June 99
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CRITERIA
FOR NATIONAL CEMETERY PROJECTS
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
1.
GENERAL:
1.1
All VA National Cemetery facilities follow the Uniform
Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA), and this design criteria for
buildings and site accessibility.
1.2
This section provides the VA architectural requirements
and criteria to follow in executing your contract. Experience
has shown that firms who study the criteria in the A/E
package prior to starting work on their projects have a
better understanding of the level of effort expected of them
by VA and, hence, do a better job with fewer mistakes or
conflicts with VA standards or criteria.
1.3
The VA has found that the best design solution for a project
occurs when the complete project team formed by the A/E
has input at the time of early schematics.
1.4
The A/E's team, planners, architects, landscape architects,
engineers, and consultants are required to work together
from the inception of the project and must make sure that
all engineering disciplines are coordinated with the
architectural programming requirements of the project.
Exercise care to provide design solutions that will meet the
construction standards, space requirements, equipment
layouts, and vertical and horizontal clearances shall be
resolved by the final design development submission.
Where possible, incorporate the mechanical equipment
space into the building envelope in a manner that avoids
the need for a screen.
1.5
CODES:
a.
The latest editions of the National Fire Codes including
the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101);
b.
The Uniform Building Code;
c.
The requirements of the latest Occupational Safety
and Health Standards (OSHA) published by the
Secretary of Labor;
1.6
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS: Your proposal may
include the use of any building material and any method of
VA Design Guide -- National Cemetery Administration
Page 5 -2
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