Residential Interior Design Programming and Space Planning
Programming and space planning asks you to convert a client's routines, possessions, and budget into a written program, then into a plan that fits bodies, furniture, and structure. The exam tests the sequence from goals to concept, adjacency and zoning logic, anthropometrics, and circulation clearances - not decoration.
Core rules
- Program first: interview for lifestyle and storage needs, measure existing conditions, set a budget, write a room-by-room needs statement with target net square footage, build an adjacency matrix and bubble diagram, then a scaled block plan, then furniture.
- Anthropometrics: 24-26 in of table edge per diner, 36 in from table edge to wall for chair pull-out (42-48 in where traffic passes); 30 in preferred at each side of a bed; closet rod at 66-68 in with 24 in hanging depth; 30 in closet aisle.
- Circulation: 36 in primary paths, 24-30 in secondary; 60 in turning circle and 30 x 48 in clear floor space at fixtures for accessible work.
- Net versus gross: program net areas, then add 15-25% for partitions, circulation, and structure.
Worked example
A 14 ft x 18 ft living room is 168 in x 216 in. A 96 in sofa centered on the 168 in wall leaves 36 in at each end for tables. Sofa depth 36 in plus 18 in to a 36 in deep coffee table leaves 126 in to the opposite wall; an 18 in media console leaves 108 in of clear circulation - generous. If the client instead wants a 120 in sectional, the side clearances drop to 24 in, which still works for a chair but blocks a lamp table.
Traps
- Treating gross square footage as usable furniture space.
- Forgetting drawer and door clearance: a 30 in drawer needs 30 in clear in front of it.
- Ignoring radiators, trim, and window casings when placing furniture to scale.
- Assuming standard furniture dimensions fit a custom-shaped room.