Space Planning - CH 4 (The Good Room)

Question 1

What are the characteristics of a good room?

Answer 1

1) functional
2) adequate space for the function it supports
3) is outfitted with proper furniture & equipment
4) is arranged in ways that support the programmed activities
5) provides favorable ambient conditions for users

Question 2

What are some crucial questions to ask about a room for the purposes of planning?

Answer 2

1) What size and shape should this room be?
2) . What furnishings and accessories are needed?
3) How should these be arranged?
4) How should people enter and move through the room?
5) How should the room connect to other spaces?
6) What will make the room multilayered and rich?

Question 3

What are the five basic considerations for shaping and organizing good rooms?

Answer 3

1) envelope
2) contents
3) flow
4) connections
5) scales

Question 4

When considering the “envelope”, what is a good room design?

Answer 4

The spatial envelope is functional and comfortable. It is the right size and has good shape and proportions.

Question 5

When considering the “contents”, what is considered good room design?

Answer 5

The furnishings, equipment, and accessories support the functions of the room. They are placed correctly and work well within the spatial envelope. They are well grounded and are grouped in legible configurations

Question 6

When looking at “connections” in a room, what is considered good room design?

Answer 6

The room enjoys good connections to other interior spaces, to the exterior, and to special features within itself, such as focal elements. It receives natural light (except when meant to be dar) and offers good views to the outside.

Question 7

When considering “flow” in a room, what is considered good room design?

Answer 7

The entry point to the room is logical, and contents are arranged in a way that make movement within and through the space efficient and fluid.

Question 8

When considering the different scales in a room, what is considered good room design?

Answer 8

Architectural and interior elements in the room are of various sizes, ranging from large to small. Large walls are subdivided into smaller units and articulated.

Question 9

In determine a shape of a room, what do you want to avoid?

Answer 9

Long and skinny rooms. If the length of a room exceeds its width, the proportion becomes uncomfortably narrow in relation to its length.

Question 10

The famous 16th century architect Andrea Palladio proposed 7 basic shapes and proportions of rooms. What are they?

Answer 10

1) . Circular
2) Square
3) Diagonal of a square - 1:1.414
4) Square plus a third - 3:4
5) Square plus a half - 2:3
6) . Square plus two thirds - 3:5
7) . Double square - 1:2

Question 11

What are the principal architectural elements used for space planning interiors?

Answer 11

Walls, doors, windows, and columns

Question 12

When space planning with furniture, what two main things must be achieved?

Answer 12

1) A group or groups of furniture needs to be placed correctly within the room, both perceptually and functionally;
2) Each furniture group itself has to be properly composed. Considerations include know the components of a particular furniture group, their typical sizes and shapes, the ways to arrange them, and the appropriate clearances between the pieces.

Question 13

When considering where the place moveable components in a room, there are pretty much about four general region. What are they?

Answer 13

1) . The corners
2) the center
3) along the edges
4) floating in the middle

Question 14

What feeling does a corner location of furniture give?

Answer 14

A sense of shelter and protection

Question 15

What feeling does a central location of furniture give?

Answer 15

A formal and dignified atmosphere

Question 16

What benefit does placing furniture along the edge of the room give?

Answer 16

Edges serve as convenient backdrops along which to place furnishings.

Question 17

What is the challenge to floating furniture pieces in the middle of a room?

Answer 17

Achieving a proper sense of balance for floating elements and groups can be challenging and often relies on establishing effective relationships with other elements in the room.

Question 18

What are two of the most important organizational strategies in all aspects of design layout?

Answer 18

Centering - the alignment of the centers of various individual pieces or groupings
Alignment - positioning of the edges of individual pieces or groupings along a common reference line.

Question 19

What are some different examples of alignment?

Answer 19

1) seating groups aligned symmetrically along a common center line
2) aligning with wall elements, like windows, niches
3) aligning with architectural elements like columns

Question 20

What zone of a room is often its most powerful one?

Answer 20

The center

Question 21

What are some different uses of the center of a room?

Answer 21

Put a focal point like a fireplace or dining group for both a focal point and a gathering place;

Centering a table that forces people to walk around the outside space.

A point from which elements such as partitions move outward.

Question 22

When an object or group of objects, such as furniture, as perceived to have a home in a room, they are said to be what?

Answer 22

Grounded

Question 23

What a grounding elements?

Answer 23

Either existing architectural elements like a fireplace, window with a great view, or added elements on the walls, floor, ceiling.

Question 24

What are some problems windows can cause?

Answer 24

Glare
Too much heat from the sun
Bad view

Question 25

What effect does the placement of a bed and desk by the window have?

Answer 25

A direct relationship with the exterior

Question 26

What effect does the placement of the furniture away from and diagonal to the window have?

Answer 26

Creates a strong face-to-face relationship between the users and the window

Question 27

What are the typical approaches into a room?

Answer 27

Central or lateral, to one side.

Question 28

When designing the approach into a room, what 4 factors should you strive for or avoid?

Answer 28

Efficiency - strive for shorter routes that consume less circulation area into your room
Fluidity - Strive for smooth, flowing circulation routes withy few twists, turns, and bumps.
Discreteness - Avoid circulation routes that go through and interrupt otherwise cohesive furniture groups.
Furnishability- create circulation routes that make it possible to arrange furnishings may different way.