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CE 364
BUILDING
SYSTEM
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Reference – Architecture: Drafting and
Design
By: Donald E. Hepler and Paul I. Wallach
 ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
 The elements of design are the tools of the designer. They are the ingredients of every successful
design. The basic elements are line, form, color, space, light, and material.

 1. Line – The element of line is used to produce a sense of movements within an object or to
produce a greater sense of length or height. Lines enclose space and provide the outline or
contour of forms. Straight lines are vertical, horizontal or diagonal. Curved lines have an infinite
number of directional variations; they are not limited in the direction they can take.

 2. Form – Lines joined together produce form and create the shape of an area. Straight lines
joined together produce rectangles, squares and other geometric shapes. Curved lines form
circles, ovals, and ellipse. The proportion of these forms or shapes is an important factor in design.

 3. Color – Color either in an integral of an architectural material or else must be added to create
the desired effect. Color in architecture serves to distinguish items, strengthen interest and reduce
eye contact.
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 4. Space – Space surrounds forms and is contained within it. The design
can create a feeling of space. Architectural design is the art of defining
space and space relationship in a manner that makes use of all other
elements of design in functional and aesthetic manner.
 5. Light & Shadow – Light reflects from the surfaces of forms. Shadows
appear in the area that light cannot reach. Light and shadow both give a
sense of depth to any structure. The designer must therefore, consider
which surfaces reflect light instead of absorbing light as it passes through
the materials. The designer much also remember that with continued
exposure to light, visual sensitivity decreases. Thus we become adapted to
degrees of darkness, or lightness after extended exposure.
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 6. Materials – Materials are the raw substances with which designers

create. Materials possess their own color, form, dimension, degree of
hardness and texture. The hardness of the material scan is altered. Texture
is the unique and most significant factor in the selection of appropriate
materials. Texture refers to the surface finish of an object – its roughness,
smoothness, coarse and brick are rough and dull and suggest strength and
informality. Smoother surfaces, such as those of glass, aluminum and
plastics create feeling luxury and formality. Rough surfaces reduce the
apparent height of a ceiling or distance of a wall and make colors appear
darker. Smooth surfaces increase the apparent height of a ceiling or wall
and reflect more light, thus making colors appear brighter.
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PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

 The basic principles of design are guidelines for using the

elements of the design to create aesthetically functional
buildings. The basic principles of design are balance, variety,
emphasis unity, opposition, proportion, rhythm, subordination,
transition, and repetition.
 1. Balance – is the achievement equilibrium in design. Buildings
are formally balanced if they symmetrical. They are informally
balanced if there is variety, yet a harmonious Relationship in the
distribution of space, form, line, color, light and shade.
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 2. Rhythm – when lines, planes, and surface treatments are

repeated in a regular sequence (order of arrangement), a sense of
rhythm is achieved. Rhythm is used to create motion and carry the
viewers’ eyes to various parts of the space. This may be
accomplished byte repetition of lines, colors, and patterns.
 3. Emphasis – the principle of emphasis (domination) is used by
the designer to draw attention to an area or subject. Emphasis is
achieved through the use of color, form, texture, or line. In
architectural design, some emphasis, or focal point should be
design into each elevation and interior space. Directing attention to
the point of emphasis (focal point) is accomplished by the
arrangement of the features, the use of contrasting colors, line
direction, light variations, space relationships, or material changes.
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 4. Proportion – the proportional dimensions (scale) of a building are

important. The early Greeks found that rectangular proportions in the ratio
of 2 to 3, 3 to 5, and 5 to 8 were more pleasing than others. The scales
between interior space, furniture, and accessories, should be harmonious.
Bulky components in small rooms should be avoided. Small components in
large rooms should be used.
 5. Unity – unity is the expression or the sense of wholeness in the design.
Every structure should appear complete. No parts should appear as
appendages or afterthoughts. Designers achieve unity through the use of
consistent line and color even though the building is composed of many
different parts. Unity or harmony as the name implies is the joining together
of the basic elements of good design to form one harmonious unified whole.
Unity (or harmony) is achieved through the utilization of any or all of the
elements of design, for there are potential for unity within each
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 6. Variety – without variety, any area can become dull and

tiresome to the eye of the observer. Too much rhythm, too much
repetition, too much unity can ruin a sense of variety or contrast.
Likewise, too little of any of the elements of the design will also
result in a lack of variety, light, shadow, and color are used
extensively to achieve variety.
 7. Repetition – Unity is often achieved trough repetition. Vertical
lines, spaces, and textures are repeated throughout the design
to tie the structures together aesthetically and to achieve unity.
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 8. Opposition – Opposites in design add interest. Opposition

involves contrasting elements such as short and long, thick and
thin, straight and curved, black and white. Opposite forms,
colors, and lines design, when used effectively with the other
principles of design, achieve balance, emphasis, and variety.
 9. Subordination – When emphasis is achieved through some
design feature, other features naturally become subordinate-
lesser in emphasis or importance. Subordination can be related
in design to lines, shapes or color.
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 10. Transition – the change from one color to another, or form a

curved to a straight line, if done while maintaining the unity of
the design is known as transition. Transition may involve the
intersection of molding from one wall to another in the same
room or may apply to a change from one floor surface to another
in an adjoining room. The designers’ task in achieving
successful transition in all aspects of the design contributes to
the harmony of the different elements of design without
sacrificing unity.
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FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

 Architectural design involves not only how a structure appears but how it
functions. Thus, architectural design begins with an assessment of human
needs. Remember that form follows function. However, functional success
alone does not guarantee that a design will be aesthetically pleasing. The
task of competent designer
 is to combine functional efficiency and aesthetics in a unified design. The
designer must manipulate the elements of design successfully through the
effective application of the principle of design.
 No design can exist in isolation. It must always be related to all situations
that influence it. Thus, creating a successful design involves manipulating
the entire environment.
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Classifications of soils for buildings by
USDA (Unified States Department of
Agriculture)
 1. EXCELLENT: Coarse-grained soils no clays, no organic
matter
 2. GOOD TO FAIR: Fine, sandy soils (minimum organic and clay
content)
 3. POOR: Fine-grained silts and clays (moderate organic
content)
 4. NO DEVELOPMENT: Organic soils (High clay and peat
content)
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SAFETY FACTORS IN DESIGN

 The designer must ensure that no design feature creates a

public health or safety risk. The use of hazardous materials
(such as asbestos) should be avoided and of accident-causing
materials or processes, such as extra smooth floors, & unstable
ceiling covering .
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ORIENTATION

 To take advantage of the principles of passive solar design, a

building must be positioned to maximize the desirable features
and minimize the negative aspects of the environment. This is
done through effective orientation. The orientation of a building
is the relationship of a building to its environment. In determining
the most appropriate orientation of a building on a site, the
following factors must be carefully considered. Sun heat,
sunlight, existing vegetation, desirable and undesirable views,
objectionable noise, velocity and direction of prevailing winds or
breezes, land forms and shapes, lot and structures size,
relationship of the site to the neighborhood and local buildings .
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THE LOT

 The size of the lot affects the flexibility of choice in the structures.
For planning purposes, lots are divided into the areas, according to
function: the private area, the public area the service area. The
private area includes the house and outdoor living space. The
public area is the area of the lot that can be viewed by the public.
This area is usually located at the front of the house and should
provide off street parking and access to the main entrance. The
service area of the lot should be adjacent to the service of the
house.
 The placement of the house on the lot determines the relative and
relationship of the three areas. Making the features of the lot an
integral part of the total organic design is as important in the design
process as the basic floor plan of a structure .
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ZONING CODE CONSIDERATION

 An architectural plan should not be started until local building

code and zoning codes have been thoroughly checked. To
determine allowable space for the building for building, draw
lines within and parallel to the property line to represent the code
minimum distance. The area within the inside lines represents
the building areas.
 Zoning codes also restricts the distance from a building to a line
to the street. These distances are known as setbacks. Frontage
setback is 3.0m: Sides and Rear setbacks is 2.0 meters.
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ROOM LOCATIONS

 A room should be located to absorb the heat of the sun or to be baffled from
the heat of the sun, depending on the function of the room, season, and on
time of the day the room is likely to be used. The location of each room
should also make maximum use of the light of the sun.
 Generally, sunshine should be available in the kitchen during the early
morning and should reach the living areas by afternoon. To accomplish this,
kitchen and dining areas should be placed on the south or east side of the
house. Living areas placed on the south or west sides are desirable
because they receive the late day rays of the sun. the north side is the most
appropriate side for the sleeping areas, since it provides the greatest
darkness in the morning and evening and is also the coolest side of north
light is also consistent and diffused and has little glare .
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LIVING AREA

 It is the area where most of the living activity occurs. It is here the
family relaxes, dines, listens to music, watches television, enjoys
hobbies and participates in the other recreational activities.
 The total living area is divided into smaller areas (rooms) which are
designed to perform specific living functions. The subdivisions of
most living areas may include the living room, dining room,
recreation room or game room, patio, entrance foyer, den or study,
and guest lavatories. Other specialized rooms, such as the library,
music room are often include as part of the living area of large
houses that have the space to devote to such specialized functions
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LIVING ROOM

 In the home, the living room is often the entertainment center, the
recreation center, the library, the music room, the TV center, the reception
room, the social room, the study and occasionally the dining center.
 LOCATION OF THE LIVING ROOM:
 The living room should be centrally located. It should be adjacent to the
outside entrance, but the entrance, but the entrance should not lead directly
into the living room. In smaller residences, the entrance may open into the
living room, but whenever possible this arrangement is to be avoided. The
living room should not be a traffic access to the sleeping and service area
of the house. Since the living room and diningroom function together, the
living room should be adjacent to the dining room.
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 SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE LIVING ROOM:

 One of the most difficult of planning the size and shape of a living
room, or any other room, is to provide sufficient wall space for the
effective placement of furniture. Rectangular rooms are generally
easier to plan and to place furniture in the square rooms. However,
the designer must be careful not to establish a proportion that will
break the living room into several conversation areas.
 A room 3.7m x 5.5m, would be considered a small or minimum
sized living room. A living room of average size would be
approximately 4.9m x 6.1m and a very large or optimum-sized living
room would be 6.1m x 7.9m or more.
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DINING ROOMS

 The dining facilities design for a residence depends greatly on the

dining habits of the occupants. The dining room may be large and
formal, or the dining area may consist of a dining alcove. It may be
a breakfast nook in the kitchen. Large homes may contain dining
facilities in all these area.
 FUNCTION OF THE DINING ROOM:
 The function of the dining area is to provide a place for the family to
gather for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in both casual and formal
situations. When possible, a separate dining area potential capable
of seating from 8 to 12 persons for dinner should be provided in
addition to breakfast or dinette facilities.
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 LOCATION OF THE DINING ROOM:

 Dining facilities may be located in many different areas, depending
on the capacity needed and the type of plan. In the closed plan, a
separate dining room is usually provided. In an open plan, many
different dining locations are possible. Open-area dining facilities
are sometimes provided in the kitchen or the living room.
 Regardless of the exact position of the dining area, it must be
placed adjacent to the kitchen. The ideal dining location is one that
requires few steps from the kitchen to the dining table.
 The nearness of the dining room to the kitchen and to the living
room requires that it be placed between the kitchen and the living
area.
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 SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE DINING ROOM:

 The size and shape of the dining area are determined by the
size of the family, the size and amount of furniture, and the
clearance and traffic areas between pieces of furniture. A dining
room that would accommodate the minimum amount of furniture,
a table, for chairs, and buffet-would be approximately 3.0m x
3.7m. A minimum-sized, dining room that would accommodate a
dining table of six or eight chairs, a buffet, a dining room be 4.3
x5.5m or larger .
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FAMILY ROOM

 The trend toward more informal living because of more leisure time has influenced the
popularity of the family room. Today majority of homes are designed to include a family
room.
 LOCATION OF THE FAMILY ROOM:
 Activities in the family room often result in the accumulation of hobby materials and clutter.
Thus, the family room is often located in an area accessible from, but not visible from, the
rest of the living area. It is quite common to locate the family room adjacent to the kitchen.
This location revives the idea of the old country kitchen in which most family activities were
centered.
 When the family room is located adjacent to the living room or dining room, it becomes an
extension of the rooms for social affairs. In this location, the family room is often separated
from the other rooms by folding doors, screens or sliding doors.
 Another popular location of the family room is between the service area and the living area.
This location is especially appropriate when some service functions, such as home-
workshop facilities, are assigned to the family room.
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 SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE FAMILY ROOM:

 The room may vary from a minimum-sized room, of
appropriately 150 sq. ft. to the more optimum-sized room, of 300
sq. ft. or more. Most family room requirements lie somewhere
between the two extremes.
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PORCHES AND DECKS

 A porch is a covered platform leading into an entrance of a building.

Porches are commonly enclosed by glass, screen or post and
railings. A porch is not the same as PATIO. The porch is attached
structurally to the house, whereas a patio is placed directly on the
ground. Balconies and decks are actually elevated porches.

 FUNCTION OF PORCHES:

 Some are used for dining and some for entertaining and relaxing.
Others are furnished and function like patios for outdoor living. Still
others provide an addition shelter for the entrance to a house or
patio.
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 SIZE AND SHAPE OF PORCHES:

 Porches range in size from the very large veranda to rather
modest-sized stoops, which provide only shelter and a landing
surface for the main entrance. A porch approximately 1.8m x
2.4m is considered minimum sized. A 2.4m x 3.7m porch is
about average and porches larger than 3.7m are considered
rather large. The shape of the porch depends greatly upon how
the porch can be integrated into the overall design of the house .
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PORCHES
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DECKS
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 VERANDAS:
 Southern colonial homes were designed with large porches, or
verandas, extending around several sides of the home. Outdoor
plantation life is centered on the veranda, which was very large.
 BALCONIES:
 A balcony is a porch suspended from an upper level of a
structure. It is usually has no access from the outside. Balconies
often provide an extension to the living area or a private
extension to a bedroom .
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Verandas
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BALCONY
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 STOOP:
 The stoop is a projection from a building, similar to a porch.
However, a stoop does not provide sufficient space for any
activities. It provides only shelter and an access to the entrance
of the building.
 PATIOS:
 A patio is covered surface adjacent or directly accessible to the
house. The word patio comes from the Spanish word for
courtyard.
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STOOP
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PATIO

 FUNCTION OF A PATIO:
 The patio at various times may perform outdoors all the
functions that the living room, recreation room, recreation room,
kitchen, dining room and family room perform indoors. The patio
is often referred to by other names, such a loggia, breezeway,
and terrace.
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 Patios can be divided into three main types according to function: living patio,
play patios, and quite patios. Patios should be located adjacent to the area of the
home to which they relate. They should be somewhat secluded from the street of
from neighboring residences.
 LIVING PATIO:
 Living patios should be located close to the living room or the dining room. When
dining is anticipated on the patio, access should be provided from the kitchen or
dining room.
 PLAY PATIO:
 It is often advantageous to provide a play patio for use by children and for
physical activities not normally associated with the living terrace. The play
terrace sometimes doubles as the service terrace and can conveniently be
placed adjacent to the service area.
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 QUIET PATIO:
 The quiet patio can actually become an extension of the
bedroom. It can be used for relaxation or sleeping. A quiet
terrace should be secluded from the normal traffic of the home.
 PLACEMENT OF PATIOS:
 Patios can be conveniently placed at the end of a building,
between corners of a house, or wrapped around the side of the
house, or they may be placed in the center of a U-shaped house
or in a courtyard.
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 ORIENTATION OF PATIO:
 When the patio is placed on the North side of the house, the house
itself can be used to shade the patio. If sunlight is desired, the patio
should be located on the south side of the house. The planner
should take full advantage of the most pleasing view and should
restrict the view of undesirable sights.
 SIZE AND SHAPE OF PATIOS:
 Patios vary more in length than in width, since may extend over the
entire length of the house. A minimum sized patio is 3.7m x 3.7m.
Patios with dimensions of 6.0m x 9.1m or more are considered
large. When a pool is designed for a home it becomes an integral
part of the patio. Many pool into the size and shape of the patio.
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PATIO
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PATIO
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LANAIS

 Lanai is a Hawaiian word for porch. However, the word lanai is

now also used to refer to a covered exterior passageway.
 LOCATION OF LANAIS:
 Lanais are commonly located between the garage and the
kitchen, the patio and the kitchen and the living area and the
service area.
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LANAI
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PROVISIONS OF THE BUILDING
CODE
 Sec. 805 of the National Building Code on the Ceiling Heights provides that:
 a. Habitable Rooms with Natural Ventilation shall have ceiling height not
less than 2.70 meters.
 b. Habitable Rooms provided with Artificial Ventilation shall have ceiling
heights not less than 2.40 meters measured from the floor to the ceiling;
Provided that, for building more than one storey, the minimum ceiling height
of the first storey shall be 2.70 meters and that for the second storey, 2.40
meters. The succeeding storey shall have an unobstructed typical head
room clearance of not less than 2.10 meters above the finished floor.
 c. Mezzanine Floors shall have a clear ceiling height not less than 1.80
meters above and below it.
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 Sec. 806 of the National Building Code on Size and Dimension of rooms
state that:
 The minimum sizes of rooms and their least horizontal dimensions shall be
as follows:
 a. Rooms for human habitations – 6.0 square meters with a least
dimension of 2.0 meters.
 b. Kitchen – 3.0 square meters with a least dimension of 1.5 meters.
 c. Bath and Toilet – 1.20 square meters with a least dimension of 0.90
meter.
 When we say least dimension, it does not limit the length or width which the
occupant may desire.
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 Sec. 807 of the National Building Code on Air Space

Requirements in determining the size of the room states that:
 The minimum air space shall be provided as follows:
 a. Habitable Room – 14.00 cu.m. of air space room.
 b. School Rooms – 3.00 cu.m. with 1.00 sq.m. of floor area per
person.
 c. Offices Workshops and Factories – 12.00 cu.m. of air per
person.
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 Sec. 808 of the National Building Code on window openings

provides that:
 “Every room intended for any use, not provided with artificial
ventilation system. shall be provided with window or windows
with a total free area (10%) of openings equal to at least 10% of
the floor area of room, and such window shall open directly to
a court, yard, public street or alley or open water courses.”