Time-Saver

Standards
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Building Types
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Time-Saver
Standards
for
Building Types
Second Edition

Edited by
JOSEPH De CHIARA
and
JOHN HANCOCK CALLENDER
 Contents

Nursery 405
Pediatric Nursing Units 409
Diagnostic X-Ray Suite 412
Pharmacy 418
Teletherapy Units 420
Electroencephalographic Suite 424
Physical Therapy Department 425
Occupational Therapy Department 428
Laboratory 431
Labor-Delivery Suite 437
Radioisotope Facility 439
Outpatient Activity 441
Emergency Activity 456
EDP Unit 458
Rehabilitation Centers 461
Mental Health Centers 476
Nursing Homes 482
Child Health Station 489
Medical Schools 490
Dental Schools 511
Nursing Schools 528
Youth Treatment Centers 544
Multiphasic Health-Screening Centers 550

5. RELIGIOUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Churches, General 559
Churches, Lutheran 564
Churches, United Methodist 570
Temples and Synagogues 582
Chapels 589
Church Schools 592

6 . GOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC . . . . . . . . . . 601

City end Town Halls 603
Courthouses 608
Fire Stations 628
Firehouses 631
Police Stations 636
Police Facility 646
Jails and Prisons 653
Incinerator Plants 669
YMCA Buildings 676
YWCA Buildings 677
Boy's Clubs 690
Recreation Centers 696
Neighborhood Service Centers 702
Embassies 704
Post Offices 708
Access Ramps for the Handicapped _ 709
Public Toilet Rooms for the Handicapped 710

7 . COMMERCIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 711
Regional Shopping Centers 713
Retail Shops 730
Show Windows 735
Women's Weer 736
Contents

Men's Wear 739

Bookshops 740
Gift Shops 740
Jewelry Shops 741
Barber Shop 743
Tailor and Cleaner 743
Beauty Shop 744
Shoe-Repair Shop 744
Florist Shops 744
Drugstores 745
Liquor Stores 746
Shoe Stores 748
Supermarkets 751
Banks 753
Bank Vaults 754
Restaurants and Eating Places 755
Restaurant Seating 759
Food Bars 763
Serving Units 764
Liquor Bars 765
Nondining Spaces 766
Kitchens 768
Offices, General 780
Work Stations 782
Private and Semiprivate 788
Conference Rooms 790
Layout 791
Space 792
Planning 793
Clearances for Private Offices 798
Clearances for General Offices 798
Insurance Companies 800
Medical Offices 801
Radiological Offices 806
Dental Offices 807
Law Offices 810
Ophthalmological Offices 814
Parking 817
Automobile Dimensions 817
Car Classification 822
Parking Garages 824
Parking Lots 835
Automobile Service Stations 839
Automotive Shop 843
Gas Filling and Service Stations 844
Automobile Dealer Centers 845
Truck Dealer and Service Facilities 854
Radio Stations 858
TV Stations 865
Hotels 870
Motels 899
Computer (EDP) Facilities 912
Photographic Laboratories 915
Funeral Homes 916

8 . TRANSPORTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . 919

Airports and Terminals 921

Airport Cargo Facilities 953
Air Cargo Terminals 957
Governmental and Public
BOYS" CLUBS
sinks, and cabinets of sizes and capacities
proportionate to the room area and to the
extent to which they will be used . The average
club kitchen seldom prepares and serves food
to groups exceeding 100. Service for larger
gatherings (banquets, etc .) is generally dele-
gated to local caterers who are better equipped .
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY SPACE
Crafts Shops
Larger boys' club buildings usually have sev-
eral rooms devoted to arts and crafts . These
may include space for fine arts, ceramics,
woodworking, photography, and small crafts .
The importance or popularity of arts and
crafts in a boys' club depends on the leadership
available and the geographical location of the
community. Usually every club has one room
set up for woodworking because it is popular
with boys all year long . If this room has a
variety of tools and enough electrical 110-
and 220-volt outlets, it is possible to vary the
arts and crafts classes to conform with mem-
bers' desires .
A crafts room to accommodate at least 20
boys is desirable . Leadership available for
various crafts will determine the size of
classes, but the minimum should be space for
20 boys . In a small club, a room for 14 boys is
acceptable .
Forty-five square feet per boy is the basis for
determining the size of a woodworking shop .
This includes space for workbenches, some
storage cabinets, power tools, and aisles . Forty
square feet per boy is acceptable for a wood-
working shop without machine tools. The size
of a room for small arts and crafts is deter-
mined on the basis of 35 aq ft per boy.
Since many crafts use the same tools, it is
Fig. 3 Boys' Club building . (a) 215-320. (b) 288-393.
692
possible and desirable to carry on more than
one craft at the same time in the same room,
provided there is ample storage space and
leadership . There is a definite trend toward
having one large room to accommodate all
arts and crafts . Such rooms are equipped for
lapidary or ceramics, woodworking, and elec-
tronics . Larger clubs usually have a separate
room for art work . Some may have two or more
shops.
Every arts and crafts room should have
ample storage space for tools, materials, and
unfinished projects . A separate finishing room
for painting handicrafts is desirable . This room
should be well ventilated with access to the
outside so that fumes from painting and paint
staining will not remain .
Provide a sink with both hot and cold water
in every arts and crafts room .
Library
The library is usually located along a route
which large numbers of boys use to travel
through the building . The room should be
attractively furnished so boys will want to go
in to read or do homework . The library should
be able to accommodate about 10 percent of
the daily boy attendance . The acceptable basis
for determining the size of a library is to allow
for not less than 20 nor more than 25 sq ft per
boy. This is sufficient to include space for
furniture, bookshelves, and a desk for the
librarian .
If space is available, two or three study
cubicles are very desirable .
Adjustable bookshelves, not exceeding 5
ft in height, should be located along one wall .
Additional shelves may be added as required .
Informal furniture is suggested and should
include round tables, straight-back chairs,
low stools, easy chairs, librarian's desk, and a
(a)
magazine rack . All furniture should be sturdy
enough to withstand the rigors of use by youth.
Some small chairs and tables for the seven-
and eight-year-olds are recommended, since
this group cannot sit comfortably in regular
chairs at regular table height .
A small reading room should have a variety
of furniture suitable for space limitations .
Provide at least one table.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY SPACE
Gymnasium
A boys' club building, especially if it is to be
used by older boys, should have a gymnasium
large enough to provide at least a regulation
junior high school basketball court. The gym-
nasium, however, should be more than just a
basketball court. Floors and overhead con-
struction should be strong enough to support
various types of gymnastic equipment. The
most desirable size for a gymnasium is 60 by
80 ft overall inside dimensions . Such a room
will accommodate a 42- by 74-ft regulation
junior high school basketball court with mini-
mum 3-ft sidelines around three sides, and five
rows of folding bleachers along the fourth side .
Two 40- by 60-ft cross or practice courts can
also be included in this area . These are desir-
able not only for basketball but also for volley-
ball, etc. Senior high school and college size
courts are acceptable when funds for ennstrue-
tion and space are available.
As noted, small buildings with inadequate
gymnasiums are undesirable when older boys
are to be served . However, in minimum-sized
buildings or when extension or branch clubs
are planned, smaller gymnasiums are accept-
able .
Space for spectators is needed in any gymna-

sium regardless of size . This space should he
on the gymnasium floor where it can be easily
supervised . Second-story balconies for spec-
tators are costly to construct, difficult to super-
vise, and usually do not permit full vision of all
parts of the gymnasium floor. Folding bleach-
ers are best for use in spectator space, but
movable bleachers are acceptable . There
should be no permanent bleachers or chairs on
the gymnasium floor because they present a
hazard to participants in the physical program
and reduce the width of the room for cross-
court purposes . Generally, the maximum num-
ber of spectator seats is 150. In some commun-
ities, much more spectator space might be
wanted .
Clear height from floor to bottom of trusses
must be 20 ft for a 60- by 80-ft gymnasium .
Amateur Athletic Union rules and some build-
ing codes require more than 20 ft of clear
height .
Many boys' club gymnasiums are used at
times as auditoriums . Very often a stage is
provided at one end. However, because some
building codes place so many conditions and
restrictions on built-in stages, it is not always
economical to provide one. In such cases,
portable stages or platforms may be used .
Fig. 3 Jew.) Boys' Club building . (a) 215-320. (b) 288-393.
A good-sized storage room for gym equip-
ment is essential . Doors to these rooms should
be 6 ft wide and 7 ft high to accommodate flat
mat trucks and a trampoline .
An office for the physical director is neces-
sary . This should be located on the same level
with the gym floor and preferably in a spot
where people will not have to cross the gym
floor to reach it .
Simultaneous use by 40 boys is considered
maximum capacity for a gymnasium, as it is
difficult for one instructor to handle any more
at one time .
Swimming Pool
An indoor swimming pool is a tremendous
attraction to the boys' club . Swimming is one of
the most beneficial activities in maintaining
physical fitness and health . A swimming pool
encourages cleanliness and personal hygiene,
since each boy must take a shower with warm
water and soap just before entering a pool .
Swimming is a group activity that helps build
self-confidence and gives each boy a chance to
play with his friends and develop socially . In
surveys of popular boys' activities, swimming
is at the top of the list .
Governmental and Public
BOYS' CLUBS
The 30- by 75- and 35- by 75-ft pools have
been recommended as desirable sizes for boys'
clubs by the Boys' Clubs of America National
Committee on Aquatics . The Amateur Athletic
Union's requirement for the length of a pool is
75 ft 1 in . i n order to take care of any irregu-
larities in construction . A boys' club swimming
pool should never be less than 60 ft in length .
Since there is very little difference in cost
between a 60- or 75-ft pool, the shorter pool
should be considered only when site limita-
tions prohibit a 75-ft pool . The minimum size is
25 by 60 ft . Other sizes are 30 by 60 ft, 25 by
75 ft, 30 by 75 ft, 35 by 75 ft, 42 by 75 ft, and
T-shaped pools with a tank of either 30 by 75
ft or 35 by 75 ft .
Seventy-five-foot pools are acceptable for
competitive swimming . The recommended
width of swimming lanes is 6 ft for pools up to
30 ft in width, and 7 ft for pools 35 ft and over
in width.
Space for spectators should be provided in
the swimming pool room . Most state public
health regulations require spectator space to
be separated from the pool deck to prevent
people in street shoes from walking on the
deck . It is desirable to have the spectators'
gallery near the pool deck level, not at second-
Governmental and Public
BOYS' CLUBS
story height . The gallery is needed for parents
and visitors and also for class instruction.
Overall minimum ceiling heights in natato-
riums are sometimes determined by local
ordinances . In any case, the minimum clear
height in the diving area should be not less
than 15 ft above the diving board . This clear
height should be maintained for a minimum dis-
tance of 10 ft in front and 5 ft to the rear of the
front or tip, and at least 10 ft on each side of
the diving board.
Boys' club swimming pools should have 1-
meter diving boards only . Three-meter boards
and diving towers are not recommended be-
cause they are very difficult to supervise.
Depth of the swimming pool at the deep end
should be not less than 8 ft 6 in . i n front of
a 1-meter diving board. Depth at the shallow
end should start at 3 ft and slope to 3 ft 6 in . i n
a distance of 22/ ft for a pool 60 ft long and
35 ft for a 75-ft pool . Although local regulations
may dictate otherwise, the foregoing is recom-
mended for boys' club pools because more
shallow-water area is desired for teaching
purposes . If local or state codes require
the pool floor to be pitched more, a variance
should be obtained .
Minimum recommended width for decks
around any pool is 5 ft . A 10-ft-wide deck on
one side (preferably the side with the specta-
tors' gallery) is useful for instruction purposes .
The recommended width of the deck at the
diving end of the pool is 13 ft 6 in .
Windows in the natatorium should be care-
fully planned. If they face south and/or west,
the windows should be close to the ceiling .
Large windows, especially those facing south
and west, permit too much sunlight to enter
the room . Excessive natural light places too
much glare on the pool surface, thus making it
difficult for the swimming instructor or life-
guard to see the bathers. Too much sunlight
also encourages the growth of algae, which will
make the water cloudy. Many colleges, univer-
sities and boys' clubs are now building note-
toriums with no exterior windows of any kind .
Since artificial illumination is used whenever
the pool is in operation, windows are not
needed . (See Fig. 5.)
Underwater lights are desirable not only for
their esthetic value but also for safety, as they
make it possible for the instructor to see all
boys in the pool . These lights should be cast
into the concrete walls and staggered along the
sides of a pool for even distribution of light.
They should never be located directly opposite
each other. Do not place underwater lights in
the ends of a pool .
Most state public health regulations require
public and semipublic swimming pools to use
the "recirculation" water purification system .
This means water is continually drawn from the
pool and replaced by freshly processed water.
The drawn-off water is screened, filtered,
chemically treated, and heated until restored
to its original purity .
Recirculation pools can be divided into two
categories : The conventional scum gutter and
the water level or flush deck . The physical dif-
ference between the two is that the former
has a scum gutter set into the walls of the pool,
while the water level deck has moved the gutter
from the side walls to the deck . Water level in
the scum gutter pools varies from several
inches to as much as 2 ft below the decks;
water in the flush deck pool is always within
'b in . of deck level.
The primary operational difference is that
many state public health ordinances require
water entering scum gutter drains to flow
directly to the sewer. Any water drawn off
through the scum gutter is thus irretrievably
694
Fig. 4 Three-club-kitchen combination. Serving 20 boys per hour in each club room .
lost, as is the heat it contains . Water overflow-
ing into the drains of the water level deck pool
is carried to a balancing tank or reservoir
where it is held until it is chemically treated and
the pump can recirculate it through the filters
back to the pool . No large quantities of water
or heat are lost in this process.
The idea of water level deck swimming pools
originated in Boys' Clubs of America in the late
1930s. Since that time most new boys' club
pools have used the design, as have recreation
departments, schools, the U .S . Navy, the Royal
Canadian Air Force, and various youth organi-
zations . Water level deck pools are ideal for
teaching swimming . The instructor does not
have to stand at the very edge of the pool to see
everyone in the water, and nonswimmers feel
safer because they can see the whole room
and the instructor . This is not true of some of
the old scum gutter pools where the bather can
see only the ceiling and the sides of the pool .
Nonswimmers and beginners also feel safer in
a flush deck pool because they can get out of
it at any point around the pool's perimeter
merely by placing hands on the deck and kick-
ing the feat . Ladders are not necessary, al-
though some local ordinances require their
installation . Actually, ladders are more of a
liability than an asset in water level deck pools,
but if they are required by law, make sure that
they are the removable type .
Water level deck pools must be carefully
designed so that all water washed over the
decks will drain quickly into the overflow
trenches . Overflow water must never be per-
mitted to wash back into the pool . Also, to be
efficient, the reservoir or balancing tank must
have sufficient capacity to store the overflow
water until it is recirculated through the filter
system and pumped back into the pool .
Chlorine is the most widely acceptable agent
for purifying pool water. Bromide, iodine, and
other chemicals are also used, but these have
not been approved by all public health authori-
ties . There are two types of chlorine---liquid
and gas. Gas chlorine is less expensive than
liquid, but it is extremely poisonous and is
dangerous if handled incorrectly or if a leak
should develop in the tank in which it is stored .
Several times during any given year, articles
appear in newspapers about the many people
who are critically or fatally injured because of
a chlorine leak or because a tank of chlorine
gas fell off a truck and exploded . Some cities
now prohibit use of gas chlorine in swimming
pools. Liquid chlorine is a bit more expensive
but much less dangerous . It will bleach dyes
and eat holes in woolen material, and it is poi-
sonous if taken internally in its concentrated
form . But liquid chlorine will not contaminate
the atmosphere . Chlorine can be purchased as
a liquid or in powder or tablet form to be dis-
solved in water. It should be fed into the water
recirculation system by means of a mechanical
chemical feeder to ensure proper dosage and
mixing .
Filters most commonly used for boys' club
swimming pools are the pressure sand and
gravel filters and the vacuum diatomaceous
earth filter . In recent years, high flow pressure
sand filters have been developed. These are
smaller and less costly than the sand and
gravel filters . No matter which type is chosen,
filters and the pumps used with them should be
of sufficient capacity to recirculate the pool
water at least every eight, or more preferably,
every six hours.
Dressing Rooms
Dressing rooms should be located adjacent to
and on the same level with the gymnasium
and/or swimming pool .
Before the size of a dressing room is deter-
mined, consideration should be given to the
climate of the area in which the boys' club is
to be located, the age groups and number of
boys to be served, and the activities requiring
dressing room use. As a general rule, for the
younger or midget group, small lockers approx-
imately 12- by 12- by 12-in . i n size are recom-
mended . In most cases, the small lockers are
also suitable for the junior group. The 12- by
12- by 30-in . double-tier locker is recommended
for intermediates and seniors . Regardless
of the size of lockers, there should be enough
to accommodate the maximum capacity of the
gymnasium and/or swimming pool plus an
equal number to provide for change in groups
this means a gymnasium with 40-boy capac-
ity should have 80 lockers (see Fig. 6) .
Minimum distance between rows of lockers
should be 8 ft 6 in ., measured from back to
back of lockers. This allows a minimum of 12
in . on each side for lockers, 16 in . for a bench
attached to the base of each row of lockers,
and 3 ft 10 in . for aisle space. Benches are
essential in dressing rooms, regardless of the
type of lockers used .
Basket and bag systems are acceptable
under certain conditions . They are less expen-
sive than lockers and occupy less space. The
principal objection to these systems is the
difficulty in managing them . An attendant has
to handle each basket or bag four times to
service one boy.
It is essential to provide toilet facilities close
to the shower room entrance . If such facilities
are not immediately available, the shower room
floor will be used as a substitute . When a
dressing room is used to service a swimming
pool, toilet facilities are usually required by
law. Small dressing rooms should have at least
one water closet, urinal, and lavatory ; large
dressing rooms should have two of each . The
use of dressing room toilet facilities for the
 Governmental and Public
BOYS' CLUBS

Fig. 5 Notatorium .

entire boys' club is not recommended, since
such combined use increases problems in
supervision and results in water being tracked
into the club .
Plan locker rooms so the attendant in the
control cage can see the entire room and also
the shower room .
Shower Room
The number of shower heads recommended
for a dressing room serving a gymnasium is
five . The number of shower heads recom-
mended for a swimming pool dressing room is
twelve .
Shower heads should be suspended from
the ceiling with the bottom of the head not
less than 8 ft nor more than 9 ft above the floor.
Ceiling shower heads, rigid and without ball
joints, are recommended because four boys
can shower under one head . Wall shower heads
can accommodate a maximum of two boys .
Any wall projections in shower rooms are a
source of injury to boys .
over these windows to ensure complete privacy
during consultations and interviews .
Control Counters
As previously stated, control counters should
be located where the attendant can see the area
to be served as well as other areas.
Height of control counters should be no
more than 40 in . A low section of 33 in . for
young boys to fill out membership applications
is recommended.
Games control counters should have cabi-
nets below them for storage of supplies .
Toilet Rooms
Locate boys' toilet rooms adjacent to the lobby
or corridor where they are easily accessible . It
is desirable to have toilet entrances near a con-
trot desk from which an attendant can see
those who enter or leave the room .
Local codes in many cities and states govern
the minimum number of water closets, urinals
and lavatories which must be installed in public
buildings . These are usually determined by the
maximum capacity of a building . In communi-
ties having no codes or ordinances requiring
adequate toilet facilities, the following formula
is recommended:
1 water closet (toilet) for each 50 boys
1 urinal for each 50 boys
1 lavatory for each 100 boys
Wall-hung water closets, lavatories, and
urinals are preferred . Some wall-hung urinals
should be set lower than standard heights to
aeeommocinte small boys . Stall urinals are
acceptable . With fixtures on the walls, floors
are easict to clean.

SERVICE SPACE

Executive's and Secretary's Offices

Locate the secretary's office directly adjacent
to the club entrance so the person working
there can see who enters or leaves during the
morning and afternoon when the building is
not completely staffed .
The executive's office should be next to the
secretary's office and also close to the club
entrance, where it is easily accessible to boys,
parents, and visitors .
In communities where the boys' club has one
or more branches or where the club must have
a more complex office arrangement, the unit
director's office should be adjacent to the
entrance . The secretary's and executive's
offices and a workroom may be located in a
different section of the building .
Windows are recommended for interior walls
so the executive can see what is going on out-
side . Provide venetian blinds or draw curtains Fig, 6 Locker diagram. 60- and 30-in. double-tier lockers.

69 5
Governmental and Public
RECREATION CENTERS
Recreation buildings should be functionally
designed to make possible a varied program of
activities for all ages and both sexes . These
buildings should be designed and dedicated
to meet the needs of all people in their respec-
tive neighborhoods and communities .
Recreation buildings should provide a safe,
healthful, and attractive atmosphere in which
every person in the community or neighbor-
hood has the opportunity to enjoy his leisure
by participation in activities of a social, crea-
tive, cultural, or physical nature .
Plannirtg Areas and Facilities for Health,
Physical Education, and Recreation, rev . 1966,
The Athletic Institute, Merchandise Mart, Chi-
cago, III ., American Association for Health,
Physical Education, and Recreation, Washing-
ton, D .C
Fig. 1 Collett Street Recreation Center, Morganton, N.C.
696
Due to advances in medical science, people
live longer . Thus, the percentage of the aging
in our population is increasing . In addition, it
is approximated that one out of seven people
in our nation has a permanent disability . There-
fore, there is a greater challenge than ever be-
fore to prevent the construction of architectural
barriers which make it difficult for the aging
and the disabled to participate in the recreation
program .
Almost without exception, recreation areas
require some type of structure which will fulfill
program needs and yet blend aesthetically into
its surroundings . In terms of function, building
types may range from the simple picnic shelter
to the complex community recreation building
with its variety of special service facilities .
Such buildings may vary in design from the
rustic, depicting the style of early colonial
days, to the contemporary, representing the
most modern architectural concepts .
In many neighborhoods and communities,
school facilities are adequately equipped to
provide recreation programs for youth, but
other existing age groups are not always
served . In such instances, the community
must depend upon public recreation facilities
which are planned and operated independently
to accommodate a recreation program for the
total community . Since the school is an inte-
gral part of the community, it should have a
part in the planning of public recreation facil-
ities . Conversely, when school buildings are
being designed, cooperative planning with
community recreation authorities is essential
in order to assure that the new structures will
include facilities needed for joint school and
community use .

PLANNING OBJECTIVES
The planning and designing of a recreation
building demand a precise and logical ap-
proach . Since a recreation building reflects
the unique needs of a neighborhood or com-
munity, the specific plans and design will vary,
but the preliminary considerations and plan-
ning objectives will be the same .
The successful incorporation of accepted
planning objectives will ensure maximum
utilization of the building . The preliminary
plans and the continuous reevaluation of the
functional design of the building prior to its
construction should be considered in terms
of the following questions :
" Has the most effective use of the entire
area been determined, and does it utilize all of
the natural resources?
" Does the preliminary plan include all of
the essential areas and facilities necessary to
fulfill the program objectives?
" Does the design provide for flexibility in
use and for future expansion?
-Does the floor plan permit convenient ac-
cess to, and facilitate circulation within, the
building?
" Does the floor plan provide for ease in
supervision and administration of the building?
" Have individual rooms been located and
designed so as to encourage multiple use
within safety limits?
" Has the building been designed so as to
ensure opportunity for its use by all members
of the community, including the aging and
disabled?
" Does the design encompass accepted
aesthetic qualities that relate harmoniously
with the surroundings?
" Is the building designed and constructed
so as to ensure joint use with other public or
private agencies?
" Is the building so designed that it will per-
mit economy in construction slid maintenance?
Fig . 1 (cont.) Collett Street Recreation Center, Morganton, N.C .
CLASSIFICATION OF RECREATION BUILDINGS
Growth in the scope and complexity of the
recreation program has created a need for
buildings which will provide facilities adapted
for a wide variety of recreation activities . Un-
like many of the early structures, present-day
buildings provide for adaptability and multiple
use . This change from the simple to the com-
plex has stimulated the development of a vari-
ety of recreation buildings . These are classi-
fied by function and then categorized by size .
The standards used for determining the size
requirements of recreation buildings are
usually based upon a square-footage-to-popu-
lation ratio . This may be determined by allow-
ing 1 to 2 sq ft per person to be served . For
example, if the building is to serve 8,000 per-
sons, it should be approximately 12,000 sq ft
in size . This footage ratio may vary where
cities build one center to accommodate the
entire population .
Type I Recreation Buildings
The plans in Fig . 1 . illustrate a Type I recrea-
tion building . This type of building is usually
constructed in larger subdivisions or suburban
areas of a metropolis . However, recent trends
reveal that many smaller cities (30,000 or leas)
have constructed such facilities to serve the
total community .
This type of building encloses 20,000 sq ft
or more and usually includes the following
facilities :
Multipurpose Game room
Gymnasium Photography room
Shower and locker Office (administration)
rooms Office (staff)
Club rooms Rest rooms
Arts and crafts room Kitchen
Lounge and lobby Large storage areas
Governmental and Public
RECREATION CENTERS
Type II Recreation Buildings
The Type 11 recreation building is illustrated in
Fig . 2 . This is the most common type and can
be used in any city or community. It is believed
by many recreation experts that the most ef-
ficiently operated building is the one designed
to accommodate a neighborhood or area of
approximately 8,000 persons .
This building encloses 10,000 to 20,000 sq
ft and includes basically the same facilities
as the Type 1 structure . Root" sizes may vary
and emphasis may be placed on those facil-
ities that will best serve the program objec-
tives .
Type III Recreation Buildings
These buildings are used in many communi-
ties to satisfy the needs of less populated areas
and usually include most of the following facil-
ities (Fig . 3) :
Social hall or gymnasium
Shower-dressing room
Club room
Lobby-lounge
Office
Rest rooms
Kitchenette
Adequate storage areas
Social Hall-Gymnasium
In order to obtain maximum benefit from the
social hall-gymnasium, this facility is ordinarily
used for a variety of social activities, such as
folk, square, and social dancing, banquets,
and roller skating, in addition to basketball
and other forms of athletics .
The size of a community recreation building's
social hall-gymnasiumn should be at least 90 by
100 ft, with a minimum height of 22 ft . This
will permit a basketball court of 50 by 84 ft .
697
 Governmental and Public
RECREATION CENTERS
Fig. 2 Thomaston-Upson County Recreation Center, Thomaston, Ga .
These dimensions will permit seven tiers of
telescopic bleachers on one side of the social
hall-gymnasium, seating approximately 325
spectators .
Provision should be made for a mechanical
ventilating system (forced air) . The wainscot-
ing should provide clear, unobstructed wall
space from the floor to a height of 12 ft . If the
room contains windows, they should be placed
above the wainscoting on the sides and should
be provided with protective guards . There
should be no windows at either end of the
social hall-gymnasium .
It is preferable to have no windows in a
social hall-gymnasium as they have little func-
tional value. If it is necessary to use windows,
they should be placed on the north side, or if
used on two sides, then on the north and south,
never on the east or west . Where sky domes
are installed, they should be waterproof, and
the room should be equipped with vent domes
and exhaust fans for ventilation .
Maple flooring is commonly used . The cork
spring clip or other type expansion joint should
be installed on all four sides . If suspended
apparatus is used in the social hall-gymnasium
and wall attachments for control ropes and
chains are affixed to the wall, these attach-
ments should be at least 7 ft above the floor
level and should be recessed .
This room should be equipped with stainless
steel or aluminum portable and removable
handrails attached to all wall surfaces, and also
along the face of folding bleachers to provide
a handhold for roller skaters.
Whenever possible, noncontact (nonmarring)
furniture should be used . Design characteris-
698
tics of such furniture also facilitate safer use
by the aging and disabled .
In a masonry building, particularly in one
with concrete reinforced frame, stainless-
steel eyebolts should be installed in each
corner and at each column for the hanging of
decorations for special parties . These bolts
should be located within 12 ft of the ceiling in
the smaller rooms, and at least 15 ft high in the
social hall-gymnasium . The use of eyebolts
will eliminate the necessity of driving nails
or screws into the walls.
THE COMMUNITY RECREATION BUILDING
The community recreation building functions
beyond the primary purpose of serving a single
neighborhood . It is designed to offer a more
diversified program in order to meet the com-
plete recreational needs of all people in the
community. The community building is nor-
mally larger than a neighborhood building and
is usually located in a major recreation area
such as a community park or playing field.
As stated previously, community recreation
buildings vary in function and design, but,
generally, they contain most of the facilities
described on the following pages.
Multipurpose Room
The multipurpose room should be designed to
accommodate such activities as general meet-
ings, social recreation, active table games,
dancing, dramatics, orchestra practice, con-
certs, and banquets .
The area of this room should be approxi-
mately 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft . It should be rec-
tangular in shape with a minimum width of 40
ft . The minimum ceiling height should be at
least 16 ft .
The floor should have a nonskid surface to
prevent many common accidents . The floor
should also be level in order to permit mul-
tiple use for meetings, dancing, dramatic
presentations, etc.
Stage
A stage and related facilities are frequently
included in a community center. They may be
built in conjunction with the multipurpose
room or, preferably, as a separate unit .
The stage proper should be about 20 ft in
depth, and the proscenium opening should
be at least two-thirds the width of the room .
It is desirable that the approach to the stage
from the floor of the main room be by inclined
ramp with a nonskid surface to facilitate the
physically disabled and aging and to accom-
modate the movement of equipment.
Consideration might be given to the con-
struction of an outdoor stage contiguous to
the multipurpose room . Some buildings have
been successfully constructed with a revolving
stage for outdoor and indoor programs . Pori-
able or recessed stages might also be con-
sidered .
It is desirable that the room be equipped with
a modern public-address system, permanently
installed with matched speakers and with out-
lets for additional microphones and phono-
graphic equipment . Consideration should be

given to a master control from the office of the
building . All stage lighting should be modern
and should be controlled from a dimmer-
control cabinet equipped with a rheostat . Pro-
visions should also be made for television
installation .
Recessed drinking fountains and cuspidors
should be provided and should be located in
areas where they will cause a minimum amount
of interference . Water fountains should be
hand or hand-and-foot operated, with up-front
spouts and controls . Protective floor covering
or drainage at the base of the fountain should
be considered to avoid floor damage .
Dressing-Locker Room
A room for the purpose of changing clothes is
necessary and should be in close proximity to
the social hall-gymnasium . There are two
accepted plans for checking personal apparel :
(1 ) The use of locker rooms with metal lockers ;
and (2) The use of dressing rooms with a check-
room for checking clothing in wire baskets or
nylon bags .
Locker Room If the lockers are to be used in
connection with outdoor spurts, they should
be located so the players will have access
to them without going through the entire build-
ing . The suggested requirements for the locker
room in a community recreation building are as
follows: for men and boys, 200 lockers; for
women and girls, 150 lockers. The placement
of lockers should take into account the space
requirements of the disabled .
The floor of the locker room should pitch to
a central drain or drains to facilitate cleaning
and washing . The junction of the wall and floor
should be cowed. In the women's locker room,
Fig. 3 Glenwood Community Center, Greensboro . N.C.
dressing booths should be supplied in the ratio
of 10 percent of the total number of lockers .
Hair driers and nonbreakable liquid-soap dis-
pensers are also recommended.
Dressing Room with Checkroom The use of gal-
vanized-wire baskets or nylon or plastic bags
is growing in popularity . This system will
accommodate the same number of users in
about one-fourth of the space required for
metal lockers . However, there is no saving of
space required for dressing .
If there is a possibility of a swimming pool
being constructed on this site at some future
time, dressing rooms should be located and
arranged so as to serve both the gymnasium
and the pool .
Shower Rooms
The size of shower rooms is dependent upon
the extent of the facilities and the number
of persons to be served at one time . Adequate
ventilation should be a primary consideration.
For men and boys, it is suggested that ap-
proximately 12 shower heads be provided,
spaced a minimum of 4 ft apart and 6 ft above
the floor level . For women and girls, it is rec-
ommended that a minimum of 6 group shower
heads and 3 individual shower-and-dressing
booths be provided . Shower heads should
be 4 112 ft above the floor level. Nonbreakable
liquid-soap dispensers are recommended, and
hair driers are suggested for the ladies' locker
room .
To accommodate the disabled, two folding
"L" seats should be placed in opposite corners
of each group shower to facilitate both right-
hand and left-hand approaches .
In the construction of the shower-room
Governmental and Public
RECREATION CENTERS
floor, drainage gutters 4 in . deep and e to 10
in . wide placed around the perimeter of the
shower room will provide a sanitary means
of drainage . The central portion of the shower
floor, raised above the depressed area, should
drain toward the shower drains . A carborun-
durn-impregnated ceramic tile, or its equal,
will provide a nonslip surface .
The temperature of water feeding into the
shower heads should be 120`- F, controlled by
means of a mixing chamber rather than by in-
dividual control . Vandalproof shower heads
should be used .
Club Rooms
Experience indicates the desirability of provid-
ing a minimum of 500 sq ft of floor space per
club room . For community recreation build-
ings, at least three to five club rooms should
be provided for multiple use. At least one large
club room should be located adjoining the
kitchen.
When windows in club rooms and lounges
are placed high in a wall, they are not broken
as often as low windows and they also provide
more space for furniture, bulletin boards, peg-
boards, chalkboards, and exhibits . Since
broken window glass is a major problem, a
nonbreakable type of windowpane is prefer-
able . Windows may be omitted and sky domes
and vent domes used . By omitting windows,
the need for drapes, venetian blinds, and cur-
tains-all items subject to vandalism-is also
eliminated .
A chair rail or wainscoting to prevent the
marring of walls should be installed to a height
of 3 ft above the floor. Whenever possible,
--contact (nonmarring) furniture should be
u.,cul .
699
Governmental and Public
RECREATION CENTERS
Arts and Crafts Room
A separate arts and crafts room is desirable .
However, if this is not possible, then at least
one club room should be equipped for crafts,
with provision for gas, compressed air, and a
modern sink with hot and cold water. The sink
should have a clay trap .
Ample storage cabinets, closets, or lockers
should be included for the safe storage of
craft materials, unfinished projects, and ex-
hibit materials . Bass and wall plugs should be
provided in all club rooms for the operation of
electric irons, sewing machines, power tools,
movie projectors, etc . If a kiln is used, it should
be placed in an adjoining room for reasons of
safety and should be equipped with a heavy-
duty 220-volt electrical outlet . Bulletin boards
and exhibit cases may be used to display com-
pleted projects .
Lounge and Lobby
The lobby of the community recreation build-
ing is the space just inside the entrance . The
lounge should open off the lobby, and, if pos-
sible, should be close to the central office
and to the multipurpose room and/or social
hall-gymnasium . The lounge and lobby are
often combined into one room . When they
are combined, it is suggested that the size of
the lobby-lounge be about 600 to 800 sq ft .
This facility should be attractively lighted
and should contain a wall-mounted, recessed
drinking fountain and a built-in electrically
lighted trophy case and bulletin board. Appro-
priate space should be allowed for public tele-
phones, and at least one telephone should be
installed so as to accommodate a person in a
wheelchair . Provision should also be made for
aquariums and for growing plants and flowers.
Adequate space, preferably recessed, and
electrical and water connections for automatic
vending machines should be included .
The office, club rooms, game room, and rest
rooms are usually adjacent to the lobby-lounge .
The entrance doors of the lobby present a
problem from the standpoints of aesthetics,
safety, security, and vandalism. Solid glass
panels-from ceiling to floor-and solid glass
doors are quite popular and attractive, but their
use must be carefully studied . Since glass
doors and panels can be easily broken, good
aluminum doors with a minimum of glass are
preferable .
One of the main causes of damage to floors
is the habit of many individuals of dropping a
cigarette on the floor and stepping on it . This
habit causes definite damage to asphalt or
vinyl-asbestos tile, disfiguring and discoloring
light colors and, to some extent, even marring
darker colors . Therefore, terrazzo, quarry tile,
and patio tile are preferable .
Game Room
The gams room, approximately 30 by 64 ft
in size, is designed for a variety of games, in-
cluding billiards and table tennis . In planning
this room, sufficient storage space should be
provided for various items of game equipment
and supplies to be used .
This room should be in close proximity to
office supervision. It should also be acousti-
cally treated, due to the noise factor .
The choice of floor material should be care-
fully considered because of the heavy traffic
usually prevalent in this room . Windows
should be placed high in the walls to reduce
glass breakage . A chair rail or wainscoting to
prevent the marring of walls should be installed
to a height of 3 ft above the floor. Whenever
possible, noncontact (nonmarring) furniture
Should be used .
700
Photography Room
A special room can be provided and equipped
as a darkroom . Ventilation should be provided
through the use of lightproof ventilators. Hot
and cold running water, special light plugs-
both wall and base-and photographic sinks
for developing and washing prints should
also be provided .
A mixer is desirable to accurately control
the water temperature . A filter should also be
provided if the water quality is not good . Doors
should be lightproof .
Director's Office
An office of approximately 120 sq ft in size is
suggested, with sufficient window space to
provide maximum supervision of the lobby,
lounge, club rooms, and social hall-gymnasium .
At least three walls should have windows . If
there is a window connected to the social hall-
gymnasium, a nonbreakable-type glass is
preferable .
It is often recommended that there be an
adjoining shower-dressing unit with a floor-
surface area of not less than 100 aq ft . This
unit should contain a shower, toilet and lava-
tory, clothes closet, and first-aid supply
cabinet.
Opening off the director's office should be
a storage closet with a burglarproof door for
storing valuable supplies and equipment, such
as the motion-picture projector and public-
address system .
Rest Rooms
Rest-room facilities should be designed to
serve both indoor and outdoor areas. Provision
should be made for direct access from the ex-
terior of the building at a point adjacent to such
activity areas.
Rest rooms should include multipurpose
units, combining automatic towel and soap
dispensers, mirror end shelf, and a combina-
tion paper-towel dispenser and waste recep-
tacle. These units should be recessed in the
wall .
Mirrors should have metal frames and be
recessed into the wall so they cannot be torn
off. The preferred soap dispenser is built into
the lavatory since this type is lose subject to
vandalism than the wall-installed type .
Dressing-room benches should be of a per-
manent type and should be securely anchored
to the floor so they cannot be turned over,
stacked against the wall, broken, or removed
from the building . Toilet fixtures should be
hung from the wall for ease in cleaning . In rest
rooms where several fixtures are used, one fix-
ture of proper height for young children and
the disabled should be included . Lavatories
should be of enamel-coated iron or other un-
breakable material rather than vitreous china.
A flush-valve water closet with the valve
24 in . above the top of the fixture-or 3 ft
above the floor-is preferred over a tank-type
toilet fixture. Automatic valves for water taps
in showers and lavatories are recommended
to reduce water loss caused by taps being left
open . Hose bibbs should be installed in each
rest room and/or shower room, at a proper
height so buckets can be placed under them .
Toilet facilities should be made accessible
to the disabled .
Kitchen
The Pullman or kitchenette-type kitchen is usu-
ally desirable for most community and neigh-
borhood recreation buildings . If large dinners
or banquets are to be served, provision should
be made for a lull-size modern kitchen that con-
forms to local health regulations and has a free
floor space at least 54 in . wide .
The kitchen should be located near the club
rooms and the social hell-gymnasium . This will
make the kitchen available to small gatherings
in the club rooms and to large banquet gather-
ings in the social hall-gymnasium . The kitchen
is often placed between two club rooms and
made available to both rooms by the use of
aluminum roll-up doors.
Adequate storage apace, cabinet space, and
electrical outlets for such appliances as the
refrigerator, the range, the dishwasher, and can
openers should be provided . Exhaust fans
should also be installed .
Storage Areas
One of the most common errors found in many
recreation buildings is the lack of sufficient
storage space for equipment, maintenance,
and custodial purposes .
Equipment Storage Room Provision should be
made for storing apparatus and equipment .
There should be an opening 6 ft wide with
louvered flush doors between the social hall-
gymnasium and the storage room . This will
permit passage of the most bulky equipment.
There should be no raised threshold .
The minimum size of the storage room
should be approximately 250 aq ft . Provision
should be made for storage of inflated balls,
bats, softballs, and other supplies, either in
separate cabinets or a special closet . Appro-
priate bins, shelves, and racks are suggested.
In addition, a recessed alcove for the storage
of a piano is desirable .
Maintenance Storage ROOM The maintenance stor-
age room varies in size, depending upon the
adjacent outdoor space and the size of the
building . The room is ordinarily located on the
ground level, adjacent to the outdoor areas.
An outside entrance should be provided by
means of a burglarproof door sufficiently large
to permit the passage of motorized and other
maintenance equipment.
This facility is used as a headquarters for all
outdoor maintenance . It may have to house
rakes, shovels, hose, marking equipment and
supplies, hand tools, power tools, and other
equipment. A repair shop and its facilities
are usually incorporated in this area . The room
should have sufficient base and wall outlets
to serve both the workbench and power-equip-
ment needs.
Recessed wall shelving and cabinet storage
should be provided for tools, supplies, and
equipment. This space should also contain
hot and cold water, a slop sink, a lavatory,
a water closet, and a clothes closet .
The floor should be concrete and should be
pitched to a central drain. The junction of the
floor and wall should be coved.
Custodial Storage Rooms A supply closet
equipped with a slop sink and space for mops,
pails, brooms, and cleaning supplies should
be centrally located on each floor level.
NEIGHBORHOOD RECREATION BUILDINGS
The neighborhood recreation building will
include many of the features of the community
recreation building, as previously described.
The neighborhood building, however, is usually
intended to serve a smaller number of people .
The size of the facility will ordinarily fell into
the Type III (under 10,000 sq ft) or Type 11
(10,000 to 20,000 aq ft) classification . In all
cases, the building should be so designed that
rooms can be easily added.
 Governmental and Public

RECREATION CENTERS

Fig . a.

Fig. s.

U .S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Deport-

ment of the Navy, Washington, D .C .

70 1
Governmental and Public
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS
By ROBERT PERLMAN and DAVID JONES
A neighborhood service center may be defined
as a conveniently located facility, staffed by
professional workers and community residents
with no training, designed to provide specific
and speedy services to people with a wide
variety of simple and complex problems . On the
philosophical level, the centers comprise one
important element of a broad attack on crime
and poverty. On the action level, they are one
way of dealing with problems of inhabitants
of the inner city, a "place to go" for help.
Services dispensed by centers may range
from on-the-spot advice on problems requiring
immediate attention to long-term assistance
with legal, employment, and personal prob-
lems . In addition to furnishing these services,
a growing number of neighborhood centers
are planning for, and implementing, programs
designed to mobilize neighborhood groups
to participate in decision-making processes
that directly affect their lives, to become a
vital force for social change . These centers feel
that they must not only help to resolve specific
problems but must also work to correct those
faults in the society that create these problems .
Those who have developed and worked in
such centers are generally very enthusiastic
about this "new" way to deliver services .
National organizations, as well as local, govern-
mental, and voluntary agencies, are becoming
increasingly interested in utilizing this partic-
ular organizational device .
The goals of the center are to promote and
facilitate effective involvement of neighbor-
hood residents in the solution of neighborhood
problems and to improve the quality of pro-
grams which are designed to aid the elimina-
tion of poverty. As such, the neighborhood
center is the focal point of the local community
action program in a neighborhood .
A center can gather and share information
about new and existing programs . It can deliver
the resources of many public end private ser-
vice agencies to those who need them . It can
coordinate the programs and services of these
agencies to answer the needs of the individual
and the total community . At the same time,
it can work to modify and enrich existing
programs and services so that they respond
more effectively to the unique poverty prob-
lems of the neighborhood .
In order for the center to have effect on the
elimination of poverty, it must belong to the
neighborhood it serves . It must be what the
people want it to be . It should be e place where
people will want to go, not simply because they
can get free medical treatment or legal advice
but because it is a comfortable, familiar, friend-
ly, and exciting place to be .
The neighborhood center's most important
function is to provide the people of a neighbor-
hood with a structure and a program design to
enable them to act. The center should help
people gather and use their own resources as
well as those in the community at large ; it
should help them develop the competence to
Neighborhood Service Centers, Office of
Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Development,
U.S . Department of Health, Education and Wel-
fare . Washington, D.C ., 1967 .
702
work in their own behalf toward the resolution
of the social and economic problems of poverty
in their neighborhood .
The first step in planning a neighborhood
center is the determination of the neighbor-
hood to be served . The best way to decide if a
given geographical area is a neighborhood is
to discover if the people in the area think of
themselves as being neighborhood residents.
In Appalachia, a neighborhood may be a "hol-
ler" or a "creek ." In the South, a rural town
and the surrounding farms may be a neighbor-
hood . In cities, a neighborhood could be one or
more public housing projects . In many cases,
the definition of the neighborhood may be so
obvious a consideration that it demands very
little thought. It may simply be the section of
town where poor people live .
It is important that neighborhood centers
be placed in more or less distinct neighbor-
hoods. Some consideration should be given,
however, to the size of the population served .
Harlem is a neighborhood, but it clearly cannot
be served by just one neighborhood center . As
a general rule, a center that serves more than
35,000 people will probably be too large for
effective neighborhood communication. On the
other hand, some neighborhoods will be too
small for a full-scale facility . In such cases,
particularly in sparsely populated rural areas,
nearby neighborhood centers may consider
placing outposts to perform outreach and
referral functions and to provide communica-
tion with the center and other service groups .
Another important consideration in the de-
termination of the neighborhood is the trans-
portation system, public and private, in the area
to be served . The neighborhood center should
be located within easy reach of area residents
or should develop its own transportation sys-
tem to bring itself as close as possible to the
people it serves .
Determining the Neighborhood Needs
The second step in planning a neighborhood
center is the determination of the area's partic-
ular needs. Local conditions and the expressed
desires of neighborhood residents should be
the most important considerations . Asking
simple questions of a number of residents is
one way to get the necessary information .
The processes of neighborhood involvement
and participation can develop in the people
served by a neighborhood center an active con-
cern about services by making the programs,
both existing and locally initiated, respond
directly to needs that they themselves have
indicated
Responding to Neighborhood Needs
Once the neighborhood's unique mix of needs
are pinpointed, arrangements should be made
to decentralize into the center existing pro-
grams which can meet these needs. Written
agreements between the service agency and
the center can govern the terms of each decen-
tralization . These agreements should clearly
define the organizational chain of command
within the neighborhood center : what kind of
program will be offered, and what procedural
and other changes are agreed to by both parties
in operating the program through the facilities
of the center .
Programs must not be imposed on neighbor-
hoods but should grow out of expressed neigh-
borhood needs and the capacity of neighbor-
hood people to use them . Where no existing
program can adequately respond to definite
neighborhood needs, the center may want to
develop and operate new programs .
Decisions about what programs and groups
will operate through the center will help deter-
mine the physical requirements of the facility .
At the present time, centers vary in size and
function from single-deck referral units to
highly complex, specially designed facilities
incorporating a wide range of services . There is
no single model .
In an urban environment, the neighborhood
center may operate out of a single storefront,
from many offices scattered throughout the
area, or from a cluster of buildings . In a rural
environment, where transportation is more
difficult and neighbors are more widely dis-
persed than in cities, certain variations may be
more feasible .
Rural Variations
In rural areas, the neighborhood center may be
a system of facilities on wheels, a fleet of ser-
vice buses that continually travel from place to
place within the area served by the center .
Operating from a small administrative center,
one kind of mobile unit can travel throughout
a county, spending a day or two every week or
every other week parked near a neighborhood
of poor people . Such units may serve only for
recruitment, intake, diagnosis, and referral
to nonmobile, nondecentralized services . They
may also take the form of single-purpose units.
Mobile public health units are an example of a
traveling single-purpose service that has
proved successful in many areas. The eventual
goal should be truly multipurpose units which
go where the poor are and serve as many of
their needs as possible . Mobile units do not
have to operate from a single administrative
center . Another variation involves carrying pro-
grams, on a rotating schedule, to a number of
neighborhood centers scattered throughout
the service area . These centers may be located
in abandoned schoolhouses, old homes, grange
halls, church halls, or other available apace
which has been turned into an appropriate
facility . Each of these in-the-field centers would
have a skeleton staff of resident workers who
would do outreach work on a full-time basis.
The individual community will have to decide
which o1 these models is most appropriate
to local conditions . For many communities,
e combination of the two may be the most
workable solution .
Some typical service programs could consist
of the following :
The Housing and Rent Clinic would advise
and assist tenants on their problems, conduct
housing inspections and verify complaints, and
work with city agencies on the prompt handling
of housing problems .

Tenant and Block Organization and Educa-
tion would help existing tenant groups identify
and act on problems, conduct conferences
and training sessions on tenants' rights, emer-
gency action, self-help techniques to improve
apartments and evaluation of urban renewal
needs, and would organize new groups .
Coordinated Processing of Housing Service
and Community Facilities, Complaints, and
Requests . The central offices of the neighbor-
hood boards would coordinate complaints on
housing and requests for public facilities and
take them up with city agencies, maintain
records, and conduct studies of the effective-
ness of city services .
Housing Repair and Maintenance Service.
A nonprofit corporation would repair and
rehabilitate housing, employing (and training)
youth and unemployed adults as the labor
force .
Consumer education clinics would help
people get the most for their money by provid-
ing information through lectures and the dis-
tribution of written material . Parents work-
shops would assist parents to understand
the school system and encourage there through
group discussions to take a more active part
in working with the schools for the education
of their children .
Employment services would primarily offer
information and referral to appropriate sources
of jobs and training .
A Health Conservation and Education Unit
would assess the health needs of residents,
develop programs to meet them, and facilitate
the delivery of the city's health services .
Ancillary services would consist of social
services and legal services . Social services
would provide counseling to individuals and
families on a short-term basis--for example,
Governmental and Public
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE CENTERS
a dispute with an employer or getting a child
reinstated in school-and long-range help with
such problems as material and child-rearing
difficulties . Teams of indigenous workers
would operate under a supervisor . In addition,
there would be homemakers and home tech-
nicians to help with management of family
budgets, to provide temporary child care so
that mothers can keep appointments at other
agencies, and an escort service for the aged .
There would be special educational programs
for unwed parents, with a particular effort
to involve fathers ; a service for the aged and
isolated ; and the use of mental health re-
sources on a contractual basis.
Throughout, referrals would be made to
these programs by the neighborhood staff
and there would be a referral program to facili-
tate coordination within the centers and with
other community agencies .
Governmental and Public
EMBASSIES

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR
OFFICE BUILDINGS
The building character should express :
" Its representational and office building
nature
" The nature of the building in terms under-
stood by and compatible to the host country
" Quality without ostentation or luxury
" A deference to local architectural tradition
and materials
General planning should include :
" Easy and direct pedestrian access and
egress, including provisions for the physically
handicapped .
" Easy vehicular access and egress with
provision for adequate visitors, and staff park-
ing along with the necessary service access to
building . Shelter should be provided at main
entrance for protection during inclement
weather .
" Arrangement of public spaces for conve-
nient service to the public .
" Arrangement of sensitive areas remote
from public .
" Efficient circulation employing maximum
use of double loaded corridors .
" Provision for building expansion either
vertically, horizontally or both .
" Physical security of building by perim-
eter walls and/or fences, setbacks from prop-
erty lines, exterior lighting, easy control of
entrances and visual control of stairways and
elevators .
Climatic and local considerations include :
Humidity
Dust control
Extreme temperatures
Insect control
Sun and inclement weather control
Earthquakes
Flooding
Dimensional Limitations the post classifications . An asterisk (') indi-
cates those functions or spaces requiring
The following represent minimum clear ceiling
additional evaluation specifically to accommo-
heights . Adjustments may be required in some
date the special need at each post .
instances to accommodate specific require-
ments .
Office of the Ambassador
Classified conference room . . . . . . . . loft
Classified mail and This section is a sensitive area and should be
communications space . . . . . . . . . . . loft located on an upper floor and separated from
Mechanical space . . . . . . . . . . . . . Varies-to be the general public areas . Access to the ambas-
ascertained in
sador's and deputy chief of mission's offices
each case
Typical office space . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 ft should be through and controlled by the secre-
taries' office . The reception area should be
General storage areas . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ft
separate but convenient to the secretaries'
office . (See Table 1 .)
Planning Flexibility
The following space standards are established Political Section
for purposes of planning consistency and cost This is a Sensitive section which reports
control and for these reasons should be ad- directly to the ambassador and should be
hered to . This does not preclude variations located accordingly . (See Table 2 .)
where such are necessary to provide for special
requirements at a particular post . In addition to
specific space variations, the site and locale Economic Section
may dictate that the service functions may This section should be conveniently located
preferably be located in a structure separate for easy public access although not neces-
from the office building . sarily on the main ground floor except in the
case of the commercial library . This latter
function and any directly associated office
should be immediately available to the public .
SPACE STANDARDS FOR EMBASSY
(See Table 3 .)
OFFICE BUILDINGS
The following net areas are recommended for
Consular Section
the various typical embassy staff requirements
and functions . Space variations between the The size of this section will vary greatly accord-
class 1, 11, 111, and IV posts are indicated under ing to the volume of the consular activity . At
TABLE t Embassy Space for Ambassadorial Section
Class post, net sq ft
I II III IV

The Basic Space Module Ambassador's office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600 525 450 450
Private lavatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 75 50 50
The basic space module of 75 sq ft represents
the normal space allocation for individual Coat closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
desk personnel engaged in clerical activities . Deputy chief of mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450 375 300 300
Increments of this module will provide offices Secretaries (two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 225 225 225
of proper size for individuals or groups having File alcove and kitchenette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 75 75 75
other functional space requirements . Thus, an Reception area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 225 225 150
office of 150 sq ft will accommodats a single Conference room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600 525 450 375
reporting officer or two clerk-typists ; an office
of 225 sq ft will provide for an officer of super-
visory rank, two secretaries, or three clerk-
typists . The 75-sq-ft module thus establishes a
means by which the building can be systemati- TABLE 2 Embassy Space for Political Section
cally designed for flexibility of partitioning to
Class post, net so ft
suit space needs .
The typical single office of 150 sq ft repre- I II III IV
sents a preferred room shape of 8 ft 8 in . wide
by 17 ft 6 in . deep . These proportions have Chief political section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 300 225 225
been proved to accommodate required furni- Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150
ture for one or two persons depending on rank Political reporting officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 150 150 150
and function . Similarly for offices of larger size, Reception area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 150 150 150
furniture and space needs will be satisfied if Political officers (each) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 150 150 150
the 17-ft 6-in . depth is retained uniformly and Clerk-typists 1150 sq ft
the widths are varied in accordance with net first, plus 75 sq ft each additional)
area requirements .
 Governmental and Public

EMBASSIES

TABLE 3 Embassy Space for Economic Sectiont his immediate staff, especially those coming
in contact with local businessmen and trades-
Class post, net so ti people, should be on the ground floor near
the main entrance . The communications
I II III IV
complex should be separate a nd in a more
375 300 225 225 remote area, preferably near the ambassador,
Chief of economic section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
as it will contain the mail and file rooms,
Secretary-receptionist (including waiting area) . . . 300 225 225 225
communications room, vault, and incinerator
Economic reporting officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 150 150 150
for classified material . This area will be con-
Labor officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150
tained in a concrete vault accessible through
Commercial officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150 one controlled entrance .
Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 150 150 150
Agricultural officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 150 150 150 Communication : Complex* This facility is subject
Assistants (each) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 150 150 150 to changing requirements and to sharp varia-
425 375 375 300 tions between posts . Therefore, it is impracti-
Commercial library' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
75 75 75 75 cal to establish general space requirements .
Clerk-typists (each) . . . . . . . . . .
Instead, required areas will be determined
Translators leach) . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 75 75 75
by the department on a case basis for each
building planned .
t Note : At some posts one of the above, such as agricultural, may be large enough to This function is to be designed and con-
warrant a separate section .
structed in accord with "Minimum Physical
Security Standards of Foreign Service Office
Buildings" and should be located on the top
some posts this work would be handled by one floor remote from all public areas and access .
officer requiring one room ; at others, the
complete operation would require one or
more floors and several waiting rooms . Its
varied function is to process visas, citizen-
ship, veterans' affairs, notarials, shipping,
and social security. This section will require TABLE 5 Embassy Space for Administrative Section
its own file room, its own waiting areas (for Class post, net so ft
larger posts preferably two, one for immigrants
and one for nonimmigrants), toilet facilities, I II III IV
fingerprinting facilities, confidential interview-
Adm i n i stra tion
ing room, and mail storage boxes for American
citizens . By its public nature it should be on Administrative officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375 300 225 225
the ground floor near the main entrance or Administrative assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150
possibly have an entrance of its own . Secretary-waiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ . . . 300 300 225 225
Only minimum areas are recommended so ft first, plus 75
Stenos and clerks (150
here because of the wide variation between
sq ft each additional)
consular activities in and between classifica-
tion of posts . Specific apace allocations will General servicest
be determined by need on an individual case
General services officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 225 150 150
basis . (See Table 4 .)
Assistant general services
officer(s), each . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 150 150 150
Secretaries, stenos, clerks (150 sq ft first,
T ABLE 4 Embassy Space for Consular Section plus 75 sq ft each additional)
_
Basic minimum` Budget and fisca
not sq ft 225 225 150 150
Budget and fiscal officer . .~ . . . . . .
225 Disbursing officer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 150 150 150
Consular officer . . . . . . . . . . . .
150 Vault (if required) . . . . _ . . . 25 25 25 25
Junior officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
75 Accounting clerks (each) . . . . . - 75 75 75 75
Clerks (each) . . . . . . . . . , . . .
Waiting space" (provide counter) . . . . 225 150 150 150
Stenographers leach) . . . . . . . . . 75
225 Time and payroll' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 225 150 150
Waiting rooms .
Two toilets for above . . . . . 75
-1 - Note : Additional non-desk personnel such as chauffeurs, maintenance and char
File rooms for immigrant
force will occupy space designated under Maintenance and Service Space .
or visa files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Vault (visa, notarial fees,
etc . I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Veterans' affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Citizenship officer . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Notarials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Shipping and storage . . . . . . . . . . 150
TABLE 6 Embassy Space for Liaison Attaché

Class post, net sq ft

I il III IV
Administration Section
Chief of liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150
The operation of this section will not be 150 150
Liaison officers (each) . . . . . . . . 150 150
confined to one area of the building but will
Secretaries (150 sq ft first, plus 75 sq ft
be distributed throughout . The responsibilities
consist of general housekeeping of the post, each additional)
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150
supervision of building personnel, post expen-
ditures, message center or communications Photo and dark room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 225 150 150
complex, maintenance personnel, Marine Vault and incinerator` 150 150 75 75
Guards, etc . The administration officer and

705