A School Plan

The image above shows a modern school plan with rooms drawn to scale.
The plan shows St. Patrick's National School, Glencullen, county Dublin.

Examine the plan of this new primary school.

• Does it seem to be a large or small school?
• Is it a two-storey building or is it single-storey?
• Can you find the symbols in the plan for the doors and windows?
• How many windows does each classroom have?
• Does each classroom have a storage room?
• Find the toilets in each classroom.
• Find the computer room and the library.
• How many entrances to the school can you see in the building?
• Look outside. Is there anything planned which would help wheelchair users enter the school? What do you see that shows this?
• Can you find the P.Ed. hall? What is it called on the plan? Does it have its own main entrance or do you need to enter through the main school?
• Are there toilets near the hall?

The image below shows the finished site plan for St. Patricks National School, Glencullen, county Dublin.

• Is the senior play area facing north or south?
• Do you think that the playground's aspect is south-facing or north-facing?
• Does the plan include any trees or green areas?

Do you notice any slopes on the site plan?

Slopes are normally shown on a map or plan by contour lines.

If the contour lines are very close together it means that there is a steeper slope than if they are far apart.

Gentle slopes are shown where the contour lines are far apart.

Do you think that the slopes at the side of the school playground are steep, medium or gently sloped?

You are going to design and show a plan of your school by using some of the symbols you noticed in the previous school plan.

Before you begin your drawing look at the next drawing which will show you how to show more than one floor.

House Plan showing Ground Floor

House Plan showing Ground Floor. This image is taken from "Shaping Space: Architecture in the Transition Year" by Marie Brennan and Ann McNicholl, reproduced with the consent of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland.

Reproduced with the consent of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland

House Plan showing Ground Floor
Reproduced with the consent of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland

House Plan showing Ground Floor

House Plan showing Ground Floor. This image is taken from "Shaping Space: Architecture in the Transition Year" by Marie Brennan and Ann McNicholl, reproduced with the consent of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland.

Reproduced with the consent of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland

Enlarge image

Look at this ground floor plan of a house.
The ground floor is the name given to the downstairs part of a building with more than one floor.
A floor below is called a basement.How is the stairs shown in this ground floor plan?

Enlarge image

Look at how a second storey is shown in this plan of a house. The second storey is called the first floor even though it is upstairs.
Look at how the stairs is shown.

Use what you see in this plan and the plan you looked at earlier to help you with stairs or other symbols you need to show in your own school plan.

Later you can ask your teacher if you can look at the plan of your school to compare with your own design.