Architect Registration Examination (ARE) Project Planning and Design Syllabus

Project Planning and Design syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Project Planning and Design in Architect Registration Examination (ARE), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Design Concepts and Sustainability

   4 topics

   • Design parti and concept development
     • Translating program into spatial organization
     • Form, massing, and design intent
   • Passive and active sustainable strategies
     • Daylighting, shading, and natural ventilation
     • Renewable energy integration
   • Sustainability rating systems
     • LEED certification framework
     • Life-cycle assessment and embodied carbon
   • Site design and environmental response
2. 2

   Building Codes and Regulatory Compliance

   4 topics

   • Code analysis for design
     • Construction type and fire-resistance ratings
     • Allowable area and height with increases
   • Means of egress design
     • Occupant load and exit capacity
     • Travel distance and exit separation
   • Accessibility-compliant design
     • Accessible routes and clearances
     • Restroom and element accessibility
   • Energy code and envelope compliance
3. 3

   Building Systems Integration in Design

   4 topics

   • Structural systems selection
     • Gravity and lateral load systems
     • Material selection and grid coordination
   • Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing integration
     • Zoning and distribution strategies
     • Spatial allocation for systems
   • Vertical and horizontal circulation
     • Stair, ramp, and elevator design
     • Corridor and lobby planning
   • Acoustics, lighting, and environmental comfort
4. 4

   Materials, Assemblies, and Building Envelope

   4 topics

   • Material properties and selection
     • Performance, durability, and maintenance
     • Aesthetic and functional criteria
   • Building envelope design
     • Thermal, air, and moisture barriers
     • Wall, roof, and fenestration assemblies
   • Fire and life safety assemblies
   • Constructability and detailing principles

Project Planning and Design flashcards for Architect Registration Examination (ARE)

23 of 50 cards from the Project Planning and Design deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a design "parti" in architectural design?

   The central organizing idea or concept of a building's design — the fundamental scheme (often a simple diagram) that governs spatial organization, form, and the relationship of parts to the whole.

2. What is the difference between passive and active sustainable design strategies?

   Passive strategies use building form, orientation, and materials to control comfort without mechanical energy (e.g., shading, thermal mass, natural ventilation). Active strategies use energy-consuming systems and equipment (e.g., HVAC, photovoltaics, mechanical ventilation).

3. For passive solar design in the Northern Hemisphere, which building orientation maximizes winter solar gain and allows easy summer shading?

   A building elongated on the east-west axis with major glazing facing south, so high winter sun penetrates while high summer sun is easily blocked by horizontal overhangs.

4. What is thermal mass and how does it improve thermal comfort?

   Thermal mass is dense material (concrete, masonry, water) that absorbs, stores, and slowly releases heat. It dampens temperature swings, delaying and reducing peaks (time lag and decrement factor), keeping interiors more stable.

5. What is the stack effect and how is it used for passive ventilation?

   The stack (chimney) effect is the natural movement of air driven by temperature/density differences — warm air rises and exits high openings, drawing cooler air in through low openings. It drives buoyancy-driven natural ventilation.

6. Name the main LEED certification levels and their point thresholds (out of 110).

   Certified 40–49 points, Silver 50–59, Gold 60–79, Platinum 80+ points.

7. What does LEED stand for and who administers it?

   Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), with certification through GBCI.

8. What is the Living Building Challenge and how does it differ from LEED?

   A rigorous performance-based certification organized into seven "Petals" (Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity, Beauty). Unlike LEED's point system, it requires net-positive performance verified over 12 months of actual operation.

9. What does a building's "orientation and massing" response to site climate aim to balance?

   Optimizing solar access, daylighting, prevailing breezes for ventilation, and shading/wind protection — balancing heat gain in cooling climates against heat retention in heating climates.

10. In site design, what is the purpose of a contour grading plan?

    To show existing and proposed topography with contour lines, managing surface drainage, slopes, cut-and-fill balance, and accessibility while directing stormwater away from buildings.

11. What is the difference between cut and fill in site grading, and why is balancing them desirable?

    Cut is excavated material removed; fill is added soil to raise grade. Balancing cut and fill on site minimizes hauling material on or off site, reducing cost and environmental impact.

12. What three pieces of information define the occupancy and use of a space in a building code analysis?

    The occupancy classification (use group), the occupant load, and the construction type — which together govern allowable area, height, and required egress and fire protection.

13. List the major occupancy group classifications in the International Building Code (IBC).

    A (Assembly), B (Business), E (Educational), F (Factory/Industrial), H (High-hazard), I (Institutional), M (Mercantile), R (Residential), S (Storage), and U (Utility/Miscellaneous).

14. How is occupant load calculated in the IBC?

    Occupant load = floor area divided by the occupant load factor (area per occupant) from the code table for that use. The factors use gross or net area depending on the occupancy.

15. What are the five IBC construction types and what do they describe?

    Types I through V, describing the fire-resistance/combustibility of structural elements: Type I (noncombustible, highest rated), II (noncombustible), III (noncombustible exterior, combustible interior), IV (heavy timber/mass timber), V (combustible, least restrictive).

16. Define "means of egress" and its three required components.

    A continuous, unobstructed path of travel from any point in a building to a public way. Its three parts are the exit access, the exit, and the exit discharge.

17. What is the difference between common path of egress travel and travel distance?

    Common path of egress travel is the portion you must traverse before reaching a point with two separate exit paths. Travel distance is the total length from the most remote point to an exit; both are code-limited by occupancy.

18. How is required egress width per occupant typically determined in the IBC?

    Multiply occupant load by the egress width factor: commonly 0.3 inch per occupant for stairways and 0.2 inch per occupant for other components (level/doors), reduced to 0.2 and 0.15 with sprinklers and alarms.

19. When is a second exit (two exits) generally required from a space or story per the IBC?

    When the occupant load or common path of travel exceeds code limits — generally when occupant load exceeds the table threshold (often 49 or as low as 30 for certain high-hazard uses) or the common path is exceeded.

20. Under the ADA/ANSI A117.1, what is the minimum clear width of an accessible route and an accessible door opening?

    Accessible route minimum clear width is 36 inches (32 inches at a point such as a doorway, for a depth up to 24 inches). A door must provide 32 inches clear with the door open 90 degrees.

21. What is the maximum running slope and cross slope of an ADA-compliant ramp?

    Maximum running slope 1:12 (8.33%), maximum cross slope 1:48 (about 2%). Maximum rise of 30 inches per run, with level landings at top, bottom, and changes of direction.

22. What is the required clear floor space for a single wheelchair, and the turning space dimensions?

    A clear floor space of 30 by 48 inches for a stationary wheelchair. Turning space is either a 60-inch-diameter circle or a T-shaped space within a 60-inch square.

23. What is a building "climate zone" map used for in energy code compliance?

    ASHRAE/IECC climate zones (1 hottest to 8 coldest) set minimum insulation R-values, U-factors, and envelope requirements appropriate to local heating and cooling demands.

See more Project Planning and Design flashcards →

Planning Project Planning and Design for Architect Registration Examination (ARE)

Project Planning and Design (Architect Registration Examination (ARE)) FAQ