Plans are a method of communication that is commonly used by designers and architects in the architectural and construction world. Once somebody understands the principles being used, he or she should be able to read any drawing composed in the same way.

Plans are used to communicate design information. Architects sketch their initial thoughts and concepts, and develop their ideas by gradually adapting these drawings. Once the design has been developed and finalised, they will use working drawings and detailed diagrams to convey instructions about how the building will be constructed.

Key advice for access groups: your group is likely to be asked to comment on proposed building plans. You may choose to designate a scrutineer within your group who will be responsible for doing this. Before analysing a plan, this person should have an understanding of aspects such as scale, what different symbols mean, and which elements of a building are likely to have implications for accessibility.

This section focuses on how to interpret drawings and work out whether the design raises any issues concerning accessibility within the proposed or altered building. The design of a building does not happen overnight – it is not uncommon for anyone working on a project to have to look at and comment on a drawing several times during the design process.

Note that this section provides only an introduction to reading plans. For further information on how to read and interpret plans, refer to Reading and Using Plans, a publication by the Centre for Accessible Environments.