Chapter 8

Room Relationships and Sizes

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Links for Chapter 8

Floor Plan Design

Living Area

Sleeping Area

Service Area

Kitchen Area

Traffic Patterns

Accessibility

Related Web Sites

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Floor Plan Design Considerations

• Number of inhabitants and their age and sex

• Family activities

• Desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms

• Desired kitchen appliances

• Budget and home style

• Intended length of stay

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Living Area• These rooms include:

– entry/foyer– living room– family room– dining room– den/study/office– nook

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Entry• Main entry is the focal

point of the house and provides protection against the weather

• Service entry is used by the family between the house and garage, yard, or service areas

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Foyer

• Used to greet guests, hang coats, and provide access to the rest of the home

• Should create a warm, inviting feeling and enhance traffic flow

• Keep foyer proportional in size to the rest of the house

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Living Room• Designed according to the needs and interests

of the homeowner• Size is determined by the typical number of

guests that will be entertained• If there is no family room, this room is used for

formal entertaining and quite conversation• Usually placed near the entry and a few steps

down

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Family Room

• Most used room in the house

• Used for many different activities for a variety of people

• Minimum size should be 13’ x 16’

• Air must be able to circulate if there is a wood stove or fireplace

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Dining Room

• Located near the kitchen for easy serving and the living room for easy passage

• Small dining is 9’ x 11’ minimum

• Formal dining is about 11’ x 14’

• Maintain room to walk (about 42”) around an occupied chair at the table

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Nook and Den/Study/Office

• Nook needs to be near the dining and kitchen areas for family meals

• Den, study, or office is used for quite reading and study

• Home theaters are used to show high-quality movies for about 8 to 12 people

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Sleeping Area

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Sleeping Area

• Number of bedrooms will depend on the size of the family and the ages of the children

• A minimum of two sleeping rooms should be provided

• Keep plumbing away from bedroom walls by placing a closet between them

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Bedrooms

• Place on the southeast side of the house• Minimum size is 70 sq. ft. and 100 sq. ft. if

financed by the FHA• Master bedroom should have additional space

for sitting and bathing• Minimum of 24” on each side of the bed

should be provided

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Closets• Closets are not required according to code• Males need at least 48” and females 72”• Minimum of 30” is needed to prevent wrinkling

of clothes• Can be used to buffer noise between rooms• Master bedrooms should have a walk-in closet

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Service Area

• These rooms include bath, kitchen, and utility rooms and garage

• Keep service areas together to minimize plumbing needs

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Bathrooms

• Types of bathrooms– Half-bath - lavatory and toilet

– Three-quarter - half-bath plus a shower

– Full bath - half-bath plus a tub/shower

– Bathroom suite - full bath plus enlarged tub

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Bathrooms

• Each bathroom should have an individual access

• Two-story house needs two full bathrooms

• Place bathrooms back-to-back to reduce the amount of plumbing

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Kitchen• Locate near dining area

• Windows usually allow for supervision of children

• Keep near garage or carport for easy grocery unloading

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Kitchen Areas

• Storage Area– Needed 18” beside refrigerator

– Upper cabinets are 12” wide and base cabinets are 24” wide

• Preparation Area– Includes sink, cooking units, and clear

counter

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Kitchen Areas

• Cleaning Center– Includes sink, garbage disposal, and

dishwasher

– Double sink is 32” x 21” and wider

– Dish storage should be near the dishwasher

– Do not include a garbage disposal in a septic system

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Work Triangle

• Formed by drawing a line between the preparation, storage, and cleaning areas

• This maintains traffic flow and efficiency in preparing food

• Additional appliances will affect the management of the kitchen areas

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Work Triangle

• No side should be less than 4’ or more than 7’ long

• Sum or the triangle sides should be at least 15’ but not more than 22’

• Traffic flow should not pass through the triangle

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Work Triangle

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Counter Arrangements

• Straight - Used in small units

• Corridor or Galley - Cabinets are on two parallel walls that are at least 48” apart

• L-Shaped - Cabinets are on adjacent walls and helps eliminate traffic

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Counter Arrangements

• U-Shaped - Ideal for large kitchens with at least 60” between facing cabinets

• Peninsula - An additional leg is added to an L- or U-shaped kitchen design

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Counter Arrangements

• Island - Added to any kitchen design and provides additional counter space

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Cabinet Sizes

• Overhead Cabinets– 12”-18” deep

– 30”-33” above counter

– 12”-18” above appliance

– 9”-48” wide

• Base Cabinets– 24”-36” deep

– 36” high

– 9”-48” wide

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Appliance Arrangements

• Sink in front of a window

• Sink should promote easy movement between the other work areas

• Avoid placing sink and dishwasher on different counters

• Place refrigerator near service area and sink

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Utility Room• Space needed for

cleaning and caring for clothes and long term storage

• Place near the kitchen or bedroom

• Include a laundry chute if possible

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Garage or Carport

• Minimum space for single car is 11’ x 20’

• Minimum space for two cars is 21’ x 21’

• Additional space may be needed for other equipment or a workshop

• Blend into the rest of the residence

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Traffic Patterns

• Traffic Flow - The route people follow as they move from one area to another

• Circulation pathways should be between 36” and 48”

• A sunroom or solarium is used to bring the outside into the interior living areas

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Traffic Patterns - Inside/Outside

• A court is at exterior grade level and enclosed by three or more walls

• A patio is a ground-level made of concrete, stone, brick, or treated wood

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Traffic Patterns - Inside/Outside

• A balcony is above ground that projects from a wall or building with no additional supports

• A porch is an enclosed patio or deck

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Universal Accessibility

• 9’-0” parking space is required

• Doors need a 32” clearance

• A 60” square required for a 360° wheelchair turn

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Universal Accessibility

• Countertops should be 30” to 32” high

• Refrigerator should have side-by-side doors

• Install grab bars next to toilets, tubs, and showers

• Include nonskid floor surfaces in bathroom

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Universal Accessibility

• Changes in elevation between outside and the front door require a ramp of no more than a 1:12 slope with 30” maximum rise

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Related Web Sites• International Interior Design Association -

www.iida.com• Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers - www.kcma.org• National Spa and Pool Institute - www.nspi.org• National Sunroom Association -

www.glasswebsite.com/nsa