Numbering of floors and rooms in new buildings

These guidelines are primarily intended for new buildings.  However they may also be applied to existing buildings undergoing major refurbishment where this is practicable, bearing in mind existing signage, fire indicator panels, etc..

Numbering of floors

Floors are to be numbered in new buildings according to the following conventions:

Location of Floor

This follows standard US practice. (English practice is to use Ground Floor, then First Floor for the first above-ground level, etc..). The US system reduces confusion, particularly where a building has two main entrances, at different floor levels. It also results in more logical room numbering (1.01, 1.02, 2.01, 2.02, etc., as opposed to G.01, G.02, 1.01, 1.02 etc.).

Numbering of rooms

All rooms, including teaching rooms, plant rooms, corridors, lobbies etc. are to have a unique room number. Room numbers are to consist of the floor level prefix, followed by the individual room number. In the case of new buildings, numbering is to commence with the main entrance lobby, thence continue from the left hand side, running in a clockwise direction (when viewed in plan) around the building. Thus the Level 2 lift lobby would be numbered 2.01; the first office to the left of the lobby 2.02, etc..

Designers are to use their discretion in achieving the most logical sequence of room numbers on a floor, bearing in mind the need for visitors to be able to ascertain in which direction a particular room will be found. Thus,long buildings with double loaded corridors should use the street numbering approach (odds one side, evens the other). However, with other types of building plan, it may be more appropriate to number the rooms in strict order (1.01, 1.02, 1.03 etc.) regardless of which side of the corridor they occupy.

Rooms which are accessed via other rooms, are considered to be sub-sets of the entry room, and should be given the number of the entry room with a suffix A, B, C etc. in a clockwise direction from the initial entry door.

Where alterations or extensions are made to an existing building, the existing numbering convention for the building should be maintained if possible. Where an existing room off a corridor is subdivided, the existing number sequence should be maintained through the use of suffixes, eg. 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.03/1, 1.03/2, 1.04, 1.05 etc. Room numbers are used in the University's Facilities Management System, and thus it is important that they not be changed.

Approval of numbering systems

In addition to applying the principles of this policy to new building documentation, architects are to refer drawings indicating the proposed numbering system to the University Architect or the Facilities & Services Drawing Office for approval. This can be arranged through the Project Coordinator.