FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

The process of creating structures and areas with the primary goal of satisfying the
functional requirements of the users or occupants is known as "functional design" in
architecture. The layout, circulation, and organization of spaces are optimized to support the
intended activities or functions, with a focus on efficiency, usefulness, and practicality. By taking
into account elements like workflow, ergonomics, accessibility, and spatial relationships,
functional design makes sure that the built environment fulfills its intended purpose and
improves the user experience as a whole.

An alternative meaning of functional design in architecture is a design strategy that puts

a building's or space's functioning ahead of solely aesthetic considerations. Within this
framework, functional design is concerned with making sure that the constructed environment
fulfills the practical requirements of its users and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose.

EXAMPLES:

Universal Design

The goal of universal design principles is to

create spaces that individuals of all ages and
abilities can use and access.

Open Floor Plans

Residential spaces with open floor plans can

be used more creatively, which improves the
flow and interaction between various rooms,
such as the kitchen, dining area, and living
room.
 Educational Facilities

Schools and universities designed

with functional principles prioritize
features like flexible classrooms, easy
navigation, and areas for group
collaboration to support effective
teaching and learning experiences.

FUNCTIONAL GROUPINGS AND ZONING

HORIZONTAL DISPOSITION

In architecture, "horizontal disposition" describes how rooms, features, or other elements

are arranged inside a building or other structure along a horizontal plane. It deals with the
horizontal distribution or organization of various building components with respect to one
another and the surrounding area.

The various units of plan are first arranged in a horizontal manner in order to secure a
workable relationship between the different areas. This pattern is dictated by the function of the
building and the desirable size and shape of the units themselves. The rooms of a house, the
galleries of a museum, or the units of a factory must be laid out to facilitate movement through
the building, quickly and easily. There should thus be economy and directness of circulation.
Some common aspects of horizontal disposition in architecture include:

▪ Floor plan Layout - The configuration of rooms, hallways, and common areas on every level of
a structure.
▪ Site Orientation - The placement of the main structural elements of a structure, like windows,
doors, and outdoor areas, along the horizontal axis to maximize daylighting, views, and passive
solar heating and cooling.

▪ Spatial Organization - Horizontal layout of interior areas to allow for various uses or activities
inside a structure. This could entail setting off particular areas for certain uses or combining
related functions into one group.

▪ Horizontal Emphasis in Design - The use of horizontal lines, elements, or features in

architectural design to create a sense of stability, horizontal lines, elements of features. This can
be achieved through elements such as horizontal banding, low-slung rooflines, or long,
continuous widows.

▪ Integration with Landscape - the blending of a building's horizontal components with the site's
characteristics, such patios, terraces, and walkways, or the surrounding landscape. This can
facilitate the blending of indoor and outdoor areas and foster a peaceful coexistence with the
environment.

PRINCIPLES RELATED TO FUNCTIONS

The design principles that direct the arrangement, expression, and experience of a
building's or space's functions offer an additional viewpoint on the principles pertaining to
functions in architecture. These guidelines center on how form and function interact, as well as
how architectural features enhance a design's overall usefulness and efficacy.

Several principles of architecture are related to functions, highlighting the useful parts of
design to guarantee that structures efficiently serve the needs of their users.

1. Under this category, we study the need for adjacency.

2. Similarity in general rule.

3. Relatedness to departments. Goals and system.

4. Sequence in Time.

5. Required Environments.

a. Furniture types g. Need for visual and sound privacy

b. Need for view h. Need for Acoustic Control
c. Need for ceiling height or shape i. Need for noise Control
d. Access to ground or roof j. Relative Maintenance
e. Need for vents or exhausts k. Plumbing involvement
f. Relative Security l. Relative Visual Access

6. Types of Effects Produced

a. Radiation Produced i. Relative Weight

b. Chemicals j. Noise produced
c. Smokes and Furnes k. Vibration
d. Relative heat produced l. Wet dry
e. Observation intensity m. Trash production
f. Potential for contamination n. Relative visual clutter
g. Asset to public image o. Odor production
h. Revenue produced

7. Relative Proximity to Building

8. Relatedness to Core Activities

Use in the Housing Project

Concerning the boundary between an individual dwelling and the rest of the site and not the
Layout of the space or roos within an individual dwelling, or type of construction

LIST OF REQUIREMENTS:

1. People should be able to dispose of refuse without having to store it in their dwell- ing and
without having to leave their dwelling.

2. Refuse which is capable of being disposed directly into a soil system should not have to be
collected.

3. All stored refuse should have barriers to prevent germs and smells polluting the surrounding
air.

4. Refuse for collection should be stored in such a way as to facilitate ease of transfer to a
disposal unit.

5. For a heating system to be efficient there should be minimum heat loss from the

dwelling.

6. For a ventilation system to be efficient there should be provision for a thorough flow of air in
the dwelling.

7. All dwellings should have some sunlight in day living areas.

8. The people in each dwelling should have access to a sunlit space which is visually private.

9. People should be able to leave a baby in a pram in the open air where they know it

will be safe.

10. Delivery men need well defined routes for delivery which do not involve unnecessa- ry
retracing of steps.

11. Delivery men should be able to leave their deliveries in a secure place, those in receipt of
goods should feel that their goods are secure.
12. People should be able to collect deliveries (milk, bread, etc.) protected from the weather.

13. Visitors should be able to park their cars near their destination.

14. Visitors should be able to find an address they want easily.

15. A parked car should be able to move off the site without the necessity of moving other
vehicles or interfering with the flow of traffic.

16. Pedestrians should feel that they are entirely safe from traffic.

17. People should feel that their car is part of their possessions and that their parking space is
their own.

18. Each person should be able to maintain

19. Children need supervision when away from the dwelling.

20. Children should be discouraged from playing in places where they might come to harm
(near refuse, etc.).

21. Children should be discouraged from playing in places where they might cause a nuisance
(access ways, etc.).

22. People should feel secure against intruders into their dwellings.

23. People should not be able to see directly into any other dwellings.

24. People need an arrival point to their dwelling which is protected from the weather.

25. People should have off site noise reduced to a minimum level below that of discom-

fort.

26. People should be able to control the noise that enters their dwelling.

27. People should be able to control the noise between spaces within their dwelling.
28. People should be able to stop too much dirt coming into their dwelling.

29. People should be able to get large objects (pianos, prams, etc.) in and out of their dwelling
easily.

30. People should feel that their dwelling is not forcing them into a state of loneliness or
isolation.

31. People need the opportunity to meet their neighbors without feeling committed to their
company.

32. People should feel that their dwelling is uniquely identifiable as their own.

33. People should be able to get to the shops and the city center easily.

34. People should be able to get to a point of safety from any part of the site without having to
go through any part which might be on fire.

35. There should be a control on the spread of fire should it arise on any part of the site.

36. Water for fire fighting should be available so that a hose can reach any part of the site
should a fire break out there.

37. People should not have to climb more than three flights of stairs to reach their dwelling.

38. People of any one social group should not feel that they are in any way differentiated from
any other social group (e.g. research students).

39. Children and animals should be prevented from interfering with or scattering refuse.

40. Each family needs a storage space related to its dwelling for bicycles, canoes, etc.

41. People should not be inconvenienced by the noise and dirt of subsequent building
operations after they have taken up residence in their dwelling.

42. Invalids should be able to reach their dwelling without physical help from anyone else.

43. People should be able to bring large objects (prams, pianos, etc.) to their dwelling.
44. Service maintenance men should not have to enter dwelling to carry out their work unless
absolutely necessary (i.e., to read meters, etc.).

SPATIAL ORGANIZATIONS