Architecture Adjacency Matrix Generator
Map programmatic relationships before you sketch the plan. Export as editable PowerPoint for the next client review.
Commercial architects use adjacency matrices in the programmatic phase of a project — before sketching a single plan, before laying out a single wall. The matrix is where the relationships between every pair of rooms or zones get decided: which spaces must be adjacent for the building to function, which should be reasonably close, and which need to be deliberately kept apart. Once that analysis is done on paper, every subsequent floor plan can be defended to a client as "the matrix says so."
This tool gives commercial architects a fast, browser-based way to build that matrix and export it straight into the next client deck. Start with the Open-Plan Office template if you're working on a workplace project, or build from scratch by typing your room list. Click any cell to cycle through the three conventional relationship states: primary (●), secondary (○), and undesired (—). The matrix renders live as you type, and your work auto-saves to your browser between sessions.
For Pro users, the editable PowerPoint export is the differentiator versus every other adjacency matrix generator online: each cell, marker, and label becomes a real PowerPoint shape that you can drag, recolor, or relabel in the deck without coming back to our tool. Use it to defend a layout decision to a developer, justify a programming choice to a city planner, or build a teaching example for an architecture studio. The same workflow is used downstream by interior designers on residential projects and by room-by-room planners on smaller-scale layouts — see the main Adjacency Matrix Diagram tool for the full set of use cases.
Related variants
Same tool, configured for a related use case.
Frequently asked questions
What is an adjacency matrix in architecture?
An adjacency matrix is a programmatic-phase tool that captures the required, desired, and undesired adjacencies between every pair of spaces in a building program. It's used before any plan is drawn so that the resulting layout can be defended as a direct consequence of the program rather than an arbitrary aesthetic choice. The technique was popularised by William Peña's Problem Seeking methodology in the 1960s-70s.
How does this differ from a bubble diagram?
An adjacency matrix is a step earlier in the design process than a bubble diagram. The matrix is where you analytically decide which pairs of spaces should be near each other and which should be apart. The bubble diagram is where you start to visualise a sensible spatial arrangement based on the matrix's conclusions. Both belong in a complete programmatic analysis — they answer different questions.
Can I export the architecture matrix as an editable PowerPoint slide?
Yes, with a Pro subscription. The PowerPoint export renders every cell and marker as a real, selectable shape — drag, recolor, relabel, or group cells in PowerPoint after export. Free users get a watermark-free PNG plus a JSON state-file backup; the editable PPTX (along with vector SVG and copy-to-clipboard) is the headline Pro upgrade.
Can I use this for hospital, school, or other institutional projects?
Absolutely. The adjacency-matrix technique was developed in the context of complex commercial and institutional programming — hospitals, schools, courthouses, museums. The Open-Plan Office template gets you started quickly for workplace projects, but you can build any item list from scratch. For healthcare-specific layouts the Hospital Wing starter template covers the standard sterile / non-sterile / patient-flow distinctions.
Is my work saved if I close the browser tab?
Yes. The tool auto-saves your matrix to your browser's local storage every few seconds. Reopen the page and it picks up where you left off. For an offline backup (or to send a draft to a collaborator), use the Download JSON option — that file loads back into the tool any time.