Planning and Designing
Residential Floor Plans
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Preliminary Research
Site Analysis
Concept Designs
Preliminary Research
Examining your current home and lifestyle
Developing your design brief
Deciding your baseline budget
Exploring sources of professional advice
for each stage of decision
Site Analysis
Visit the site to do a “SWOT” analysis (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats”
On the site, consider:
Climate responsive design
Orientation
Cool breeze access
Solar access
Views
Stormwater drainage
Right of way
Concept Designs
Bubble Diagram Sketch
Hand-drawn Concepts
Spatial Arrangements
EXAMPLES OF BUBBLE SKETCH DIAGRAM
EXAMPLES OF BUBBLE SKETCH DIAGRAM
EXAMPLES OF BUBBLE SKETCH DIAGRAM
BASIC DRAFTING STANDARDS
FOR FLOOR PLANS
LINE WEIGHTS
Line weight and line quality are extremely
important to a successful set of design
drawings. Usually a set of design drawings
will go to many different people including
the client, other designers or architects,
manufacturers, builders, and others within
the profession. The lines used for design
drawings must be crisp and dark so that
they are easy to reproduce and clear
copies can be made from them.
LINE WEIGHTS
Guidelines or Construction Lines
-The initial lines that you will draw on your paper are guidelines or
what some prefer as construction lines. These lines are temporary
and used to layout the page, create the initial shapes, and
provide a guide for lettering heights. Almost invisible.
Bold Lines
-Walls in plan view, outline around the perimeter of an elevation.
Medium Lines
-Doors, furnishings, counters, cabinets.
Light Lines
-Action lines, information lines and fill patterns.
Borderlines
-Margins, lines around the title block
LINE TYPES
Along with line weight and quality, there are
standards for different types of lines. Each has a
definite meaning and is recognized as a typical
symbol or object within the building trades
industry.
LINE TYPES
Solid Line
-Solid lines are use to indicate visible objects that can
be seen in plan, elevation or 3D views. Solid lines are
also used for leader lines and dimension lines
Dashed Line
-Hidden objects or edges are drawn with short dashed
lines. These are used to show hidden parts of an object
or objects below or behind another object. Dashed
lines are also used to indicate shelving or cabinets
above a counter
LINE TYPES
Movement, Ghost or Phantom Line
-Used to show movement or imply direction. These
typically are used instead of a dashed line to show an
alternate position of an object that can be moved.
One object would be drawn with a solid line and its
alternate position would be dashed or a phantom line.
This can include bi-swing doors, the space needed for
drawer and cabinet door openings, …
LINE TYPES
Leader Lines
-Leader lines are used to connect notes or references
to objects or lines in a drawing. Leader line start as a
solid line and end in an arrow. Leader lines may be
drawn at an angle or curved.
Break Lines
-Break Lines are used when the extents of a drawing
cannot fit on the size of paper being used for the
drawing. It can also be used when you only need to
illustrate a portion of a design or a partial view
LINE TYPES
Center Line
-Center lines are used to indicate the center of a plan,
object, circle, arc or any symmetrical object. Use a
series of very long and short dashes to create a center
line.
Dimension Line
-Dimension line is used to show the measurement of an
object. It can be used to indicate length, width,
diameter, etc.
LINE TYPES
Section Line
-Used to show a cutaway view of a floor plan. A section
cutting all the way through a floor plan is referred to as
a full section. The directions of the arrows shows the
direction of the view.
Material Symbols
Graphic Symbols
Graphic Symbols
Standard Sizes
For walls
0.10 to 0.15m thick
For doors (single door)
height of 2.1m and width of 0.65 to 1m
For windows
0.9m below the natural grade line, height 1.2m and
witdh of 1 - 2.5m
Door Number Symbol
Doors are identified by a door number or symbol. The
number indicates either door number or door type,
depending on their project. The number is then
referenced to the door schedule
Window Letter Symbol
Windows are identified by a window number symbol.
The letter indicates either window number or window
type, depending on their project. The letter is then
referenced to the door schedule
Title Block
Borders, contents, and sheet numbering
Sound Planning Considerations
Distribution Zoning Laws
Circulation Height
Light and Ventilation Electrical and
Sizes, areas and shape Mechanical Facilities
Orientation Location of doors and
windows
Superstition
Distribution
Refers to the placement, location and
arrangement of each room unit in relation
with each other as to functions and
coordination
Circulation
Traffic is also present inside the building
that must be considered. Circulation and
movement of the occupants inside the
building should not be hampered by any
obstacles nor be detoured as a result of
pour planning.
Circulation
Light and Ventilation
There is no substitute for a good daylight
and fresh natural air entering and
circulating inside the building. Artificial
lighting and ventilation is very costly to
those who cannot afford.
Light and Ventilation
National Building Code on Windows Opening
Section 808
“Every room intended for any use and not
equipped with artificial ventilation system,
shall be provided with window/s with a total
free opening area equal to atleast ten
percent of the room floor are, such window
shall open directly to a court, yard, public
street or alley, or open water courses”
Sizes, Areas and Shapes
All rooms are intended for human use,
and therefore, should be planned
according to human scale. Good design
always provide ample areas to
accommodate furnitures, appliances and
other related facilities.
Sizes, Areas and Shapes
National Building Code on Size and Dimensions
of Rooms
Section 806
“The minimum size of rooms and their least
horizontal dimensions shall be as follows:
a. Room for human habitations shall be 6 sq.m.
with at least dimension of 2m
b. Kitchen shall be 3 sq.m. with a least
dimension of 1.50m
c. Bath and toilet shall be 1.20 sq.m. with atleast
dimension of 0.90m”
Orientation
Refers to the position and direction of the
sunrise and sunset. It also includes the
prevailing wind directions in the area for
the year round. A brief nap or rest at mid
day or in the afternoon is normally done in
the bedroom. Thus, bedroom should not
be oriented facing the afternoon sun. The
kitchen laundry and bathroom is better
oriented west for sunlight kills many types
of bacterias.
Zoning Laws
The zoning ordinance should be consulted
first before deciding on the final site of the
house or building.
Height
A moderate high ceiling allows fresh air
circulations, comfortable atmosphere,
and preserved aesthetic value of the
room. Room with low ceiling, has warm
atmosphere that requires artificial
ventilation.
Height
National Building Code on Air Space
Requirements
Section 807
“The minimum air space shall be provided as
follows:
1. Habitable room…14 cu.m. of air space
2. School room…3 cu.m. with 1 sq.m of floor
area per person
3. Office and Facilities…12 cu.m. of air space
per person”
Height
National Building Code on Ceiling Heights
Section 805
“a. Habitable rooms with Natural Ventilation
–not less than 2.70m
b. Habitable rooms with Artificial Ventilation
–not less than 2.40m ”
Electrical Lay-out
An ideal convenience outlet is installed 30cm
above the floor line, and not more than 1m
away from the appliances to be served.
Light switches should be installed near the
door of every room for convenience in
switching-in and switching-off when entering
and leaving the room respectively.
Location of Doors
When a door becomes an obstacle creating
inconveniences to the occupant, that is the
time we realized the mistake of not analyzing
its proper position from the early stage of
planning
Superstition
Although superstition has no page in the
book of contemporary Architecture, if your
client believes and insist that his life success
depends on luck brought about by his
superstitious belief, then as a planner, you
have no choice.
