LITERATURE STUDY FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

Prepared by: Rajan Chaudhary

A. Residential building minimum space requirements per person:

In general, it is recommended that a residential building should provide a minimum of 100-150
square feet of living space per person. This would typically include a bedroom, bathroom, and
living area. Some experts recommend even more space, particularly if the building is located in
a hot or humid climate, or if the residents are planning to spend a significant amount of time in
the dwelling.

B. Architects' studio room minimum space requirement per person:

In general, it is recommended that an architect's studio room should provide a minimum of
100-150 square feet of working space per person. This would typically include a desk, storage
for materials and equipment, and space for drawing and other design work. Some architects
may need more space if they are working on larger projects or if they need to have more
equipment or materials on hand.

C. MINIMUM SPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS:

The following are the minimum space requirements for residential units applicable to all
buildings and structures and portions thereof used for single-family residences:

I. Floor Areas: Required floor areas measured at main or first floor and not including open
porches, breezeway, garage or carports:

One-Story Residence In Two-Story Residence In

Square Feet Square Feet

R-1 district 1,800 1,800

R-2 and R-3 districts 1,500 1,700

II. Room Areas: Areas of the following rooms:

Living, dining and cooking when in 1 room 500 square feet

(includes area occupied by equipment)

Living and dining, when in 1 room 300 square feet

Kitchen, cooking only (including area 100 square feet

occupied by equipment)

Major bedroom 140 square feet

Living room only 250 square feet

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III. Utility Room:
a. Utility room shall be required in basementless dwellings.

b. A combination kitchen and utility room may be approved with a minimum area of
one hundred eighty (180) square feet, provided the heating unit be installed in a
closet constructed of one-hour fire-resistant material, with sufficient clearance for
maintenance and repairs and with adequate ventilation facilities.

IV. Additional Rooms: Additional habitable rooms require a minimum floor area of one
hundred (100) square feet each.

D. Standard Size and Locations of Rooms in Residential Buildings:

1. Size of Drawing or Living Room:
The living room is a common, comfortable and attractive place for sitting with family
members and receiving friends and guests. Sometimes it is used as a reception room
and dining room and on special occasions. The drawing room should be located in the
middle of the building and should be connected to the front verandah and dining place. It
should be well-lighted and ventilated.

Generally, drawing or living room is the biggest room of the building so it can be utilized
for some ceremonial function in the house.

Standard size of drawing room may range from: 4200mm (14ft) X 4800 mm (16ft) to
5400mm (18ft) X 7200mm (24ft)

2. Size of Bedrooms:
Bedrooms should be so located that they are well ventilated and at the same time
provide privacy. Generally, they should be located on the sides of the building so that at
least one wall is exposed for good ventilation and lighting.

The bedroom should be located on the side of the direction of the prevailing wind. The
minimum window area should be 1:10th of the floor area.

In bedrooms 9.5 cubic meter per adult and 5.5cubic meter per child space should be
available and suitable allowance should be made for furniture.

Standard size of bedrooms may range from: 3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft) to 4200mm
(14ft) X 4800mm (16ft)

3. Size of Guest Room:

Guest room should be well lighted and ventilated. It should be located on one side of the
building, generally by the side of the drawing room.

Standard size of guest rooms may be: 3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft)

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4. Size of Office Room:
Office rooms should be on one side of front verandah, disconnected from other rooms.
Sometimes an office room serves the purpose of guest room and vice versa.

Standard size of office room may be: 3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft)

5. Size of Dining Room:

Generally, the dining room should be provided in rear of the drawing or living room and
near the kitchen. In modern houses drawing room and dining room are combined to
have a big room for special occasions. For orthodox families dining room is kept
separate.

Size of Dining Room may range from: 3600mm (12ft) X 4200mm (14ft) to 4200mm (14ft)
X4800mm (16ft)

6. Size of Kitchen:
The kitchen should be provided in rear corner of the building but NE corner is the best. It
should be connected with dining room and should have one approach from outside also.
If possible, the kitchen should be so located that sun light should come in the morning
hours, when it is used most.

It should have windows for good ventilation and chimney for smoke escape. The window
space should be min. of 15% of floor area.

Sink should be provided for washing and sufficient number of shelves should also be
provided. Sometimes storeroom and kitchen are combined together, if less space is
available.

Standard size of kitchen rooms may range from: 2500mm (8ft) X 3900mm (13ft) to
3000mm (10ft) X 3600mm (12ft)

7. Store Room:
Store rooms should be located near the kitchen and should have sufficient number of
racks.

Standard size of store room may range from: 2500mm (8ft) X 2500mm (8ft) to 3000mm
(10ft) X 3000mm (10ft)

8. Pantry:
Pantry is a small room adjacent to dining room for keeping cooked food. It should have
sufficient numbers of cup-boards and shelves. For ordinary building, kitchen serves the
purpose of pantry.

Size of pantry may range from: 2500mm (8ft) X 3000mm (10ft)

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 9. Size of Verandah:
The best location for verandah is south and west. If the frontage of the building is east
then they are located in east also. The verandah also serves the purpose of a waiting
room. It segregates the private apartment from the entrance area. The veranda should
shade the walls of the building during greater part of the day. For this it is necessary that
it must not have openings of a height greater than 2:3rd of the floor width. Each house
should have one front and rear verandah. If space doesn’t permit, the rear verandah can
be omitted. Verandah have width ranging from 1800mm (6ft) to 3000mm (10ft) Verandah
opening should always have a chajja projection for protection from sunlight and
rainwater.

10. Size of Bathroom and WC:

Nowadays, it has become common practice to provide attached bathroom and water
closets with each bedroom. This is preferable only when good drainage and water
supply are available.

It is not attached to the bedrooms, the bath and WC should be provided in the rear of the
building separately so that the two can be used at a time. Good ventilation should be
provided for the bath and WC.

There should be two windows in the bathroom. One for ventilation at a height of 2000mm
above outside ground level and another at the usual low level with frosted glass shutters
for admitting light and maintaining privacy. Sometimes ceiling height is kept low
(2100mm or 7ft) and upper space is used for storage purposes

Common sizes of bathroom and water closet may be:

Bath and WC (combined): 1800mm X 1800mm to 1800mm X 2500mm Bathroom
(separate): 1200mm X 1800mm WC (separate): 1200mm X 1200mm

E. SPACE REQUIREMENT FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF BUILDING

I. Main Building

The plinth or any part of a building or outhouse shall be so located with respect to
average road level from site so that adequate drainage of the site is assured but at a
not height less than 45 cm.
II. Interior Courtyards, Covered Parking Spaces and Garages

These shall be raised at least 15 cm. above the surrounding ground level and shall
satisfactorily drained.
III. Habitable Rooms Size and Width

The minimum size and width shall be as given in Table 4.2

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Table: Minimum Size and Width of Different Components of Residential Premises

Sl. Componen Min. requirement for plots Min.

No. t of upto 50 sq m. requirement for
Building plots above 50 sq m.

1 Habitable Room Area 7.50 sq m. Area 9.50 sq m.

Width 2.10 m. Width 2.40 m.

Height 2.75 m. Height 2.75 m.

2 Kitchen Area 3.30 sq m. Area 4.50 sq m.

Width 1.50 m. Width 1.50 m.

Height 2.75 m. Height 2.75 m.

3 Pantry Area Not Area 3.00 sq m.

applicable

Width Not Width 1.40 m.

applicable

Height Not Height 2.75 m.

applicable

4 Bathroom Area 1.20 sq m. Area 1.80 sq m.

Width 1.00 m. Width 1.20 m.

Height 2.20 m. Height 2.20 m.

5 W.C. Area 1.00 sq m. Area 1.10 sq m.

Width 0.90 m. Height 0.90 m.

Height 2.20 m. Height 2.20 m.

6 Combined Bath & Area 1.80 sq m. Area 2.80 sq m.

W.C. (Toilet)
Width 1.00 m. Width 1.20 m.

Height 2.20 m. Height 2.20 m.

7 Store Area No Area No

restriction restriction

Width No Width No
restriction restriction

Height 2.20 m. Height 2.2 m.

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 8 Projections Permitted within the Permitted within
setbacks the
upto 0.75 m. width setbacks upto 0.75 m.
width

9 Canopy See clause 4.9.6 See clause 4.9.6

10 Garage - Area 14.85 sq m.

-
Width 2.75 m.

Length 5.40 m.

Height 2.40 m.

11 Passage - Width 1.00 m.

-

12 Doorways Width 0.80 m. Width 0.90 m

Habitable rooms
Height 2.00 m. Height 2.20 m.

For kitchen bath, W.C. Width 0.75 m. Width 0.75 m.

etc.
Height 2.00 m. Height 2.00 m

14 Staircase Width 0.75 m. Width 0.90 m.

No restriction for
internal ladder
Notes
1. Provided that the minimum clear head way under any beam shall be not less than 2.4 m.
2. Maximum height permissible for all the components of the building mentioned above is 4 m.

References:
1. https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/Chap-4.pdf
2. https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/northbarringtonil/latest/northbarrington_il/0-0-0-3699
3. https://theconstructor.org/building/size-room-location-building/13269/
4. https://thespaceplace.net/space-planning-how-much-space-do-you-really-need/