Our Design Director's Top Space Planning Strategies

The initial step to most projects is to come up with a strategy to organize all the different spaces and determine what kinds of spaces are needed, what they should and should not be next to, and how those spaces will fit in to our overall goals.

Straight from our Design Director, here are three of our top Space Planning Strategies we can utilize when starting a new project.

1. Start With the Arrival

We begin at what will be the user’s arrival point, and then create a bubble diagram to identify what adjacencies work best. Bubble diagrams are "bubbles" representing different rooms, spaces, or functional areas, and they are often connected by lines to show how the spaces relate to one another in terms of proximity and flow. The arrival point can be a door, courtyard, alley, gate, lobby, or even a porch. The area leading up to the entry should be considered as well, as it can impact the user experience dramatically. It should be clear and not confusing. An entry point will need to relate the style of architecture. Classical buildings often feature entrances aligned with a symmetrical axis, while contemporary buildings may take more creative or unconventional approaches to their entrance design.

2. Eliminate Dead Ends

We aim to avoid dead ends by designing functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces at circulation endpoints. These areas should either serve as functional points, create an artistic vignette, or subtly suggest further movement.

This approach fosters an instinctual flow, guiding people naturally through the space.

Whenever possible, I like to create a circular flow in my projects, seamlessly connecting private and public spaces through functional transitions, ensuring there are no true 'dead ends.'

Circular flow diagram at our Picheloup Place Project

3. Be Mindful of Natural Light

Building orientation and natural light are important for creating spaces. We don’t simply add windows to a building haphazardly, we consider the layout and the furniture within the space so we can optimize natural light as a design element within the space. We are conscious of how spaces relate to the exterior the building as well as adjacent spaces. Does a courtyard want to be viewable from a living room or a bedroom, or both?

We love windows in walk-in closets and skylights in stairwells.

If cost is an issue, get a quote for a “picture” window that is non-operable but make sure code doesn’t require that it be operable first (all bedrooms need one operable window).

Bonus Tip: Visualize Yourself in the Space

This is harder to do for some people, which is why we use robust software to model views of our project that update as we are creating plans and details.

If you don’t have the luxury of digital renderings, be mindful next time you are in a space that makes you happy and take mental notes.

Fundamentally, a good designer is someone who is paying attention to, and able to recall, details of spaces around them and how they feel. Pinterest can be a great shortcut, as can AI-generated imagery if you’re willing to learn how to write a prompt.