The design of a dorm room borders on simplicity and practicality. However, it should be far from being drab and ugly. Dorms are intended for long term occupant use, years or months in cases of students and office workers. Thus, the design must be treated in accordance with sound architectural principles that are so simple and therefore almost institutional in nature similar to hospitals and government offices.

Actually, the term or the idea less is more is simplified by Mies Van De Rohe, a German Architect during the late 60s. In his designs, tenement housing and dorms are designed without elaborate details. Rooms are stripped bare to its basic necessities which include:

(a) the two-sets of single beds in case of two-dorm occupancy;

(b) a generous closet space; and

(c) a study table or counter equipped with shelves, cabinet shutters, and properly secured drawers.

Two-Sets of Single Beds

The twin beds are typically placed perpendicular to a blank wall of the room. This is the usual practice to shield occupants from drafts that could emanate from the window. Normally, the beds are spaced 24 inches (2 feet) minimum and space is allotted on both sides of the bed to allow the occupants to move around the bed.

Generous Closet Space

This is usually placed adjacent to the door particularly the wall separating the room from the corridor. It shall include among others – shelves and a space for hanging long gowns, pants, blouses for women or shirts for men. A secured drawer is also added for the various accessories.

Study Table or Counter

Modern treatment of study tables are made along the wall abating the door. The entire length is utilized to allow sets of computers to be installed over it. The cabinets below the counter serve as storage for various school accessories. In some instances, a cabinet is added overhead as a repository for books whenever necessary.

For women occupants the study table doubles as vanity complete with mirrors and specific lighting. So, it must have locked drawers that contain the different beautiful supplies.

Walls and floors and ceilings intended for dorms are usually simple, sturdy or durable to endure the wear and tear associated with the activities of the occupants. For instance, the ceiling is normally laid with cement-based sheets, the walls are made of concrete and fully painted, and the floors are usually of ceramic tiles, not carpeting.

To sum it all, dorms are designed to project a sense of simple yet healthy living environment. Dorms are unlike hotel rooms that are intended for short-term use so that extravagance and ostentatiousness are injected into the design for aesthetic purposes.