UNIT 02

BASIC ELEMENTS OF PLANNING

Structure
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Objectives
2.3 Principles of Planning
2.4 Architectural Considerations
2.5 Climatic Aspects
2.5.1 Orientation of Buildings
2.5.2 Shading Devices
2.6 Fire Resistance Regulations
2.7 Residential Buildings
2.7.1 Houses and Flats
2.8 Other Types of Buildings
2.8.1 Educational Buildings
2.8.2 Institutional Buildings
2.8.3 Business Buildings
2.8.4 Mercantile Buildings
2.8.5 Industrial Buildings
2.8.6 Storage Buildings
2.8.7 Hazardous Buildings
2.9 Relative Importance of Functional Elements
2.10 Anthropometric Data
2.10.1 Broad Classification of Components of Buildings
2.10.2 Pre-conception
2.11 Determinants for Design of a Building
2.12 Steps in the Planning Process of a Building
2.13 Summary
2.14 Answers to SAQs

2.1 INTRODUCTION
In Unit 1, various types of buildings like residential, industrial, hospital etc., each of which
stands for different function and purpose, were described; and several guidelines for selection
of appropriate sites for each type were presented.

In this unit, the principles of functional planning, architectural considerations, climatic aspects
of plam1ing and fire-resistance regulations will be introduced. Did you notice the word
"introduced”? Planning of buildings is a complex task and it is usually undertaken by
architects, who train themselves over several years to deal with the whole range of issues
involved. This whole range includes provision of sanitary facilities; electrification,
lifts/escalators, fire-fighting installations etc. and they are not included in this brief
presentation.

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Most of the architects specialize in the design of residential buildings; a few specialize in the
design of educational and institutional buildings; rarer still are the architects who undertake
the planning and design of mercantile and industrial buildings, and you will have to search
for architects who specialize in buildings which store hazardous materials.

All that we aim to present in this unit consist of the broad guidelines which the architects
utilize so that the engineers who build these buildings have a proper understanding of the
expertise that has gone into the planning and design of such buildings. Engineers usually have
the tendency to modify the plans, elevations, sizes, position of openings and above all the
finishes to conserve money or to suit structural design, and in the process alter the functions
of the buildings and their appearance drastically. It is the primary duty of engineers to realize
in practice what the architect has synthesized in his mind.

The medium of communication between the architects and the engineers are the drawings and
in this unit drawings will be utilized extensively.

2.2 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
 understand the principles of planning of buildings, appreciate the architectural
considerations, comprehend the climatic aspects of orientation of buildings, and provision
of sun shine-control devices,
 construct buildings that satisfy building bye-laws and fire regulations,
 have a comprehensive list of the various components of different types of buildings and
their functional arrangements,
 plan the construction sequence in such a manner as to avoid costly modifications and
rectifications at a later date,
 decipher and understand drawings of a variety of buildings, and
 choose building materials and methods to suit the particular needs of the type of building
under consideration.

2.3 PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING

Modem buildings are planned and designed to suit a specific purpose, giving due consideration to
site, climate, character and style.

Planning of buildings presupposes the existence of certain laws and principles which are applicable
in general to a wide variety of buildings. Within the frame work of these laws and principles a
wide variety of designs can be developed depending upon the ingenuity and creativity of an
architect.

Aspect, roominess, flexibility, grouping, privacy and elegance are the major considerations which
form the bed rock for the basic principles of planning as discussed below:

Aspect: The natural gifts of sunshine, wind and scenery should be utilized to provide comfort,
hygiene and cheerfulness to the user of the rooms in a building.

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A room which receives light and air from a particular direction is said to have an aspect of that
direction. A kitchen should have an eastern aspect so that the morning sun would refresh and purify
the air, and it would remain cool in the later part of the day. The living room may have southern
or south-eastern aspect, while bed rooms may have west or south-west aspect. An aspect plan is
presented along with the position of the sun for the city of Poona in Figure 2.1 (Sane, 1959).

Figure 2.1: Aspect Plan and Position of Sun

Roominess: Every unit of built-up area must be utilized to the maximum. Maximum benefit must
be derived from the minimum possible dimension of a room. For example, in a square room of 3.6
m X 3.6 m size, after leaving a minimum circulation space around a table, there is very little useful
space left for other purposes. On the other band a rectangular room of 3.2 m X 4.0 m size, (of
approximately same area) has more room for additional utilization such as shelves etc. as shown
in Figure 2.2. It is advisable to have the L: B of rooms proportioned in the ratio 1.2 to 1.5: 1.

Figure 2.2: Utility wise comparison of Square and Rectangular Rooms

Flexibility: Flexible use of space may have to be planned for if large gatherings are anticipated
during religious functions. Separating the living and dining space with removable partitions is an
example of achieving flexibility. In school buildings, several classes may have to be combined
into a large hall for the purposes of meetings.

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Grouping: The occupants of a building constantly move from one room to another. Thus, the
relationship between spaces must be considered at the planning stage. Dining room must be close
to the kitchen; but the kitchen must be kept away from the living room. Bed rooms must be placed
in such a way that there is independent access towards the sanitary units (Figure 2.3).

Figure 2.3: Grouping of space in a Rectangular Building

In the case of administrative buildings, axial planning is a matter of proper grouping and also
economy. In the case of factories, fabrication units must be carefully grouped together, whereas
packaging and dispatch units may have to form an independent group with administration and sales
management units, constituting the central core.

Privacy: Privacy is of two kinds, namely internal privacy which ensures that one part of a building
has the required privacy from the other part, and external privacy which ensures that a residential
building is separated from its neighboring buildings, public streets etc.

Privacy of a residential building as a whole can be ensured by carefully planning the entrance,
pathways and drives. Proper groupings of all rooms in a house around passages, corridors etc. is
important (Figure 2.3).

The proper disposition of doors and the way in which their shutters are hung are important factors
in securing privacy. Locating the doors at the center of a short wall of a room disturbs privacy
(Figure 2.4).

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 Figure 2.4: Desirable Ways of Arranging Door Openings

Elegance: Elegance is the effect produced by the elevation of a building and the general layout of
the plan. A plan may be well knit, but yet it may result in a dull elevation. Regularity and symmetry
are preferred by some, while some architects may opt for irregularity and surprise. Planning in
relation to the elevation for elegant appearance is unquestionably important. Elevation should be
an external statement of the character and purpose of a building.

In addition to the above considerations, circulation, sanitation, and prospect of views from
windows and other openings, and furniture layout deserve due consideration by the architects.
It is to be realized that planning of buildings is indeed the kind of task that is best handled by
people who are well versed in the art and science of buildings, namely the architects.

2.4 ARCHITECTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

The word “Architecture” relates to a process and also the end product namely a building. From a
sketch plan to the completion of a given construction, aesthetic considerations are important, and
an architect is called upon to use his creative talents to organize a given space to perform the
desired function(s), to choose appropriate materials and use them in a truthful manner (concrete
block should not be made to look like brick work), to express strength and safety through the
format of his structured composition, and to maintain proportion and above all ensure that the
resulting structure is a thing of beauty.

For convenience the principles of architectural composition have been traditionally grouped as
under (Sane, 1959):
a. Unity
b. Mass composition
c. Contrast
d. Proportion
e. Scale

UNITY: Unity gives coherence to the parts, integrity to the whole building and harmony between
the elements. Redundancy and deficiency in our conception affects unity. Some central or local
idea is required to provide an interesting accent which establishes unity. Example of ensuring unity
through a dominant central feature is shown in Figure 2.5.

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 Figure 2.5: Unity through a Dominated Central Feature

MASS COMPOSITION: The three dimensional shape is known as a mass and modem
architectural composition depends more on the arrangement of the masses for their effect than on
details. The composition of masses may be either symmetrical about a central axis or uniformal.
Symmetrical arrangements are suited to monuments.
In asymmetrical designs, mechanical principle of equivalent moments is used to provide balance.
Larger and heavier masses are placed nearer to the central element, while the lighter and smaller
elements being disposed more horizontally. Some examples of mass composition are sketched in
Figure 2.6.

Figure 2.6: Mass Composition

Asymmetrical composition may be dictated by topography, function and materials chosen for
different parts of a building.

CONTRAST: Our everyday perception of things is a matter of contrast between light and shade,
soft and rough, bright and dull etc. In architectural design also, contrast is utilized to relieve
monotony, to create interest and to exhibit variety. Proper disposition of solids and voids may
produce the desired proportion and contrast. Colors, tone and texture of surface finishes and
projections and recesses have all been utilized by architects to create interesting structures.

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PROPORTION:
Ancient structures were
proportioned on the
basis of standard
geometric shapes such
as square, circle,
equilateral triangle and
the golden rectangle [L/B
=1/0.618]. These are the
days of tall apartments,
and all that can be
ensured is the rhythmic
recurrence of certain
ratios among lines, areas
and masses. Door and
window openings, and Figure 2.7: A Building with Appealing Proportions
open arches should be
proportioned carefully. Fenestrations and louvres, cornices, string courses and projections can all
be utilized to advantage to accentuate proportioning. An example of a building with appealing
proportions is shown in Figure 2.7.

SCALE: In architecture
the term scale means a
proper relationship of
several parts with one
another and with the
whole unit in the
context of the given size
of the unit. The size of
the image of an object
on the retina of the eye
varies depending on the
distance of the viewer
from the structure and
yet there is a
relationship between
the image and the
reality because of scale
only. This is established
by comparison with a
known figure in the
picture, say a human
figure. Figure 2.8 is an
Figure 2.8: Architects Diagram Emphasizing Human Scale architect's diagram

38
which emphasizes the intimate scale (with respect to human figures) of the functions and utilities
of a Shopping Centre.

2.5 CLIMATIC ASPECTS

Influence of climate on the selection of site for buildings has been discussed in Unit 1 of this block.
Effects of wind, solar radiation, humidity and rainfall were also described. In this section
orientation of buildings and sun shine-control through shading devices will be discussed. Climatic
design is important in India. Since, we cannot afford to air-condition or mechanically control the
climate of our public and private buildings, we should take maximum advantage of the available
natural conditions.

2.5.1 Orientation of Buildings

In Unit 1, we have given broad guidelines for the orientation of buildings based on global and site
climates. These guidelines in a more elaborate form are given as follows:
a. In hot-dry climates, the largest dimension of a building should preferably face north and
south, as these elevations receive the lowest heat loads from solar radiation.
b. In warm-humid climates natural ventilation is the predominant criterion for orientation.
The buildings tend to have long elongated shapes with single row of rooms to allow for
cross-ventilation. The rooms shall preferably face the south in India.
c. In monsoon climates the weather changes from season to season and designers face a
difficult task. Experience shows that the buildings are best designed to meet the
requirements of the cold season. A courtyard type, low-rise development is suitable.

It is obvious that the orientation of buildings is based on following three major factors :
a. Sun as a source of natural light and radiant heat,
b. Natural breeze, and
c. Rainfall regime

Local site conditions sometimes override the available guidelines, and even specialized functional
requirements have their due influence; for example, for school’s north light has been recommended
for class rooms, and north orientation is suitable for clothing shops, libraries and studios where
relatively steady illumination is necessary. In factories, north-light trusses are utilized, and every
room in a hospital requires admission of natural light, preferably from the south.

We have studied in Unit 1 that the solar radiation causes heat absorption by direct action in the
day time. The materials used in the building absorb heat during day time and slowly radiate during
night, causing discomfort. Protection against this by using shading devices and providing cross-
ventilation are important.

In parts of India which lie within the tropics, February to June forms the summer, and the
subsequent four months is the rainy season. Wind prevails from south-west. Bed rooms are
oriented to west or south-west to take advantage of the prevailing wind, but protection against
solar radiation must be ensured. Shady trees and bushes on the sunny side should be planted and
properly designed sun-breakers should be utilized.

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In a hot-humid climate, it is essential to have verandahs on the east and the west faces of the
building. In the next section, we shall study the design of shading devices.

2.5.2 Shading Devices

There are three kinds of
shading devices which are
popularly used by
architects. In this section,
we intend to show that
they are appropriately
designed and these
devices must be integrated
into the walls even as the
walls are being built-up.
Attempts to incorporate Figure 2.9: Solar Angles
them, at the finishing
stage, results in ugly cracking and even failure of the panels and louvres.

Solar Angles: The position of a celestial body (in our case, the sun) can be found from the altitude
angle ‘Ф’ and azimuth angle ‘θ’ (Figure 2.9).

Altitude (Ф): It is the angular distance of sun, measured from

the horizontal plane, on the great circle passing through the
sun and the zenith (ZSNA).

Azimuths (θ) : It is the angle measured from the north point

(N), through east, between the meridian (NZSNA) and the
vertical plane passing through the sun (ZSNA).

These two angles can be read directly for any date of the year
for any hour of the day, from Solar Charts or Sun-Path
Figure 2.10: The Angle of Incidence diagrams. Such charts have been made available by
Koeilisberger et al (1975).

Angle of Incidence: From the solar azimuth angle ‘θ’, and the solar altitude angle ‘Ф’, the sun’s
position in relation to the wall surface of any orientation (thus, the angle of incidence) can be
established. The horizontal component of the angle of incidence ‘δ’ will be the difference between
the solar azimuth and the wall azimuth. If in a particular case, θ = 2700, Ф = 40°, we consider a
wall which is facing west (270°), δ = 270 - 240 = 300 (Figure 2.10).

The vertical component is the same as the solar altitude angle itself (Ф). The angle of incidence
(β) is the angle between the normal to the wall and the sun's direction, which can be found from
the spherical cosine equation as follows:
cos β = cos δ x cos Ф
= cos 30° x cos 400

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 = 0.866 x 0.766 = 0.6634
Hence, β = 480

Shadow Angles
The performance of shading devices can be specified by the horizontal and vertical shadow angles
(Figure 2.11). These are measured from a line perpendicular to the elevation, and indicate the limit
beyond which the sun would be excluded, but within which the sun would reach the point under
consideration.

The horizontal shadow angle, ‘δ’, characterizes a vertical shading device, and it is the difference
between solar azimuth and the wall azimuth, and this is the same as the horizontal component of
angle of incidence.

The vertical shadow angle, ‘ε’, characterizes a horizontal shading device and it is measured on a
vertical plane, normal to the elevation considered. The distinction between solar altitude angle ‘Ф’,
and the vertical shadow angle ‘ε’, must be understood. The first describes the sun’s positions with
respect to the horizon and the second describes the performance of a shading device. Numerically,
they will coincide only when the sun is exactly opposite to the wall under consideration.

Figure 2.11: Shadow Angle

Shading devices can be vertical fins or louvres or horizontal canopies or louvers or egg-crate
type as shown in Figure 2.12.

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 Figure 2.12: Design of Shading Devices

Depending on the length/height and projection distance of the vertical fins, horizontal canopies or
combinations thereof, ‘shading marks’ of a given device can be established. This can be
superimposed on the steographic projection of sun’s apparent movement, and can be considered
with respect to the times of the year and the hours of the day in which these shading devices are
effective. Shading devices are not effective at all times. They should be designed to be effective
in the over-heated periods of the year (Koenisberger et al, 1973).

2.6 FIRE-RESISTANCE REGULATIONS

There is no such thing as a fire-proof material or fire-proof construction. All materials and
buildings can be destroyed by fire of sufficient intensity and duration. Just as we require the
services of an architect to plan a building, we need the services of fire protection engineer at the
planning stage itself (NBC, Part-IV).

In the following portion of the text, the minimum standards which a planner should comply with
and the fire-safety measures which are necessary in public interest are described. The fire-
resistance of a building or its structural elements is expressed in hours against a specified test
condition which is expressed in kcal/m2, and against a given intensity of fire.

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There are four types of construction, according to fire-resistance considerations, namely Type-I,
type-2, type-3 and type-4. The fire resistance ratings for various types of construction for structural
and non-structural members should be as shown in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: Fire-Resistance Rating of Structural Elements (in Hours)

Sl. Types of Constructions
Structural Element
No. Type-1 Type-2 Type-3 Type-4
1 External load bearing walls 4 2 2 1
2 External non-load bearing walls 2 1.5 1 1
3 Interior hearing walls 4 2 2 2
4 Structural members supporting walls 3 1.5 1 1
5 Floor construction, including beams 3 1.5 1 1
6 Roof construction including beams, trusses 2 1.5 1 1
and framing arches and roof-deck
7 Fire-walls and partition walls 4 2 2 2
8 Fire-enclosure of exit-ways, hall-ways, stair 2 2 2 2
ways
9 Exit-way access corridors 1 1 1 1
10 Dwelling unit separations 1 1 1 1

In this context, we define following terms:

Fire-separation is defined as the distance in meters, measured from any other building at the
site, or from other site, or from the opposite side of a street or public space for the purpose of
preventing the spread of fire.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is defined as the quotient obtained by dividing the total covered area
(plinth area) on all the floors by the area of the plot,

Total Covered Area of all Floors

FAR =
Plot Area
The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for different occupancies will be restricted as per the type of
construction as given in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2: FAR for Different Occupancies with Type of Construction

Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
Type of
Residential/
Construction Assembly Industrial
Educational
Type-1 Unlimited Unlimited 7.5
Type-1 2.0 1.0 1.9
Type-1 1.4 0.7 1.6
Type-1 1.0 0.5 1.3
High-Rise Buildings are buildings which are more than 15 meters in height, in which fire-fighting
cannot be carried out from outside with the fire extinguishing appliances available with the fire-
fighting services. In such buildings non-combustible materials shall be used for construction.

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The use of flammable surface finishes on walls and ceilings affects the safety of the occupants of
a building. Such finishes tend to spread the fire, even though the structural elements may be
adequately fire-resistant. Finishing materials have been classified according to flame-spread
ratings (NBC, Part-IV) and their use should be made as specified. The thickness of glazing shall
not be less than 6.5 mm.

Every building meant for human occupancy shall be provided with exits sufficient to permit the
escape of occupants in case of fire or other emergency. Exits should be clearly visible and the
routes to reach an exit should be clearly marked.

Fire-safety requirements for residential, educational, institutional, assembly, business, mercantile

and industrial storage buildings have been stipulated in great detail in the National Building Code
and they are to be incorporated in the design of a building.

2.7 RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

In addition to architectural, thermal comfort and fire-resistance requirements buildings will have
to conform to development control rules. In this section the relevant rules (NBC, Part-III) are
summarized. The word site (plot) is defined as a parcel (piece of land) enclosed by definite
boundaries. Building line is defined as the line up to which the plinth of a building, adjoining a
street or an extension of a street or a street that may come up in future, may lawfully extend. Open
space is defined as an area forming an integral part of the plot, left open to the sky. For other
relevant definitions from NBC, refer Annexure-I.

A. Open Spaces within a Plot

Front Open Space for every building fronting a street shall be a minimum of 1.5 m to a maximum
of 6 m depending upon the width of the street, fronting the plot, (for exceptions refer t6 additional
provisions in NBC).

Rear Open Space for every residential building shall be on an average 3 m and at no place it shall
measure less than 1.8 m.

Side Open Spaces for detached buildings there shall be a minimum side open space of 3m on both
the sides. For semi-detached buildings, there shall be a minimum side open space of 3 m on one
side.

For row-type buildings no side open space is required. All habitable rooms shall abut on the side
open space or front and rear open spaces. These open spaces are specified for buildings of up to
10 m height. For buildings varying from 10 m to 24 m in height the side and rear open spaces may
vary from 3 m to 8 m. and the front open space shall be at least 6 m.

Area and Height Limitations: The area and height limitations of all buildings and types of
construction are achieved by specifying the FAR, which takes into account the following factors:
i. Occupancy class,
ii. Type of construction,

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iii. Width of the street fronting the building and its traffic load,
iv. Locality where the building is proposed to be erected and the density of buildings,
v. Parking facilities,
vi. Local fire-fighting facilities, and
vii. Water supply and drainage facilities.
For residential building, for occupancies facing one public street of at least 9 m width the
following FARs are specified:

Type 1 Unlimited
Type 2 2.0
Type 3 1.4
Type 4 1.0

B. Requirements of Parts of Buildings

Plinth: It shall no1 be less than 45 cm from the surrounding ground level to ensure adequate
drainage.

Habitable Rooms: The height of all rooms for human habitation shall not be less than 2.75 m
measured from the surface of the floor to the bottom of the roof slab. The area of habitable rooms
shall not be less than 9.5 m2 where there is only one room of minimum width of 2.4 m. Where
there are two rooms, one of these shall not be of less than 9.5 m2 and the other of not less than 7.5
m2 with a minimum width of 2.1 m.

Kitchen: It shall have a height of 2.75 m and area shall not be less than 5 m2 with a minimum
width of 1.8 m. A kitchen, which is intended for use as a dining area also, shall have a floor area
of not less than 7.5 m2 with a minimum width of 2.1 m (for other provisions refer to NBC, Part-
111).

Bathrooms and Water Closets: The height of such rooms shall not be less than 2 m and the size
of the bathroom shall not be less than 1.5 m x 1.2 m or 1.8 m2. The-floor area of water closet shall
be 1.1 m2 with a minimum width of 0.9 m. If bath and water closet are combined, its area a shall
not be less than 2.8 m2 and the minimum width shall be 1.2 m.

Lofts: They shall have minimum headroom of 2.2 m. Loft in a habitable room shall not cover more
than 25 percent of the floor on which it is constructed and shall not interfere with the ventilation
of the room. Maximum height of the loft shall be 1.5 m. On bathrooms, water closets and corridors,
the loft can cover 100 percent area.

Stay Room: It shall have a minimum height of 2.2 m and the area shall not be less than 3 m.

Garage: It shall have a minimum height of 2.4 m and the site shall not be less than 2.5 m x 5.0 m.
Parapets: Parapets and hand-rails provided on the edges of roof terraces, balconies, verandahs etc.
shall not be less than 1.05 m and not more than 1.20 m in height from the finished floor level.

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Boundary Wall: It shall have a maximum height of 1.5 m above the crown of the surface of the
front street. Compound walls of 2.4 m height may be permitted if the top 0.9 m is of open type
construction. In the case of corner plots, the boundary wall shall be restricted to 0.75 m for a length
of 10 m on the front and side of the intersections and the balance height of 0.75 m may be made
of open-type construction (railings etc.).

Staircases: These shall have a minimum width of 1.0 m, minimum tread without nosing shall he
25 cm. and the maximum rise shall be 19 cm. The minimum clear headroom in valley staircase
shall be 2.2 m.

2.7.1 Houses and Flats

We have seen that the development control rules are exhaustive and in these days of high cost of
construction, it is
perhaps feasible to
only satisfy the
minimum
requirements. Houses
are so varied in type
that one needs to be
abreast with the
developments in this
area of the subject.

The problem with flats

is one of vertical
circulation - that is the
provision of staircases
and lifts; however, for
buildings less than 15
m in height, lifts are
not required.

Figure 2.14 gives

diagrams of staircase
arrangements for
corridor-type housing
flats of 3 to 4 storeys.

A feature of a corridor-
type plan is the
Figure 2.14: Corridor-type Access Flats
provision of cross
ventilation and most favorable orientation of its flats. The advantage is that they provide cross
ventilation of all Flats and at the same time require fewer staircases. Another advantage of corridor-
type houses is the continuous open verandahs on both exposures which serve not only as access
but also as sun-shading installations.

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Another type of dwelling for families, each composed of three persons or more, is a multistoried
building with lifts and a single entry (Figure 2.15). Note the variable size of flats that can be built.

Example 2.1
There is a plot of land admeasures 9.84 m x 22.96 m. The front road is 9.84 m wide facing South.
Service lane is on the rear, measuring 4.92 m. Prepare a suitable plan of a residential building
whose details are as given below:

Requirements
a. Three bed rooms including one
for guest (minimum size should
he 10.22 m2)
b. Three toilets (minimum size
should be 2.8 m2)
c. One drawing-cum-dining room
d. A kitchen (minimum size should
be 4.5 m2)
e. utility space
f. little storage space (if possible)
g. a staircase

Restrictions
As per local municipality bye-laws
following restrictions are mandatory:
a. Total covered area cannot exceed
60% of the plot area
b. A set-back of 4.92 m on the front
c. A set-back of 3.048 m on the rear

Privileges
a. A canopy of width about 2.2 m is
permissible at roof level
throughout the breadth of the
building.
b. A balcony on the rear side, not
exceeding 0.991 m in width is
permissible.

Solution
A suitable plan as per the given Figure 2.15: A Multi-storeyed Building with lift and single Entry
requirements is shown in Figure 2.16.

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 Figure 2.16: Plan of a Residential Building

2.8 OTHER TYPES OF BUILDINGS

In the manner listed for residential buildings. The National Building Code provides detailed
control regulations for other types of buildings. You are supposed to study these. In this section,
the principal components of other types of buildings and their functions are stated.

2.8.1 Educational Buildings

These have following principal components:
i. Place to read or study - Class Rooms
ii. Place to work - Library, Workshop, Laboratory
iii. Place for in-depth study - Tutorial Room, Library
iv. Place for spending leisure time - Common Room, Canteen, Gaines Room, Gymnasium
v. Place for faculty members – Teachers’ Room, Principal’s Room
vi. Place for overall control - Administrative Office, Store
vii. Games fields - Essential co-curricular activities
viii. Toilets and first aid center - Health care

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Since the principal or major function of this type of building is to impart education, the class rooms,
laboratories etc. should be given greater importance in planning for the purpose of ensuring natural
light, natural landscape, influence and view, ventilation etc. The subsidiary or secondary elements
of the building can be grouped together if feasible, thus, giving a proper focus to the class rooms.

Some suggested guidelines for such types of buildings are as follows:

a. Administrative office, and Principal’s or Head’s rooms should be near the entrance to the
building.
b. Class rooms and other study rooms like tutorial rooms, library, laboratory etc. should be in
the relatively silent zone away from noisy roads, play grounds and the like.
c. Recreation rooms/Common rooms/ canteen/cafeterias should be away from the study
areas.
d. Toilets and drinking water fountains should be placed at prominently visible aid easily
accessible areas/zones and distributed throughout the complex so as to be conveniently
accessible.

2.8.2 Institutional Buildings

Buildings of his category comprise Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Research Stations, Public Libraries,
and Assembly Buildings etc. The development control rules for these buildings as given in
National Buildings Code be studied.

The functional elements of these buildings are as follows:

(A) Nursing Homes, Hospitals (small size)
i. Spaces for doctors to examine patients
ii. Waiting space for visiting patients and their attendants, reception, billing and cash counters
iii. Dispensing rooms with an attached store for medicines etc.
iv. Toilet facilities for visiting patients and separately for doctors
v. Emergency rooms
vi. Annexure for disposals, etc.

(B) Specialized Nursing Homes or Large Hospitals

i. Several rooms or wards to accommodate in-patients
ii. O.P.D. hall to examine external and day-care patients
iii. Pathological laboratories
iv. Operation theatres along with preparation room, recovery room etc.
v. Special wards for certain specific diseases
vi. Administrative wing
vii. General store for medicines, surgical materials with arrangement for day-to-day dispensing
viii. Kitchen with store for preparation of diet
ix. Toilet facilities for different types of patients, for wards, staff and doctors etc.
x. Canteen/cafeteria

(C) Teaching Hospital

A teaching hospital may have the following spaces, in addition,
i. Offices for faculty members

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 ii. Class room/lecture theatres
iii. Teaching and clinical laboratories
iv. Students’ common room
v. Toilet facilities
vi. Canteen/cafeteria

While planning these buildings, the following points to be kept in mind:

a. Wards in a hospital are of prime importance.
b. Rooms/spaces/cubicles for doctors and nurses should be provided within or adjacent to
each ward.
c. There may be provision for separate cabins along with a ward. In such cases, attached
toilets to the cabins are also to be provided. In certain types of specialized hospitals, cabins
are also provided with extra room for attendants/visitors.
d. O.P.D. in a hospital is equally important like the wards. It should be near the entrance to
the hospital. O.P.D. may or may not be adjacent to the wards.
e. Emergency ward should have a quick accessibility from the outside as well as from an
operation theatre.
f. There should be some doctors’ rooms in or near the O.P.D.

(D) Assembly Buildings

i. Congregation space or main entrance foyer
ii. Assembly/auditorium proper, with or without a balcony
iii. Activity areas, namely stage, green/dressing rooms, back stage
iv. Property storage for new or old furniture, locker room
v. Snack bar or canteen
vi. Ticket counter facility, if the building is put to commercial use
vii. Toilet facilities for visitors and for stage/back-stage persons

The importance of relative positioning of the elements is outlined as follows:

a. That foyer and auditorium should he adjacent to each other so that access to them from
either place is direct.
b. Secondary functional spaces like ticket counters, snack bars, restaurants, toilers, wailing
spaces may form part of the foyer or be attached to it.
c. The entry of audience should be separate from that of performers/artistes.
d. Likewise, artistes/performers should have independent entry/exit to green rooms/dressing
rooms, and their toilet facilities etc.

(E) Library
i. Stack room for books, magazines etc.
ii. Reading hall with facilities like lending counter, catalogue space, space for reading
journals/Magazines/newspapers, exhibition space for new books etc.
iii. Space for repairing, binding etc. of torn/old books
iv. Space for the librarian to sit and a general office
v. Toilets

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Following considerations are important in the planning of these spaces:
a. Reading room is the most important area in a library.
b. Stack rooms are generally combined with the reading hall unless the library itself is very
large.
c. Book binding and book repairing room should be close to the stack room.
d. Librarian’s /Assistant Librarian’s room or his cubicle should be located prominently within
or close to the reading hall.

(F) Research Laboratory or Institution/ Test House

i. Work rooms, laboratories
ii. Storage for chemicals and general equipment/instruments
iii. Staff room
iv. Administrative office
v. Toilets
vi. Disposal storage
The relatively important considerations in this regard are given as below:
a. Laboratories are the most important functional elements. Therefore, these should be close
to chemical stores, if appropriate in a given situation.
b. Administrative office and public/client dealing should be near the entrance.
c. Staff rooms and utility rooms need not be near the entrance and may be placed, such that
these are near the laboratories.

2.8.3 Business Buildings

Buildings in this group would be banks, computerized offices/computer halls, offices of
professionals, government offices and the like. Functional requirements of these categories of
buildings would be:

(A) Bank
i. Public space for movement, waiting and transactions,
ii. Work space for bank staff
iii. Strong room for valuables and cash
iv. Individual office rooms for the manager and other senior personnel
v. Locker/vault Room
vi. Toilets

The important points to be considered while planning the layout of a bank are listed as below:

a. Public-space and the work-space should be as near the entrance as possible to facilitate
smooth contact between bank staff and the customers.
b. Strong room, vault/Locker room and record room should be kept inside in a delineated
security zone. These could be in the basement, if there is one, meant for the purpose.
c. However, toilets are not to be provided in basement floor as per the bye-laws of various
municipalities and local bodies.
d. Manager's room should he easily accessible from the public/work space.
e. Other officers’ rooms may or may not be adjacent to the public/work space, depending on
the site-lay out, size etc.

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(B) Offices of Professionals
i. Working space for staff
ii. Cubicles or rooms for managerial staff
iii. Record room
iv. Conference room
v. Storage room
vi. Library, if not a part of the conference room
vii. Toilets
viii. Utility room (tea/miscellaneous storage)

Important points to be kept in mind, in the planning of space, are as follows:

a. Cubicles or rooms of managerial staff should be near the entrance to facilitate contact with
the clients.
b. Work space of staff should be adjacent to managerial staff for ready consultation and access
to records.
c. Library, if provided separately, may or may not be close to where the managers/workers
sit and function.
d. Conference room should preferably have access both from inside (for staff and managers)
as well as from outside (for the visitors and clients).
e. Conference room should have separate toilet facilities.

(C) Computerized Offices/Halls

i. Computer hall for terminals/PCs
ii. U.P.S/battery room
iii. Magnetic tape storage
iv. Room for main frame computer-networking
v. Air-conditioning plant room
vi. Programmer's room
vii. Conference room
viii. Visitors' room
ix. General office
x. Individual office rooms for managers and others
xi. Toilets

The important aspects to be considered with regard to computer installations are as given below:
a. Computer halls/rooms normally need air-conditioning.
b. Generally, the main frame computer is placed adjacent to programmer’s hall for
convenience in dealing with electrical installations.
c. Battery room should also be placed adjacent to the computer hall for uninterrupted power
supply (UPS).
d. Central A/C plant room is also placed adjacent to the rooms wherein computers are
installed.
e. An air-lock enclosure should be provided at the entry of the computer hall for removing
dust from men and materials entering into the hall.
f. Usually, the manager's room is also placed adjacent to the computer the hall to enable the
manager to oversee the operations inside the hall.

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 g. Other functional elements like office, workers’ rooms, toilets, conference room etc. should
be as per considerations mentioned for other types of buildings.

2.8.4 Mercantile Buildings

Buildings in this group are shops, stores, markets/cooperative stores, canteens, restaurants etc.
Functional requirements of each of these are as given under:

(A) Shop
i. Storage and display spaces
ii. Sales counters
iii. Public space in front of cash counters
iv. Toilet facilities for staff and customers
v. Utility rooms including packaging/repackaging areas

(B) Stores
i. Rooms for storing different types of articles
ii. Loading and unloading space
iii. Office rooms
iv. Staff rooms
v. Toilets
vi. Weighing and packaging rooms

(C) Markets/cooperative Stores

i. Rooms for individual shops with accompanying storage facility for each room
ii. Display counters
iii. Movement space for customers
iv. Walk-in and pick-up facility for purchasers
v. Office room
vi. Toilet
vii. Weighing and packaging rooms

(D) Canteens/Restaurants
i. Dining tables and seating facility for customers with adequate circulation space
ii. Cooking area with accompanying storage space including cold storage
iii. Display space (food counters) specially for self-service cafeterias
iv. Washing area for customers
v. Washing space within or adjacent to kitchen for soiled utensils
vi. Toilets for staff and customers
vii. Staff rest room

The additional points to be noted with regard to mercantile buildings are given below:

Shops
a. Display space should obviously be near the entrance. It may at times be required to be
visible from outside to attract customers.
b. Cash counter may or may not be with the sales counter.

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Stores
a. Loading and unloading space may or may not be at the main entry
b. Loading and unloading may be carried out from the same locations, or they may be
separated as per requirement.
c. Office room should be near the entry point

Market/Cooperative Stores
a. Rooms for similar articles should preferably be continuous/adjacent to each other, within
the same cluster.
b. Pick-up facility is provided only where self-service system is in vogue.

Canteen/restaurant
a. Customers’ sitting place should be of prime importance. It should be nearer to the
entrance/exit.
b. Food counters should obviously be near the seating area specially where there is a system
of self-service.
c. Cooking area as well as washing place of utensils should not be visible from the customers'
area.
d. Toilet facilities for customers and workers should be separated, preferably not adjacent to
each other.

2.8.5 Industrial Buildings

The spaces required to carry out the activities may vary from industry to industry. But, in general;
such buildings contain the following units:
i. Large production halls, as many as necessary
ii. Storage of raw materials, including chemicals (if needed)
iii. Storage for finished goods and packaging area
iv. Areas for checking and testing arrangements within the production line
v. Offices for management, cash and accounts
vi. First aid center and medical officer’s room
vii. Toilet facilities for staff and management
viii. Spaces for receiving and dispatching of goods

For these types of buildings, the following may be noted:

a. Storage of raw material should preferably be' near the production area for quick movement.
b. Checking and testing (quality control) area may have to be provided near both the raw
material stores as well as finished goods stores, especially for export oriented products
where customs checking is also required.
c. Finished goods storage (which is generally kept under greater security) should preferably
be closer to the production hall for reduced carriage/transport costs.
d. Cash office is generally provided in a closed and secured enclosure adjacent to the room
of the officer in charge of cash.

2.8.6 Storage Buildings

This group includes grain godowns, silos, cargo complexes, bulk storages for consumer durables,
medicine godowns, and others. Their requirements would be as given under:

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 i. Large storage rooms/halls for the different materials including cold-storage rooms for
perishables, chemical etc.
ii. Air-conditioning plant room
iii. Loading and unloading spaces
iv. Bays for inventory check-up and weighting/inspection facilities
v. Receipt and dispatch rooms
vi. Offices
vii. Toilets,
viii. Foyers/front room/staff rest rooms

For these type of buildings, the following points may be noted:

a. As already indicated for stores, loading and unloading areas may be at the same location
or may be kept at separate locations as needed.
b. Office should as usual be near the entry.
c. Receipt and inventory check-up should be near to each other or in the same enclosure.
d. Air-conditioning plant room should be given similar consideration as mentioned for
computer installations.

2.8.7 Hazardous Buildings

In this group, the general requirements are as given under:
i. Storage rooms for different types of toxic/obnoxious/dangerous materials
ii. Testing laboratories and disposal plants/areas
iii. Air-conditioning plant room
iv. Administrative offices
v. Toilets
vi. Staff rest rooms including canteen facilities

The important points to be considered in the planning of this category of buildings are as given
below:
a. Storage of toxic material should be given careful protection as provided in the relevant
Acts and Laws concerning the same.
b. Such store should preferably be kept in a separate building.
c. Adequate moving space around for fire engines should be provided, besides firefighting
systems for this group of buildings.

2.9 RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS

You have by this time been able to identify the different functional elements required for the
planning of various types of buildings. You have also learnt that the actual aim of planning is to
organize or synthesize the different functional elements of a building in order to achieve a
comprehensive whole. There may be difficulties in organizing the different elements until you are
able to appreciate the relative importance of different functional requirements and focus upon those
which are the principal functions of a particular building: and commence first with locating these
in the planning of a spatial synthesis. A proper analysis will show that the following functions are
relatively of greater importance rather than various other subsidiary functions.

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2.10 ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA
Once you have identified the functional elements, and the relative importance of such elements, it
should be your endeavor to fix the sizes for such elements so that the different geometric figures
which have been worked out for different elements can be juxtaposed appropriately.

For fixing the sizes of such elements you have to take the help of anthropometric data which gives
the sizes of or standard measurements of postures of human movements. For example, Annexure
- IIA gives body measurements in different postures of human movement, whereas Annexure - IIB
presents the table sizes for good standard of a restaurant. Likewise, you will have to study or find
out the sizes of different items of furniture that you may like to put in the functional spaces.

With the help of anthropometric data for various space requirements and sizes and shapes of
furniture, you will be able to find out the minimum sizes that are required for the functional
elements and evolve a definite geometric shape (preferable square or rectangle) for such elements.

2.10.1 Broad Classification of Components of Buildings

The space within a building can be broadly divided into three parts:
a. Functional space: bed room in a residential building, dining hall in a restaurant or class
room in an educational building.
b. Circulation space: corridor in an educational building, hospital or hotel; lobby in a school.
c. Service space: toilets and kitchen in a habitable building; pump room, air-conditioning
plant room or laundry in hotels and hospitals etc.

In order to achieve a most cost effective planning, your endeavor should be to evolve a most
compact form of a building in which the circulation space is minimum. Once the different
functional aspects of the building are known, the utilitarian planning will be to arrange the
different functional spaces in a compact, neat and least costly form in which superfluous corridors
etc. have been avoided, and a pleasing form obtained.

2.10.2 Pre-conception
Pre-conceived forms for any building should be avoided. It is always better to adjust the
requirements (geometric shapes that have already been evolved) to obtain a suitable form of the
building. To summarize, we may say that form follows function.

2.11 DETERMINANTS FOR DESIGN OF A BUILDING

Following parameters are relevant for a functionally appropriate design of a given building project:
a. Nature and magnitude of activities intended to be carried out in it,
b. Social and cultural needs of users, e.g. based on religious, provincial or other allied factors,
c. General climatic consideration, e.g. extremes of climate and catering to a rainy climate,
d. Cost factor or affordability,
e. On-site factors, e.g. geological conditions, existing facilities, undulating lands etc.,
f. Off-site factors e.g. proximity to a beautiful garden, sea- shore, highway, railway station,
market etc., and
g. Technology available for construction, etc.

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2.11.1 Steps in the Planning Process of a Building
It is just appropriate, in order to save on effort and cost, to follow a time-tested schedule of steps
while planning a building, such as:
a. Identify activities to be performed in the building;
b. Determine as to how many persons will be engaged at a time;
c. Estimate the space requirement for each activity;
d. Identify the relationship among the activities;
e. Identify the constraints (cost, climate, site condition, regulations of local bodies etc.);
f. Prepare a diagrammatic design of the building;
g. Translate this diagram into actual plan by computing the prescribed dimensions and areas;
h. Prepare from this building design, the plan, elevation, section etc.; and
i. Test the design against requirements and constraints till a satisfactory solution is found.

2.12 SUMMARY
This unit has dwelt upon the fundamental principles on which the planning of a building depends,
covering considerations for getting good sun shine, and achieving privacy and elegance. Further,
basic architectural aspects like unity, scale etc. have also been discussed. Due stress has also been
given on climatic aspects, fire-resistance regulations, and other functional requirements of various
types of buildings.

Man is the end user of a building and hence, anthropometric factors, other parameters that
influence its design and important steps in the process of planning too have briefly been explained.

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