What is a circulation space?

In the Dutch Building Works (Living Environment) Decree (Bbl), a circulation space is a “space for reaching another space, which is not located in a habitable area or a functional area, and is not a toilet room, bathroom or technical room”. Put simply: a space you walk through to get somewhere else, such as a hall, corridor, landing or stairwell. In Dutch it is called a verkeersruimte.

In traffic engineering, the Dutch term means something else: the whole of the public space available for road traffic (see traffic structure).

Examples

Entrance and hall
Corridor and landing
Stairwell and external stair
Access gallery and lift lobby of an apartment building
Shared corridor in a multi-tenant business building

Why the distinction matters

In the Netherlands, the Bbl sets requirements for habitable areas and habitable rooms covering, among other things, daylight, ventilation, height and dimensions. These requirements do not apply to a circulation space, or apply to a lesser extent. Conversely, if you want to use a spacious hall as a workspace or play corner, that part must meet the requirements for a habitable room.

A circulation space does not have to be separated by walls. Part of a corridor can be circulation space, while another part of the same corridor lies within a habitable area.

Requirements that often apply

Clear passage: under the Bbl, a circulation route through the space is at least 0.85 m wide in new build, and at least 1.2 m in a shared circulation space (Bbl article 4.181).
Clear height: for a dwelling, at least 2.3 m for the circulation route.
Fire safety: shared circulation spaces are often part of the escape route. Requirements for smoke passage and clear passage apply there; for example, you may not simply store belongings there.

Minimum clear dimensions for circulation routes in the Netherlands, according to the Dutch Building Works (Living Environment) Decree (Bbl). Widths per Bbl article 4.181; the 0.85 m width applies to new build.

Application when altering a home

If you merge a corridor with the living room, that part becomes habitable area and the daylight and ventilation requirements count for the whole.
If you place a cupboard or dropped ceiling in the corridor, check that the clear width and height do not fall below the requirement.
When calculating the Dutch usable floor area (GBO), a circulation space is simply included.

Related terms

Circulation route
Habitable area
Habitable room
Usable floor area (GBO)
Stairs

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