DESIGN

Evaluate all elements of property asset design and documentation both in their component parts and as an integrated project to establish their alignment with market need, cost, efficiency, utility, performance, and compliance with regulatory agency requirements.

 

 As part of our LDEV 668 class, my teammate Jimmy Caracheo & I were assigned to create a Residential Design & Site Layout. For this assignment, we were provided with a scaled drawing of the boundary, and topography of a tract of land of approximately 41.83 acres. With this tract of land, we acted as a developer who was interested in determining the Economic & Physical Feasibility to yield the most lots. Although this may sound like a simple task, we still had to keep in mind both the Market & Demand for certain Lot-Types, Building-Pad dimensions, and Zoning Requirements of the city (minimum front lot width).

 This assignment required an adequately scaled design in which we could either use AutoCAD or hand-drawn drafting methods with the use of a Protractor and Engineer’s Scale. My partner and I decided to challenge ourselves, and test our drafting skills. As part of our assignment, we needed:

  • 50’ ROW widths for all internal residential streets, collectors that intersect with the arterial on the southern border have 80’ “throats”

  • Minimum 50’wide lot; minimum lot depth = 120’, minimum area = 6,000 sqft.  (point to point, max of 6,000 sqft.)

  • Maximum 1,000’ block lengths

  • Maximum 600’ cul-de-sac lengths

  • 20’landscape/screening wall easement (buffer) adjacent to the main thoroughfare on the southern boundary

  • Two points of access from the main thoroughfare; one point of access on the east and western boundaries, no access on the northern boundary

  • 25’ front building line setback, minimum 5’ side yard setback and minimum 25’ rear yard setback

  • Additional 15’ building line setback on side yards bordering streets

  • Minimum building pad size = 40’w x 70’d

Through this assignment I learned how to pay close attention to detail, understand the importance of market demand & need, proper use of an engineering scale, and the significance of zoning regulations (such as fire lane widths and cul-de-sac angles).