Open Source Architectural Database (OSAD)

Open Source Architectural Databases (OSAD) are lists of building plans maintained by each town that fit their architectural, engineering, and environmental standards. Building plans in the OSAD are pre-approved for construction, minimizing time and cost.

History

On Deseret there are many building standards that are mandated by the local and federal government. Although these standards exist to ensure that buildings on Deseret are the safest and longest lasting they can be, they have been known to be intimidating to developers. Combined with the various committees required to get a building plan authorized it is sometimes easier for developers to refurbish existing buildings rather than construct new ones.

One solution developed on Old Earth and applied systematically on Deseret is for towns to maintain their own list of pre-approved building plans that fit all their building standards. Developers who choose these plans can start construction in weeks instead of the months or years that would occur when trying to get an original plan approved.

Standards

Architectural

Architectural standards in a city's OSAD foster predictable built results and a high-quality public space by using physical form as an organizing principle.  These standards address the relationship between the outward appearance of buildings and the public realm, the form and mass of buildings in relation to one another, and the scale and types of streets and blocks.  
Examples of Architectural Standards

• Exterior building color
• Type or style of exterior cladding material
• Style or materials of roof structures, roof pitches, or porches
• Exterior nonstructural architectural ornamentation
• Location, design, placement, or architectural styling of windows and doors
• The number and types of rooms
• The interior layout of rooms
• The minimum square footage of a structure

Rivendell is known for the most demanding architectural standards in their OSAD, using them to create and foster the Elven Style architecture that the city is known for. 

Engineering

Engineering Standards exist to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.
Examples of Engineering Standards

• Air flow and quality inside of buildings
• Resistance to water damage
• Durability or how long the building is predicted to remain standing
• Resistance to seismic activity
• Flame resistance
• Exit routes in and out of the building during a disaster

Ocean Forest has many engineering standards in its OSAD that deal with how resistant building plans must be to damage from flooding and seismic activity.  

Environmental

Environmental standards seek to minimize the negative impact on the environment caused by buildings through regulating efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space and the ecosystem at large.  These standards were of particular concern in the early years of Deseret for two reasons.  First, because colonists were deeply concerned about harming a planet and its ecosystems that they knew nothing about.  Second, because early colonists depended on tools and methods of energy creation and water purification that they would not be able to replicate for many years.  It was imperative that new buildings place the least amount of strain on the colony's resources as possible.
Examples of Environmental Standards

• Heating, ventilation and cooling system efficiency
• Renewable energy generation
• Sustainable building materials
• Waste management
• Building placement

The OSAD of Taumata is known for it's sustainable building plans.  Buildings in the city are famed for requiring almost no heating or cooling year round, as well as incorporating renewable energy creation into the ornamentation of the building.  Gurneyist Architecture is one of the cities most recognizable forms, one that is increasing in popularity planet wide.

Payout

One of the most appealing aspects of OSAD for architects are the royalties they can earn off tax revenue. Most cities on Deseret award 5% of the tax revenue generated from a building to the architect or architectural firm that submitted the building plan.

It is common for young and ambitious architects to create a portfolio of 5-10 building plans for acceptance into their town's OSAD. If their works are popular they have secured a passive income and generally attract the attention of firms looking to hire up and coming stars in the architectural world.