Space Planning in Architecture

Upon receiving the first iteration of new projects design brief and list of requirements, a lot of questions arise, which derive from a main fundamental one: how is this space going to be used and lived in? Space planning then starts to unfold. In what follows, we will look into what space planning is, how it can improve your design strategies and the most important aspects to bear in mind.

What is space planning?

Space planning is the laying out and determination of the intended uses of a space (or several spaces) in any architectural project. It should be carefully based upon the client’s functional requirements. On top of that, it’s also a good opportunity to incorporate the program as an important element into the architectural concept of the project.

Apart from being an interpretation of the client’s desires, space planning also integrates a series of questions of design that are important to consider. What kind of space is this? Is it for social or private uses? Does it involve working or resting? Does it need storage area? 

The answer to those questions might not be so simple: a room could be used both for resting and for working, and also need storage area, for example. Multifunctionality of spaces triggers even more design interrogation.

The overall activities that will take place in a certain space will determine choices such as lighting, access to other rooms, interior and exterior entrances, among many others.

Why is space planning important?

Have you ever cooked in a badly designed kitchen? The places for cutting and cleaning might be too small; the distances between fridge, stoves, and sink, too long; the finishings of the counter lead to mold formation; there’s not enough natural light or ventilation.

…This all makes living in that space uncomfortable, eventually even leading to discourage its use.

Space planning is important because it can foresee all of that, and fix it before it ever becomes a problem.

It’s all about making oneself, as a designer, invisible: when the users live the space, they should be able to do it in a fluid and intuitive way. If the right questions are asked and decisions are made upon them, the end result is going to be much more appreciated by the people actually inhabiting it. 

What does it influence?

These design questions that space planning arises influence a series of choices in the architectural project. Here’s a list of the main categories and some of the decisions they might trigger:

• Layout choices: these regard the adjacency of rooms and their relative size, the continuity and convivence between them, circulation within the space, main focal points and balance, levels of privacy, the visual and physical need for connections with the outdoors, arrangement of fixtures and required furniture, the placement of doors and windows, the flexibility of the initial scheme for future growth.

• Material choices: as with the previous kitchen example, here we deal with properly determining the finishings of work surfaces and humid zones, the flooring in regard to expected transit and visual perception of the space, colours and materials of walls and decoration.

• Lighting choices: taking into account the intended use of each space, it’s important to determine levels of natural and artificial lighting, the selection and disposition of proper lighting artifacts, the arrangement of places for electrical and light plugs.

• Technical choices: these refer mainly to aspects of climate comfort and sustainability such as orientation of rooms, the need for technical spaces for air conditioning, but also decisions that concern budget and legislative requirements such as the disposition of rooms in one or several stages and accessibility of spaces to people with disabilities.

How can space planning improve your design strategies?

Good and thoughtful space planning can give your architectural concept more depth and complexity. As long as you remember to use existing conditions and requirements as an opportunity and not as a restraint, your design strategy should thrive on space planning.

Here we take into consideration its process, its key principles and some of the factors and concepts to take into account. 

Process

Space planning might start with what we usually call ‘bubble plan’. This is a schematic plan diagram by which the various functions that need to be accommodated are delineated.

Normally it’s a progressive iteration, from the general to the specific: first the bubbles are vague, and we’re only interested in their relationship to each other; then we move on to be concerned about each’s own size and shape. 

Once you’re comfortable enough with the layout, a floor plan with provisional walls, fixtures and furniture can be sketched. This might be done manually with pencil and moveable paper cut-outs, or with computer aided design (CAD) software, depending on which suits you best for quick and flexible work. Square footage and dimensions begin to be more precise for each space.

This preliminary floor plan is the basis for a whole set of new decisions regarding the interior lighting and furnishing of spaces, the designation of floor materials and the location of windows and doors. Usually, this is the time when you triangulate with sketches, render mock-ups and sections to evaluate how these design decisions would look. 

Key principles

The 5 key principles of space planning are:

• When designing one part, don’t forget about the whole. Even though a kitchen might be perfectly functional for itself, if it’s next to a master bedroom, it might ruin the experience of using it. Think about the relationship between spaces, how they are connected and what are the actual conflicting nuances derived from their use and the activities they are supposed to host.

• Prioritize square footage efficiency. There’s no use in having a huge house if 50% of its floor plan is going to be labyrinthic corridors. Circulation must be clear and synthetic, giving the best possible moving experience. 

• Sun, sun, sun. Both for lighting and for climate comfort, the position of each space regarding its opening to sunlight will have a huge impact on the end result. Whether it is for catching the cosy morning winter sun or for incorporating the best indirect illumination, orientation of rooms and proportions of windows play a very important role.

• Always aim to have a margin. Sometimes you’ll be too tempted to make the most out of the surface you have, and this might lead to overcrowding the floor plan with a lot of little spaces. When dealing with legislative restraints or conflicts with pre-existing conditions, it’s always better to have a square footage reserve that allows you to make the spaces you design more human and architecturally interesting. 

• Have a clear list of the client’s requirements and priorities. Every time you move a piece, something will change in another part of the gameboard. It’s helpful to have the most important points noted down and at hand so you don’t have to juggle with them in your head while you design. 

Space planning factors

As we’ve seen before, there is a series of design choices that space planning might trigger. These are comprised mainly of layout, material, lighting, and technical choices. Here we dive more deeply into the factors and questions that lead to make these kinds of decisions.

• Function: Are two or more adjacent rooms functions compatible? Could they be merged? Is it the same function at different times of the day? How do private activities interact with social ones? Working with resting? Moving with staying?

• Size: How many people does this space have to accommodate at the same time? What are the dimensions of the furniture that is going to be located there? Does the space comply with the minimums required by building legislation?

• Site: What are the most interesting views? Is there any view that is best to avoid? Is it a calm or a busy street? How’s the topography of the site?

• Light: How does the sun shine on each façade? Does this space need direct or indirect natural light? Is it better to have fixed artificial lighting or movable luminaires?

• Economy: How many floors should this building have? Is it necessary to put an elevator? Is it better to build the entire house in one go or to plan a series of phases?

• Existing circulation patterns: Are there any conflicting potential crossings? What are the paths that are already in use? What’s the best way to incorporate a new function without altering them?

• Storage: Is the storage movable or built-in? Does it need access from specific places? Which kinds of things are going to be stored there? Do they have any special requirement?

• Existing features: Is it interesting or necessary to conserve them? How should the new features interact with them? Is it possible to use them or enhance them in the new layout?

• Accessibility: Is every space in the house accessible with a wheelchair? Would the dimensions of each room be suitable for it to turn around and move freely? Is there any double height or dangerous element that needs to be signalled by floor texture?

Space planning concepts

You should approach space planning knowing that there are different types of spatial decisions you can take to enhance your own architectural concept. Here are some space planning concepts derived from principles of design that might be helpful:

• Spatial relationships: these are established when we ask how the relationship between one space and another is or could be. Spatial relationships could be comprised of a smaller space into a bigger one, two spaces might be linked by a common third one, spaces might interlock or just be adjacent to each other.

• Spatial organisations: these refer to the way elements are distributed in space. When trying to establish main focuses, it’s helpful to think if the way to do it is by a centralised, linear, radial, cluster or grid solution. To choose which arrangement is better, you have to think about how the space planning factors play a role in the decision. 

• Circulation principles: as we said, circulation has to be efficient, but this doesn’t mean it can’t be interesting or serve a bigger goal. Sometimes, fluidity is desired for a better spatial perception. Discreetness might also be another principle to have in mind, if the circulation needs more levels of privacy. 

10 tips for improving your space planning

Here are some tips to focus on when you approach space planning:

1. Empathize with your client. Even if their demands sound crazy to you, you have to understand from where they come and which kind of problems they are trying to address with them.
2. It’s important to be in your client’s shoes, but also imagine yourself living in the space. Asking yourself questions about how you would live the space and the things that could be easier or more intuitive is definitely a good habit. 
3. See your restraints as engaging opportunities. Sometimes, what makes spatial design interesting is not the absolute freedom given to the designers, but their ability to orchestrate a set of very different and complex conditions into a good and beautiful solution.
4. After the main function of an element has been fulfilled, always check if there’s a possibility for it to comply with more. Flexibility and multifunctionality are assets architects have the skill to easily bring to the table.
5. Even if the interior design is not required in the project, think of possible ways in which your designed spaces are going to be perceived and occupied. Foresee patterns and act upon your predictions.
6. Spatial perception in perspective should also be accounted for when thinking about the overall layout. Imagine possible room sequences for spaces to look bigger, prioritize visual connections and outdoor views.
7. Envisage privacy regulating elements in all scales and materials. Screens, half walls, curtains and glass doors can block certain views while enriching the experience of the space, both inside and outside.
8. Large spaces can be sectioned into design areas even if they are note physically separated. Different layouts of furniture, lighting and decoration might help to enrich the space with several layers.
9. Always think of leaving walking space and storage places for objects and habits of everyday life. Whenever you enter a house, you usually expect to have clear access to the living room and a spot to leave your keys, shoes, coat and umbrella. Even a banal activity such as hanging your laundry should account for a design decision.
10. Use design principles as much as possible. Spaces might end up being overcrowded or too empty if you don’t pay enough attention. Emphasis, balance, contrast, repetition, proportion, and movement are ways to avoid that.

To sum up…

As you can see, space planning is comprised essentially of a lot of questions. From the general to the specific, from the rarest to the most quotidian, the process is always to question, question, and question. In this article, we have seen several tools and ways in which you might respond to them. 

So go grab that pencil and start answering!