Hallways, also known as corridors, are spatial organizers common among many buildings. Designed to facilitate and organize the circulation within the building, specifically providing access to and from different spaces and rooms, their layouts tend to be informed by the need for spatial efficiency and the logical and natural flow of human occupants. Hallways can be laid out as double-loaded, where they provide entry into spaces on both sides, or single-loaded, where entry points are condensed to just one side. Hallways are characteristically narrow and long, but their layout and placement within a building will vary greatly depending on the overall program.
Factors that should be considered when designing the width of a hallway include standards and required clearances first and foremost, followed by accessibility for all ages, environment or building type, and furniture or storage implementation.
The minimum width of a hallway is set at 36 inches (91.44 cm) to comply with ADA requirements. It is important to keep in mind that the width of a standard wheelchair ranges from 21 to 30 inches (53.34-76.2 cm).
The average width considered adequate in space, accommodation, accessibility is a range between 42 and 48 inches (106.88-121.92 cm). A corridor with a width of 60 inches (152.4 cm) allows for ample amount of space to add furniture and for two people to comfortably walk, but is less commonly found.
