Chapter 17
Floor Plan Dimensions and Notes
Introduction
• Dimensions
– Provide measurements used for construction
– Found on all types of architectural drawings
– Presented using lines, numerical values, and
symbols, or notes and specifications
– Drawings must include all dimensions needed
for construction
Aligned Dimensions
• Aligned dimensioning
– Most common dimensioning system
– Dimensions placed in line with dimension lines
– Read from bottom or right side of sheet
– Extension lines show the extent of dimension
• Start with a small space from feature being
dimensioned and extend past last dimension line
Floor Plan Dimensions
Placing Exterior Dimensions
Placing Interior Dimensions
Standard Feature Dimensions
Omitting Dimensions
Established by the Foundation
• Foundation:
– System placed on the
ground and used to
support the building
• Certain features on
floor plan are
established on
foundation plan
Dimensioning Arc and Circular
Floor Plan Features
• Features originating from the foundation do
not require floor plan dimensions
– Referencing dimensions on the floor plan is a
good idea
– Other features are dimensioned by location
and radius or diameter dimension
Common Sizes of Architectural
Features
• All walls, edges of brick, and brick
fireplaces are thick lines
– All other lines are thin
• Refer to text for dimensions of:
– Room components
– Plumbing fixtures and appliances
– Doors and windows
Masonry Veneer on the Floor
Plan
• Masonry veneer
– Application of thin
(4") masonry to the
exterior of a woodframe structure
• Can also be applied
to interior frame
partitions’
Concrete Block and Structural
Masonry Construction
• Concrete block
– Can be used to
construct
exterior or
interior walls
Solid Concrete Construction on
the Floor Plan
• Residential construction, mostly limited to:
– Foundations
– Basements
– Subterranean homes
• Construction:
– Concrete is poured into forms which mold the
mixture
Solid Concrete Construction on
the Floor Plan (cont’d.)
Floor Plan Notes and
Specifications
• Specific notes relate to specific features
– Include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Window and door schedule
Room names and appliance labels
Tub, shower, and spa labels
Fireplace or solid fuel–burning appliance labels
Stair and closet labels
Access, firewalls, and floor lines
Floor Plan Notes and
Specifications (cont’d.)
• General notes apply
to features on the
entire drawing
– Commonly lettered in
field of the drawing
Designing Floor Plans Using
Standard Construction Modules
• Material conservation and construction
labor simplification is important to consider
– Standard inch construction modules are 12",
16", and 24"
• When possible, design the overall building and
major projections using these modules
Using Metric Dimensions
• Unit of metric measure commonly used is
the millimeter (mm)
– Meters (m) are used for large site plans and
civil engineering drawings
– Hard conversions
• Typical inch units converted directly to metric
– Soft conversions
• Product is manufactured directly using metric units
Using Metric Dimensions (cont’d.)
• Placing metric dimensions on a drawing
– All dimensions specified with dimension lines
are in millimeters
• Millimeter symbol is omitted
– When more than one dimension is quoted
• Millimeter symbol is placed only after the last
dimension
Using Metric Dimensions (cont’d.)
• Rules for writing metric symbols and names
– Unit names are lowercase
– Use vertical text for unit symbols
• Use lowercase text except for proper names
– Leave a space between a numeral and symbol
• Do not leave a space between a unit symbol and
prefix
Using Metric Dimensions (cont’d.)
• Rules for writing metric symbols and names
(cont’d.)
– Do not use the plural of unit symbols
– Use the plural of spelled-out metric
measurements
– Do not mix unit names and symbols
– Millimeters (mm) are assumed