Housing Interior Zones and Floor Plans
There are 3 Basic Interior Zones within a
Floor Plan…
• Number One Zone
• Living and Social Area
• The area of the home used for
activities and entertainment.
• List 3 examples.
• Number 2 Zone
• Sleeping and Private Area
• The area of the home that
provides quiet, comfortable areas
for sleeping and relaxing, as well
as privacy
• List 3 examples of this zone.
• Number 3 Zone
• Service or Work Area
• The area where
household work is
done.
• List 3 examples of this
area.
Class Assignment Part 1
On your Floor Plan Assignment….
• Color all of the living/social areas in yellow
• Color all of the sleeping/private areas in red
• Color all of the work/service areas in blue
• You have 5 minutes.
Within each Home/Room design there is
a Traffic or Circulation Path…
• What is a Circulation Path?
• The route that people follow as they move from one place to another.
• Circulation path should provide easy access from entry to other parts of the
home.
• Rooms should not be cut in half, bathrooms are located next to bedrooms,
an kitchen is near garage/service entrance.
• In traffic areas, 3-4 Feet should be allowed for circulation paths.
• There are 4 Types or Circulation Paths
•
•
•
•
Family
Work
Service
Guest
Things to REMEMBER about…
Good Family Circulation
• Bathrooms should be close to bedrooms.
• Indoor living next to outdoor living area’s
• Other related rooms close to each other.
• High use routes should be short and simple.
• Closed floor plans separate rooms
• Open floor plans have less walls, save on cost of building
materials, and home feels more spacious
Service Entrance
• Service entrances should be located near the kitchen and
basement stairs.
Guest Circulation
• Entry, living, dining, powder room or ½ bath not in private
area’s of the home, porches, patios, entertainment rooms.
• Ask Yourself
-How do guests travel to the living room when you are
entertaining?
-Do they have to go through private areas of your
home?
-How do they get to the powder room?
-Is the kitchen handy for serving food and drinks to
your guests when you are entertaining?
Important Room Relationships
• Bathroom & Bedroom
• Kitchen & Dining
• Mudroom & Garage
• Garage & Kitchen
• Kitchen and outdoor living space
• Living and dining areas
• Can you think of others?
Ask Yourself Questions like these:
-Can the cook prepare a meal without worrying about
constantly walking into someone going by?
-If people can eat in their rooms or living areas, can they get
there without leaving a trail through the entire house?
-If you spend a lot of time grilling outside on the patio, is it
convenient to the inside food prep area?
-Do you have to walk through to the other end of the house
to reach the outdoor grill?
-Can you bring the groceries right in from the outside without
having to go through the living room?
How to Draw Traffic Patterns
• Where are
the traffic
and
circulation
paths?
Class Assignment Part 2
On your Floor Plan Assignment….
• Label (highlight) all the traffic and circulation paths in the
house.
• Answer the questions 1-4 on the assignment
• You have 10 minutes.
Floor Plan Assignment
• Get the 3 floor plans from the teacher.
• Cut out each floor plan and glue into your smash book.
• For each floor plan label the following
• Living/social areas in yellow
• Sleeping Private Areas in RED
• Work/Service areas in BLUE
• Draw in the traffic patterns using arrows
• Write down a few sentences explaning why the floor plan
works
• Write down a few sentences explaining why the floor plan
DOES NOT work.