After studying this unit, you will be able to:
• Interpret architectural drawings
• Describe how computers can assist in understanding
house plans
• Organize space by grouping rooms according to
function
• Plan safe and convenient traffic patterns
• Evaluate storage needs and space
• Summarize ways to modify housing for people with
physical disabilities.
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The home owner
Architect
Designer
Contractor
Banker
Various Tradespeople
Members of the team communicate through
house plans.
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An important part of house plans contains
information about the:
 Size
 Shape
 Location of all parts of the house.
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Standard rules of drafting determine the
types of:
 Lines – (phantom, visible, hidden, center,
dimension, extension, break and section)
 Symbols – (plumbing, electrical fixtures,
doors, windows, etc.)
 Location of dimensions
These are used in Architectural Drawings to insure
that everyone in the team understands a house
plan.
 Door and window symbols show the type
of door or window and the direction each
opens.
 Mechanical symbols indicate plumbing,
heating and air-conditioning fixtures
 Electrical symbols include switches,
wiring receptacles, light fixtures and
appliances.
Freehand sketches of
a proposed plan the
designer uses in
refining a design.
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Refined drawings or renderings to use for
publication or for showing the design to a
client.
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Drawings with detailed instructions to the builder
to obtain necessary permits and erect the structure.
Determining Square Footage of a Home
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Often a house plan or description refers to
the total square feet in a home. Square
footage is used to compare homes in terms of
size. The higher the square footage, the
larger the home will be.
Square footage is the total amount of living
space (area) in the home.
You can determine the total living space by
adding together the square footage space
from all rooms.
The dimensions of
each room appear on
the floor plan.
 Note that closets,
other storage space,
and garages do not
count toward the
square footage of a
house.
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Once you find the dimensions on the floor plan, use the
following formula to determine the square footage of
each room:
Area = Length x Width
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If a room is 12 feet long and 10 feet wide, the square
footage will be the following:
A = 12 ft. x 10 ft.
A = 120 sq. ft.
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To calculate the total square footage of a home, complete
the calculation for each room and add them together.
An architectural drawing that is either smaller or
larger than the actual object.
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Drawings for a house are normally drawn at a
scale of ¼” = 1’.
 One-foot measures on the house equals one-fourth
inch in the drawing.
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Scale can also be written as:
¼” = 1’0”
½” = 1’0”
1/8” = 1’0”
1/16” = 1’0” and so on . . .
How to Draw an
Interior Design
Floor Plan
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As you look at floor plans, you will notice that
certain rooms of a house are usually located
next to one another.
This is because certain rooms serve similar
purposes, or functions.
Grouping rooms together by functional zone
is an efficient way to organize space.
3 zones encompass most of the space within
a house: private, work and social area
Grouping Zones
by Function
Quiet Area:
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Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Den / Library
Work Area:
Kitchen
Laundry Area
Utility Room
Garage
Workshop / Sewing
Room
o Home Office
o
o
o
o
o
Social Area:
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Entrances
Dining Rooms
Living Rooms
Family Rooms
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Public Zones (or Social Area)
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Private Zones (or Quiet Area)
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Service Zones (Work Area)
 Transitional
Zones (or Circulation Zones)
Commercial / Nonresidential Floor Plans
Copyright © Notice: The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas Tech University.
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Also known as social zones,
they are used for activities
and entertainment.
In residential interiors, this zone
includes living rooms, game rooms,
family rooms, entryways or foyers,
as well as patios and decks.
In nonresidential interiors, this
zone includes waiting rooms,
reception areas, break rooms,
conference rooms, and atriums.
Copyright © Notice: The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas Tech University.
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In non-residential
interiors, this zone
includes offices,
restrooms, libraries, and
similar room settings.
 In residential interiors,
this zone includes
bedrooms, bathrooms,
and home offices.
Copyright © Notice: The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas Tech University.
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Service zones (or other
work zones) are those
areas where work is
done.
In residential interiors, this zone
includes the kitchen, utility room,
workshop, and the garage.
- In nonresidential interiors, this zone
includes workrooms, mailrooms,
kitchens, maintenance areas, packing
areas, and shipping rooms.
-
Copyright © Notice: The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas Tech University.
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Transitional zones (or
circulation zones) are
semipublic or
semiprivate spaces used
for circulation and flow
of traffic between the
major zones.
- Transitional zones include
entryways, exits, hallways, and
designated passageways within
the space.
Copyright © Notice: The materials are copyrighted © and trademarked ™ as the property of The Curriculum Center for Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas Tech University.
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Design a bedroom for a teenager. Draw the
bedroom to scale on the graph paper. Choose
appropriate furniture from the template and
arrange it on your plan.
A = 12 ft. x 12 ft.
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Design the social area of a house for a young
couple that does a great deal of entertaining.
Describe the social area and draw it to scale on
the graph paper. Choose appropriate furniture
from the template and arrange it on your plan.
A = 25 ft. x 14 ft.