URBAN DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

               

  To be able to understand design development, you must first understand design codes as they are the dictator of all projects.  Beyond just guidelines, code are requirements that design professionals must adhere too in order to make spaces safe for the users.  The most common form of code that I’m sure we are all somewhat familiar with already is ADA compliance.  This a good example of a code requirement that affects not only architectural design, but urban design as well.  Designing in a manner that complies with handicap accessibility is no easy feat.  Yet all must take it into consideration.

Another form of code that affects both the built and natural environments are building and zoning codes.  Zoning codes don’t necessarily affect the physical features of a building, but they do determine where certain types of building uses may be constructed, which ultimately determines how the space is used.  If mixed use building were not allowed within a downtown area, the role of a city center that we are familiar with today would not be the same.  Restaurants, offices, retail and possibly educational facilities would not make up the heart of our cities.  It could possibly be industrial warehouses or residential neighborhoods.  Neither of these are plausible options as in order for a city to have a thriving downtown it must provide for the masses and build its economy.  But the point being that code is what allows those various options of entertainment/services to reside in certain areas, while expelling others.

A question I have for all of you is, do you think building codes are only used to provide a universal standard for all in the industry?  Or is it more of a moral code that we as designers are using to implement higher standards for the wellbeing of all?  For example, walkable cities.  These are typically created through code requirements of block sizing, transportation options and centralizing live/work/play spaces in one area.

http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/transit-oriented-
development-key-better-cities.html

But do we actually design cities like this because that’s what creates stronger economies, or because it creates a better way of life for the individuals residing there?  Designing spaces that provide entertainment, meals, living spaces and jobs, reduces the need for vehicles and promotes users to be in the natural environment more.  “Natural” may still be within an urban environment, but that’s why pocket parks and building setbacks were created.  To provide greenscape and sunlight to areas that may otherwise be dominated by buildings or smog.  

ADA, again, is used to aid those not able to use spaces as easily as others.  Enhancing their way of life by accommodating their needs in a new and more appropriate way, while still providing for the masses.

Although I do believe the general reasoning behind code development is to set a universal standard for all built design, I think it is fair to question whether there is more meaning behind its need.  As we have talked about in my Professional Practice class, a career in architecture goes far beyond just drawing and creating things.  It requires a certain “code of conduct” that requires morality in every aspect of your project.  Whether you are meeting with a client, creating construction documents, or are already done with construction, knowing the lives of the users within that spaces are in your hands and that it’s your duty to provide them the safest, most well thought out design that you can possibly create is key.  Because even though someone may not be looking, you should always be producing your highest level of work.  Which is how I think we should be interpreting codes.  It is not just about the requirements or restrictions that are outlined, it’s about why those requirements are needed and how they make our world better.