Rule of thumbRecommended
Public/private zoning
PUBLIC-PRIVATE-ZONINGDescription
Group public rooms (kitchen, dining, living, family) on one side; private (bedrooms, baths) on the other. Crossing zones during a typical day should be intentional, not constant.
Why this exists
Captures Alexander's intimacy gradient at the floor-plan level.
Categories
AdjacencyPrivacy
Source
AIA Residential Knowledge Communityno manifest entry
Best practices for residential design (—)
Section: Compiled professional consensus
Published 2024-01-01 · last verified 2026-05-09
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.
Related directives
- Laundry room sizing · LAUNDRY-SIZE
- Kitchen near mudroom + garage · KITCHEN-NEAR-MUDROOM
- Kitchen adjacent to dining · KITCHEN-NEAR-DINING
- Laundry near bedrooms (or kitchen) · LAUNDRY-NEAR-BEDROOMS
- Primary suite isolated from public zones · PRIMARY-SUITE-ISOLATED
Last reviewed 2026-05-09.