Space Planning and Programming Flashcards

What egress requirement determines the minimum number of exits required from a space in most US building codes?

Answer: Occupant load

Occupant load, calculated by dividing gross floor area by the occupancy load factor, determines the minimum number of required exits.

When planning an open-office landscape, which workstation arrangement maximizes natural daylighting penetration?

Answer: Low panel heights and workstations perpendicular to windows

Low panels and workstations arranged perpendicular to windows allow daylight to penetrate deeper into the floor plate.

Which space planning approach places private offices along interior zones and workstations along the perimeter?

Answer: Inverted office planning

Inverted office planning moves private offices to the interior so perimeter workstations receive natural light and views.

What is the purpose of a 'stacking diagram' in multi-story space planning?

Answer: Showing which departments occupy which floors

A stacking diagram is a schematic section showing which departments or functions are assigned to each floor of a multi-story building.

Which metric is used to evaluate the efficiency of an office floor plan?

Answer: Usable area per workstation

Usable area per workstation (or per person) benchmarks how efficiently the floor plate is utilized relative to the number of occupants.

What is the primary purpose of a 'test fit' in commercial interior programming?

Answer: Verifying the program fits within the available floor plate

A test fit is a quick schematic layout used to confirm that the programmed square footage and key spaces will fit within a candidate leased floor plate.