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Interior Design vocabulary · Space Planning

Circulation

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˌsɜːkjəˈleɪʃən/nounCore term

In interior design, circulation means: The routes people use to move through a building or room, such as corridors, stairs and paths between furniture, and the space these routes need.

In Turkish: sirkülasyon, dolaşım, geçiş alanı

How it is used

A key word in space planning. Designers talk about circulation space, circulation routes and good or poor circulation; for homes people also say traffic flow. The aim is to keep routes clear and short, and not through the middle of seating areas.

Example sentences

  1. The circulation is poor: everyone has to walk through the living room to reach the bathroom.

  2. Leave at least 90 cm for circulation behind the dining chairs.

Common collocations

  • circulation space
  • circulation route
  • poor circulation
  • traffic flow
  • clearanceThe free space needed around furniture, fittings and doors so that people can move, sit, open drawers or use appliances comfortably and safely.
  • layoutThe way rooms, furniture and fittings are arranged within a space, including where things are placed and how people move between them.
  • zoningDividing a space into areas for different activities, such as cooking, eating, relaxing or working, using furniture, rugs, lighting or changes in floor and ceiling.
  • space planningThe stage of design in which you study how a space will be used and decide where activities, furniture and routes go, before choosing colours and materials.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Space Planning

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