room
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a room, assess its physical and operational state, and determine which uses or changes are supported by available evidence and authority.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
It can be Locate and distinguish the room using its building context and observed enclosure.; Measure its extent and assess whether a proposed layout fits available clear space.; Check whether entry and movement through its openings are currently feasible and authorised.; Compare a proposed use with documented permissions, occupancy constraints, and observed conditions.; Identify room defects or unsuitable conditions and request inspection or corrective work.; Assess a proposed partition, opening, or use change and identify the approvals and neighbouring models it requires..
Distinguishing features
The candidate occupies an interior area within an identified building; being adjacent to or underneath a building is insufficient.
Walls, a floor, and a ceiling can be identified as its enclosing boundaries; the treatment of openings and incomplete enclosures must be explicit.
Its extent follows physical enclosure rather than only a furniture arrangement, painted line, booking label, or activity designation.
A collection of separately enclosed spaces is not treated as one room solely because it shares a name, tenant, or function.
A change of use or room label alone does not establish a new physical room; a subdivision or removal of enclosure requires a boundary review.
Scope
+ Room identity and boundaries within its containing building
+ Interior geometry, clearance, and usable floor area
+ Doors, other openings, and connections to adjacent spaces
+ Intended, permitted, and observed room uses
+ Room-level environmental conditions and enclosure defects
+ Evidence and permissions needed to occupy, access, or alter the room
- The building's overall structural system and whole-building performance
- Independent models of doors, windows, furniture, equipment, and installed services
- People, organisations, and their broader activities
- Whole-building circulation networks and evacuation plans
- Property ownership, leases, and booking transactions
- Outdoor areas and unenclosed functional zones
Characteristics
- Containing building and level
- References to the building and relevant level or levels Locates the room and accommodates rooms spanning more than one level.
- Enclosure configuration
- Description of enclosing surfaces, openings, and any movable or incomplete boundaries Supports the decision that the space qualifies as a room and establishes its extent.
- Interior floor area
- m², with measurement boundary, method, date, and uncertainty Supports spatial comparisons and use assessments without conflating incompatible area conventions.
- Clear height
- m, with minimum, variation, and measurement locations Identifies headroom constraints that a single nominal ceiling height can conceal.
- Usable space
- m² and clear dimensions, with excluded obstructions and assumed arrangement Distinguishes the room's enclosed extent from space available for a proposed activity.
- Adjacent spaces and access openings
- References to neighbouring spaces and connecting openings Establishes how the room connects to the rest of the building.
- Room use
- Separately recorded intended, permitted, and observed uses, including unknown Prevents a room label or current activity from being mistaken for permission.
- Current occupancy
- Observed count or occupied, unoccupied, or unknown, with timestamp Informs immediate access and use decisions while preserving the observation's time limits.
- Supported occupancy limit
- Persons, tied to a use, layout, authoritative basis, and validity period; otherwise unknown Avoids inferring a permissible occupant count from floor area alone.
- Environmental observations
- Temperature in °C, relative humidity in %, illuminance in lx, and other relevant measurements with location and time Provides evidence for judging conditions against the requirements of a particular use.
- Enclosure condition
- Located observations of damage, dampness, gaps, deformation, or unknown condition Identifies defects requiring investigation or restrictions without asserting an unverified cause.
Analytical facets
- substance
- material
- origin
- manufactured
- agency
- inert
- mobility
- fixed
- scale
- built
- affordances
- observable
Also called
+258
Where this came from
oewn:2024 · CC BY 4.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 10 layers · 10 findings · 20 questions.
Room identity and enclosure Establishes which interior area is the room and how its physical boundaries define it.
Room names and functional zones can diverge from physical enclosure, so recognition must resolve both location and boundary evidence.
Location and reference
Relates room identifiers to a specific interior location.
Room reference resolution
Record how labels, plans, and observations identify the same room or reveal conflicting references.
- Which building and level or levels contain this room, and which references locate it unambiguously? definition
- Which plan, sign, survey, or responsible party supports the room identifier, and when was it verified? provenance
Enclosing surfaces
Identifies the walls, floor, ceiling, and discontinuities that delimit the room.
Physical room boundary
Record the enclosing surfaces and explain uncertain boundaries at openings, recesses, or movable partitions.
- Which walls, floor, and ceiling enclose the candidate room, and where are their limits uncertain? boundary
- At each wide opening or movable partition, what evidence supports treating the spaces on either side as one room or separate rooms? definition
Interior geometry and fit Describes the room's measured extent and the space available for activities and arrangements.
A room's nominal area does not establish whether people, furniture, or activities fit its actual shape and clearances.
Measured envelope
Captures floor geometry and vertical extent under an explicit measurement convention.
Room dimensions
Record dimensions with sufficient spatial detail to represent irregular floors and varying ceiling heights.
- What are the interior floor outline, area, and clear heights, including slopes, recesses, and low points? measurement
- Which surface convention, method, date, and uncertainty apply to these measurements? provenance
Usable clear space
Separates the enclosed room geometry from clear space available under a specified arrangement.
Layout fit and obstructions
Record how columns, fixtures, furniture, door swings, and required clearances affect a proposed layout.
- Which fixed and movable obstructions reduce usable area or clear width in the current arrangement? measurement
- Can the proposed arrangement fit while preserving the clearances required for its documented use? action
Room access and connections Describes openings, neighbouring spaces, and the current feasibility of entering and leaving.
A room can exist physically while being inaccessible, dependent on another room for access, or unsuitable for a particular movement requirement.
Openings and adjacency
Maps room boundary openings to the spaces they connect.
Room connection map
Record each opening's destination and whether it serves passage or another function.
- Which adjacent room, corridor, stair, exterior area, or other space lies beyond each opening? boundary
- Which openings support passage, and which serve only light, ventilation, viewing, or services? definition
Entry and exit feasibility
Assesses room access against current opening conditions and the needs of a proposed movement.
Passage conditions
Record clear opening dimensions, thresholds, obstructions, and access restrictions without treating local access as proof of a complete exit route.
- What clear widths, heights, threshold changes, and current obstructions affect passage into or out of the room? measurement
- For the proposed person, mobility aid, or item, is passage feasible and authorised, and what onward-route evidence is still needed? action
Room use and change Connects room activities, occupancy, and proposed alterations to documented constraints.
Physical fit and observed use do not by themselves establish that a room may support an activity or alteration.
Use and occupancy
Distinguishes room designation, permitted activities, and present occupation.
Supported room use
Record intended, permitted, and observed uses separately, together with the basis of any occupancy limit.
- What uses are intended, documented as permitted, and currently observed in this room? definition
- What source establishes any occupancy limit, and which use, layout, and conditions does that limit assume? provenance
Alteration and reconfiguration
Identifies what a proposed room change affects and who may authorise it.
Room change assessment
Record proposed changes to use, partitions, openings, or layout and the evidence needed before proceeding.
- Would the proposal alter only the arrangement, or also the room boundary, use, access, or dependence on building services? boundary
- Which responsible parties, permissions, and specialist assessments must be identified before the proposed change can proceed? action
Room conditions and readiness Captures local environmental observations and enclosure condition relevant to using the room.
Rooms with similar geometry can differ materially in usability because of local conditions, damage, and service availability.
Indoor conditions
Records environmental evidence at locations and times relevant to the proposed use.
Use-specific environment
Assess measured conditions against identified use requirements while preserving spatial and temporal variation.
- What temperature, humidity, light, noise, or air-quality observations are relevant, and where and when were they obtained? measurement
- Which documented requirements apply to the proposed use, and what further evidence is needed to judge the room's conditions against them? action
Enclosure and service condition
Relates visible room defects and service availability to immediate use decisions.
Room condition response
Record located defects and unavailable services, separating observations from diagnoses and assigned corrective work.
- Which enclosing surfaces show damage, dampness, gaps, or deformation, and which services needed for the proposed use are verified as available? measurement
- What inspection, restriction, or corrective work is supported by these observations, and who has authority to determine the response? action
What the second pass must settle
- What enclosure criteria should distinguish a room from an alcove, open-plan zone, or partly enclosed area when openings are large or partitions are movable?
- How should the registry distinguish rooms from enclosed corridors, lobbies, shafts, and other spaces that may satisfy the physical definition?
- Which conventions should govern room area, usable area, and height measurements, including recesses, mezzanines, and sloping ceilings?
- What identity rules should apply when a room is subdivided, merged, temporarily partitioned, or reconstructed?
- Which jurisdiction-specific and use-specific sources are required to judge occupancy, accessibility, environmental suitability, and alteration permissions?