Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan is a technical or diagrammatic drawing that illustrates the horizontal relationships of interior spaces or features to one another at one level of a structure. They are typically drawn to-scale and in orthographic projection to represent relationships without distortion. They are usually drawn approximately above the finished floor and indicate the direction of north.
The level of detail included on a floor plan is directly tied to its intended use and phase of design. For instance, a plan produced in the schematic design phase may show only major divisions of space and approximate square footages while one produced for construction may indicate the construction types of various walls. Floor plans may indicate specific dimensions or square footages for particular rooms and/or walls. They may also include details of fixtures, notes to specify finishes, construction methods, or symbols for electrical items. They may be rendered or drafted.
Overview
Similar to a map, the orientation of the view is downward from above, but unlike a conventional map, a plan is drawn at a particular vertical position. Objects below this level are seen, objects at this level are shown 'cut' in plan-section, and objects above this vertical position within the structure are omitted or shown dashed. Plan view or planform is defined as a vertical orthographic projection of an object on a horizontal plane, like a map.The term may be used in general to describe any drawing showing the physical layout of objects. For example, it may denote the arrangement of the displayed objects at an exhibition, or the arrangement of exhibitor booths at a convention. Drawings are now reproduced using plotters and large format xerographic copiers.
The art of constructing ground plans was first described by Vitruvius and included the geometrical projection or horizontal section representing the plan of any building, taken at such a level as to show the outer walls, with the doorways, windows, fireplaces, etc., and the correct thickness of the walls; the position of piers, columns or pilasters, courtyards and other features which constitute the design, as to scale.
Plan view
A plan view is an orthographic projection of a three-dimensional object from the position of a horizontal plane through the object. In other words, a plan is a section viewed from the top. In such views, the portion of the object above the plane is omitted to reveal what lies beyond. In the case of a floor plan, the roof and upper portion of the walls may typically be omitted. Whenever an interior design project is being approached, a floor plan is the typical starting point for any further design considerations and decisions.Roof plans are orthographic projections, but they are not sections as their viewing plane is outside of the object.
A plan is a common method of depicting the internal arrangement of a three-dimensional object in two dimensions. It is often used in technical drawing and is traditionally crosshatched. The style of crosshatching indicates the type of material the section passes through.