Intimacy Gradient

Description

Lay out rooms so that the most public spaces (entry, living room) sit at the front of the house, transitioning through semi-public (kitchen, dining), to semi-private (family room, study), to most-private (bedrooms, bath) at the back or upstairs.

Why this exists

The intimacy gradient is one of the most universally satisfying patterns in residential design. It lets visitors orient themselves quickly — they sense what's accessible without anyone giving them a tour. Houses that violate the gradient (bedroom off the front entry, bath beside the kitchen) feel uneasy to occupy.

Categories

Source

Solver enforcement

Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.

Backed by research

• Houses are most satisfying when public rooms (entry, living) sit at the front and intimacy increases toward the back / upstairs (family, primary bedroom). Visitors orient themselves quickly without needing a tour.

  Alexander et al. (1977), Oxford University Press — Pattern 127 — 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
• Half-Hidden Garden · Pattern 111
• Indoor Sunlight · Pattern 128
• Entrance Room · Pattern 130
• Couple's Realm · Pattern 136