What is a bubble diagram ?

The bubble diagram is the first ‘diagram’ drawn by the architect to figure out the adjacency of the spaces in a building.

As the name implies, a bubble diagram is essentially bubbles/circles representing the spaces with or without a line connecting these components to display the connection as well as the adjacency of the spaces.

Depending on the complexity of the program in a building, you may have to draw a bubble diagram several times to reach a satisfactory ‘clean’ diagram.

Below is an example of a bubble diagram of a public library. 

Image courtesy:  Changs Holovsky Architects: Salt Spring Island Public Library. June 2009

Another example of a bubble diagram is shown below. This bubble diagram is for an educational institution. Notice how each bubble also represents the approximate size of the space along with the space adjacency. 

Image courtesy: Neufert Architects's data - Third edition