C hapter 3 the Design Context
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consideration at the expense of another equally important one.
Common practice in this kind of situation is to be sure that the
materials used meet certain minimum conditions with respect to
each considered phenomenon. In many cases, design objectives for
the materials are directly conflicting, and making material choices
again often involves making considered compromises, as was the
case with the closely related design optimization problem noted
previously. This simple example brings up the need to consider
materials with multidimensional properties, which we return to in
Chapter 5. To the developer of nanomaterials or other new materials for use in a situation such as this, the problem is no longer one
of how to impart only sound absorption qualities nor even one of
what specific values are needed, but how to develop materials that
meet multiple objectives.
Any number of other considerations might come into play as well.
A designer intent on working with a company that might have
developed a new nanomaterial coating that has seemingly attractive
sound absorption or reflectance qualities may also have to face
perfectly reasonable questions of environmental safety. An obvious
question that arises is one of whether or not the coating poses a
health hazard in any way. Does it contribute to indoor air pollution
through offgassing, or are there particulates that might come from
the application of the material? What test results are available to
demonstrate that this is or is not a problem? If not already available, tests or experiments can only rarely be commissioned in the
architectural world. Costs are high and would have to be borne by
the project’s owner. Unlike products for which costs can be distributed over multiple units, costs in a building are normally associated
with a single product that is designed and produced only once—a
problem that clearly militates against testing and experimentation.
The list of other considerations goes on and on. The interior
designer might want to have shiny surfaces in some places and
matte surfaces in others. An owner would undoubtedly ask, “How
long will it last?,” “Can it be cleaned?,” as well as the obvious “How
much does it cost?”
As the design development progresses, stakeholder evaluations and
inputs continue but necessarily become oriented to more detailed
considerations. Ultimately, a decision is made to advance to construction—a process often requiring specific types of drawings and
other representations of the design and involving yet other parties
in a consideration of the design’s buildability. Minor changes to
the design typically occur all the way through the final construction
phase.
82
consideration at the expense of another equally important one.
Common practice in this kind of situation is to be sure that the
materials used meet certain minimum conditions with respect to
each considered phenomenon. In many cases, design objectives for
the materials are directly conflicting, and making material choices
again often involves making considered compromises, as was the
case with the closely related design optimization problem noted
previously. This simple example brings up the need to consider
materials with multidimensional properties, which we return to in
Chapter 5. To the developer of nanomaterials or other new materials for use in a situation such as this, the problem is no longer one
of how to impart only sound absorption qualities nor even one of
what specific values are needed, but how to develop materials that
meet multiple objectives.
Any number of other considerations might come into play as well.
A designer intent on working with a company that might have
developed a new nanomaterial coating that has seemingly attractive
sound absorption or reflectance qualities may also have to face
perfectly reasonable questions of environmental safety. An obvious
question that arises is one of whether or not the coating poses a
health hazard in any way. Does it contribute to indoor air pollution
through offgassing, or are there particulates that might come from
the application of the material? What test results are available to
demonstrate that this is or is not a problem? If not already available, tests or experiments can only rarely be commissioned in the
architectural world. Costs are high and would have to be borne by
the project’s owner. Unlike products for which costs can be distributed over multiple units, costs in a building are normally associated
with a single product that is designed and produced only once—a
problem that clearly militates against testing and experimentation.
The list of other considerations goes on and on. The interior
designer might want to have shiny surfaces in some places and
matte surfaces in others. An owner would undoubtedly ask, “How
long will it last?,” “Can it be cleaned?,” as well as the obvious “How
much does it cost?”
As the design development progresses, stakeholder evaluations and
inputs continue but necessarily become oriented to more detailed
considerations. Ultimately, a decision is made to advance to construction—a process often requiring specific types of drawings and
other representations of the design and involving yet other parties
in a consideration of the design’s buildability. Minor changes to
the design typically occur all the way through the final construction
phase.