I think I’ve mentioned this before but in intermediate school I took an architectural graphics course as one of my electives.  We learned the basics about how to build a house.  I was surprised to learn that not only were there standard sizes for everything (doors, windows, etc), there are also standard space requirements.  For example, there needs to be a certain amount of clearance around a door to in order for there to be good design.  There also needs to be a certain amount of space between a toilet and the door and the sink.  Our teacher would criticize us for trying to squeeze things too closely together because he said someone actually living in the house we were designing would find it uncomfortable.  (Sidenote: I had the great idea to design a medieval castle for my final project so I didn’t have to follow any of the architectural standards for it.)

I know a lot of homes break these standards.  Especially in dense metropolitan cities like NY, condos and apartments completely ignore these standards.  I’m okay with that because I know real estate is expensive.

What really irks me is when I visit a large public restroom in a restaurant and whoever measured the stall space didn’t follow the standards.  I really hate it when the stall doors open inwards and I have to risk pressing my knee pits against the rim of the bowl in order to close the door.  Gross.  And yeah, maybe smaller bathroom stalls are cheaper but it sure is a lousy way to skimp.

Last Modified : August 10th, 2008 Filed under : Peeved Navigate : Previous post / Next post