Architectural Design and Programming
This domain tests the translation of a client's needs into a written program and a compliant layout. The exam rewards candidates who can prove area, adjacency and regulatory compliance with numbers, rather than describing a design intent.
Programming
Brief → area schedule → net-to-gross ratios → adjacency matrix → functional flow → flexibility for future change. Confirm the area schedule with the client in writing; it becomes the basis for fees, permits and later claims.
Compliance by design
Room heights, window area for light and ventilation, privacy distances between facing windows, protected space (ממ"ד) in residential units, storage, and balcony railings at the required height.
Area definitions
Planning regulations distinguish main area, service area (balconies, storage, stairs) and gross area. The same space can be counted differently for plot-ratio rights, for the permit area table and for a sale contract, so state which definition you are using.
Worked example
A client asks to close a balcony to gain a room. Reasoning: closing it changes the area classification, consumes plot-ratio rights, and may conflict with the plan's balcony provisions. Unless an exemption applies, it needs a permit. Check the plan's balcony rules and the area table before drawing, and tell the client the permit consequence in writing.
Traps
Counting balconies as main area; omitting the protected space from the unit count; designing circulation so that a required second exit disappears; confirming areas verbally and then discovering the gross area exceeds the permit.