Teacher's Choice for Activity Two
Designing Houses and
Getting Ideas

Objective

• to help students see the various factors which architects consider in planning
• a house

Description

Brainstorm with students to think of all the factors that affected what they chose to wear for school today.  Here are some examples:

• day of the week, weekend versus weekday or days with special activities. (i. e. gym)
• function or occasion (for sports, a dance, etc.)
• weather and climate (pouring rain/hot summer day, etc.)
• occasion (formal/informal, audience)
• status or class of wearer tends to influence choice and cost
• fashion: what's cool
• what's clean/mended/available/can be borrowed
• personal preference: what's favourite, comfortable
• budget: what can be spent
• body shape: what looks better/best
• culture: what is legally and socially allowable

Then look at and compare similar factors that affect how an architect plans a house:

• budget (how much money does client want to spend on house)
• shape/format of lot (i.e. body shape)
• culture (often determines style and decor of house as well as how it is laid out on the lot)
• function: ordinary house, cabin, house with rental suite for revenue generation, house for extended family
• fashion: i.e. current trends (such as pink stucco, half circle windows, etc.)
• weather and climate (particularly special forces the house might have to withstand)
• availability (clean/mended, etc.) becomes materials easily available with which to build/decorate

There is an important difference to note, however, and that is the issue of permanence. As one architect stated, a building doesn't go away. Clothes wear out or are easily replaced as fashions change. Similarly, with different tastes in music, you don't have to listen to what you don't like. But a poorly-designed building may be around for a hundred years. The issue of permanence does impose different considerations. Just think, if you had to choose one set of clothes for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Besides the factors listed above, architects also look at the functional relationship of space -- that means locating the kitchen and dining room conveniently near to each other, having bathrooms attached or close to bedrooms, looking at the proximity of the family room to the kitchen and to the outside.

Architects also consider orientation -- how to place a house on a lot or place the rooms inside the house to take advantage of light and view. In discussions with the client, architects also look at the interior arrangement of rooms, planning either a formal or informal layout.

Architects must consider technical factors such as seismic stability in earthquake zones, climate, and geographic factors. For example, many houses built near the area of Los Angeles must consider factors such as brushfires, mudslides and earthquakes. A good architect will position a house on a lot for the least threat of mudslide, suggest materials and landscaping that are fire-resistant, and consider the latest technology and proved building techniques for seismic safety.

Design a House

Designing a house is often a compromise or balance between the general requirements of housing (protection from the elements, safety, etc.), the architectural features discussed above and the client's personal preferences. Set the scene for this activity by giving students this challenge:

Assume you are an architect and your new client has just walked into your office. It's a mouse! Your challenge is to design a mouse house. You already know that a basic mouse house has a sleeping chamber, a place for storing cheese, a main exit, and an escape exit. You also know this house is generally at ground level and must provide protection from cats, etc. Working with a partner architect, decide what other information you will need to find out from your client and make decisions about. Then design the ultimate mouse house and present it to your client and the class. Be  prepared to explain why you chose various design features.

Materials Needed

• paper
• markers for "design a house" activity

 

---