Ar dsn 121 how to understand the floor plan symbols

How to understand floor plan symbols.

1. How to Understand the Floor Plan Symbols/ Floor Plan Symbols An Introduction to Architectural Drafting and Design

2. What is a floor plan? A floor plan is one of the construction drawings that you’ll find included in a set of blueprints . They appear alongside site plans, elevation plans, and other detailed working drawings that offer builders a road map for how to build a structure. They serve as the fundamental kind of house plan for general contractors and others working in the  construction industry.

3. A floor plan is a two-dimensional architectural drawing that shows the design of a house or other construction project from above. It is drawn in what’s called a  plan view , as if you’re looking down through an invisible roof into the building.

4. Symbols on floor plans A floor plan typically shows structural elements such as walls, doors, windows, and stairs, as well as mechanical equipment for the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems. Floor plans use stylized  symbols  that often look like the outlines of elements they represent. Tubs, stoves, sinks, and stairs are familiar examples. These can appear along with built-in elements of interior design, like appliances, islands, cabinets, and bookshelves.

5. Doors, windows, and other symbols Doors and windows are elements found on every floor plan, and stairs are almost as common. Doors appear as gaps in a wall, often with an arc showing the way the door should swing. Windows are similar, appearing as narrow boxes in walls. Stairs are depicted most often as a series of rectangles.

6. DOORS Doors look like larger gaps between walls, often with a curved line to show which way the door will swing, indicating clearance. They may look different on floor plans depending on their form and function. For typical hinged doors that provide entry to a room, the curved line forms a quarter-circle (90-degree) arc. Double doors look like a stylized letter “M,” with two curved lines meeting at the center. A bifold door , often used on a closet, is shown as being open: It looks like two peaked tents with a space between them, indicating where they’ll meet when closed. A pocket door is a sliding door that mostly disappears into the wall when open. A standard sliding door is shown as a thinner line extending from a wider, dark rectangle.

7. WINDOWS Windows are drawn as part of the walls . Regular sliding-glass windows are distinguished from solid walls by three parallel lines . Casement windows include arcs similar to those of doors, showing how they open outward . Bay windows are angled like the edge of a stop sign, breaking the straight-line trajectory of the wall . Blueprints include a door and window schedule stating the style, size, and material of each.

8. STAIRS S tairs are seen in a two-dimensional perspective from above. They look like a series of attached rectangles (usually) or other geometric forms . Some plans may show stairs bisected by a line with an arrow at one end to indicate which direction is up (ascending ). Landings are shown as larger rectangles or squares . A curved or spiral staircase can look like part or all of a wagon wheel, with wedges joined around a curve.

9. APPLIANCES Stylized representations of built-in appliances such as refrigerators and stove-top burners are typically included in floor plans. Simple outlines of appliances with specific hookup sites, such as a washer or dryer, are also included.

10. PLUMBING Common plumbing fixtures depicted in floor plans include a toilet, bathtub, and shower, along with different kinds of sinks: a freestanding sink, single vanity sink, double sink, cabinet sink, kitchen sink, laundry basin, etc . Less common fixtures include a bidet or urinal. Associated bathroom features also may be depicted, including towel racks and toilet paper dispensers.

11. HVAC The HVAC system may be illustrated by symbols for air conditioning units, furnaces, wall vents, ceiling vents, and other ventilation elements. Other HVAC equipment you might find on a floor plan include a pump, heater, return air vent, fan, straight duct, condenser, and Y junction duct. A heating subcontractor might provide a separate duct and register layout for the HVAC system.

12. ELECTRICAL You may find a whole host of electrical symbols on a floor plan, showing wall jacks, TV and switch outlets, thermostats, garbage disposals, and more. Others include ceiling fans and lights, and floor outlets. Electrical symbols often feature a subscript — small writing at the bottom of the symbol — that helps explain the outlet’s function or rating. If you see a symbol with a subscript, it should be explained somewhere in the blueprint’s legend.

13. WALL Walls are the most common elements of a floor plan. Thicker lines represent exterior walls, and thinner lines show interior walls. Sometimes there’s no visible difference between them. Exterior walls also can be depicted by a black outline or double lines rather than a single, solid line. Different materials may be represented differently on some plans. Walls may be drawn with hatching or other patterns inside to show whether they’re made of brick, concrete, or framing lumber, for example. Outer materials or “finishes” also can be shown in this manner, including metal, hardwood, plywood, or ceramic tile.

14. RESIDENTIAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS

15. PARTS OF A RESIDENTIAL L I V I N G R O O M / A R E A The kinds of furniture, furnishings, and the manner how they were arranged in the living room, offers that feeling of grandeur and an inviting atmos phere. In any furniture groupings, a minimum spacing distance should be considered and established for convenience as to: Space Allocation Lanes or pathways between furnitures arrangement

16. PARTS OF A RESIDENTIAL D I N I N G R O O M / A R E A Dining room/ area is the space or room where the family seat together, pray before meals, talk about the family affairs and other matters. Dining area should accommodate furnitures of either portable or built in for eating, sitting, serving and possible storage.

17. PARTS OF A RESIDENTIAL B E D R O O M A bedroom is a private room where people usually sleep for the night or relax during the day. 

18. PARTS OF A RESIDENTIAL K I T C H E N A kitchen is the place or area where: 1. Meals are prepared and cooked. 2. Foods are preserved. 3. Food and utensils are stored. 4. Place for eating. 5. Place for laundering. 7. Place for entertaining. 8. Place for child care.

19. Kitchen Planning considerations: ARRANGEMENT Types of Kitchen Layout: 1. The One Wall Kitchen 2. The Galley Kitchen 3. The L-Shaped Kitchen 4. The U-Shaped Kitchen 5. The Island Kitchen 6. The Peninsula Kitchen

20. Single wall/ One-wall Kitchen Originally called the "Pullman kitchen," the  one-wall kitchen layout is generally found in studio or loft spaces because it’s the ultimate space saver. Cabinets and appliances are fixed on a single wall. Most modern designs also include an island, which evolves the space into a sort of Galley style with a walk-through corridor.

21. Galley Kitchen This efficient, “lean” layout is ideal for smaller spaces and one-cook kitchens. The  galley kitchen, also called a walk-through kitchen, is characterized by two walls opposite of each other—or two parallel countertops with a walkway in between them. 

22. L-shaped Kitchen An  L-shaped kitchen  solves the problem of maximizing corner space, and it’s a smart design for small and medium sized kitchens. The versatile L-shaped kitchen consists of countertops on two adjoining walls that are perpendicular, forming an L.

23. U -shaped Kitchen The  horseshoe or U-shaped kitchen  has three walls of cabinets/appliances . This design works well because it allows for traffic flow and workflow around the island

24. Island Kitchen A working  kitchen island may include appliances and cabinetry for storage—and it always adds additional work surface to a kitchen. It can provide a place to eat (with stools), to prepare food (with a sink) and to store beverages (with a wine cooler). 

25. Peninsula Kitchen A peninsula kitchen  is basically a connected island, converting an L-shaped layout into a horseshoe, or turning a horseshoe kitchen into a G-shaped design. Peninsulas function much like islands but offer more clearance in kitchens that do not allow appropriate square footage for a true island. 

26. Kitchen Planning considerations: B) TRAFFIC C) STORAGE D) COUNTERS AND WORKING SURFACE E) MATERIALS F) LIGHTING G) VENTILATION H) SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILTY

27. PARTS OF A RESIDENTIAL B A T H R O O M / TOILET AND BATH In planning bathroom, te designer must know the various activities performed in the room such as: 1) washing of hands, face, and hair 2) Elimination and grooming 3) hand laundering and infant care 4) often used as dressing room

28. PARTS OF A RESIDENTIAL C L O S E T A modern closet is designed for storage of particular clothing or things of an individual or a group using the space.