Quick tips on how to Interpret Council drawings

So you’ve decided you want to build or renovate. You’ve taken some time to look at options, think about what you want and is going to work for your lifestyle, and you’ve engaged your architect. Now it’s at the point of drawings being prepared for council, but what do these mean and how do they shape the end result? Here’s some quick tips on how to interpret and understand council drawings.

Knowing which drawings are which

When your architect first presents the drawings for your property, it can be overwhelming. There’s a lot of drawings and many clients don’t understand what all of them are for. Here’s some of the standard drawings that you can expect as part of the process:

·         Location plan: An area map, showing the project site. This would usually be a photo downloaded from Google Earth.

·         Survey: Information about the site including whether its flat or sloped, existing structures on the land, details of adjoining properties including position of windows.

·         Site plan:  This is a drawing of your project drawn to scale, showing how it will fit on the land. The site plan should include all major construction and infrastructure, including decks, fences, drains, retaining walls, walkways and driveways, pool and patios.

·         Demolition plan: Showing any buildings or features that will be demolished prior to a new development. It will detail any items – like trees – that are not to be removed.

·         Existing floor plans: These would be supplied for projects where an existing building is to be renovated. This is usually clearer than demolition plans for comparison with proposed works.

·         Floor plans: These drawings show the layout of proposed rooms in the building. It shows the position of all rooms; how big each room is; how many bedrooms, bathrooms and other rooms; the location of doors and windows. This may include sub-floor, ground floor and first floor drawings.

·         Elevations and sections: This shows the exterior of your property, from the front, rear and both sides. This drawing depicts the shape and style of the property; whether it is single or multistorey; the roofing and building construction materials; the location of access areas; any verandas; and so on.

·         Floor Space Ratio and landscape ratio drawings: These drawings document the proposed ratios as compared to the allowable ratios nominated by your Local Government LEP and DCP.

·         Shadow diagrams: These drawings indicate the shadows that will be cast by the proposed new development or extension at nominated dates in the year and nominated times on those days. This helps show the impact of the development of adjacent properties.

What does this mean for the end result?

It is important to determine exterior construction materials at the initiation of the project, and also to be clear on the number and sizes of the windows, as this forms part of the development application (DA) process. Depending on any conditions attached to your DA consent, changes to the construction materials and layout may mean going back to council for updated permission (S96). So it’s important to assess the pros and cons of any materials, how they suit your needs and any budget constraints, and to be sure of your design before submitting the DA to council.

Typically, there is more flexibility for the internal materials and finishes. These are not usually specified as part of the DA process, but depending on the level of engagement with your architect, may be detailed in separate drawings – for example, more detailed drawings of rooms such as bathrooms, kitchens and laundries to confirm the height of wall tiles, bulkheads and where equipment will be positioned.  

What to do if you don’t understand the drawings

Your first point of contact should be your architect. It’s their job to explain the drawings and make sure you understand them. If anything isn’t clear, you need to ask for clarification at any stage of the project to minimise variations during construction. 

How to find the right architect for YOU!

You’ve been thinking about renovating for a while, and now finally you’re in a financial position to do it. You know you’re going to be spending a lot of money, so you want to make sure you get the best return for your investment and have decided to use an architect (smart choice!). But how do you choose an architect?

There’s a lot to consider and it makes sense to take your time, rather than just picking the person who did an amazing job on your friend’s place. A building is something that you will be living with for a long time, so it’s important to find someone who can understand your vision and help you to bring it to life in a way that suits how you will use the space.

1. Project type

Is it a commercial or residential building? Do you want someone who can provide consultancy on the entire interior design, right down to which chairs would suit the space best? Are you looking for a particular style? There’s no point in engaging someone who only does sleek warehouse conversions when you’re renovating a beachside cottage on a small block. Is the building heritage listed? If so, you might want to use someone who has experience in creatively working around any development restrictions that may apply. 

 2. Ask around
Yes, I know I just said not to just use the architect that did your friend’s place. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t talk to their architect and get a feel for their style, experience and personality. Personal recommendations are an excellent way to get a short-list of architects for your project and if you know the people whose projects an architect has worked on that makes viewing the results in the flesh easy.

3.       Search online
Personal recommendations are great, but for a broader view of available architects in your area, head online. Always take the time to check that the person you select is a Registered Architect. Some websites that might be helpful include Find An Architect and NSW Architects Registration Board.  

4.       Chemistry
If you love an architect’s design, but you just don’t get on, that’s a recipe for disaster. Most architectural projects are at least a year long, if not longer. Make contact with your short-listed architects and discuss your project with them before you decide. Make sure you are comfortable with them and remember they need to be comfortable with you too.

If our chemistry is more bicarb soda and vinegar than emulsified salad dressing, a year is a long time to be speaking to each other several times a week, or even several times a day at times of peak activity. Similar communication styles, being able to have open and honest conversations, and understanding each others viewpoint are critical to achieving a successful outcome.

5.       Take the time to make sure you know what you want
Even the best architect in the world isn’t going to be able to satisfy your brief if you can’t clearly articulate what it is you want. Take the time to be clear on what it is you want to achieve. Think about the number of bedrooms you require, how you see your family living in the space, or what your business needs. Perhaps your family is full of introverts, so you want a mix of cosy spaces for solitude, not open plan living. Or you want your restaurant to have an open feel, but not feel clinical and noisy. If the architect can’t understand the things you want, then it’s not going to be a successful project. Scrapbooks can be useful to illustrate the style that you are after – and to highlight things you both like and don’t like.

Embarking on a construction project or a renovation can feel scary. There’s huge amounts of money at stake and a fear that you won’t be happy with your decisions when the project is complete – that your internal vision won’t match the reality. Taking the time to choose the right architect can help to allay these fears and ensure that your end result is everything you hoped for.

An alternative perspective on the cost of a toilet.

Toilets. It’s not something that probably crosses your mind when deciding on requirements for your commercial space. Of course, you know that you need one, but beyond that it is unlikely to have crossed your mind. Well, think again.

When building a new commercial space or renovating an existing building, there are several key pieces of legislation that will inform the decisions you need to make about toilets. These are:

·                     National Construction Code (incorporating Building Code of Australia): This determines the number of toilets required based on the floor space, building use, type of business and number of people using the area.

·                     Disability (Access to Premises-Buildings) Standards 2010 (commonly known as Premises Standards): Based on the size of the building, the number of floors and how the use of those floors is divided (eg is your business using the whole building, or just one floor?), this determines the number and location of unisex accessible toilets.

·                     Australian Standard 1428.1, Design for access and mobility, Part 1: General requirements for access—New building work and Australian Standard 1428.2, Design for access and mobility, Part 2: Enhanced and additional requirements—Buildings and facilities: These prescribe the design and fit out requirements for accessible toilets.

·                     Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1992: What are the potential legal ramifications and penalties of not providing suitable accessible facilities?

The Premises Standards were developed in response to complaints based on the DDA to the Australian Human Rights Commission identified a significant gap between anti-discrimination law and building law in Australia. The aim of the Premises Standards is to ultimately ensure consistency between building law and the DDA. The trigger for the requirements of the Premises Standards being evoked is new building work that requires approval, including renovations.

A common refrain from clients is “I don’t need to provide accessible facilities. None of my employees are disabled, neither are my customers, and that’s not going to change.” But what if your best employee or most valuable client has a serious skiing injury? The point is that situations can change, serious accidents can happen, and providing appropriate facilities is an important element in being prepared for such life events.

And yes, providing an accessible toilet can be a big expense. At a typical 6 square metres in size, that area equates to around $3500 a year in rent just for one toilet at average Sydney commercial prices. For space in prestigious CBD retail environments, it could be as much as $50000 a year!

But the cost of not complying with various codes can be even greater. Resubmitting plans to council again and again is costly, not to mention stressful and time consuming. Legal action if somebody makes a complaint against you for not providing an accessible facility is even more expensive. 

Taking proactive action to upgrade your building to meet the Premises Standards can protect your business from complaints based on the DDA. It also provides protection against the reputational firestorm that can quickly spread on social media, even if a formal complaint is not lodged, which can potentially lead to loss of sales and business partnerships.

Improving access to buildings for people with disabilities helps to ensure the greatest possible participation in the social and economic development of the community. Surely that’s worth some additional rental costs?

A Day in a wheelchair by Debbie Cluer

I recently spent a day in a wheelchair as a result of surgery. I am not making any claims as to what it would be like to be in this position permanently but I would like to share my observations and pose the question, where else can we improve?

As a designer we are trained to understand the standards and regulations relating to disabled access, door clearances, heights of obstacles/ fixtures in the path of travel, ramp gradients etc but clearly from my own experience these standards do not go far enough to reduce the inconvenience and discrimination of those in a wheelchair or for that matter people with pushchairs.

We went to a shopping centre on the North Shore and it being an indoor/outdoor centre, the ground was mostly paved in the external areas. This proved to be a bumpy and bone rattling ride as pavers were loose and uneven. Luckily I had a carer to push my wheelchair as brute strength was required to circumnavigate obstacles, ramps and steer a straight path.

First stop was a large chain store which had multiple aisles, and sold items of all sizes. In commercial office design we are required to comply with corridor aisle widths of 1540mm and 1800mm depending on distances and passing spaces for wheelchairs but it seems in retail that these requirements are not met (or certainly not in this store). I went into one aisle to view something and then had to reverse back out as I could not have turned the wheelchair in the given space (approx. 1m).  A pram or shopping trolley would also have had a similar problem.








Where circulation aisles were wider, ‘specials’ on plinths or racks were placed to slow you down whilst passing. Generally this meant that the pathway became too narrow to pass in a wheelchair and we were forced to go around on the side the racks were slightly farther from the aisle. Often the pathway is a different floor finish to delineate the walkway and this may mean there is a transition strip between the two floor finishes, another impediment to cross depending on the type. Whilst I understand that shops have a bottom line and need to display stock, the removal of one aisle in this instance would have meant that the spacing between the other aisles would have been significantly improved with a minimal impact on margin. Perhaps as margins tighten stores of this type need to reduce the number of similar branded products they sell ?

In the department store  wide aisles catered for the general path of travel but moving away from this zone was nearly impossible. Clothes hung from racks almost level with eye height or at a height that was difficult or impossible to reach. The spaces between clothing racks cater only for the able bodied, I found myself leaving a trail of clothes in my wake as I tried to pass through one space to reach a rack further in. This in itself caused further apologies and requests for assistance as I needed help to access racks when facing them head on. (The foot rest protrusion meant my personal reach was diminished.)


Luckily for me I was only trying on jackets so I did not need to use a fitting room, but I was surprised at the lack of mirrors provided in highly visible locations. They seemed to be tucked away on the internal faces of columns rather than facing out into the main pathway and we had to be directed to several.

Fortunately the counter was at an acceptable height to complete a transaction but again it was within the denser clothing populated area and to me seemed very claustrophobic due to the proximity of the racks and the fact that the clothing was all at the same height. Low to high angled racks would have been a preferable solution for two reasons, it would reduce the ‘forest ‘ impression to someone at wheelchair height and would also permit space saving as the footprint is reduced, allowing more width between racks. Counters on the circulation route but slightly set back would make them easier to find and access, the setback providing queuing space that would not impede on circulation.

Next stop was the food court. I found myself to be almost invisible due to the glazed food counters. Almost all of the concessions had a similar footprint with stock visibility in glass cabinets overriding any bench space. On a positive note the food was at a good height to assess readily and other customers indicated to serving staff that I was next in line to be served. The height of the cabinets was sufficient that I had to raise my voice to be heard by the server and had to also point to the item required to ensure I was served correctly. My carer had to pass the payment over the counter and receive the goods as again I could not reach, or get close enough due to the bag rail at approximately my knee height.

I had never considered the design of these cabinets before and in all honesty I can find no reason except perhaps staff security for the height of the glazing to be 1100 - 1200 above floor level particularly as there was only one level of food in the cabinet. A cake or patisserie cabinet with multiple levels would have a genuine reason for additional height requirement, although generally these cabinets also have a lower starting height to compensate.

 Having bought my lunch we then could not find any tables designed to cater for wheelchair clientele. The wheelchair sides would not go under the fixed height table so I was forced to eat side on.

Being a generally tall person I found it interesting also that I could not see the detail of items in shop windows, for example boots were on the highest shelf in a shopfront window and I could not see the type of heel until we reversed the wheelchair  to a distance 6-8 metres away from the shopfront. (We could not go into the shop to view the boots as there was too narrow a path of travel).

Having spent the day in a wheelchair I can say that it was somewhat frustrating, tiring due to all of the extra manoeuvering , and a little intimidating to be at such a height disadvantage in a crowded space.

 I think the experience will enhance my design skills as I have a better appreciation of the problems a disabled person faces each day.

Ten Steps to Achieve Acoustic Comfort in Your Office

An unknown worker, in response to a New York Times article, Beyond the Cubicle, by Allison Arieff, July 18, 2011, wrote the following internet comment:

“I currently work in a cubicle – my neighbours are a man in the midst of a divorce, a woman with a problem child, another woman with an elderly parent who should be in a care facility. The only cure for my personal hell would be a quiet room with a door. Perhaps my employer would then get his money’s worth from my workday... did I mention that I am across from the copier?” 

According to a study by sound consultant Julian Treasure, if you can hear someone talking while you are reading or writing, your productivity in the workplace can dip by up to 66%. Treasure has been calling attention to the “invisible architecture” of sound. His research suggests that trying to perform knowledge-based tasks in a space in which other people’s conversations are clearly audible is difficult, with productivity being degraded by up to two thirds. Treasure’s whitepaper Building in Sound also found that sound masking technology improved employee focus by 47% and short term memory accuracy by almost 10%.

Another study found that noise in the office also correlated to increased stress hormone levels and a lower willingness to engage with others. Which creates a tense Catch 22, given the trend of shared space and open office is intended to foster a culture of communication and social interaction.
So what is acoustic comfort and how do you achieve it in the modern office?

‘Acoustical comfort’ is achieved when the workplace provides appropriate acoustical support for interaction, confidentiality, and concentrative work. The foundation of acoustical comfort in the office is the ‘Privacy Index’(PI).

To work out the PI, imagine going into an office, closing the door and reading 100 words at random out of the dictionary.

If your colleague in the adjoining office can understand 5 words out of 100, the office has achieved a PI of 95. This is the definition of confidentiality.

Most commercial office buildings provide a PI less than 80. Sound travels from one space to the next through numerous weaknesses in the built environment. The sound of speech passes between the joins between ceiling and wall, through lights and air conditioning components.  Sound energy can find every opening, no matter how small.

A PI of 80 defines normal privacy.



There are three key areas of equal importance that need to be addressed to create acoustic comfort:

• Behaviour
• Design
• Acoustic Treatment

Consistently integrating all three will deliver a workplace that is comfortable, sustainable and supportive of both interactive and quiet work.
Ten Steps To Acoustic Comfort

BEHAVIOUR

1) Identify the work patterns within the office. Observe the balance of concentration and interaction amongst your team to create zones to support each.

2) Identify the pattern and need for speech privacy – how many ‘secure’ acoustic spaces are needed?

3) Support behavioural change: adopt mobile technologies and multiple workplaces to allow the workplace patterns you have identified to be successful.

4) Create protocols aimed at reducing distractions and the appropriate use of space.

DESIGN

5) Zone appropriately – have a layout strategy that keeps incompatible functions apart.

6) Planning – What is the effect on neighbouring workstations when locating supporting activities such as printers and copiers, coffee bars and eateries, entries to conference rooms where a queue could be anticipated.

7) Furniture – select furniture that contributes to acoustic comfort. For example, high partitions actually contribute to noise levels rather than reduce, because of the perception that people wrongly-assume they are enclosed, and don’t monitor the volume of their conversations. Lower-partitions encourage awareness of people around, whilst also allowing for light and views.

ACOUSTIC TREATMENT

8) Choose sound-absorbing walls and ceilings; in conference, meeting and training rooms aim for a minimum 80% PI. For open workspaces, floors, walls, window coverings, and ceilings can all be used to absorb sound. Specific solutions include acoustic ceiling tiles, carpeting, furniture finishes, curtains, and other ceiling treatments such as hanging ‘clouds’, banners, artwork and acoustical plasters.


9) Sound Masking Systems. There are many types of masking systems available, ranging from a table-top fountain to complicated electronic systems with multiple time of day settings. There are even sound-masking privacy apps you can download to play through headsets!


10) Look at using sound-rated wall construction materials – talk to your architect about the appropriate materials for use, for offices that require confidential speech privacy to teleconferencing rooms and open space partitioning.

This article was published in Sourceable.net in March 2015

Instead of tying people to their desk, tie them to their senses

Whilst the focus over the past few years has been on sustainability and the impact of technology in the workplace, the future trends is to design for productivity, creativity and collaboration. How can we better design to maximise human productivity, potential and performance?

Productivity is not sitting at the same desk all day with your head down. It is creating solutions, achieving outcomes, solving problems. This does not necessarily come from remaining isolated at your desk.

The world has changed. In the past, people had to sit at their desks if they needed to answer emails, but today, anyone can do that—or any other work—from anywhere. Mobile devices have released us from the tyranny of the desk. From a creative perspective, it is no longer necessary to make sure people are at their desks at all time.

Instead it makes it more crucial to ensure people have a supportive, well-designed environment that give them the freedom to work productively whilst connecting and brainstorming with each other. All their senses need to be encouraged to engage.

Designing a space with all five senses in mind can boost productivity in the workplace.  It can make employees happier, more engaged. Designer Jinsop Lee in a 2013 TED talk, postulated that the best designs appeal to all (or most) of our senses.

Sensory design elements such as colours, lighting, sounds, textures and smells can be purposefully adapted to enhance the work environment and increase productivity. Spaces can be designed to meet the requirements of all of our senses, the most obvious of these from a design point of view is sight.

Sight

The easiest sense to appeal to, sight can be manipulated most obviously by implementing colour psychology. Brighter colours, such as reds, blues and greens, are conducive to higher focus and task accuracy.

Blue is associated with calm, promoting mental clarity, control and creative thinking. Some studies suggest it can produce twice as many brainstorming results when compared to a red environment.

Citrus hues like yellow and orange, stimulating colours by nature, help people feel more alert, allowing for clear decision making and encouraging lively discussions.

By using colour strategically and following the basic principles of colour psychology, you can promote desired behaviors.

 Let there be light

With the sense of sight, the most important part of design is access to natural light. There is a strong relationship between workplace daylight exposure and office workers’ sleep, activity and quality of life.

Natural light is the most popular request by team members when interviewed about their requirements in their office. Focusing on natural light not only helps improve employee mood and productivity, it can also help save on cooling, heating and power costs.

Embrace art

Engaging the sense of sight is about visual interest, and an easy way to introduce this is wall art or sculptures.

Art that has interesting or thought-provoking subject matters not only infuses your workspace with character, it can also stimulate discussion and inspires workplace creativity.

By working with a corporate art curator, you can select artwork that conveys your company culture and branding, sparks employee imagination, and also supplements your Corporate Social Responsibility programs by supporting local, emerging artists.

There is also scope for art installations to change – so the artwork that stimulated and provoked your team last quarter does not remain the same year-on-year. The objective for any corporate art curation is to rotate, build and grow the collection, so it continually evolves and inspires your people.

The design of an office should not just address an employees’ immediate workspace, the design of the whole work environment needs to be designed to stimulate them, and encourage them to work to the best of their abilities whether it be as individuals, as teams or the overall Company.

This Article was published on Sourceable.net in January 2015 and can be viewed at https://sourceable.net/tie-people-to-their-senses-not-desks/