Okuzeka
Architecture vocabulary · Space, Form and Composition

Circulation

Meaning in architecture, with examples

/ˌsɜːrkjəˈleɪʃn/nounCore term

In architecture, circulation means: The way people move through and between the spaces of a building, including corridors, stairs, lifts, ramps and entrances.

In Turkish: sirkülasyon, dolaşım

How it is used

One of the first things juries and clients check in a plan. Architects talk about circulation routes, vertical circulation (stairs and lifts) and circulation space; good circulation is clear, short and efficient.

Example sentences

  1. The circulation is confusing; visitors can't find the main stair from the entrance.

  2. Keep the vertical circulation in one core to save floor area.

Common collocations

  • vertical circulation
  • horizontal circulation
  • circulation space
  • circulation route
  • layoutThe way rooms, furniture or areas are arranged within a plan, including their sizes, positions and relationships to each other.
  • staircaseA set of stairs together with its supporting structure, handrails and landings, which connects the different floors of a building.
  • floor planA drawing that shows a building from above as if it were cut horizontally about a metre above the floor, showing walls, doors, windows and rooms.
  • accessibilityThe quality of a building or place being usable by everyone, including wheelchair users, older people and people with visual or hearing impairments.
  • atriumA large open space inside a building that rises through several floors, usually under a glass roof, and is often used as an entrance hall or meeting area.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Space, Form and Composition

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: