Establish how much of the space is usable
Floor area provides a starting point for comparison. Room shape, storage and door openings determine how that area can be used; equal measurements do not necessarily accommodate the same life.
After positioning a bed, desk and dining table, allow for pulling out a chair, opening cupboards and moving between rooms. Furniture fitting into a plan and daily routines working within it are separate questions.
Give each activity an appropriate place
Dining, work, study and rest have different spatial requirements. Identifying those needs helps determine whether separate rooms or divisions created by furniture will work better.
The presentation of CRÉATIF Bunkyo Sendagi considers the possibility of using the dining kitchen and room separately. The value of that division depends on the resident’s routine and the activities that require their own setting.
Use a viewing to test a proposed way of living
Follow everyday actions from arriving and setting down belongings through washing, cooking, laundry and storage. This makes it easier to identify awkward routes and assess the practical positions of sockets and cupboards.
Photographs and plans establish an initial view. Measurements and an on-site inspection test it, giving an assessment of the layout a firmer basis.