Design
What to know
Design translates program and site analysis into spatial form. Know the phases-programming, schematic design, design development, and construction documents-and what decisions belong in each. Understand site organization: hierarchy of circulation, spatial enclosure, sequence, thresholds, focal points, scale, and proportion. Accessibility is a recurring topic: accessible routes, clear widths, passing spaces, ramps, landings, cross slopes, parking, and van-accessible stalls. Planting design must match plant to site conditions and maintenance capacity. Sustainability frameworks such as SITES and LEED reward integrated stormwater, water conservation, and habitat.
Traps
Questions exploit dimensional thresholds: a 1:12 ramp is not the same as a 5% walkway; 2% is a common maximum cross slope for accessible surfaces; accessible parking requires an access aisle and signage, and one in six accessible spaces must be van accessible. Do not assume accessibility applies only inside buildings-site routes, elements, and amenities are covered. Avoid designs that look good but ignore maintenance budgets, irrigation, or soil volume. CPTED and wayfinding questions ask for defensible space and clear sightlines, not decorative barriers.
Worked example
Parking table: total spaces 1–25 require 1 accessible; 26–50 require 2; 51–75 require 3; 76–100 require 4. For a 90-space lot, provide 4 accessible spaces, with at least 1 van accessible (one in six, rounded up). Verify local amendments.