ID POST key terms

A grid that rates how closely each pair of rooms or zones should sit next to one another, turning a client's wish list into a numeric basis for blocking out a floor plan.

A loose planning sketch of circles sized by area and linked by lines showing required relationships, used before walls and dimensions are fixed so that priorities can be tested cheaply.

Grouping rooms by activity, noise level, or privacy so that public, service, and private areas occupy distinct bands of the plan and conflicting uses do not share a wall.

The route people walk between entries, rooms, and stairs. Its width, directness, and freedom from furniture pinch points determine whether a layout feels generous or cramped.

The unobstructed dimension between finished surfaces, fixtures, or furnishings along a route or within a work zone, measured at the narrowest point rather than at framing.

The circular space a wheelchair or scooter needs to reverse direction, commonly a 60-inch diameter for a full turn and a T-shaped or smaller area for limited turns.

A continuous, firm, slip-resistant path connecting accessible parking, entries, and usable rooms without steps, with compliant slopes, widths, and maneuvering space at doors.

A dwelling unit built to enhanced visitability criteria, with features such as wider doors, reinforced bath walls, and reachable controls that make later adaptation easier without full redesign.

The continuous route from any occupied point to a public way, including door swing, corridor width, travel distance, and protection of the path from fire or smoke.

A level platform at the top or bottom of a stair or between flights, sized to allow a person to pause and a door to swing clear of the stair treads.

The vertical rise and horizontal run of a single stair step. Consistent geometry within a flight prevents tripping, and the sum of rise plus run guides comfortable proportions.

The vertical clearance above a floor, stair, or landing measured to the nearest obstruction, checked at stairs, sloped ceilings, and under beams or ductwork.

The finished underside of a projecting element such as a beam, stair, cabinet run, or dropped ceiling, often used to conceal ductwork, plumbing, or structural framing.

A vertical shaft enclosed by walls that carries plumbing, ductwork, or wiring between floors, sized and located early because it constrains both plan layout and structural framing.

A wall grouping plumbing fixtures back to back so supply and drain lines share one run, reducing pipe length, cost, and the number of penetrations through framing.

The dimensions locating supply and drain connections relative to the finished wall, needed to order sinks, toilets, and tubs and to verify they will fit the framed opening.

A wall that carries weight from floors or roof above to the foundation. Removing or altering it requires engineered transfer of loads, not just a cosmetic patch.

A horizontal structural member spanning an opening in a wall to carry loads above it, sized by span and load and often concealed within the wall or ceiling assembly.

Solid framing installed between studs or joists to provide secure anchorage for cabinets, grab bars, railings, or heavy fixtures where the finish alone cannot hold a fastener.

A securely anchored bar at a bathtub, shower, or toilet that a person grips for balance, installed at specified heights and locations and backed by framing or approved anchors.

A device sensing smoke and sounding an alarm, required in specified locations such as sleeping areas and each story, with interconnection so one alarm activates all.

A device that sounds when carbon monoxide from fuel-burning appliances or attached garages reaches dangerous levels, required near sleeping rooms in many jurisdictions.

The air supply a fuel-burning appliance needs to burn safely. Confining it in a tight room or sealing a house can cause backdrafting of flue gases into the living space.

Air introduced to replace air exhausted by a range hood, dryer, or bath fan, preventing negative pressure that can pull combustion gases backward or make doors hard to open.

A hood that captures cooking moisture, grease, and odors and discharges them outdoors through smooth ductwork, preferred over recirculating types for gas cooking and heavy use.

The path linking sink, refrigerator, and cooking surface. Shorter, unobstructed legs reduce steps, though the concept is adapted for larger kitchens with multiple cooks.

The open floor area in front of base cabinets and appliances that lets doors and drawers open and a person work or pass, measured from the cabinet face to the nearest obstruction.

A scale from 0 to 100 describing how faithfully a light source shows object colors compared with a reference, important where finishes and skin tones must read naturally.

The warmth or coolness of a light source expressed in kelvin, from about 2700 K for cozy residential ambience to 4000 K or higher for task areas and daylight matching.

Combining ambient, task, and accent light so each space has general illumination plus focused light for work and highlights, ideally on separate dimmable controls.

A single-number rating of how well a wall or floor assembly blocks airborne sound, where higher values mean more privacy between rooms, especially bedrooms and baths.

A rating of how well a floor-ceiling assembly resists structure-borne noise such as footsteps, important where hard flooring sits above a quiet room.

A sound leak that bypasses the rated assembly, such as through shared ductwork, door undercuts, or back-to-back outlets, which can defeat a high-rated wall.

Chemicals that evaporate from paints, adhesives, sealants, and composite wood and can affect indoor air quality, driving specification of low-emitting products and adequate ventilation.

Composite wood or panel product made with binders that do not emit formaldehyde, specified for cabinetry, shelving, and millwork to reduce indoor air contaminants.

A written document organized by work type that fixes product standards, installation methods, submittals, and quality requirements binding on the contractor, referenced by the drawings.

Product data, shop drawings, or samples the contractor provides for the designer's review before installation, confirming that proposed items meet the specified requirements.

A written modification issued before bids are due that changes drawings or specifications and becomes part of the contract documents for all bidders.

A signed amendment after contract execution adjusting scope, price, or time, typically required whenever the client or site conditions alter the agreed work.

A closing record of incomplete or defective items found at substantial completion, which the contractor must correct before final payment and release of retainage.

A plain statement of what the designer will and will not deliver, including drawings, selections, site visits, and exclusions, used to prevent misunderstandings and unpaid extras.

A short contract form stating parties, services, fees, schedule, and key terms, appropriate for smaller residential projects where a full agreement is disproportionate.

An advance payment held to secure availability or applied against future billings, distinguishing it from a deposit and clarifying refundability in the written agreement.

A situation where a designer's financial or personal interest could bias advice, such as undisclosed compensation from a vendor, which must be disclosed or avoided.

The client's agreement to a course of action after being told the relevant risks, costs, and alternatives in language they understand, documented in writing.