Floor Plan Your Classroom

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Draft a CAD Drawing using Google Slides

Go to Google Slides and Start a new presentation. Start a new presentation

Click on the border of the box that reads "Click to add title." When it is selected, use the delete key on the keyboard to delete it.

Do the same with the "Click to add subtitle" text box. You should have an empty slide to work with.

Remove the Themes sidebar from the side of the screen.

Now you have a clean canvas to make your floor plan.

Click to add title

Click to add subtitle

Many architects use graph paper for their drawings. This makes it easier to figure out the size of a building "in real life."

Click on the Background button in the toolbar.

Click Choose image.

You can use the URL for this 1/4" scale graph paper to use as a background.

Background button

Choose image

use the URL

Go to File->Rename to give it a name (such as "Floorplan").

 

File->Rename

The top and side rulers should be there, but if not, go to View->Show ruler. View->Show ruler

Choose View -> Snap to-> Grid.

You are now ready to start your drawing.

View -> Snap to-> Grid

Click on the Line tool from the toolbar.

Or from the Insert menu, choose Line->Line to get the line tool.

Line tool

Drag a line in the document to create straight walls and windows.

Keep lines straight by holding down the shift key on the keyboard while you drag a line.

Drag a line

Change the thickness (weight) of the line to differentiate between walls and windows.

Click on the line. This brings up the Line options in the toolbar.

Adjust the Line weight. Use 8 px line for walls and 4 px for windows.

Remember you are drawing in 1/4 inch scale. This means that each 1/4 inch box in your floor plan will equal one foot of length in real life. So, for example, a line that is five boxes long in the floor plan represents a wall that is five feet long in real life.

Line options

8 px line for walls

4 px line for windows

Here is a sample floorplan with walls and windows.

Use curving lines to add variety.

Walls and windows

After drafting the walls and windows (and gaps in walls for doorways!) try to draw furniture.

Use Shapes to create your own furniture.

Make sure your furniture is to scale, is in proportion to your floor plan, and is in "floor plan view." That is, make sure it appears as if it were flat, with the viewer looking down from above.

  1. From the Shape button in the toolbar, choose the Shapes section to experiment with rectangles and circles.
  2. Change the color by clicking on the Fill color button in the toolbar.

Hint: The Callout shapes make interesting ponds and plants!

(Note: All shapes can be added through the Insert->Shape menu.)

Shapes toolbar

Fill color

Bed and lamp

Here is a sample floorplan with furniture. Sample floorplan with furniture

After your floor plan is complete, add dimension lines. These tell how long the walls in your floor plan will be in real life.

Start with parallel lines that come off of the ends of the wall, not quite touching.

Then add an arrow line from one of the parallel lines to the other. (to show the length of the wall). Choose Line Start and Line end buttons from the toolbar to get the arrow heads.

Lastly, add a text box that tells the length of the line. Simply count the number of boxes in between the parallel lines. (Remember that this number is the length of the wall in real life!) Choose the Text box from the toolbar, or Insert->Text box.

Repeat these steps for all the walls of your design.

 

 

Arrow line

Length of wall

Create a text box to tell the viewer the scale of your floor plan. We have been working in 1/4" scale, so your text box should read "1/4 inch = 1 foot."

Also add a key, which tells what the shapes are in real life.

 

Scale

Key

 

Final floorplan, with name and date included. Final floorplan

Click here to see a CAD drafting of a floor plan

Return to "Floor Plan Your Classroom - Step 3"


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