For a facility with 120 beds, what is the minimum dining and recreation space required?

• A. 3,000 square feet
• B. 3,300 square feet
• C. 3,540 square feet
• D. 3,800 square feet

Answer: (C)

Space planning uses a per-resident space guideline to ensure there’s enough dining and recreation area. To find the minimum, you multiply the number of beds by the required square footage per bed. Here, the standard assigns 29.5 square feet per bed. For 120 beds, that’s 120 × 29.5 = 3,540 square feet. This is the smallest total that meets the guideline, so it’s the minimum required. The other options are either smaller than this and wouldn’t meet the standard, or larger and would still satisfy but aren’t minimal.