conventional, suspended, tray, beam, Specifications for the ceiling finish, e.g. The reason they are included is to make sure that light switches and other items are not placed behind a door, which is inconvenient for the users of a room. They show the scale, type, materials, finishes, fixtures and electrics of a ceiling, and how the ceiling relates to the floor (although an RCP is not a reflection of a floor plan). This orients the user to the view from the top, while also giving an idea of elements such as lighting fixtures along with other mechanical … We will take a look at each of these statements and see how they are wrong: The simplest explanation as to why we use RCPs is to avoid over-congestion on Floor Plans. You may have heard designers and architects talking about the “floor-ceiling balance”; they are not talking about a reflection or reversal of the flooring. That is quite a reason why we are here. and telecom devices like Telephone outlets and Smoke detectors, etc. What people mean when they say this is that, if you imagined yourself somehow levitating between the floor and the ceiling, the shape and orientation of each would be consistent with the other on a plan. The next most important thing is to familiarize yourself with the diagramming tool you want to use. Reflected ceiling plans are an essential part of any set of architectural drawings. What’s more, it is available online meaning, you don’t need to download and install it on your computer. Various symbols denote different electrical and mechanical objects in a Reflected Ceiling Plan. A reflected ceiling plan (RCP) is a kind of architectural drawing. It is referred to as a reflected ceiling plan since it is drawn to display a view of the ceiling as if it was reflected onto a mirror on the floor. In a floor plan, the imagined viewer is somewhere between the floor and ceiling of a room and looking down (approximately 1200mm / 4ft above). Spend time studying a few examples online – and then away you go! Each fixture will also have its own identifying letter, so that additional information can be given elsewhere without cluttering up the plan itself. It shows features of the ceiling as though they were being reflected onto a mirrored floor below – hence the name. A Reflected Ceiling Plan is but a part of architectural drawings, showing the placement of various objects like sprinklers, smoke detectors, and any other mechanical or electrical objects on the ceiling. One can define a Reflected Ceiling Plan as: “A Reflected Ceiling Plan is a type of architectural drawing, where the plan of a ceiling gets projected on a flat plane placed directly below, displaying the orientation of various electrical or mechanical objects within the ceiling.”. The architect adds information about materials to be used. They are drawn to the same scale as the floor plan, commonly a quarter of an inch to one foot (the scale should appear at the bottom of the RCP drawing). It shows features of the ceiling as though they were being reflected onto a mirrored floor below – hence the name. A reflected ceiling plan is often described as the mirror image of a floor plan, but this isn’t quite right and can be confusing. Often, the best way to read an RCP is to imagine that you are levitating just above the ceiling, which is transparent, and there is a mirror about a meter below that reflects everything on the ceiling back at you. RCPs require input from architects / interior designers and from engineers. Even though you will find a step-by-step guide just below, it is better to understand the interface and positioning of the various drawing tools available for your use. Check out the table below to understand the differences between a Reflected Ceiling Plan & a Floor Plan: The following image shows the Reflected Ceiling Plan for an office, more specifically, the conference room in an office. The reflected ceiling plan is primarily a tool which allows the participants to look at the proposed layout from right above — a bird’s eye view if you will — literally from the ceiling through a mirror that is set up about a foot under the level of the ceiling. What’s the point of them, anyway? A reflected ceiling plan (RCP) is a print that shows you the dimensions, materials, and other key information about the ceiling of each of the rooms represented on your blueprint. It is the sole reason why engineers, architects, and designers came up with a smarter way to include them: the Reflected Ceiling Plan. All rights reserved. The reflected ceiling plan (RCP) is named because it is a mirror image (reflected) view of the floor plan. As I said before, there are a few misunderstandings regarding Reflected Ceiling Plans. Well, let me clarify this once and for all: none of them are true. While they can be challenging to read at first, if you remember the ‘levitation/mirror’ analogy you should soon get the hang of them. In this way, it becomes easier to understand the placements of these objects. What do you see? drywall patterns), light fixtures, and other items that are mounted on or suspended from the ceiling. It takes its name from the idea that you are looking down at the ceiling as though there were a mirror on the floor reflecting the ceiling’s plan back to you. You need never fear an RCP again! We will learn how to create a Reflected Ceiling Plan in the very next part. All rights reserved. Well, you see, an RCP is a reflection or projection of the ceiling on a plane directly below it, which means we view it as if we are looking down at the ceiling. Alright, this is the part where we learn how to draw a Reflected Ceiling Plan. Some believe that a Reflected Ceiling Plan is a part of a Floor Plan, while others believe that these are a mirrored reflection Floor Plans. RCPs have a reputation as being quite tricky to read, but this needn’t be the case. What they mean by the “floor-ceiling balance” is that the orientation of both the floor and the ceiling remains the same, but the roof must complement the floor but in a different way unique to itself. These generally fall under several different categories: Includes different types of lights installed on the ceiling like Luminaire ceiling light, Wall lights, Downlights, etc. You are likely to find the follow things included in an initial RCP produced by an architect or interior designer: Dimensions, including the height of the ceiling above the finished floor (often referred to as AFF), Specifications on the type of ceiling, e.g. How to Create a Reflected Ceiling Plan with Edraw Max Online? Reflected ceiling plans use different symbols for different features, and these will be explained in a key which appears on the RCP itself. bulkheads, A key that explains the symbols used on the plan (e.g. You may argue that all of this can be found in a simple ceiling plan, so why use an RCP? Copyright © 2020 Edrawsoft. Doors and door swings should be included in a reflected ceiling plan, but marked with dotted lines so they are not confused with ceiling features. The engineer adds information about wiring and circuits. Some people believe it to be a reflection of the Floor Plan, but this is a grave misunderstanding. Since the purpose of a regular floor plan is to draw up the structural layout, it doesn’t leave much room for logistical requirements. Reflected ceiling plans (often called RCPs) can strike fear into the heart of new architecture students. The architect establishes the scale and dimensions of the ceiling. Stay true to your budget because you do not need to renovate everything, few pieces at a time is the trick; Innovative design is perfect, but one without any practicality is the worst; Keep in mind that you choose the appropriate style along with the correct level of details in accordance to you or your client’s needs; Always double check your measurements; if it is off by so much as an inch then the whole thing gets disqualified, and you have to do the same task twice over; Use the symbols correctly and position them where necessary; do not congest the drawing with too many objects; only the bare-minimum is enough to make your design attractive. In this article, we’ll explain exactly what a reflected ceiling plan is, what it should include, and how to read them. The whole thing gets revealed. Copyright © 2020 Archisoup. Are they just a reversed floor plan? The kinds of details that are then added by an engineer are: Number, position and type of ceiling panels, Circuiting and switching for each feature of the ceiling, For larger spaces, a circuit-breaker layout. What exactly are they reflecting? At the same time, we also get informed about what objects will get installed up there.