Housing, Interior Design and Space Management: Planning Principles and Ergonomics
What the exam tests
Housing, Interior Design and Space Management tests planning principles, site selection, kitchen ergonomics, space management and interior design decisions.
Core rules
- Functions of housing: shelter, protection, privacy, social interaction, health, work and storage.
- Site selection: drainage, soil, sunlight, wind direction, accessibility, water, sanitation, and distance from noise or pollution.
- Planning principles: orientation, ventilation, lighting, privacy, circulation, flexibility, economy, sanitation and safety.
- Kitchen work triangle connects sink, stove and refrigerator. Sum of legs should be 4–8 m; each leg 1.2–2.7 m. Work centres: preparation, cooking, washing and storage.
- Interior design elements: line, form, colour, texture and space. Principles: balance, rhythm, proportion, emphasis and unity.
- Colour schemes: monochromatic, analogous and complementary; light colours make small rooms feel larger.
- Space management: vertical storage, multipurpose furniture and clear circulation.
Worked example
A kitchen has triangle legs of 1.0 m, 2.0 m and 3.0 m. Sum = 6.0 m, inside 4–8 m, but the 1.0 m leg is below 1.2 m, so the layout is cramped at one point. Reasoning: check both the total and each leg; a correct total can hide an ergonomic fault. The remedy is to separate the two close appliances, not merely to change the total.
Traps
- Checking only the triangle sum.
- Confusing orientation with ventilation.
- Calling a colour scheme a design principle.
- Forgetting circulation and storage.