A space plan can be created using a variety of techniques. An early technique is the bubble plan. In this step, you will draw a plan of the space and use circles or bubbles to roughly delineate the activities that will take place. These bubbles overlap according to the relationship between them.
Once the activities have been defined and mapped out in relation to one another, a more detailed scale plan can be developed. In this plan, the layout of individual items will be shown. This process can be carried out by hand, or with moveable paper cutouts, or using space planning software such as computer-aided design (CAD) software or building information modeling software (BIM) for space planning
In parametric modeling, pre-defined rules can be automatically applied to the entire space, simplifying space planning. So for example, if a color scheme for a particular part of the space is changed, every object that has that color attribute will also change. Parameters may also include positional data, dimensions, algorithms describing form, etc. Also you can prefer glass partitions when you are planning for your space. That enhances your commercial space and also makes your place more attractive. Also, you can prefer glass staircases that enhance your space and make your place more attractive.
In particularly complex spaces, techniques such as space syntax can allow the relationships between spatial layout and human behavior to be simulated and investigated in detail. This might be useful, for example, in the design of a station where a significant number of conflicting uses occupy the same space.
What is Space Planning in Interior Design?
An integral part of the interior design process is space planning. The process begins with a thorough analysis of how the space will be used. Afterwards, the designer defines the areas of the space and the activities that will be carried out in each zone. Furthermore, the space plan will indicate how people will move through the space. All the furniture, equipment, and hardware placement details are added to the plan.
What to consider when deciding how to layout your room
- Think about the structure of the room. What are the main focal points? They could be windows, fireplaces, doors, or built-in units. Are they balanced in the room? If not, think about what you can add to the space to help balance its structure. When we enter a space, our eyes are drawn to focal points and will scan it.
- Perception of space is based on body size. A claustrophobic box is one person’s cozy nest, while another person’s claustrophobic box is another’s claustrophobic box.
- As an example, consider the space as a fishbowl. If you add a sofa, chandelier, sculptures, bookshelves, tables, coffee tables etc, you displace some of the water. Don’t overfill the space.
- Creating both a prospect and refuge in each room will allow you to feel enclosed, but also have a view of the outside or natural world. Prospect and Refuge theories can be used to make a space more human-friendly. People prefer a shelter (refuge) with a view (prospect) since their field of vision is to the front (prospect), and therefore need protection from behind (refuge).
- Prepare a scale drawing of your room or cut out paper shapes and arrange them in the room to determine the appropriate arrangement of furniture and accessories.
- From the door to all the other main activity areas, make sure the circulation passageway in a room follows an easy and economical path.
- If you have clutter, edit it to avoid blocking circulation and reducing the perception of room size.
- Subdivide large or long spaces into separate activity zones to give each part of the room its own identity.
- Plan decorations and lighting so that vertical lines draw our eyes up and horizontal lines draw them across. This will extend or reduce the proportions of a room.
- Wall paper with a square grid or tiling a room in squares will make it look smaller than it is – the smaller the grid, the more spacious the room looks.
- Ensure uninterrupted views of the outside world by borrowing space from the outside. By using the same flooring materials, you can also ‘borrow’ space from adjoining rooms.
- To make a small room appear more spacious, blur the edges of the room to break up the lines between floor and wall; draw furniture away from the walls; buy furniture in proportion to the room; choose furniture with legs to make it appear more spacious.
- You can conceal oversized sofas by breaking up their upholstered surface with a runner or folded throw in a different color or texture.
Following our discussion of space planning, let’s look at some questions you should ask yourself. These questions will help you to create a space plan for your own space.
