Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1333960
e design process Understanding the space Understanding building structures Organising the space e human interface Sustainable design Communicating design Understanding the project 38 Building and site research Concept development No design for a space should ignore the existing building into which it is being integrated. An understanding of what exists is fundamental to deciding what needs to be done if the space is to fi t the functions that will take place there. When you are creating interiors within newly built structures, there will be a lot of scope to defi ne the look and feel of the interior, but where the interior is placed within an existing building the designer is obliged to understand how the previous life of the building has given the space its character. is feeling of character or history, the spirit of a place, is strengthened by the proportions of the volume and the position of existing building elements such as windows and doorways, all of which will impose a certain sense of order upon the space. e new design can respond to these factors, allowing them to inform the new design. e appreciation of a building 's history may extend beyond the boundaries of the property to include the local area, the street, the village, the city, where it stands. None of this means that your design should be a pastiche of the existing style references of the building. e best designs respect the existing building and will reference it in some way in their execution, through materials, methods of construction, cra smanship, pa ern, form and so on. All of the preceding research should bring you to a point where you understand the essential points that will have an impact on the design: What structure exists. – What functions and activities will take place, – and how these will be addressed practically (for example, what furniture is required). What is possible in the space – (and just as importantly, what is not possible, due to time, technical or budget limitations). How the space functions and interacts with others – around it. What emotional response the client wants the space – to generate in the user and what aesthetic style is desired. is is necessary, but for the design to feel considered and complete, rather than being a random collection of elements, there is a need to fi nd a unifying idea that will hold the disparate parts of the design together. is single idea will be one that sets the stylistic tone of the design. It is this single idea that is the concept.