NCIDQ Space Planning and Programming 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What egress requirement determines the minimum number of exits required from a space in most US building codes?
- Occupant load (Correct answer)
- Square footage only
- Number of floors
- Sprinkler system presence
Correct answer: Occupant load
Occupant load, calculated by dividing gross floor area by the occupancy load factor, determines the minimum number of required exits.
Question 2: When planning an open-office landscape, which workstation arrangement maximizes natural daylighting penetration?
- Low panel heights and workstations perpendicular to windows (Correct answer)
- High panel heights parallel to windows
- Closed-office perimeter with open core
- Opaque partitions at 72 inches height
Correct 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.
Question 3: Which space planning approach places private offices along interior zones and workstations along the perimeter?
- Inverted office planning (Correct answer)
- Traditional office planning
- Hoteling layout
- Activity-based working
Correct answer: Inverted office planning
Inverted office planning moves private offices to the interior so perimeter workstations receive natural light and views.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'stacking diagram' in multi-story space planning?
- Showing which departments occupy which floors (Correct answer)
- Detailing structural loads per floor
- Documenting finish schedules by level
- Mapping MEP shaft locations
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which metric is used to evaluate the efficiency of an office floor plan?
- Usable area per workstation (Correct answer)
- Total perimeter length
- Number of conference rooms
- Height of partitions
Correct 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.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a 'test fit' in commercial interior programming?
- Verifying the program fits within the available floor plate (Correct answer)
- Testing acoustic performance of partitions
- Checking furniture finishes under project lighting
- Confirming fire suppression coverage
Correct 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.
NCIDQ Space Planning and Programming 2
What egress requirement determines the minimum number of exits required from a space in most US building codes?