3.1 Basic Building
including public participation, is required under the
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and
Planning Principles
may also be required under the National Environmental
Policy Act. Compliance reviews should be coordinated,
through the Regional Historic Preservation Officer, early
and as frequently as the project complexity warrants, so
Integrated Design. To achieve the Guiding Principles
that comments can be effectively addressed during the
of Federal Architecture, noted in Chapter 1, use a
course of design.
collaborative, integrated design process that:
Sets specific goals for siting, energy, water, materials,
Urban Context. Facility design and orientation should
and indoor environmental performance.
be consistent with existing and planned development
patterns and nearby uses. The building's exterior should
Involves all relevant parties working together from the
be consistent with existing local design guidelines. Where
beginning of a project.
appropriate, the project team should help to develop
Establishes and documents comprehensive design and
design guidelines for the project and neighboring
performance goals at the beginning of a project and
undeveloped sites.
incorporates them throughout the building process
including program documents, construction documents,
Basic Configurations and Core Placement. Planning for
and material provided to the building owner and operator.
cores must consider the depth of the occupiable space
Considers all stages of the building's life-cycle, including
established by the core and exterior walls. The optimum
deconstruction.
depth of the occupiable space (the space between core
and window wall) in an office building is approximately
Performance Measures and Functional Objectives.
12,000 mm (40 feet) for providing access to daylight.
The A/E shall ensure the design supports quality based
performance measures for customer satisfaction, energy
Placement of Core Elements and Distances. In buildings
consumption, and reduced operations and maintenance.
with large floor plates, not all core elements need to be
The A/E shall also identify all functional expectations and
placed at each core location. How often each element
establish alternative features that support attainment. To
needs to be repeated is governed by occupant needs and
the maximum extent possible, the A/E shall apply those
the following maximum radii and distances:
architectural elements that optimize building performance
Passenger Elevators should be grouped in banks of at
and functional capabilities. Performance and functional
least two for efficiency. Elevator groups of four or more
issues raised in the project's design program and/or as
should be separated into two banks opposite each other
addressed in Appendix A.2 shall be specifically addressed
for maximum efficiency in passenger loading and
in concept presentations.
minimum hall call notification for accessibility under
requirements of UFAS/ADA. Travel distances from a given
Environmental Sensitivity. The natural setting of the site,
office or workstation to an elevator should not exceed
its contours and vegetation shall be viewed as assets to be
61000 mm (200 feet).
preserved and woven into the design as much as possible.
In settings including historic buildings, adjoining historic
See Chapter 7: Fire Protection & Life Safety for additional
properties, or located near historic properties that will
egress requirements.
be affected by GSA construction, external design review,
51
ARCHITECTURAL
AND
INTERIOR
DESIGN
3.1
Basic Building Planning Principles
Revised March 2005 PBS-P100
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