Building Construction Illustrated 6th Edition – Francis D. K. Ching

Building construction do not exist in isolation. They are conceived to house, support, and inspire a range of human activities in response to sociocultural, economic, and political needs, and are erected in natural and built environments that constrain as well as offer opportunities for development. We should therefore carefully consider the contextual forces that a site presents in planning
the design and construction of buildings. The microclimate, topography, and natural habitat of a site all influence design decisions at a very early stage in the design process. To enhance human comfort as well as conserve energy and material resources, responsive and sustainable design
respects the indigenous qualities of a place, adapts the form
and layout of a building to the landscape, and takes into
account the path of the sun, the rush of the wind, and the flow of water on a site. In addition to environmental forces, there exist the regulatory forces of zoning ordinances. These regulations take into account existing land-use patterns and prescribe the acceptable uses and activities for a site as well as limit the size and shape of the building mass and where it may be located on the site. Just as environmental and regulatory factors influence where and how development occurs, the construction, use, and maintenance of buildings inevitably place a demand on transportation systems, utilities, and other services. A fundamental question we face is how much development a site can sustain without exceeding the capacity of these service systems, consuming too much energy, or causing environmental damage. Building Construction.