Programmatic Concepts

The following information has been taken from the book pictured above 'Interior Design Reference Manual'.

In the design process an interior designer develops design concepts which are physical solutions to the client's problems and which reflect approaches to satisfying the programmatic concepts.
The book 'Problem seeking' identifies 24 programmatic concepts that tend to recur in all types of buildings, although they generally do not all occur in the same building or interior space.

I found the following 24 concepts to be very helpful;

• Priority - establishes the order of importance of things such as size, position or social values. 
• Environmental controls - includes air temperature, light, sound and humidity. 
• Phasing - determines if the project must be completed in stages to meet time and cost schedules. 
• Cost control - explores ways to establish a realistic preview of costs and a balanced budget to meet the client's available funds. 
• Hierarchy - relates to the idea of the exercise of authority and is expressed in physical symbols of authority. For example, to reflect the hierarchy of a traditional law firm, senior members may be given larger offices than junior members and may be located in the corners of the building. 
• Character - is a response to the desired image the client wants to project. 
• Density - low, medium or high. May relate to how a space or group of spaces are used to respond to goals such as efficient use of space or the desired amount of interaction in an office. 
• Service Grouping - Mechanical services, such as mechanical systems, as well as other functions that support the use of a space. Distribution of supplies, storage space, information, and vending areas are examples of these types of functions. 
• Activity Grouping - States whether activities should be integrated or separated and compartmentalised. 
• People Grouping - States the degree of massing of people in a space and is derived from the physical, social, and emotional characteristics of the group. 
• Home base - is related to the concept of territoriality and is a place where a person can maintain his/her individuality. 
• Relationships - Includes the affinities of people and activities. This is one of the most common programming concepts established in any design problem because it most directly affects the organisation of spaces and rooms. 
• Communications - A concept is a response to the goal of promoting the effective exchange of information or ideas. 
• Neighbours - Is a concept that refers to how the project will promote or prevent sociability and how it will relate to it's neighbouring spaces. 
• Accessibility - relates to the idea of entry to a building or space to making the facility accessible to the disabled. I answers the question of how people can find the entrance and whether or not there should be multiple entrances. 
• Separated Flow - Relates to segregating the flow of people, service access and other activities of a building or space. 
• Mixed Flow - This is a response to the goal of promoting interaction among people. Conversely, mixed flow may not be desired programmatic concept in controlled facilities. 
• Sequential Flow - is often required for both people and objects where a specific series of events or processes is required. For an example a show at a museum may need to direct people from a starting point to an ending point. 
• Orientation - Refers to providing a point of reference within a space or building to help keep people from feeling lost within a larger context. 
• Flexibility - Includes 3 components. The first 'expandability' refers to how a space can accommodate growth with expansion. The second 'convertibility' refers to how a space can allow for changes in function through conversion of spaces. The third 'versatility', provides for several different activities with multi functional spaces. 
• Tolerance - Allows for extra space for a dynamic activity (one likely to change) instead of fitting the space precisely to a static activity. 
• Safety - Focuses attention on life safety and the conceptual ways to achieve it. Building codes and other safety precautions are closely tied to this concept. 
• Security Controls - Refers to ways that both people and property can be protected based on the value of the potential loss - minimum, medium or maximum. 
• Energy Conservation - Can be achieved in several ways; by keeping the heated areas to a minimum, using materials produced using low amounts of energy and using recycled materials.