Design Consideration Checklist

Introduction

Parking

Public Open Space

Private Open Space

Landscaping

Building Location

Building Shape

Building Appearance

Building Layout

Unit Layout

Visit the Checklist early and often. It can help at any stage of the development process: from early conceptual thinking and context analysis through participatory planning and schematic design. It can also be a fun place to browse. The result will be a better understanding of what makes up good design and the ability to put this knowledge to work on your own projects. The wide, meandering path in this Los Gatos, California courtyard broadens at special areas where seating is provided. The large roofs on this Detroit quadruplex clearly helps to relate the form to its neighbors. This entry patio is large enough to comfortably handle plants, bikes and people coming and going. Furniture would also be easy to add. See Gallery for more Examples. Print the Checklist

Welcome to the Design Considerations Checklist - one of the core components of the Affordable Housing Design Advisor.

The Checklist was created to ensure that key issues - those with the greatest potential to impact design quality - are considered from the earliest phases of the development process and that no opportunities for achieving design excellence are overlooked.

The Checklist contains over 60 key "design considerations" that have been organized into nine major categories. Click on a category or go directly to a specific consideration from the list below. When you get there you'll see a short description (that can also be printed out) plus a series of drawings or photos illustrating the key concepts. All the illustrations are drawn from "real world" affordable housing projects from around the country and, if you click on the project name, you can go directly to a more complete description of the project in the Gallery section.

PARKING Overall Impact Access and Surveillance Vehicle/Pedestrian Interaction Car Maintenance Security Parking Podiums PUBLIC OPEN SPACE Outdoor Rooms Access Boundaries Surveillance Play Areas Nighttime Lighting PRIVATE OPEN SPACE Private Outdoor Space for All Dwelling Units Adequate Size Balconies Fencing Storage LANDSCAPING Landscaping is Not a Secondary Consideration Plantings Appropriate Plantings Paved Areas Edges Outdoor Seating Paths Storage BUILDING LOCATION Site Entry and Circulation Setbacks Climate Considerations

BUILDING SHAPE Building Height Building Scale and Massing Building Form BUILDING APPEARANCE Image Visual Complexity Windows Front Doors Facade Roof Shape Size and Rhythm of Openings Trim and Details Materials and Color Individual Identity BUILDING LAYOUT Entries Central Facilities and Common Rooms Support and Service Areas Stairs Elevators Access Corridors Security UNIT LAYOUT Entry Room Relationships Room Design Unit Mix Dining Rooms Bathrooms Light and Ventilation Storage Space Window Views Materials Appliances and Mechanical Systems

For a thorough guide to current Federal requirements for universal access - together with information on other, voluntary accessibility design tools - please refer to the resources in HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at www.hud.gov/fairhousing