Architectural and interior design services

Facility Programming

The purpose of doing a facility programming is to define the multiple needs and wishes that has to be satisfied in order for the building and its interior spaces to be gratifying to its owners and users. Its main objective is ultimately to define the optimum size of a prospective project.  Again, this pre-design activity shall be taken at the very inception of a project.

Facility programming involves in a first time the gathering of critical information, which should be undertaken jointly by both the client and the architect. The focus of the data collected shall aim at defining with a good degree of accuracy the overall intent of the project and the minute particularities of each of its components. During that process, all the functions of the future facility will be clearly identified complete with their respective required floor area and the volume and/or frequency of the activities to be taking place within each spaces. Furthermore, the importance of the relationship between the various functions/spaces shall be emphasized, complete with their expected environmental qualities, their possible storage requirements, their essential furnishing providing even basic furniture layouts. 

At the end, a report will be produced, which will describe in detail the components of the ideal finished project. In addition to the obvious floor space requirements, the report will define the client's mission, vision for the future and the desired public image to be interpreted through architecture and interior design.  The report will also describe the necessary site  requirements, e.g., accessibility, parking, etc., the available budget and the expected occupancy date.

Several techniques can be used to collect the necessary information. The architect or interior designer might research existing documentation and facilities similar in nature; he/she can make on site observations of the type of activities that are expected to be housed; or a survey could be carried using questionnaires or through direct interactions with the end users.