Ga naar de inhoudSkip to content
Unit N | نْ Contracting & DesignUnit N | نْ Contracting & Design
Start je projectStart your project

02 / Design anatomy

What makes this room work for everyday life?

Follow the light, sound and everyday walking route through the living and dining room of a 1920s Dutch townhouse.

Tall windows, decorative moulding and a warm sitting area beside the dining space in an imagined Dutch townhouse.
Illustrative townhouse interior.

Illustrative design study

One floor plan, three design layers.

Select a number on the plan or a layer beneath it. Compare the existing layout with the design proposal.

6.40 × 4.20 m internal dimensions Windows Living room Dining room Hall 80 cm 104 cm 2.00 m

Proposed layout with 104 cm of clear passage width. Schematic floor plan. Dimensions are specific to this worked example.

03 / Circulation

What does 24 cm of extra clearance change?

In this example, the hall partition moves by 24 cm. At the narrowest point, the clear width grows from 80 to 104 cm. That is 30% wider, measured between the finished wall faces.

Design decision
The marked strip of hall is 2.00 m long. The change adds 0.48 m² of circulation area there (2.00 × 0.24 m), taken from the adjoining dining area.
What to verify before building
Plot door swings, skirting and furniture. Have the wall and any services inspected, and check the permit requirements before planning the work.
A painted brick arch frames a dining table with a pendant light and a large window on the left.
UNIT N project photograph · Bezuidenhout, The Hague

Completed by UNIT N

Living room in Bezuidenhout, The Hague

What can you read directly from a project photograph? Open the observations for this room.

Daylight and pendant lighting

Daylight enters beside the table from the left. The pendant hangs directly above the tabletop. The two sources can serve the dining area at different times of day.

Sightline and walking route

The arch frames a view of the dining table and marks the transition between rooms. To assess the walking route, measure clearance at the arch and beside the chairs.

What the photo tells us about sound

The photo shows hard floor and wall surfaces and an upholstered sofa. Assessing sound between floors requires details about the floor assembly and its junctions.

Further reading

Apply the observations to your own home

Explore more UNIT N home renovations

The project gallery shows completed and in-progress work across The Hague, including Bezuidenhout, Schilderswijk and Weteringkade.

View the project gallery
Sources for the design study