Constraints are legal rules and boundaries in which architects have to follow. There are also requirements in which an architectural practice has to undertake before starting a project. This will ensure that the safety and of:
- The building users
- Site heritages and other neighboring buildings
- Building structure
- Safety
- Pollution
- Use of building
- Site location
Architects must comply with the building planning and regulation. These are a set of regulation that the government has established so that the safety, consideration and all the above factors can be implemented during the design and constructions stages.
Designs submitted to the council often change as alterations are made until the council are satisfied that the building complies with the building and regulation. Submission of drawings often happens numerous times during the design stage depending on the scale of the build and complexity.
Building Regulation:
- Part A: Structure
- Part B: Fire Safety
- Part C: Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture
- Part D: Toxic Substances
- Part E: Resistance to the passage of sound
- Part F: Ventilation
- Part G: Hygiene
- Part H: Drainage and waste disposal
- Part J: Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
- Part K: Protection from falling, collision and impact
- Part L: Conservation of Fuel and Power
- Part M: Access to and use of Buildings
- Part N: Glazing – Safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning
- Part P: Electrical Safety
The building and design has many aspects that need to comply with the regulations such as the structure. This has to comply with the grade II listed Whitechapel Gallery. The other important factor of constraint to consider is the size and location of Whitechapel Art Gallery, therefore Part M is in particular important to comply with, as Part M will insure the use and access to the gallery. Below Part M of building and regulation.
Part M: Access to and Use of Buildings
M1: Access and use
M2: Access to extensions to building other than dwellings
M3: Sanitary conveniences in extensions to buildings other than dwellings
M4: Sanitary conveniences in dwellings
Constraint of Whitechapel Gallery Grade II listed
The Whitechapel public Library is adjacent to the Whitechapel Art Gallery and is a Grade II listed building. This is a constraint as the gallery has been there since 1901. The constrains arise as certain works are prohibited to these buildings and must be approved by the local council. This constraint was the most vital to the project as there are strict regulation to what can be changed or restored on listed buildings and can lead to fines if not done according to the authorities regulation and legislation. It is advised that a specialist is approached or appointed when dealing with listed buildings. As each building deals with there own constraints as a listed building and requires its own specialist
Grade II listed buildings can have works such as:
- Extensions to the existing
- Alteration to existing material
- Changes to the space or proportion of existing area
East London site location constraint
While designing, drawings have to be submitted to the local authority to verify and alter any aspects of the design to meet building regulations. This is the main constraint of the project as the design has to be approved by the local authority for the works to start. This normally takes the longest part of the process, as the local authority has to compare or analyse the design according to the building and regulation and other factors such as the listed building on site and site location and many more.
Changes made to design
The client for this project was the director of Whitechapel Art Gallery. This was a constraint that was non-related to the government but also can be classified as a constraint. As the Client of a medium size project such as this influences the design stage and can cause a constraint by, altering the design causing often changes to drawing which in results has to be sent back to the local authority to be approved on the changes made.
How the architect manages constraints
The role of the architect is to manage the constraints on site and in the design stage, by communicating with local authorities and applying for planning permissions as this involved a listed building. Communication between local authorities has to be smooth to be able to grant the permission to build the assigned design.
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