Space Planning Written by Helen Hawver Georgia CTAE Resource Network 2010 Reference: or_design/plan/plans.htm or_design/plan/plans.htm

Typical Rooms in a Residence Rooms can be broken into three different categories ▫Private ▫Service ▫Public/Social

Private Examples: bedrooms and bathrooms These rooms provide a “get away” space for family members. Guests should not venture to these personal areas unless they are identified as specific guest spaces. Should be isolated to reduce noise and increase privacy

Service Examples: kitchen, laundry, utility, and garage These rooms are where a task or service take place such as, cooking, laundry, shop work, etc. Ensure these rooms are easy to access.

Public and Social Examples: dining room, living room, deck, patio, family room and entrances These rooms are common gathering rooms where families socialize with each other and with guests. These areas should be open to all traffic patterns

Space Room Relationships ▫Dictate how functional a space will be ▫Examples:  Dining area adjacent to the living room for convenience in entertaining  Kitchen should be adjacent to the dining room for ease in serving food.  Bathrooms should be located close to bedrooms for convenience and privacy.

Efficient Spaces Design direct access to the kitchen from the garage Design all your plumbing in one general area, reducing pipe distance Place your heating ventilation and air conditioning system as centrally as possible, allowing for better temperature balance throughout your house tips-for-smart-home-design.html

Efficient Spaces Bedrooms should be isolated to reduce noise and increase privacy. Place your washer and dryer on the same floor as bedrooms (for two or more story homes). Make sure all doorways, hallways, and stairways are wide enough to move furniture through. Make sure that light switches are placed appropriately to traffic flow and that outlets are conveniently placed. tips-for-smart-home-design.html

Traffic Patterns and Circulation Circulation is the route that people follow as they move from one place to another in the home. ▫3-4 feet of space should be allowed for circulation paths. ▫Avoid excessive hall space. ▫Persons with disabilities should be taken into consideration.  Wheelchairs and walkers need more room to turn corners and maneuver.

Traffic Patterns and Circulation Continued… Circulation Frequency refers to the number of times a route is repeated in any given period of time. ▫Routes with high circulation frequency are short and direct in a good floor plan ▫Related rooms should be close together, so those patterns should automatically be short in distance Rooms should not be cut in half due to circulation paths

Types of Circulation Family ▫Follows each member of the household throughout home; most complex ▫Not every family member will need to take the same patterns Work ▫The kitchen is generally the hub of work circulation  Work Triangle  Route between the sink, refrigerator, and range ▫Should not exceed 22 feet in length

Types of Circulation Continued… Service ▫Relates to the movement of people in and out of the home as they make service calls, deliver goods, read meters, take garbage out, etc… ▫Service areas generally bypass the private spaces in a home Guest ▫Involves movement from the entry to the coat closet and to the living room with access to a powder room ▫Overnight guests will need access to the guest bedroom and bathroom.

Would all members of your household have enough space to satisfy their needs? Are rooms grouped according to function? Are quiet areas away from public view and traffic? If a multipurpose room exists, can it be used for all intended purposes? Is space provided for entertaining as well as day-to-day living? Evaluating a Floor Plan

Evaluating a Floor Plan Continued… Are eating areas close to the kitchen? Are the entrances conveniently located? Are the traffic patterns safe and convenient? Is the house free of barriers? Is there ample storage space? Does the plan need to be modified for people with disabilities?