architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

, circulation refers to the way people move through and interact with a building.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/118392/circulation "circulation (architecture)" in Britannica Online Encyclopedia In public buildings, circulation is of high importance; Structures such as

elevator An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They a ...

s, escalators, and

staircases Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage ...

are often referred to as circulation elements, as they are positioned and designed to optimize the flow of people through a building, sometimes through the use of a

core Core or cores may refer to: Science and technology * Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages * Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding * Core (optical fiber), the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber * Core, the centra ...

. In some situations, one-way circulation is desirable.

References

Architectural design {{Architecturalelement-stub