An art studio in Fargo, North Dakota is being laid out on a greenfield site. The project includes five private painter studios, a gallery space, a public lobby, and public restrooms. The painter studios will have floor to ceiling glass.
What direction should painter studios face?
The answer is North. I understand location a painter studio can get benefit from good lighting. However, I assume Fargo is a windy city, don’t we need to think about heating loss in winter? Is that a good choice to place the studio with glazing on the North?
Hi @jguo; I don’t blame you, this is worded…interestingly. So, the first thing that comes to mind in North Dakota is cold winters. I agree with your analysis that heating this building is going to increase costs if the north face is floor to ceiling glass. Because the question is only mentioning the programmatic elements, we need to focus on those over other building considerations (HVAC, structure, etc). Facing the studio north allows for consistent, indirect light throughout the day, which is ideal for artwork.
The project location seems to be a red herring here. On the exam itself I think you’ll find the questions are a little more specific in what they’re looking for. That said, always keep in mind that NCARB only wants you to answer what they’re asking; if the question mentioned concerns about operating costs or heat loss, then we would throw the project location into consideration.