Interior Space Planning Floor Plans

House Plan Successful housing evidences well-designed space planning and room arrangement How do you want to live? What makes sense for your lifestyle, wants & needs

Floor Plan outline of space The plan of an interior space. The way the rooms are arranged & how the spaces within the house are used outline of space delineates the structural elements that physically limit & enclose the space Helps you decide where to place furniture

Elevation Gives you a straight on view as if you were standing in front of a wall Technical drawing, drawn to scale

Interior Zoning Concept All 3 zones should be present in a floor plan Interior zones should not be split Household members should not have to cross through the middle of one zone to get to another

Activities 5 basic types of activities that each require certain types of spaces Social—involve people from outside the family Family—involve family members Individual—involve only one person Private—require visual & audio privacy Work—accomplish a specific task

3 Basic Zones of a House Activities are used to divide the home Living/Social/Public zone—where social & family activities occur (LR, DR, Entrance & Power); non-family members are allowed Private zone—where individual & private activities occur (Bedrooms & Bathrooms) Work zone—where work activities that support the household’s lifestyle occur (Kitchen, Laundry & Home Office)

What zone of the house do these rooms fit into?

Buffers Buffers can separate zones: walls doors closets room dividers large-scale furniture Can also place on different levels

3 Basic Interior Zones 1 – Living and Social Area Living room, dining room, family room, game room, great rooms, entry ways, porches, dining etc.

3 Basic Interior Zones 2 Service/Work -Kitchen, Garage, Office, Basement, Utility/Laundry room.

Laundry area—near kitchen, service entry or bedrooms; choices based on lifestyles

Plumbing—concentrated by situating kitchens, laundry areas & bathrooms next to each other or stacked

3 Basic Interior Zones 3 Sleeping/Private- Bedroom, Bathroom, Closets and Dressing rooms.

Privacy—highly valued -private bath for householder -private den or study -secluded and not in direct sight nor sound transfer

Color your floor plan On your note taking guide: Color all of the living/social areas in blue Color all of the sleeping/private areas in green Color all of the work/service areas in orange

Traffic Patterns or Circulation Path The route that people follow as they move from one place to another. Minor Traffic Paths should allow 1.5- 4 feet Major Traffic Paths should allow 4-6 feet Types – Family, Work & Service, Guest

Circulation Avoid going through middle of rooms Don’t interfere with good furniture arrangement nor interrupt activities Don’t interfere with private zone Don’t go through kitchen work area Easy access from kitchen to rest of house Direct access from entrance to clean-up area Short paths to conserve human energy

Good Family Circulation Bathrooms should be close to bedrooms. Indoor living next to outdoor living area’s Other related rooms close to each other. High use routes should be short and simple.

Guest Circulation Entry, living, dining, powder room or ½ bath not in private area’s of the home, porches, patios, entertainment rooms. Ask Yourself: How to guests travel to the living room when you are entertaining? Do they have to go through private areas of your home? How do they get to the powder room? Is the kitchen handy for serving food and drinks to your guests when you are entertaining? http://www.home-decorating-room-by-room.com/trafficpatterns.html

Important Room Relationships Bathroom & Bedroom Kitchen & Dining Mudroom & Garage Garage & Kitchen Kitchen and outdoor living space Living and dining areas Can you think of others?

Other Aspects of Good Work Circulation Easy access to the basement, garage and storage areas. Clothes care center in a convenient location.

Ask yourself these Questions Can the cook prepare a meal without worrying about constantly walking into someone going by? If people can eat in their rooms or living areas, can they get there without leaving a trail through the entire house? If you spend a lot of time grilling outside on the patio, is it convenient to the inside food prep area? Do you have to walk through to the other end of the house to reach the outdoor grill? Can you bring the groceries right in from the outside without having to go through the living room?

How to Draw Traffic Patterns Use arrows to indicate where people would walk in the space

Draw the traffic pattern on the floor plan on your note taking guide

Open Space Planning Where living, dining & kitchen areas are all combined in one large area with no walls separating them Advantages: -reduced construction costs -reduced time for cleaning & upkeep -perception of larger spaces -increase of space available -flexibility -more effective transmission of air

Closed Floor Plans Have separate rooms Walls and door separate the space Traditional

Scale Drawing to scale means that each square on a graph paper represents a given number of feet, inches, or centimeters. Most residential plans are drawn in ¼” =1ft To create a scale drawing you must measure the room and furnishings.

7 things you should measure when creating a floor plan Length & Width of Room Location of : Doors Windows (including mouldings) 4. Closets 5. Fireplaces 6. Electrical Supply 7. Radiators

Common Blueprint Symbols

Orientation The way a housing unit is situated on the lot Affects space plan’s efficiency & arrangement East-west orientation is best Passive solar heating in winter + snow on driveway melts quicker Position windows to take advantage of cross breezes Landscaping to buffer winter winds & provide shade in summer

Project Indicate zones—public, work & private Does it meet the 3 zoning principles? Identify buffers Are they adequate for visual & acoustical privacy, & dividing zones? Draw arrows for major circulation routes Do they meet recommendations? Is it an open floor plan? (show it on plan) Anything you especially like or dislike?