Away room — a small enclosed room for retreat from the open-plan main living spaces
Susanka — Away roomDescription
Open-plan main living + kitchen + dining is great for daily family flow + entertaining, but it leaves nowhere for one family member to read quietly while another watches TV. The 'Away Room' is a small enclosed room (often 100-150 sqft) adjacent to the main living area — den, library, sunroom, music room. Doors that can close. Allows BOTH simultaneous activities without conflict.
Why this exists
Open plan + away room is the modern alternative to traditional formal-living-plus-family-room. One open shared space + one quiet retreat covers more use cases than two formal+family rooms. Architects designing open-plan should always ask 'where's the away room?'
Categories
Source
Solver enforcement
Browsable only — the solver does not currently enforce this directive (no spec-level data to check against). This entry exists so the architect personas can cite it in conversation and the user can read what the rule says.
Related directives
- Common Areas at the Heart · Pattern 129
- Intimacy Gradient · Pattern 127
- Half-Hidden Garden · Pattern 111
- Indoor Sunlight · Pattern 128
- Entrance Room · Pattern 130
Last reviewed 2026-05-15.