Floor Plan, A Dream on Paper

Many people think a floor plan is the top view, or birds eye view of the layout of a home. In reality it is much more than that. It is really not even a view of the floor either. A floor plan is a cross section of a home about four feet up from the floor level. Think of it as a grapefruit, when you cut a grapefruit in half and look down at it you can see all the structure inside. That is what a floor plan is, a cross section of a home.

A floor plan, also known as a Scottish plan is a drawing to scale. Thats great, but what does that mean? A drawing to scale means a unit of measurement on the drawing correlates to a larger unit of measurement. Typically floor plans are created at one-eighth scale, so one-eighths of an inch on the drawing equals one foot when built. For example a wall that is one inch long on the floor plan drawing would be built to eight feet long.

Although a floor plan will show detailed measurements and angles it is important to have the drawing to scale. Not every measurement and angle may be called out (shown). Sometimes during planning and construction it is necessary to know, or calculate distances or angles that are not indicated on the floor plan. With a drawing to scale anyone can use a ruler to measure a distance and then calculate the finished length, but it is not recommended.

Floor plans will typically include details such as sinks, countertops, appliances, water heaters, and other fixtures. In addition to indicating the detailed measurements, fixtures and appliances they will also include notes about construction methods and specific finishes to be used. The builder and home owner are not required to follow the notes supplied in the floor plans but the designer includes them to indicate the optimum methods of construction, and appearance of the finished home.

Reflected Ceiling Floor Plan

One very important feature of the floor plan that many designers leave out (but we do not) is the reflected ceiling plan. The reflected ceiling plan (RCP) shows the details of the ceiling on the floor plans. This is shown as a series of dashed lines within rooms. Think of it as if there was a mirror laying on the floor, reflecting the details of the ceiling back at you. Most designers and builders ignore this feature, but here at Sater Design Collection we take the time to add this very important detail to our floor plans.

A floor plan is much more than a “map” for the builder to follow. It is a set of carefully crafted instructions to be followed in order to create a specific vision. When hard earned experience of home design meets years of building knowledge, the end result is a rich floor plan, truly a dream home suspended on paper.

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