-

...project survive? :V

1 all the way.

I imagine in post-apocalyptic scenarios space availability would rarely be ideal, so the bathroom may have to be located next to the kitchen, for example.

Maybe you could build a house with a certain amount of rooms? Those rooms are used to make a storage, living room, study, etc.
That way, the player can customize their building to the things that they value in their progress.

I much prefer option 1. As you could temporarily hold up in a bathroom etc and make sure that the area is secure (if this is something you do in the game, this is the first I've heard of your project, but I wish you all the luck in the world with it)

Yeah, as other said the 1st option is the most logical and is also rewarding for good planners.
If it were me, the armory would always be between the kitchen and the barrack.

Depending on if your game takes into account the people you have as part of your group, I would say combine 2 and 1, Basically have 1 be an unlock-able option if you have the right people or the right skills. That way while you're developing you can just program for option 2 but make it expandable later.

What game are you talking about ? Sounds interesting.

How about placing items in a room like The sims to place a function for a room ? For example: Guns production unit is an item can be placed inside a room. It will automatically becomes a place to produce guns.

Multiples object can be put into one room so it can easily becomes a multi function room.

Of course there will be certain trade off for this. Give the room some variables like:

• Security: How safe it is to work and live. Reduce by putting research lab, guns production, flamable ojects. Increase by placing defensive structures, anti-fire material etc... The more people and firepower available for a room, the stronger it becomes to attack.

• Life: How comfort for a character to work in there as well as living. Reduce as more people inside a room and increase when there are some life support item.

• Energy: All objects are bounded by basic energy to run them. There could be some kind of limit for the overall house.

If it would be my game i would keep things as simple as possible...it's ideal that every building has it's own purpose so that the things don't get chaotic...and as far as i can recall, i don't think i ever played a strategy game in which the buildings had multiple purposes. So what if it's a post apocalyptic world...you're creating a new community and you need to make the people's lives a little more bearable...