The Architect's Studio Companion: Rules of Thumb for Preliminary Design

Expert technical guidance for the earliest stages of building design This laborsaving resource reduces complex engineering and building code information to simple approximations that can be easily incorporated into initial design explorations. It helps architects prepare buildable preliminary designs as a realistic basis for the more detailed design development stage that will follow.

Completely revised to reference the new International Building Code, this fully updated Third Edition responds to the growing interest in sustainable design solutions with a new section on daylighting. Like its predecessors, this new edition offers quick access to reliable rules of thumb that offer vital help for:

Selecting, configuring, and sizing the structural system Selecting heating and cooling systems Configuring and sizing mechanical and electrical systems Configuring and sizing egress systems Designing within building code height and area limitations The Architect's Studio Companion, Third Edition is a recommended study reference for the Building Planning section of the Architect's Registration Exam and an invaluable sourcebook that can save architects time and effort throughout their careers.