Typical Dimensions for Home Design: Architecture by Numbers

Formulas for good design.

What are the dimensions for…? How much room do I need for…?

Kitchen Counters

Are 36” high.

Counter depth is 24” + 1” overhang for a total of 25”.

Bathroom Vanities :

18-21” deep and are typically 30-34” high

You need minimum of 60” to get a double Vanity in, but we recommend at least 72” so two adults can stand next to each other at those sinks.

Closets:   need to be a minimum of 21” deep for a
standard hanger to fit…go for 24” clear on the inside …you will be happier.

Porches:  less than 6’ deep are useless. 6’ gets you a rocking chair and room to walk pass. 8’ is good, but 10’-12’ is ideal for entertaining and hanging out on.

Paint:  One gallon of paint typically covers 400 square feet of wall surface.

Circulation: 

Doors:

3’-0” wide openings for doors to the exterior.

2’-6” to 2’-8 inches everywhere else unless you need

Wheel Chair Accessibility…then 3’-0” everywhere.

This also helps with getting large furniture and appliances into the space. Note: Double check that if you are getting a large Viking Range that you can get it into your house.

Halls or circulation paths need to be at least 36” but the closer you can get to 48” the more gracious it will be…this includes kitchen circulation.

The kitchen work triangle = the distance from Refrigerator to the Sink to Stove back to Refrigerator. Each leg of the work triangle should measure between 4’ and 9’ in length and the total length of all 3 legs should be between 12’ and 26’ with 21 being rated at the most efficient.

Bed Sizes:

Twin 39”x75

X-Long Twin found in Dorms 39” x 80

Full Size Bed 54”x75

Queen 60”x80

King 76”x 80

California King 72”x 84”

Couches:  What ever size couch you decide to get, research shows that rarely more than 2 people will sit on it together at one time….don’t know where the research is another one of those things Mother Mary always says…and I have noted the phenomenon at parties.

Dining Rooms:  The minimum dining room size is 12' X 12' this allows for proper circulation around the table and allows for 6 people to fit graciously...more if you are good friends.

Chandeliers: or pendant lights should be approximately 36” above the table/counter surface.
Shelves:  Books minimum 12" however 13" is better.  Dishes need 15" clear in an upper cabinets.  If  you have glass doors on your cabinets either use glass shelves or line the shelf up with the "grill" pattern on the door and for the Love of Good Design-- shelves should always be adjustable because stuff comes in different sizes.

Understanding Architectural Drawings

Below I have illustrated plans, sections and elevations of the custom-designed vanity pictured on the left.

Plans

The plan is a bird’s eye view looking down from three feet above the floor. I equate this to looking down at the top of a birthday cake.

Sections

Continuing with the birthday cake theme, a section would be like cutting into the cake and seeing all the layers.

The location of where the sections are cut is shown on the plan with a “cut line” and an arrow indicating where the cut has been made and which way we are looking at the section. 
 
Elevations
The elevation shows us what we would see standing in front of the vanity. The location/point of the view is again noted with a circle and arrow on the plan. Referring back to the birthday cake image, if you are looking at the side of the cake and it is a round cake, the drawing of this would be a rectangle.  Vertical parallel lines are used as shading to show the curve.

Tags

The corresponding numbers in these circles, or "tags," tell us the drawing number and the drawing sheet/page in the set. The number on the top of the line indicates the drawing number on a sheet and the bottom number is the page or sheet number in the set. While these drawings all occur on one sheet, the principle remains the same for a larger set of documents where the drawings are on many sheets ... you match the “tag” numbers.

Ten things a GREAT Contractor will Say/Do.

1. "Joe"  here will be the Superintendent on your job.  He will be here every day at 8am.  Here is my phone number and his phone number should you have any questions or concerns.
2. Here are the copies of  licenses and insurance certificates for all the people that will be working on your house.
3. I have prepared a detailed schedule to mitigate delays and manage the team's expectations.
4. I would like to have weekly Team Meetings to review progress we have made, next steps, and any changes to the scope, budgets, shop drawings created for custom work, and schedules.
5. Let's refer to the Construction Documents.
6. Let's ask the Architect what the design intent is before we go changing things.
7. While it may appear that the Structural Engineer has over-designed this, I am sure they have researched the code and done the calculations to ensure the integrity of your house. I will call the Architect and Engineer to review alternatives that achieve the same goals but may result in a cost savings to you. 
8. I have prepared an analysis that outlines the associated costs/savings you will incur for the changes discussed. Additionally, I have prepared the Change Orders with the associated costs/savings for the approved scope changes (resulting from unforeseen conditions or client requests) for the Team's review and approval.
9. I have protected the areas that we are not going to be working in.
10. I look forward to working together with this Team.

Engaging the Contractor can occur at different times.  The interactions discussed above take part during the Construction Administration/Observation Phase. To learn more about how to work with an Architect and the different phases of a project, visit Clawson Architects web site.