Programming is the process used to arrive at the set of criteria on which the design is based, and by which it is later evaluated. The programming phase is where the project is built—not brick by brick, but decision by decision. This is the time when a common vocabulary for the project is created, and preferences and requirements are determined and built into the overall picture before time is invested in design.
One of the most important purposes of the program is to reduce the need for later backtracking and redesign. A thorough programming process is essential for maintaining an orderly and cost-effective design process later in the project.
Schematic Sketch for Project Analysis – Project activities, space needs, interrelation and proximity
Items specifically analyzed in the programming phase typically include the following:
Scope of work: size of the building; number of rooms; room adjacencies.
Activities to occur in each room and outdoor area.
Activities in each room and the facilities required to perform each activity.
Safety and security requirements.
Site context: Weather, noise, solar access, vehicular access, handicap accessibility, sense of entry, site analysis.
Codes and regulations: Outline of planning and building department parameters.
Budget and priorities: Preliminary cost analysis usually based on area and/or volume, to be refined later.
Project time Scheduling.
In the case of reusing an existing building: Carefully document and evaluate present building and its conditions. Determine what can be reused, what must be discarded, what must be rebuilt.
Participants