturers’ details 117
8.5 Office standards – details and specifications 119
8.6 Detailing criteria 122
8.7 Critical intersections 128
8.8 Detailing for sustainability 129
8.9 The cost of detailing 131
9 Product selection 135
9.1 The specification of building products 135
9.2 Selling to specifiers 137
9.3 Selection criteria 138
9.4 Searching for product information 142
9.5 Specifying design intent 144
9.6 Specification substitution 146
9.7 Over-specification? 148
9.8 Case study – Observing the act of specification 149
10 Communicating design intent 155
10.1 Communication skills 155
10.2 Drawings 159
10.3 Models 163
10.4 Schedules 164
10.5 Specifications 165
10.6 Digital information and virtual details 166
10.7 Co-ordinating production information 169
11 Assembling the parts 175
11.1 Different methods 175
11.2 Pre-contract issues 176
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Contents v
11.3 Project information 177
11.4 Quality control on site 179
11.5 Design changes during the contract period 182
11.6 Practical completion and user information 185
11.7 Disputes – avoidance and resolution 186
11.8 Feedback 188
12 Building performance and durability 192
12.1 Decay is inevitable 192
12.2 Durable assets? 195
12.3 Building conservation 198
12.4 Principles of conservation, repair and maintenance 201
12.5 Asset management 203
12.6 Re-use and recovery management 205
PART III SYNTHESIS 207
13 The language of detail 209
13.1 Building communication 209
13.2 Codification 211
13.3 Language barriers – (in)compatibility 213
13.4 Detail as a language – the morphology of joints 214
13.5 Towards a common medium 216
14 Technological innovation 219
14.1 Technological advancement 219
14.2 Innovation in building 220
14.3 The development of new products 224
14.4 Gradual innovation 226
14.5 A return to familiar techniques? 227
15 Towards a theory for practice 229
15.1 Reports and buzzwords 229
15.2 Innovation and research in building 230
15.3 Research in architectural technology 231
15.4 Research methodologies 233
15.5 Education and training 238
15.6 A theory for practice 243
APPENDICES 247
A1 Recommended reading – a note 249
A2 Milestones in architectural technology 250
A3 Conversion tables 251
A4 Useful addresses 252
References 253
Index 260
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Foreword
British Institute of Architectural Technologists (BIAT) is the largest
non-charteredand independent professional body representing the
construction industry in the UK. Fully qualified architectural tech- B I A T
nologists (MBIAT) play a key role in the construction process, and
are frequently exploited to introduce and put into operation inno- British Institute of
vative and effective design solutions. Architectural Technologists
In the 6 years since I took up office as Vice President Education
397 City Road
I have seen the number of degree courses in Architectural Tech-
London
nology expand from six to some thirty currently on offer in the EC1V 1NH
United Kingdom. The development of complementary courses in
the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia will Telephone: [phone]
ensure that the profession continues to expand and gain the recog- Facsimile: 02078373194
Email: [email protected]
nition it deserves.
Website: www.biat.org.uk
During my own studies the role of an architectural technician (as
it was known then) was a functional role. At BIAT we are proud
that modern architectural technologists are seen as having a pivotal
role in the construction process and are at the leading edge in terms
of innovative technical design solutions.
We are looking towards a very positive future and are certain that
the next generation of architectural technologists will take the pro-
fession and its institute to even further heights.
This book will be an excellent tool for those progressing to a pro-
fessional qualification in architectural technology, many of whom
retain their passion for their profession throughout their career. We
also hope that it will be an interesting and compelling read for those
who wish to find out more about this exciting profession, an
increasingly distinct specialism within an already specialised con-
struction industry.
The Qualifying Body in
On behalf of BIAT, I would like to thank the author Stephen Architectural Technology
Emmitt for producing the manuscript and wish you all every suc-
VATNo. 681 6419 17
cess in your studies.
Incorporated in London
as a Company
Robert Mason MBIAT
Limited by Guarantee
Vice President Education No. 1231038
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Preface
Human beings have a natural tendency to make things. Inventing, making, using,
refining, redefining, abandoning and reinventing require constant effort and
organisational skills. We make and remake buildings to house our enterprises,
shelter us from the elements and to provide a secure environment. Buildings are
designed, made, adjusted, altered and eventually dismantled (hopefully maximis-
ing recyclable elements), relying on the ideas, knowledge and practical skills of a
vast number of people. In their own way, these diverse people and multi-skilled
organisations are all concerned with matters of detail. Our buildings and associ-
ated engineering works are the result of careful consideration, compromise and
co-ordination – the result of human beings using and applying technology, both
to realise design intent and to maintain the artefact in a serviceable condition.
Over the last 50 years a succession of government reports and an enormous
volume of research have urged all those involved in building to work together
towards a joined-up industry. Paradoxically, the trend has been towards greater
specialisation and increasingly more complex relationships, which has led to
greater barriers to effective communication between the project participants. As
information has become easier to access through information technology, it too
has become more specialised and hence more compartmentalised, further sup-
porting specialism and fragmentation. More recently the separation of technology
from architecture, both in education and in practice, has resulted in the growth
of a relatively new professional discipline, architectural technology. As a practi-
tioner and more latterly as a researcher and educator it became apparent to me
that a book which addressed architectural technology in a holistic manner, and
that was also suitable for my students, did not exist. Hence this book – a modest
attempt at trying to answer some of the usual questions that invariably arise and
to try and bring together, often disparate, fields of literature under one cover.
This book is for students of building design: architecture, architectural tech-
nology, building, construction management, interior design and surveying. By
‘students’ I refer to those just embarking on a course of study related to building,
and the professionals who deal with detail design issues on a daily basis. When we
start to question how buildings are created, assembled and used, we begin a life-
long process of collecting, assimilating, adjusting and reinventing our practical
knowledge base – perpetual students of our subject. Design knowledge is grounded
in an understanding of how buildings are put together, used and eventually taken
apart – knowledge that evolves with every new project. It is a process of gather-
ing information, turning it into knowledge and using it to make the process of
building more effective, with the ultimate aim of pleasing our clients and provid-
ing exciting, vibrant and healthy environments for all those who use them.
The absence of typical construction details in this book is deliberate and con-
sidered. This is not another construction technology book; rather, it aims to bring
together philosophical, technical, legal and social issues, often taught as separate
subjects, to provide a constructive link between manufacturer, designer and
builder. An attempt has been made to integrate and encourage an environmentally
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viii Preface
responsible approach to design, construction, use and re-use throughout the text –
i.e. essentially a holistic approach to the issues faced by building designers in their
daily work. A number of case studies are used throughout the book to illustrate
some of the issues; these are not meant to be representative, instead they help to
show that there are different approaches to building, the benefit of one over
another being an issue of circumstance and personal preference. The book is not
designed to provide all the answers, but to highlight some of the challenges and
opportunities that make architectural technology such an interesting subject.
Examples of famous buildings by well-known designers are conspicuous by their
absence. This also is deliberate, partly because there are plenty of excellent books
that are building or designer specific, and partly because I feel it is important that
the readers take the issues raised in this book and apply them to their own par-
ticular design approach (which invariably will be different to the next person’s)
without being tainted by my own likes and dislikes. For ease of readership this
book is arranged in three parts. Part I deals with the background issues that colour
the manner in which we build. Part II takes a journey through the life of a
typical building project, from briefing and assembly, to building use and eventual
disassembly. Part III aims to tackle some of the underlying issues facing
those involved in aspects of architectural technology, concluding with a theory for
practice.
Good architecture has always been difficult to achieve. Balancing the holistic
with the physical and manipulating abstract ideas towards solid artefact through
the use of robust technologies to design buildings that are beautiful, comfortable
and enjoyable to experience, can become addictive. Designing and realising
buildings that respond to, rather than compete with, ecological systems, that are
humane, timely and of course simple to assemble and use, is a commendable
objective. To do so requires a thorough understanding of building technologies,
design and management. I hope this book will encourage, assist and stimulate
those who strive for ‘quality’.
Stephen Emmitt
Leeds Metropolitan University
[email protected]
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PART I: A PRIMER
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