PatternRecommended
Entry sightline buffer
CIR-ENTRY-SIGHTLINE-01Description
The front entry should not look directly into a bathroom, bedroom, or laundry room.
Why this exists
The first thing a guest sees from the front door shouldn't be a bedroom or bathroom. Foyer + hallway buffer keeps private rooms hidden.
Categories
CirculationPrivacy
Source
Christopher Alexanderno manifest entry
A Pattern Language (1977)
Section: Pattern 130 (Entrance Room)
Published 2026-05-09 · last verified 2026-05-09
Solver enforcement
The constraint solver runs check function cir-entry-sightline-01 as a soft constraint with weight 5.
Backed by research
Place an entrance room (foyer / vestibule) at the front door so the first thing visible from outside is a transition zone, not a private room or the back of the house.
Alexander et al. (1977), Oxford University Press — Pattern 130 — view source ↗
See the full research bibliography for context. Our licensing principle describes how we cite published research without using the underlying datasets.
Related directives
- Common Areas at the Heart · Pattern 129
- Intimacy Gradient · Pattern 127
- Long Thin House · Pattern 109
- Main Entrance · Pattern 110
- Half-Hidden Garden · Pattern 111
Last reviewed 2026-05-09.