Space Planning and Conceptual Design
Space Planning and Conceptual Design
This domain tests the translation of a program into an organization that works: zoning, adjacency, circulation, clearances, and a concept that can survive code and structure. Start with an adjacency matrix and bubble diagram, then test-fit furniture and walls on the actual floor plate. Separate public, private, and service zones; keep noisy functions away from focused work; make paths direct and legible. Use anthropometric and ergonomic data, not guesses. A 36 in accessible route is a minimum, not a comfortable primary corridor; 44–60 in is often better where two-way traffic or turning occurs.
Core rules
- Confirm column grid, core location, lease line, and demising walls before drawing.
- Check clearances at doors, corners, and furniture; a plan can look open while failing at a pinch point.
- Preserve egress paths and do not put furniture in required exit width.
- Use a 60 in turning circle for accessible spaces where required; keep 32 in clear door width.
Worked example
A 70 × 100 ft floor is 7,000 gross sf. The core and corridor consume 1,400 sf, leaving 5,600 usable sf. Program net area is 48 workstations × 64 sf = 3,072; four offices × 120 = 480; two conference rooms × 300 = 600; break 300; reception 180; total 4,632 net. Net-to-gross against the full floor is 66%; against usable area it is 83%. The layout works only if the 968 sf remainder absorbs circulation, storage, and print areas-so verify those before promising 48 stations.
Traps
Drawing a furniture plan without a space plan; ignoring structural columns; using nominal furniture dimensions instead of actual; and treating a code minimum as a design target.