How to conduct a Case Study?

When students begin studying  Architecture at a University, the first thing that they are supposed to become excellent at, is doing a documentation or a case study. It could be a case study of a small village, town, a villa, a bus-stop, or a high-rise commercial or residential building. A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, incident, or community. Other ways include experiments, surveys, or analysis of archival information

What is the purpose of conducting a Case Study?

As the term Case Study suggests, it is the study of a particular case that is similar to your topic of design project. Doing a case study will help you understand the various aspects that you have to consider while designing.

Literature Case study

Before you start with your live case studies, first of all do a complete literature case study. Literature case study consists of reading everything you can find on the subject. You can refer books in a library, use Google to look up research papers, check out Standard Code books and statutory laws or from technical journals.

A literature case study would give you a vague idea about your topic. There will be various questions arising in your mind after you are done with your literature case study. To find the answers to those questions, you will have to go for minimum two live case studies….

Always possibly go for more than two different case studies, because a comparative case study of two or more different cases is very important and helpful.

1. While you are doing your first case study, say a Villa, go for a smaller Villa first so that you can figure out the basic minimum requirements.
2. In your second case study, go for an extremely lavish Villa so that you are aware of the maximum requirements you could give.

(Being able to provide maximum or minimum requirements in your design is very important)

If there are some requirements that you haven’t come across while doing your case studies but you went through it while you were doing a literature case study, then try implementing those requirements  in your design.

Eleven most important things to analyze in any Case Study

1. Environment and micro-climateAnalyzing the surrounding environment and the micro-climate of that place will help understand the reason of the orientation of the structure, the kind of roof chosen and the materials used in its construction.
2. User behavior and requirementsStudying the functioning of a particular place, say a Hospital, is very important; without which you will not be able to figure out the requirements and the area that should be allotted for each of the requirements.Talking to people working at that place (Hospital), will help you figure out if the requirements that are provided are adequate and he area that is allotted is sufficient for its efficient working.
3. Utility and space enhancement
   Study of Utilitarian facilities of a particular case is also important. Various measures taken to enhance a particular space should be analyzed.
4. Form and FunctionAnalyzing the reason behind the form of that particular building…and how it merges with the surrounding environment. Form and Function go hand in hand. The form of the building should be able to convey the function of the building. A lot of Architects say “Form follows Function”.As an example, an institutional building should not end up looking like a museum or a disco.Some other Architects might disagree with that philosophy. They’d say that the function of a structure keeps changing but changing the form of the building everytime its function changes is not possible. They say, Adopt a “Universal Design Scheme”.
5. Horizontal and vertical circulationHorizontal circulation consists of elements such as the corridors and lobbies. Vertical circulation includes elevators, staircases, ramps etc. The efficiency of the placement of these services should be analyzed.

• Site Planning and Landscape detailingRefer to the Article on the blog “A Guide to Site Planning“, which deals with different aspects considered in site planning in greater detail.

• Structural details such as Column and Beam Design, Steel  and Composite structures
  Understanding and analyzing the structural details is also important. For example, large span structures such as Auditoriums use trusses or heavy I-section steel beams and sometimes shell-roofing that involve construction of Ring beams whereas in small span structures, RCC construction is used.
• Building Services such as Fire Alarm system, HVAC, Water supply systemsThe working of Fire Alarm system, HVAC and Water supply systems should be examined and their space requirements are to be analyzed.
• Design detailing considering the Barrier-free environment
  Implementation of the Barrier-free architecture for comfortable access to disabled people. Most public buildings have mandatory accessibility systems for the disabled. Check out Guidelines to the Disability Standards for Access to Premises 200X. (Australian law)
• Socio-economic profile of user groupIt might also be important to find out the socio-economic profile of the people using the services so as to determine their requirements and available resources.
• Parking details and standardsMeasure the allotted parking area on site, say for ten cars, then calculate the average area for each car and compare it with the areas specified in TSS (Time Savers Standards).

Conducting a case study is hard work. Sometimes, it is so small, it could be done in days, but on other occasions, it takes weeks to document and compile all the data. It involves going on-site, meeting and taking to people, lots of traveling, plenty of photography, and some fun. It is the most important of assignments you might get as an architectural students.

This is where you learn from reality, actual stuff, as opposed to only theoretical knowledge. Looking at places first hand  and documenting information would give you many insights and ideas and let you peek into the minds of professional architects and designers who have used years of experience and improvisation to design and create incredible structures.

7 Most Important Interior Design Principles

When doing interior design it is necessary to think of the house as a totality; a series of spaces linked together by halls and stairways. It is therefore appropriate that a common style and theme runs throughout. This is not to say that all interior design elements should be the same but they should work together and complement each other to strengthen the whole composition. A way to create this theme or storyline is with the well considered use of color. Color schemes in general are a great way to unify a collection of spaces. For example, you might pick three or four colors and use them in varying shades thoughout the house.

In a short sentence for those who just scan this article balance can be described as the equal distribution of visual weight in a room. There are three styles of balance: symmetrical,asymmetrical, and radial.

Symmetrical balance is usually found in traditional interiors. Symmetrical balance is characterized by the same objects repeated in the same positions on either side of a vertical axis, for example you might remember old rooms where on each side of a room is an exact mirror of the other. This symmetry also reflects the human form, so we are inately comfortable in a balanced setting.

Asymmetrical balance is more appropriate in design in these days. Balance is achieved with some dissimilar objects that have equal visual weight or eye attraction. Assymetrical balance is more casual and less contrived in feeling, but more difficult to achieve. Asymmetry suggests movement, and leads to more lively interiors.

Radial symmetry is when all the elements of a design are arrayed around a center point. A spiral staircase is also an excellent example of radial balance. Though not often employed in interiors, it can provide an interesting counterpoint if used appropriately.

Interior design’s biggest enemy is boredom. A well-designed room always has, depending on the size of it, one or more focal points. A focal point must be dominant to draw attention and interesting enough to encourage the viewer to look further. A focal point thus must have a lasting impression but must also be an integral part of the decoration linked through scale, style, color or theme. A fireplace or a flat tv is the first example that most people think of when we talk about a room focal point.

If you don’t have a natural focal point in your space, such as a fireplace for example, you can create one by highlighting a particular piece of furniture, artwork, or by simply painting a contrasting color in one area. Try to maintain balance, though, so that the focal point doesn’t hog all of the attention.

If we would speak about music we would describe rhytmas the beat of pulse of the music. In interior design, rhythm is all about visual pattern repetition. Rhythm is defined as continuity, recurrence or organized movement. To achieve these themes in a design, you need to think about repetition, progression, transition and contrast. Using these mechanisms will impart a sense of movement to your space, leading the eye from one design element to another.

Repetition is the use of the same element more than once throughout a space. You can repeat a pattern, color, texture, line, or any other element, or even more than one element.

Progression is taking an element and increasing or decreasing one or more of its qualities. The most obvious implementation of this would be a gradation by size. A cluster of candles of varying sizes on a simple tray creates interest because of the natural progression shown. You can also achieve progression via color, such as in a monochromatic color scheme where each element is a slightly different shade of the same hue.

Transition is a little harder to define. Unlike repetition or progression, transition tends to be a smoother flow, where the eye naturally glides from one area to another. The most common transition is the use of a curved line to gently lead the eye, such as an arched doorway or winding path.

Finally, contrast is fairly straightforward. Putting two elements in opposition to one another, such as black and white pillows on a sofa, is the hallmark of this design principle. Opposition can also be implied by contrasts in form, such as circles and squares used together. Contrast can be quite jarring, and is generally used to enliven a space. Be careful not to undo any hard work you’ve done using the other mechanisms by introducing too much contrast!

Another important element of interior design where it is necessary to take infinite pains is details. Everything from the trimming on the lamp shade, the color of the piping on the scatter cushion, to the light switches and cupboard handles need attention. Unlike color people find details boring. As a result it gets neglected and skimmed over or generally left out. As color expresses the whole spirit and life of a scheme; details are just as an important underpinning of interior design. Details should not be obvious but they should be right, enhancing the overall feel of a room.

Scale and Proportion – These two design principles go hand in hand, since both relate to size and shape. Proportion has to do with the ratio of one design element to another, or one element to the whole. Scale concerns itself with the size of one object compared to another.

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SITE ANALYSIS - THINGS TO CONSIDER

SITE ANALYSIS - THINGS TO CONSIDER

The site visit is one of the first things in the design process. After the completion of a site visit, a detailed site analysis has to be done so as to really grasp the features of the site, which will be very important during the design. Here are some of the points one must pay attention during the site visit as well as during the site analysis and study -

Location –

This is the first thing that one needs to look at. Where is the site located? How is the site approached? What is the name of the street, the road etc on which the site is located? How far away is the major junction?

Orientation –

The orientation of the site plays a very important role in siting of the building. This, when combined with the wind direction and sun path, would give a good idea as to how the design should be oriented so as to optimise the design. The orientation along with the sunpath will also determine the placement of rooms inside buildings. For instance, in a warm tropical climate, the bedrooms will be placed such that they are not facing the west or the south.

Temperature & Sun path –

The average temperature of the area, as well as the monthly average temperature has to be studied to determine the temperature range and the fluctuations, which will impact the design.

The sun path direction tells one which will be the side from which the maximum heat will be coming, especially in the afternoons. In warmer climates, the design will try to reduce the amount of incident sunlight so as to reduce the heat intake to a minimum. The lesser surface area of the building which is exposed to the sun, lesser will be the conductive heating.

In colder climates, the design will try to maximise the amount of sunlight incident on the building so as to have maximum warmth as possible.

Wind direction –

Most of the locations will have a general major direction from which the wind comes. However, this will not always hold true and will vary from location to location. If we are to design a climatologically responsive building, it will be important to consider the direction of the wind so that it can be channelized through the interiors. This will play a major role in placement & size of openings.

The thing to be remembered is that the wind direction may vary from place to place inside the site itself and thus have to be checked from a few different places especially if it is a large site.

Soil type & condition –

Soils vary from place to place. Their properties also vary according to the type of soil. Sandy soil, clayey soil, laterite etc, all have different properties, which affect the design of the building. This is very important from a structural point of view while designing buildings. The safe load bearing capacity of the soil is to be found out after which the structural system and the foundations will be designed accordingly.

Some soils have peculiar properties. The Black cotton soil for example, is perfectly normal when in a dry state. However, as soon as it comes in contact with water, it starts to expand, which will have a very adverse effect on any building designed on it. Thus, it is important to be aware of these characteristics to avoid problems in future.

Topography –

Topography refers to the slope and level of the land – whether the land is flat and plain, or whether it is sloping? From a design point of view, a sloping site will be more challenging. If a site is sloping, the exact slope can be interpreted from a detailed Contour map. The contour locations and spacing of contours will play a big role in the siting of the building. It is always better to design buildings along with the contours, integrating it into the design to reduce unnecessary cutting and filling of soil.

Also, during the site visit, it is important to check out the stability of the slopes – whether the slopes are solid enough to permit construction on it.

Vegetation & natural features –

The natural vegetation present on the site is very important. Any good design will integrate it into the design, highlight & accentuate it to create a harmonious whole. The vegetation will consist of all the trees, flora and fauna present on the site. These should me marked onto the site plan so that it will assist during the design stage. Along with the location, the type of trees, the size of the trees, diameter or spread of the branches, heights etc are to be identified. Different trees have different characteristics – the spread of leaves, the speed of growth, the spread of roots, falling of leaves, water requirement, soil nourishment etc. All these features will vary from tree to tree and will also play a major role in the design.

Along with trees and vegetation, other natural features like rock formations, swamps, marshes etc. are also to be identified.

Precipitation & Hydrology –

The amount of rainfall that the site receives and also the time period during which the rainfall occurs are to be found out. The average annual rainfall, often measured in mm, gives you an idea about the precipitation happening throughout the year.
It is also important to study the water drainage pattern in the site - whether it stagnates, or if it flows following the natural slope, this has to be analysed to incorporate in the design.

The Relative Humidity of the place also has to be found out to determine the moisture content in the atmosphere. A higher relative humidity suggests a humid climate, for which cross circulation of wind at the body level is a must for comfort. A lower relative humidity will suggest a dry climate.

Hydrology, as the name suggests, refers to things related to water. During the site visit, we need to identify water bodies present in and around the site like ponds, lakes, rivers etc. The location and size of these water bodies should be studied so that they can be integrated into the design scheme. The presence of water can lead to reduction in the overall temperatures. It will also affect the moisture content in the atmosphere. One thing to be checked is whether there is any excessive glare present.

The water table is another very important feature in any site study. This refers to the level below the soil at which water is present. For areas close to water bodies, the water table may be very shallow. A shallow water table will affect the stability of foundations and additional precautions will have to be taken.

Infrastructure facilities –

This refers to the services present in the location. The major things to be considered are the water supply, drainage connection, waste disposal, electricity supply etc. These are important while planning the zoning in the site.

Surrounding landuses & buildings –

One also needs to pay attention to the surrounding landuses and building around the site. If the landuses are incompatible, it may lead to creation of issues in the design. For example, if there is a school right next to the site, the noise disturbance will have to be factored in while designing. Also, the height and setbacks of adjacent buildings are important in affecting the flow of air and also sunlight.

Prominent Vision lines / Visual linkages –

This becomes a very important element in the design process. The views to the site as well as the views from the site are to be carefully considered while designing.

25 (Free) 3D Modeling Applications You Should Not Miss

1. Blender

   A free and open source 3D modeling and animation application which can be used for modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, rigging, water simulations, skinning, animating, rendering, particle and other simulations, non-linear editing, compositing, and creating interactive 3D applications.
   

2. K-3D

   K-3D is free-as-in-freedom 3D modeling and animation software. It features a plugin-oriented procedural engine for all of its content, making K-3D a very versatile and powerful package.
   K-3D excels at polygonal modeling, and includes basic tools for NURBS, patches, curves and animation.
   

3. Art Of Illusion

   Art of Illusion is a free, open source 3D modelling and rendering studio. Some of the highlights include subdivision surface based modelling tools, skeleton based animation, and a graphical language for designing procedural textures and materials.
   

4. SOFTIMAGE|XSI Mod Tool

   A free 3D modeling and animation software for aspiring game developers and modders. The Mod Tool is a free version of XSI for non commercial game creation. It is made for everyone needing a powerful 3D application to make and mod games. The Mod Tool plugs into all the major game engines and development frameworks for next-generation games, casual games, mods for existing titles and even Flash-based 3D games.
   

5. Zmodeler

   ZModeler (or Zanoza Modeler) is a 3D modeling application developed by Oleg Melashenko. It is aimed at modelers who model for computer games. ZModeler is capable of complex modeling, even though it does not support important modeling functions such as extruding, or beveling.
   

6. TopMod3d

   TopMod3d is a free, open source, portable, platform independent topological mesh modeling system that allows users to create high genus 2-manifold meshes. It can also create solid models that can be prototyped using various rapid prototyping technology.
   

7. Google SketchUp 6

   
   Google SketchUp is software that you can use to create, share and present 3D models. Whether you want to design a new deck for your house, build models for Google Earth, or teach geometry to your fifth-graders, you can use SketchUp to see your ideas in 3D. And when you’re done, you can export an image, make a movie or print out a view of what you made.

8. AutoQ3D Community – 3D Editor

   AutoQ3D Community is an easy, light and fast 3D model editor tool that uses the full power of your PC´s graphics hardware, allowing you to rapidly prototype your 3D designs. Its interface is intuitive and easy to use and provided at no charge. It is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License so it will be free to use, modify  and distribute within any educational, professional or commercial purposes.
   

9. Anim8or

   Anim8or is a 3D modeling and character animation program which allows users to create and modify 3D models with built-in primitives such as spheres, cylinders, platonic solids, etc.; mesh-edit and subdivision; splines, extrusion, lathing, modifiers, bevel and warps,
   

10. Seamless3d

    Seamless3d is free open source 3d modelling software which designed for the artist who is realistic about the time it takes to learn any tool that’s going to offer creative freedom.
    

11. BRL-CAD

    BRL-CAD is a powerful cross-platform constructive solid geometry solid modeling system that includes an interactive geometry editor, ray-tracing for rendering & geometric analyses, network distributed framebuffer support, image & signal-processing tools.
    

12. 3DPlus

    With 3DPlus you can create outstanding 3D designs in just a few minutes – with no need for any complicated VRML or other programming. 3DPlus is the amazing 3D design software that enables you to create stunning 3D graphics for your home, school or business – no experience required!
    

13. 3D Canvas

    3D Canvas is a real-time 3D modeling and animation tool that incorporates an intuitive drag-and-drop approach to 3D modeling. Complex models can be constructed from simple 3D primitives, or created using 3D Canvas’ Object Building Tools. Modeling tools are provided to deform, sculpt, and paint 3D objects.
    

14. EDrawings

    eDrawings is a freeware utility which will give the user the power to view, create and share 3D models and 2D drawings. eDrawings offers unique capabilities like point-and-click animations that make it easy for anyone with a PC to interpret and understand 2D and 3D design data.
    

15. Blink 3D

    Blink 3D is an authoring tool for creating 3D environments. The 3D environments are immersive, just like today’s modern games and can be viewed using the a Blink 3D Viewer on the Web or locally.
    

16. Minos

    MINOS extends the capabilities of your existing 2D-or 3D-wireframe-based systems, so you can take advantage of all the benefits solid modeling offers right away. MINOS makes it easy to design 3D parts and assemblies. The design methodology is based on defining simple geometric elements including lines, curves, and circles, and then linking them together to form contours.
    

17. FreeCAD

    freeCAD is a basic 3D CAD with advanced Motion Simulation capabilities. It is suitable for anyone interested in learning 3D CAD and Motion Simulation for free before using more sophisticated packages. Its motion simulation capabilities are comparable to the best and can provide accurate answers to engineers and scientists in diverse fields.
    

18. Bishop3D

    Bishop3D is an interactive modeler and animation tool for the popular freeware raytracer POV-Ray™, a world-class renderer for creating three-dimensional photo-realistic images. Bishop3D allows you to model the scenes interactively and it will automatically generate the correspondent POV-Ray SDL script. It offers native keyframe animation support, POV-Ray SDL import and a powerful texture editor.
    

19. K3DSurf

    K3DSurf is a program to visualize and manipulate Mathematical models in three, four, five and six dimensions. K3DSurf supports Parametric equations and Isosurfaces. K3DSurf can be used by every one interested in 3D Mathematical drawing functions and don’t require any special competences by users.
    

20. DesignWorkshop Lite

    DesignWorkshop is a three-dimensional modeling program for architectural design and related endeavors. Its unique interface makes it more profoundly "Mac-like" than any prior modeling software. This interface allows it to support actual design in three dimensions, as opposed to just recording design ideas already worked out with other media.
    

21. GDesign 2.0

    GDesign 2.0 is a 2D/3D free generative art application for Windows. With GDesign you can interactively build, test, and edit complex models. You can create, edit, build and preview huge 2D and 3D objects with extended LSystems and Cellular Automata tools.
    

22. Sweet Home 3D

    Sweet Home 3D is a free interior design application that helps you place your furniture
    on a house 2D plan, with a 3D preview. Sweet Home 3D helps people to design their interior quickly. The user may: draw the walls of his rooms upon the image of an existing plan, change the color or the texture of the walls, import additional 3D models created by himself or downloaded from different Web sites, change the size, view the changes in the plan simultaneously in the 3D view, either from an aerial view point, or from a virtual visitor view point, print the home plan and the 3D view.
    

23. TrueSpace

    trueSpace7.6 is a fully-featured 3D authoring package that will let you model, texture, light, animate and render 3D content. As well as traditional images and movies, you can also make 3D content for online shared spaces, and for Virtual Earth.
    

24. Alibre Design Xpress

    Alibre Design Xpress is a rich and capable 3D solid modeler for creating mechanical parts, assemblies and 2D drawings – and is free. Alibre Design Xpress equips the person needing basic 3D design capabilities. Alibre Design Xpress has a rich set of integrated tutorials that you can use to learn the product quickly.
    

25. 3DVIA Shape

    3DVia Shape is a free online 3D modeling application that eases you to create, publish and share ideas in 3D. There are 3DVIA archive of prototypes and modeling software you can choose to create three-dimensional. Each model can be viewed at any angle, spun around and zoomed-in on.