Programming & Analysis
Programming & Analysis
Programming translates owner goals, constraints, and data into a written and graphic problem statement before design. Candidates should know how to gather information (interviews, questionnaires, observation, benchmarking, code and site research), define functional space needs, build adjacency matrices and bubble diagrams, analyze site and climate, and test feasibility against budget, zoning, and code. Area measurement matters: net assignable area, gross building area, efficiency ratio, floor-area ratio (FAR), setbacks, height limits, parking ratios, and occupancy calculations. Life-cycle cost and total cost of ownership help compare options.
Traps: mixing net and gross areas when testing program fit; assuming FAR equals building footprint or that all floor area counts; forgetting basement, mechanical, or parking areas in FAR; and treating bubble diagrams as final plans. Also watch for site constraints (floodplain, easements, solar orientation) that override an otherwise attractive plan. Programming is not design; a question asking for program verification usually wants confirmation with the owner, not a new concept.
Worked example: a 40,000 sf site has FAR 2.5, so maximum gross building area is 100,000 sf. If the program needs 78,000 sf net and building efficiency is 85%, required gross area is 78,000 ÷ 0.85 = 91,765 sf, which fits the envelope-assuming height, setback, and parking comply. Rule of thumb: always convert net program to gross before comparing with zoning capacity.