Housing and Interiors: Space Planning Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the terminology and concepts of house planning and design from Chapter 5.

Floor plan

A drawing of all the rooms in a particular building in relation to one another.

Dimension

The size between the walls and the wall length of the rooms.

Finish

The final visible material or treatment used for flooring, work surfaces, and walls.

House plan

A floor plan of a home showing a view from above that indicates the position and exact dimensions of the different rooms in relation to each other.

Scale (South African standard)

A ratio where $1\,\text{cm}$ of the drawing on paper equals $1\,\text{m}$ (or $100\,\text{cm}$) on the physical structure.

Standard symbols

Drawings used to indicate basic structural features like walls, windows, and doors, as well as built-in features such as sinks, basins, and toilets.

Architect

A trained professional who designs buildings, draws up building plans, provides building specifications, and monitors building progress.

Open floor plan

A design where bedrooms and bathrooms are closed rooms while the rest of the house is one large open space with one area flowing into another.

Closed floor plan

A design where the house is divided into different rooms, and each room has a door that closes the room off from others.

Horizontal (single-storey) plans

One-level plans for homes built on level land where access to all rooms is easy and there are no staircases.

Vertical (multi-level) plans

Plans used for double-storey buildings which use less land but make access to all areas of the home less easy than single-storey homes.

Functionality and safety

The two key features to consider when planning the space in your home.