Episode 1

Humble beginnings.

The project given was to design a local high school with a focus on the sciences. Before we got into the creative design, we had to refine our project parameters. This meant code. We started by deciding our building’s general program. We then examined our site and the restrictions of square footage in accordance with city districts. Once we had this base point metric, we could make a study of construction types and which of these would yield the most favorable amount of square footage.

These initial studies give us insight to the framework we will be designing within. Will the building be constructed from concrete or steel? Will it be one story or more? How much square footage will fire code allow us to build? All these are necessary prerequisite questions to answer before we begin the design itself.

Next step: begin massing studies of our layout!