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Guides19 articles

Guides

Practical answers for planning spaces, drawing floor plans and making building decisions.

19 guides across 7 topics

Floor plan basics

3 guides

How to Draw a Floor Plan

The complete step-by-step method: measure the space, draw walls to exact dimensions, place openings, add floors and print to scale.

How to Read a Floor Plan

Learn what dashed lines mean, read door swings and room sizes, decode abbreviations and spot layout red flags before a viewing.

Floor Plans on Graph Paper

The classic squared-paper method: choose a scale, count squares, mark openings and know when a snap-to-grid editor is more useful.

Space planning

5 guides

How to Plan Rooms Before Drawing Walls

Turn a room list into an editable space arrangement, balance target areas, decide which boundaries stay open, then build the wall plan.

What Is Space Planning in Architecture?

The stage between the brief and the floor plan: how space planning differs from programming, floor planning and detailed drafting, and what it decides.

How to Allocate Floor Area Between Rooms

Start from the net area, set aside circulation, divide the rest by priority, then rebalance by moving shared boundaries so one room grows only at another's expense.

How to Plan Rooms Inside a Fixed House Footprint

Measure the footprint to the inside of the external walls, budget circulation, place rooms largest-first and make every leftover square metre a decision.

How to Turn a Space Plan into a Floor Plan

Settle every boundary, give each line a real wall thickness, place the walls correctly on the planning lines, add openings and re-measure the rooms.

Room sizes & circulation

1 guide

Room Sizes & Clearances

A practical cheat sheet for room sizes, corridors, kitchens, bathrooms, furniture and the clear space that makes a plan work.

Kitchens

1 guide

Kitchen Layouts: Straight, Galley, L, U or Island?

Compare five kitchen layouts in real dimensions, from work order and aisle width to the room size an island actually needs.

Doors, windows & walls

2 guides

Standard Door Sizes

Door widths and heights in metric and imperial, plus the opening, leaf and clear-width distinction that decides what fits through.

Wall Thickness on a Floor Plan

Choose realistic external, load-bearing and partition wall thicknesses, understand their build-ups and account for the floor area they consume.

Drawings & symbols

5 guides

Floor Plan Symbols, Explained

A visual reference for walls, door swings, windows, stairs, fixtures, furniture and dimensions—and what each mark means.

Door Symbols on a Floor Plan

Read hinged, double, sliding, pocket, bifold, cased-opening and garage-door symbols, including hinge side and swing clearance.

Window Symbols on a Floor Plan

Understand the three-line window symbol, coupled pairs and bays—and why most window types differ in elevation rather than plan.

Staircase Symbols on a Floor Plan

Read treads, walk lines, UP and DN arrows, break lines and the plan symbols for straight, L-shaped, U-shaped and winder flights.

The Architect's Glossary

Jamb, mullion, riser and going, ridge, soffit, FFL and net area—residential drawing terms explained by part of the house.

Outdoor & site

2 guides

Deck Sizes & Dimensions

Size a deck for dining or lounging, then work out levels, steps, railings, openings and board spacing with the arithmetic shown.

Patio vs Terrace vs Deck

Tell patios, terraces, decks, porches, verandas, balconies, pergolas and alfresco spaces apart—and see how each is drawn.

Turn the answer into a plan.

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