Programming the Built Environment

Architectural programming – the analysis of any given environment to satisfy users’ needs – has become a given prerequisite to the design process. The programming process is often a complicated users’ present and future needs must be identified; space allowances, often predetermined, must be considered; equipment must be accommodated; all in the most cost-effective way possible. The variety of user groups is as wide as the variety of functions architecture can shelter; moreover, the different structures and needs of clients that fall within the same use classification differs so greatly that every program presents a new challenge. You cannot, for example, use the same program for every hospital you design. In Programming the Built Environment , first published in 1985, noted architect Wolfgang F. E. Preiser has compiled a wide range of architectural programs demonstrating applications of basic principles for different client groups. This book will be of interest to students of architecture and planning.