Floor Plan Basics in Architectural Design

FLOOR PLAN BASICS
Learning Targets
 Evaluate the various activity
zones in a home.
 Identify factors to consider
when evaluating a floor plan.
 Analyze the advantages and
drawbacks of various floor
plans.
Floor Plan
 A diagram that shows the
arrangement of rooms.
 Presented as if viewed from above.
 Includes information about size &
location of:
 Walls
 Doors
 Windows
 Stairs
 Closets
 Cabinets
Activity Zones
 Private: space for sleeping, relaxing,
bathing, dressing, etc.
 Ex: bedrooms, bathrooms
 Service: where household work is
done.
 Ex: laundry room, workshop, garage,
kitchen
 Social: part of the home for activities
and entertainment
 Ex: living, dining, family, & recreation
rooms, hallways, deck/patio etc.
Activity Zones
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
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
Interior Zoning Concept
 Buffers can separate zones:
walls
doors
closets
room dividers
large-scale furniture
Can also place on different levels

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
Types of Floor Plans
 Open
 Few dividing walls separate rooms
 Spacious
 Flexibility for entertaining
 Closed
 Walls separate rooms; self-
contained
 Greater privacy
 Better zone separation
Open or Closed?
Open or Closed?
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
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
Orientation
Kitchen—primary work area
4 steps to planning an efficient
kitchen:
 Convenient work space & access
 Configuration of basic work
centers: countertops, cabinet
storage, appliances & food
preparation
 Suitable space standards
 Plan for efficient task operation
Evaluating Floor Plans
 Zones
 Traffic Patterns
 People should be able to walk freely
from room to room
 Hallways should be as short as possible
 0.80 – 1.20 m. for circulation
 Size & Shape of Rooms
 Economy of Construction
 Place areas of plumbing back to back
 Useable Wall Space
 Not broken by doors & windows
 Storage
Floor Plan Options
 One-Level
 Two-Level
 Split-Level
 Split-Entry
Terms to Know
 Blueprint
 Architectural/construction drawing
 Architectural Symbols
 Shorthand that uses symbols to
represent structures and furnishings
 Scale Drawing
 Drawing done on graph paper where
each square represents a specific
measurement
 Template
 Cutouts of furnishings that can be traced
onto a scale drawing
ARRANGING FURNITURE
Learning Targets
 Understand common blueprint
symbols.
 Understand clearance space.
 Create functional furniture
arrangements.
 Complete a scale drawing of a
room and its furnishings.
Arranging Furniture
 Consider Structural Features
 Don’t block doors, windows, vents,
or outlets
 Determine the function of the room

 Activities that take place in the
room
 Create functional groupings

 Place pieces together that meet
one purpose or activity
Arranging Furniture
 Arrange your major furnishings
first
 then, accessorize!
 Divide large rooms into

functional areas
 Use furniture as dividers
 Create a focal point

Arranging Furniture
 Consider traffic patterns
 Logical and Convenient
 Walk easily from place to place
 Consider standard clearance

space
 Furniture styles should be

consistent with the style of the
home
Arranging Furniture
 Avoid placing large furniture pieces
on diagonals
 Wasted spaced
 Consider design elements &

principles
 Consider views from one part of the

home to another
 Use groupings to direct attention toward
or away from certain views
Arranging Furniture
 Use open planning techniques
 Make small rooms appear larger
 Be careful not to
overcrowd!
SCALE DRAWING BASICS
Learning Targets
 Understand various types of
architectural drawings.
symbols.
 Use proper clearance space on a
scale drawing.
arrangements.
Terms to Know
 Blueprint
 Architectural/construction drawing
 Architectural Symbols
 Shorthand that uses symbols to
represent structures and furnishings
 Scale Drawing
 Drawing done on graph paper where
each square represents a specific
measurement
 Template
 Cutouts of furnishings that can be traced
onto a scale drawing
Drawing to Scale
 Various Scales
 1”=1’
 1/2”=1’
 1/4”=1’
 A 1/2 inch scale means the

drawing is one-half the size of
the object it represents
 The smaller the scale, the more
general the information
Using Graph Paper
 1/4” = 1’
 Therefore, each square
represents 1 ft.
 If your measurements are given
in inches, convert to feet by
dividing the number of inches
by 12
 Ex: 36 inch = 3 ft.
 Draw a line that covers 3 squares
 How would you draw 6.5 ft.?
Starting to Draw
 Outline dimensions of the room
first
 Add structural details (windows,
doors, closets, outlets, etc.) by
using the blueprint symbols
 Add large furniture first, then
smaller furniture & accessories
 Consider Clearance Space
 Label Traffic Patterns
OTHER DRAWINGS
Learning Targets
 Understand various types of
architectural drawings.
symbols.
 Use proper clearance space on a
scale drawing.
arrangements.
Professional Drawings
 Elevations
 Show vertical surfaces as if viewed
by someone standing on the
ground or floor.
 See page 473 in your textbook
 Pictorial
 Shows several surfaces in the
room simultaneously
 One or Two Point
Professional Drawings
 Rendering
 Shows realistic details such as
textures, shadows, shadings, and
colors
 Overlay
 Sheet of transparent material that
is placed over a basic drawing.
 Can show alternative color
schemes, furniture arrangements,
etc.

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What are the different types of floor plans discussed in the document?

What are the different zones in a home and what activities typically take place in each?

FLOOR PLAN BASICS

 Social—involve people from outside

 All 3 zones should be present in

Can also place on different levels

 Determine the function of the room

 Create functional groupings

 Divide large rooms into

 Create a focal point

 Consider standard clearance

 Furniture styles should be

 Consider design elements &

 Consider views from one part of the

 A 1/2 inch scale means the

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