The standard size of rooms and their location in a residential building are important to provide spaces for necessary furnishings, easier movements, entry of sunlight, and natural airflow for ventilation.
The standard sizes of drawing rooms, bedrooms, living rooms, guest rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, toilets, garage, etc. are provided for mobility, aesthetics, natural ventilation, and space for necessary furnishings and decorations. The suitable location of these rooms and their standard size should be considered while planning a residential building.
Standard Size of Rooms in Residential Buildings and their Locations
1. Size of Drawing Room or Living Room:
A drawing room or living room is a common, comfortable, and attractive place for sitting, relaxing, being together with family members, and receiving friends and guests. Sometimes it is used as a reception room and dining room and on special occasions. A drawing room or living room is the largest room in the residential building. This room is also used for some ceremonial functions at home.
The drawing room should be located in the middle of the residential building well connected with the kitchen, dining hall, balcony, and guest toilet. In addition, the drawing-room should be connected to the veranda and dining place. Its location should have good natural lighting and natural cross-ventilation.
The size of the drawing-room should be determined by the use of the type of furniture, the number of members in the house, and the available area.
The standard size of a drawing-room should be 14ft X 16ft (4.2m X 4.8m) to 18ft X 24ft (5.4m X 7.2m).
2. Standard Size of Bedrooms
Bedrooms should be located on the corner or side of the building so that they are well ventilated, has good natural lights and at the same time provides privacy to the residents.
Generally, bedrooms should be located on the sides of the direction of the prevailing wind so that at least one wall is exposed for good ventilation and lighting. When it is located on the corner, the bedroom can have good cross-ventilation and good exposure to sunlight for the most part of the day or the bedroom receives sunlight during morning hours.
The minimum window area for the bedrooms should be 10% of the floor area. In bedrooms, 9.5 cubic meters per adult and 5.5cubic meters per child space should be available and suitable allowance should be made for furniture.
If a good water supply and drainage system are available, a bedroom should have an attached bathroom and water closet.
The standard size of the bedrooms may range from 10ft X 12ft (3m X 3.6m) to 14ft X 16ft (4.2m X 4.8) for general occupancy.
3. Standard Size for Guest Room
The location of the guest room should be connected to the drawing-room or the living room. The guest room should be located on one side of the building so that it receives good natural sunlight and natural ventilation. This room should be away from the bedrooms to maintain the privacy of the residents.
The guest room should be disconnected from inside the house and must have its separate toilets and bathroom and water closet.
The standard size of the guest room should be 10ft X 12ft (3m X 3.6m).
4. Standard Size for Dining Room
A dining room should be located such that it is well connected with the living room and the kitchen for easy placement of food from the kitchen to the dining table.
In modern houses, the drawing-room and dining room are combined to be used for special occasions. In some conservative families, the drawing-room and dining room are kept separate.
The standard size for dining rooms can be 12ft X 14ft to 14ft X 16ft i.e. 3.6m X 4.2m to 4.2m X 4.8m
5. Standard Size of Kitchen
In a residential building, the kitchen should be provided in the rear corner of the building but the North-East corner is the best to receive the sunlight during the morning hours, which is when the kitchen is mostly used. It helps to keep the kitchen free of bacteria and also provides good sunlight and does not heat the kitchen due to the low intensity of the sunlight.
The kitchen should be well connected with the dining room and should have one approach from the outside also to receive the maids and cook directly through the kitchen or to have the wash area outside of the kitchen.
The kitchen should have windows for natural ventilation to remove the smoke and heat efficiently and should have a chimney for smoke escape. The size of the window should be a minimum of 15% of the floor area of the kitchen.
A sink should be provided for washing and a sufficient number of shelves should also be provided for storage of the grains and other important items related to kitchen and cooking.
Sometimes a storeroom is provided adjacent to the kitchen if space is available.
The standard size of the kitchen room should be at least 8ft X 13ft to 10ft X 12ft, i.e. 2.5m to 3.9m to 3m X 3.6m.
6. Standard Size of Pantry
A pantry is a small room adjacent to the dining room for keeping cooked food. It should have sufficient numbers of cupboards and shelves.
For ordinary residential buildings, the kitchen serves the purpose of a pantry.
The standard size of a pantry can range from 8ft X 10ft i.e. 2.5m X 3m.
7. Standard Size of Storeroom
Storerooms should be located connected to the kitchen and they should have enough space to store the necessary accessories and necessities. An adequate number of shelves should be provided in the storeroom.
The minimum area for the storeroom should be 3 square meters and the minimum height should not be less than 2.2 meters.
The standard size of the storeroom should be 8ft X8ft to 10ft X 10ft i.e. 2.5m X 2.5m to 3m X 3m.
8. Standard Size of Veranda
The veranda in a building serves the purpose of a waiting room. It separates the private building from the entrance area. The best location for the veranda is the south and west side of the building. If the frontage of the building is east then they can be located on the east side of the building also.
The veranda should shade the walls of the building for the greater part of the day. For this, it is necessary that it does not have openings of a height greater than 2:3rd of the floor width.
Each residential building should have one front and one rear veranda. If space is limited, the rear veranda can be omitted.
The standard size of the veranda has widths from 6ft to 10ft i.e. 1.8m to 3m.
Veranda openings should always have an overhang projection at the lintel level for protection from sunlight and rainwater.
9. Standard Size of Office Room (Optional)
Many of the residential buildings in cities have one room as an office room. If any office room is to be provided, then it should be on one side of the front verandah, disconnected from other rooms, so that there can be less disturbance from the activities of the residents of the building.
Sometimes an office room serves the purpose of the guest room and vice versa.
The standard size of an office room can be 10ft X 12ft i.e. 3.3m X 3.6m.
10. Standard Size of Bathroom and WC
Bathroom and water closets are now provided attached to the bedrooms, mostly in the master bedroom and the guest room. This is usually provided in cities where good drainage and water supply are available.
If the bathroom and water closet are not attached to the bedrooms, the bath and water closet should be provided separately in the rear part of the residential building so that these two can be used at once.
It is important to provide good ventilation to the bathroom and water closet so that the smells exist through the ventilator through natural ventilation.
There should be two windows in the bathroom to provide the cross-ventilation. One for ventilation at a height of 2m above outside ground level and another at the usual low level with frosted glass shutters for admitting light and maintaining privacy.
Sometimes the ceiling height is kept low at 2.1m or 7ft and upper space is used for storage purposes.
Common sizes of bathroom and water closet should be:
Bath and water closet combined: 6ft X 6ft to 6ft X 8ft (1.8m X 1.8m to 1.8m X 2.5m).
For bathroom separated: 4ft X 6ft (1.2m X 1.8m)
For the water-closet separated: 4ft X 4ft. (1.2m X 1.2m)
Table: Standard Room Sizes for Residential Building
| S. No. | Type of Room | Minimum Size | Maximum Sizes |
| 1. | Drawing Room or Living Room | 14ft X 16ft | 18ft X 24ft |
| 2. | Bedroom or Master Bedroom | 10ft X 12ft | 14ft X 16ft |
| 3. | Guest Room | 10ft X 12ft | 10ft X 12ft |
| 4. | Dining Room | 12ft X 14ft | 14ft X 16ft |
| 5. | Kitchen | 8ft X 13ft | 10ft X 12ft |
| 6. | Pantry | 8ft X 10ft | 8ft X 10ft |
| 7. | Storeroom | 8ft X 8ft | 10ft X 10ft |
| 8. | Veranda | 6ft wide | 10ft wide |
| 9. | Bath & WC Combined | 6ft X 6ft | 6ft X 8ft |
| 10. | Bath (Separated) | 4ft X 6ft | 4ft X 6ft |
| 11. | W. C. (Separated) | 4ft X 4ft | 4ft X 6ft |
| 12. | Office Room (optional) | 10ft X 12ft | 10ft X 12ft |
