Spatial Design Standards and
Conditions
L1 -Introduction to the course
design standard: obligatory design requirements
stem from: building degrees, fire codes, environmental law, Electrical codes
design conditions: all factors or circumstances that influence how an urban
design/ spatial vision turns out (can be legal, procedural, social, cultural,
economic, environmental, … )
Design conditions can change with changes in the broader socio-spatial
environment (e.g. in terms of needs, values, preferences, technologies, and so
on’
Effective walking space’ – actual space requirement by pedestrians
‘Free walking space’ – actual space requirements plus additional passing space
‘Sidewalk width’ – full width from facade to curb incl. obstacles
changing design conditions → Amsterdam haarlemmerdijk (1900, 1971, 2013)
from walkeble to car centric to walk and bike → change in technologies
more recent: ‘Design for all’ → more space for example if walk with umbrella,
kinderwagen, with a cane
This course: understand complexity and variety of design standards and
conditions which influence urban transformation
- to comprehend forecast and provide workable frameworks, current and future
generations → changing nature and social spatial
Planners capacity
intervening indirect, trough rules and regulations
can only influence condition not the actions of individuals
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 1
, intent vs reality
There are no perfect formulas to design cities, no project can be
considered a final product or solution. Far from being merely a future
image or representation, a plan interacts with the context in relation to
temporary conditions
what agents can do and how
human action is always an expression of socio-cultural and material
conditions
try to be existing or transformative
Zoning and soil conditions
Key messages
› Design standards = obligatory (legal / regulatory design condition)
› Design conditions relate to much more; all factors or circumstances that
influence how an urban design / spatial vision turns out
› Both can change over time; design conditions more fluid than design
standards
› Planner’s have the power to intervene (directly and indirectly) and thereby
actively shape urban and rural environments
› Planner’s need to take design standards and conditions into account, but
through design also influence the conditions of human action (never the action
itself)
› Spatial design as transformative practice
L2 – Building Typologie
Types of residential buildings
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 2
, Most common residential building
types:
› Stand-alone family house
› Terraced houses
› Apartments
› (Mixed use)
Stand-alone houses
Detached or semi-detached
› Single family building
› Commonly two floors
› Usually with:
▪ Gardens
▪ Garages
Terraced houses
› = row houses (at least 3 grouped
together)
› Single family housing, vertical
separation
› Usually with gardens (front and / or
rear)
Apartments
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 3
, › Multi-story, multi-household
› Horizontal and vertical separation
› comes in different shapes (‘block’,
‘tower’, ‘courtyard’
every unit needs daylight
not to deep → 5 to 6 meters
Types of building blocks
Types of building use
› Living › Schools
› Working › Hospitals
› Shops › Nursing home
› Manufacturing › Cinema
› Office › Sport
Mixed use
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 4
Conditions
L1 -Introduction to the course
design standard: obligatory design requirements
stem from: building degrees, fire codes, environmental law, Electrical codes
design conditions: all factors or circumstances that influence how an urban
design/ spatial vision turns out (can be legal, procedural, social, cultural,
economic, environmental, … )
Design conditions can change with changes in the broader socio-spatial
environment (e.g. in terms of needs, values, preferences, technologies, and so
on’
Effective walking space’ – actual space requirement by pedestrians
‘Free walking space’ – actual space requirements plus additional passing space
‘Sidewalk width’ – full width from facade to curb incl. obstacles
changing design conditions → Amsterdam haarlemmerdijk (1900, 1971, 2013)
from walkeble to car centric to walk and bike → change in technologies
more recent: ‘Design for all’ → more space for example if walk with umbrella,
kinderwagen, with a cane
This course: understand complexity and variety of design standards and
conditions which influence urban transformation
- to comprehend forecast and provide workable frameworks, current and future
generations → changing nature and social spatial
Planners capacity
intervening indirect, trough rules and regulations
can only influence condition not the actions of individuals
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 1
, intent vs reality
There are no perfect formulas to design cities, no project can be
considered a final product or solution. Far from being merely a future
image or representation, a plan interacts with the context in relation to
temporary conditions
what agents can do and how
human action is always an expression of socio-cultural and material
conditions
try to be existing or transformative
Zoning and soil conditions
Key messages
› Design standards = obligatory (legal / regulatory design condition)
› Design conditions relate to much more; all factors or circumstances that
influence how an urban design / spatial vision turns out
› Both can change over time; design conditions more fluid than design
standards
› Planner’s have the power to intervene (directly and indirectly) and thereby
actively shape urban and rural environments
› Planner’s need to take design standards and conditions into account, but
through design also influence the conditions of human action (never the action
itself)
› Spatial design as transformative practice
L2 – Building Typologie
Types of residential buildings
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 2
, Most common residential building
types:
› Stand-alone family house
› Terraced houses
› Apartments
› (Mixed use)
Stand-alone houses
Detached or semi-detached
› Single family building
› Commonly two floors
› Usually with:
▪ Gardens
▪ Garages
Terraced houses
› = row houses (at least 3 grouped
together)
› Single family housing, vertical
separation
› Usually with gardens (front and / or
rear)
Apartments
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 3
, › Multi-story, multi-household
› Horizontal and vertical separation
› comes in different shapes (‘block’,
‘tower’, ‘courtyard’
every unit needs daylight
not to deep → 5 to 6 meters
Types of building blocks
Types of building use
› Living › Schools
› Working › Hospitals
› Shops › Nursing home
› Manufacturing › Cinema
› Office › Sport
Mixed use
Spatial Design Standards and Conditions 4
