APARTMENT DESGIN LITERATURE STUDY

BY SNEHA.K

ANTHROPOMETRICS

Minimum Requirements :A living room for a three-

or four-bedroom dwelling unit requires more space for its occupants than one for a one- or two-bedroom dwelling unit .

LIVING ROOM

Planning consideration :

should include adequate floor and wall space for furniture groupings, separation of trafficways from centers of activity, and ease of access to furniture and windows .

Each living unit should contain space for the purpose of dining . This area may be combined with the living room or kitchen, or may be a separate room .The amount of space allocated to dining should be based on the number of persons to be served and the proper circulation space.

DINNING ROOM AND KITCHEN

Space for accommodating the followingsizes of tables and chairs in the dining areashould be provided, according to theintended occupancy, as shown :1 or2 persons: 2 ft 6 in by 2 ft 6 in4 persons: 2 ft 6 in by 3 ft 2 in6persons. 3 ft 4 in by 4 ft 0 in or 4 ft 0 inround8persons. 3 ft 4 in by 6 ft 0 in or 4 ft 0 inby 4ft0in10 persons: 3 ft 4 in by 8 ft 0 in or4 ft 0 inby 6ft0in12 persons: 4 ft 0 in by 8 ft 0 inDining chairs . 1 ft 6 in by 1 ft 6 in

Space CriterionThe size of the kitchen should be determined oy the number of bedrooms provided in the delwing unit . Work centers for the followingequipment, cabinets, and space for their useshould be provided :1 . Range space with base and wall cabinet at one side for serving and storage of utensils and staples.2. Sink and base cabinet with counter space on each side forcleanup. Wall cabinets for storage )f dinnerware .3. Refrigerator space with counter space at latch side of the refrigerator door.4 . Mixing counter and base cabinet for electrical appliances and utensil storage.Wall cabinet for staple storage.

BATHROOMA bathroom should have enough area to accommodate a lavatory, a water closet, and a bathtub or shower. Arrangement for fixtures should provide for comfortable use of each fixture and permit at least 90° door swing unless sliding doors are used. The bathroom should be convenient to the bedroom zone, and accessible from the livingand work areas . Linen storage should be accessible from the bathroom, but not necessarily located within the bathroom .

Ideally, the recommended minimum bedroom size should be 10'0"x 12"0" exclusive of closets, while the recommended minimum size for a larger bedroom or master bedroom should be 12'0" x 16'0" exclusive of closets . A larger proportion of the bedroom floorarea is occupied by furniture than is the case with any other room; windows and doors account for a large percentage of the wall andpartition space. These two factors complicate the planning of bedrooms, especially when the rooms are small.

BEDROOM42 in at one side or foot of bed fordressing6 in between side of bed and side ofdresser or chest

FURNITURE ARRANGEMENTSThe location of doors and windows shouldpermit alternate furniture arrangements .36 inches in front of dresser, closet, andchest of drawers24 in for major circulation path (door tocloset, etc.)22 in on one side of bed for circulation12 in on least used side of double bed .The least-used side of a single or twin bedcan be placed against the wall except inbedrooms for the elderly

StandardsBuilding entries are to:

(a) reinforce a desirable pattern of entries along a street frontage;

(b) be clearly visible from streets or internal driveways so that

(c) visitors can easily identify an individual apartment;

(d) provide a sense of address, shelter and transitional space around the entry; and

(e) contribute to security.

Entry And Accessibility

Frequent building entries are required in urban environments. Multiple building entries are required where front building setbacks are less than 6 m and the frontage is over 15 m long. Multiple building entries may include common building entries and/or individual ground floor unit entries.

There is nothing more alienating than rows of houses hidden behind two metre high fences blocking giving passers-by no sense of whether the homes are occupied or not. Healthy communities are ones in which positive social interaction is encouraged

Eg. Fences low enough to talk over and placing mailboxes in shared community spaces that are conducive to casual conversation and have seating that feels safe and protected.

Streetscape

Standards Clear lines of sight and well-lit routes are

required throughout the development. In this regard, the routes from car parking areas and public areas via the lift and stair lobbies to the apartment areparticularly important. Circuitous narrow routes and places that allow concealment shall not be approved e.g. deep alcoves or numerous corners along a corridor.

GuidanceIt is good practice for fire doors and smoke doors to be

fitted with hold open devices and configured to minimise concealment spaces

Internal Common Areas, Circulation Areas & Apartment Entries

Common circulation areas should achieve the following minimum dimensions:

a) A common lobby area with a dimension of 2 m in any direction outside a lift or main staircase (not applicable to a fire stair which is in addition to a lift or a main stair access);

b) Up to 4 m corridor length from common lobby = 1.5 m width;

c) Up to 8 m corridor length from common lobby = 1.8 m width;

Greater than 8 m corridor length from common lobby = 2.0 mwidth.

The number of apartment units per floor accessible from a common lobby is limited to a maximum of nine. This includes all apartments served by corridors and balcony walkways that are accessed by either lift(s), stair(s) or directly from the street.

Higher amenity is created through multiple common building entries that creates a high proportion of dual aspect apartments

Lower amenity is created by a double loaded corridor that increases proportion of single aspect apartments

Walk-up apartment buildings (i.e. where no passenger lift is provided) have a maximum stair rise of three storey, with an additional stair rise only permitted as access to an upper level within a third storey apartment unit.

Accessibility In the case of apartments and most multi-unit dwellings the need for ‘vertical circulation’ can be a dominant consideration. Although apartment buildings can be designed as ‘walk-ups’ this results in access problems for all but the most able people – any of whom may themselves be disabled at any time by a vehicle accident or illness. The provision of lifts addresses the issue of access but they add costs and require additional operational energy. They also have on-going running costs that can be quite high. Lifts should be selected for their energy efficiency.

Standards Windows and balconies of an upper

floor level apartment are to be designed to prevent overlooking of more than 50% of the private open space of a lower floor level apartment, either within the same development or adjoining development.

screening zone between different apartments:

(a) is determined by a 9 m horizontal distance from the outer edge of a window to a habitable room or balcony within a 45 degree angle. Any windows to habitable rooms/balconies within this zone shall be designed to prevent direct views between the two areas.

(b) applies to any window to a habitable room/balcony either adjacent

Visual Privacy

Where architectural devices, such as screening devices, high window sills or obscure glass, are used to prevent overlooking, they should be integrated with the building design and have minimal negative effect on amenity for residents or neighbours.

Locating building functions at internal corners such as stairs and lifts, improves visual privacy. Positioning windows with directional views can also improve privacy.

Natural Ventilation and Daylight

Natural ventilation is an important aspect of apartment design because it ensures regular exchange of fresh air which is essential for maintaining comfortable living environment. The orientation, configuration and articulation of the building envelope of both the building and each apartment must be considered if adequate natural ventilation is to be achieved.  Good design which achieves appropriate natural ventilation in apartment units and buildings will eliminate the need for mechanical ventilation and air conditioning.

Room depth from window is between 6 m to 9 m = minimum ceiling height 2.7 m

Room depths from window is greater than 9 m = minimum ceiling height 3.0 m

Cross ventilation and stack effectNatural ventilation

Any building opposite a window to a habitable room is limited in height by a plane projected at 600 above horizontal from 750 mm above the floor level at the window for a lateral distance defined by a 600 arc from the centre of the window.

Standards Apartments near commercial activities should

be designed with regard to the potential noise from those activities by locating noise-sensitive sleeping and living areas and private open spaces away from the noise source and by incorporating appropriate noise reduction measures in the external walls of the building.

Acoustic Privacy

Standards Buildings are to be sited and designed to

avoid excessive cut and fill, particularly adjacent to boundaries.

On major avenues, where a proposal does not build to the side boundary, at least one side boundary setback should be available for deep-rooted planting.

Streetscape and Public Areas

Common open spaces are to be not less than 20% of the total site area. The calculation of the common open space is not to include front setbacks or narrow strips of residual land not visually or physically incorporated into the area, or areas not readily accessible by residents.

Common Space

Ensure sufficient deep soil zones are provided within the common open space to enable the establishment and healthy growth of deeprooted plants into natural subsoils.

The minimum area of screened private open space for each ground floor apartment is 24 m2. The minimum dimension in one direction is 4 m, to be directly off a main living area and is to be located to maximise solar access. Space for service functions, such as air conditioners, is to be additional to this minimum area.

Upper level balconies/terraces located adjacent to a main living area are to be a minimum area of 6 m2 and a minimum dimension of 1.8 m. Wider balconies are preferred.

Private Open Space

Private open space is to be directly accessible from at least one living area.

All balconies/terraces are to be integrated into the overall architectural form and detail of the building. Successful integration of balconies shall not negatively impact on solar access to apartments.

Balconies should be designed to provide privacy to residents and to screen household items. Use of fully transparent balustrades to balconies should be avoided on lower level balconies facing public areas.

Photovoltaic panels are less cost effective on apartment buildings as there are more dwellings per site area compared with the roof area available to carry the panels. Nevertheless, the provision of PVs can be very worthwhile as the energy captured can be used to offset the energy use and other running costs of community or strata corporations for common areas and services. Incorporating PVs into the fabric of the building as functional cladding helps to amortise the investment in them by givingthem multiple functions.

Renewable energy

Shading should be dealt with according to the same principles that apply to detached homes. With multi-level buildings it may be desirable to use shade to protect the whole façade but the practicality of this depends on other aspects of the design. Balconies and shade structures may be used rather than reliance on eaves.

Shading

The extent of landscaping associated with these dwelling types varies considerably, ranging from environments dominated with hard surfaces with very limited plantings to leafy, substantial vegetation surrounding and dominating the immediate external environment. There are many opportunities to integrate sustainable landscaping practices into medium and high density developments including:

> Low water use vegetation.> Water sensitive design.> Community produce

gardens.> Green roofs, roof gardens

and living walls.

Sustainable landscapes

Fire regulations may determine outcomes that seem to be less than ideal from a sustainability perspective. It may not be possible, for instance, to ensure that all bathrooms and wet areas can have both natural light and ventilation. Given the short occupancy periods of wet areas generally, and the tight constraints on space planning typical of the kind of denser dwelling type represented by apartments, the trade off from resorting to mechanical ventilation may be justifiable.

Fire issues

Lightwells and atriums need careful design consideration if there is to be any attempt to use them as part of a passive design strategy. It is advisable to explore this sort of issue early in the design process and discuss options with both service engineers and building certifiers.

Multi-storey buildings often require dense concrete cores, particularly for elements like stair and lift wells. Multi-unit dwellings demand good fire separation that is often most economically and effectively provided by using concrete construction whether pre-cast, in-situ or as blockwork. In each case the high density concrete elements can provide excellent thermal mass. Its situation in the core of an apartment or as party walls in well insulated houses is good placement for thermal mass and should be incorporated as such into the overall design strategy.

Thermal mass

Double glazing is advisable for all climate zones. As well as providing thermal insulation it provides additional acoustic insulation that can be a real asset in denser, urban environments.

Windows and glazing

Openable windows require careful consideration in multi-level buildings and there are often regulatory controls over the extent to which windows may be opened. Consider using vertical sliding sashes for maximum control over ventilation options.

Co-ordinate the location of piped services such as water and gas supply and waste water removal :  within the apartment ;  across the building floor plan ; and vertically through the building.

Design services to minimise any acoustic transmission.

Design services to ensure they do not compromise visual amenity or presenation of the building.

Plan apartments within the building so that service areas are adjacent to one another. This promotes a co-ordinated service design and limits the effect of noise from services on adjacent apartments.

Insulate pipes for acoustic privacy.

Locate waste water stacks adjacent to non-habitable rooms to further reduce the impact of any pipe noises.

Services 

Choose enduring materials that are easy to maintain and retain their appearance over time.

Choose materials that are fit for purposing. exterior tiles that are exposed to the elements should be non-slip.

Consider the use of local materials that reflect the local environment and character.

Materials

Consider the use of different materials to break down the scale of large buildings.When using combination of materials, consider how one will affect another and detail appropriately to avoid unsightly reactions