# Conceptionary — Spatial Location Index Structure
*Alan William Preston @ Mangawhai, New Zealand*
*May 2026*
---
## Purpose
This document defines the structure of the Spatial Location Index — the map-based
navigation interface that allows learners to browse concept cards by where they
occur in the real world. It also defines the three-tier location tag system
(Primary / Secondary / Transitional) used on concept cards to connect them to
the index.
The spatial location index and the concept card library are linked through a
many-to-many relationship:
```
One location → many concept cards
One concept card → many locations
```
---
## The Four-Tier Location Hierarchy
Locations are organised in four navigable tiers. Each tier opens into the next.
The spatial map interface changes character at each level.
---
### TIER 1 — Context Zones *(the neighbourhood map)*
The broadest level of spatial organisation. Seven context zones cover all locations
a learner is likely to encounter.
| Zone ID | Zone name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Z-01 | Personal / Home | The home environment and immediate personal space |
| Z-02 | Educational | Schools, universities, libraries, study environments |
| Z-03 | Work / Professional | Workplaces, offices, professional settings |
| Z-04 | Commercial | Shops, markets, banks, restaurants, services |
| Z-05 | Transport / Travel | All modes of transport and travel infrastructure |
| Z-06 | Natural / Outdoor | Beaches, parks, farms, forests, mountains |
| Z-07 | Social / Recreation | Pubs, friend's homes, sports grounds, cinemas |
**Map type at this tier:** Neighbourhood map — a spatial overview showing
all seven zones as navigable regions (as in the 2002 index document).
---
### TIER 2 — Named Places *(specific locations within zones)*
Specific, nameable locations within each context zone.
**Z-01 Personal / Home**
At home · In the garden · At the front door
**Z-02 Educational**
At school · In the school café · At the library · At university
**Z-03 Work / Professional**
At work · At the office · On a worksite · At a meeting
**Z-04 Commercial**
In a shop / supermarket · At the market · At the bank ·
In a restaurant · At the pharmacy · At the post office
**Z-05 Transport / Travel**
At the train station · At the bus stop · In the car ·
On the bus · On the train · On the school bus · In a taxi ·
At the airport · On a plane · On a bicycle · On foot
**Z-06 Natural / Outdoor**
At the beach · In the park · In the forest ·
In the mountains · At the farm · On the river
**Z-07 Social / Recreation**
At the pub · Over at a friend's place · At a restaurant ·
At a sports ground · At the cinema · At a party
**Map type at this tier:** Zone map — a more detailed view of the context zone
showing named places as clickable regions or icons.
---
### TIER 3 — Zones Within Places *(floor plan / area view)*
Specific areas within named places.
**At home → rooms and areas**
In the kitchen · In the bedroom · In bed · In the bathroom ·
In the toilet · In the laundry · In the living room ·
In the dining room · In the hallway · In the garage ·
In the wardrobe · In the garden shed
**At school → areas within school**
In the classroom · At my desk · At the whiteboard ·
In the corridor · In the playground · In the school library ·
In the school office
**In a shop → sections**
At the checkout · In the produce section · At the deli counter ·
In the frozen foods section · At the bakery section · At the service desk
**At the train station → areas**
On the platform · In the waiting room · At the ticket machine ·
At the information desk · On the concourse
**Map type at this tier:** Floor plan or area plan — a diagrammatic layout
of the named place showing zones as labelled, clickable regions.
---
### TIER 4 — Objects and Specific Areas *(detailed zone view)*
Specific objects or sub-zones within Tier 3 locations that have rich
vocabulary sets of their own.
**In the kitchen → objects and areas**
In the fridge · At the stove / oven · In the pantry · At the sink ·
At the bench / counter · In the cupboard · In the drawer ·
In the microwave · In the dishwasher · At the kitchen table
**In the fridge → internal zones**
On the top shelf · On the middle shelf · On the bottom shelf ·
In the crisper drawer · In the freezer compartment ·
In the door shelves · In the butter compartment
**In the bedroom → objects and areas**
In the wardrobe · In the drawer · On the window sill · On the wall ·
Under the bed · On the bedside table · At the dressing table
**In the bathroom → objects and areas**
In the shower · In the bath · At the basin · In the cabinet ·
On the towel rail
**In the classroom → objects and areas**
At my desk · At the whiteboard · On the noticeboard ·
In my bag · In my locker
**Map type at this tier:** Object detail view — an illustrated or
diagrammatic representation of the Tier 3 zone, with individual objects
or areas as labelled, clickable elements.
---
## Location Index Entry — Field Definitions
Each location in the index is its own record with the following fields:
---
### Block 1 — Identification
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Location ID** | Auto-generated unique identifier (e.g. LOC-0042) |
| **Location name** | Human-readable name (e.g. In the fridge) |
| **Tier** | 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 |
| **Context zone** | The Tier 1 zone this location belongs to |
---
### Block 2 — Hierarchy
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Parent ID** | ID of the containing location one tier up |
| **Child IDs** | IDs of all locations contained within this one |
| **Sibling IDs** | IDs of other locations at the same tier with the same parent |
---
### Block 3 — Spatial Map
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Map type** | The type of spatial display at this location (see below) |
| **Map image reference** | Filename of the SVG / image for this location's own map view |
| **Map coordinates** | (x, y) position on the PARENT location's map — defines where the clickable hotspot appears when the parent is displayed |
**Map type values:**
| Map type | Used at | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Neighbourhood map | Tier 1 | Spatial overview of all context zones |
| Zone map | Tier 2 | Detailed view of one context zone |
| Floor plan | Tier 3 (indoor) | Diagrammatic room layout |
| Area plan | Tier 3 (outdoor/commercial) | Spatial layout of external or open area |
| Object detail view | Tier 4 | Illustrated view of an object or sub-zone |
| Route map | Journey locations | Linear or branching route display |
| None | Abstract/memory locations | No spatial display; list-based navigation only |
---
### Block 4 — Location Type Flags
| Field | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|
| **Journey flag** | Y / N | Is this location defined by movement rather than containment? |
| **Social flag** | Y / N | Is this location defined by activity rather than architecture? |
| **Temporal tags** | Optional | Links to time periods when this location is specifically active (e.g. school bus → afternoon / DOW: weekdays) |
| **Memory flag** | Y / N | Is this a personal geography location (place I have been / might go) rather than a current navigable space? |
---
### Block 5 — Linked Concept Cards
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Primary concepts** | IDs of concept cards for which this is a Primary location |
| **Secondary concepts** | IDs of concept cards for which this is a Secondary location |
| **Transitional concepts** | IDs of concept cards for which this is a Transitional location |
---
### Block 6 — Administration
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Status** | Active / Planned / Stub |
| **Notes** | Free text |
---
## The Three-Tier Location Tag System
Every location tag on a concept card is assigned one of three tiers.
This determines how the concept card appears when a learner navigates
to that location.
---
### PRIMARY location tag
**Definition:** The location where the concept most naturally and centrally exists.
The concept card's vocabulary and example sentences are grounded in this
location context.
**How it appears in navigation:** Shown prominently when a learner arrives at
the tagged location. Primary concepts are the main content of a location view.
**Typical count per card:** 1–3 primary locations.
**Examples:**
| Concept | Primary location(s) |
|---|---|
| Freshness of bread | Bread bin · Kitchen bench |
| Temperature of the oven | At the stove / oven |
| Pain level (injury) | Body — general |
| Bus timetable vocabulary | At the bus stop |
| Making tea | In the kitchen |
---
### SECONDARY location tag
**Definition:** A location where the concept also occurs but where it is not
the central focus. The concept is relevant here but is not the defining feature
of the location.
**How it appears in navigation:** Shown in an "also relevant here" section,
visually distinct from primary concepts. A learner can choose to explore them
but they are not the primary content of the location view.
**Typical count per card:** 1–5 secondary locations.
**Examples:**
| Concept | Secondary location(s) |
|---|---|
| Freshness of bread | Dining table · Café · Bakery |
| Temperature | Kitchen · Bathroom · Outdoors · Car |
| Politeness level | Any social or professional location |
| Hunger | Any location (universal bodily state) |
---
### TRANSITIONAL location tag
**Definition:** A location the concept *passes through* as part of a journey
or process, without being anchored there. The concept is present at this location
temporarily and directionally — it is arriving from somewhere and continuing
somewhere else.
**How it appears in navigation:** Shown with a directional indicator — a
"passing through" marker that shows the concept's path. Learners can follow
the journey sequence of a concept across multiple locations.
**Typical count per card:** 0–6 transitional locations. Not all concepts have
a transitional journey; those that do are typically objects, food, or materials
that move through space as part of a process.
**Examples:**
| Concept | Transitional journey |
|---|---|
| Freshness of cheese | Deli counter (purchase) → shopping bag (transport) → car (journey home) → kitchen bench (unpacking) → fridge (storage) |
| A library book | Library shelf → borrowing desk → bag → home → bookshelf → reading chair → bag → return desk → library shelf |
| A meal | Supermarket → shopping bag → kitchen → fridge → bench (preparation) → oven/stove → table → plate |
| A school project | Classroom → bag → home desk → bag → classroom → teacher's desk |
---
## The Containment Principle — What Shows at Each Tier
When a learner arrives at any location, the display shows:
```
1. SUB-LOCATIONS
Clickable entries to navigate one tier deeper.
Always shown first.
2. PRIMARY concepts
Concept cards for which this is a primary location.
Shown prominently — the main content of this view.
3. SECONDARY concepts
Concept cards also relevant here.
Shown in a visually lighter "also relevant" section.
4. TRANSITIONAL concepts
Concept cards passing through this location.
Shown with a directional/journey indicator.
Optional — learner can show or hide this layer.
```
**What does NOT show at a given tier:**
Concepts from sub-locations are NOT automatically shown at the containing tier.
To see concepts in the fridge, the learner must navigate to "In the fridge."
Navigating to "In the kitchen" shows kitchen-level concepts only, with the fridge
as a sub-location to enter if desired.
This mirrors natural spatial exploration and prevents information overload
at higher tiers.
---
## Special Location Types
---
### Journey locations
Locations defined by movement rather than a fixed spatial container.
*On the bus · Walking · Cycling · In the car · On the train*
These locations have:
- **Journey flag: Y**
- Map type: Route map (linear or branching)
- Vocabulary typically covers: modes of transport, directions, stages of journey,
fellow travellers, problems en route, arrival and departure
- Concept cards tagged here connect to the Transport / Travel context zone
and to Spatial/Directional and Temporal super-categories
---
### Social locations
Locations defined primarily by the activity occurring there rather than
by architectural features. *At the pub · Over at a friend's place · At a party*
These locations have:
- **Social flag: Y**
- Map type: Area plan (loose, activity-centred)
- Vocabulary typically covers: social interactions, food and drink, relationships,
common activities, social customs and obligations
- Concept cards tagged here connect strongly to the Relational, Emotional,
and Social/Cultural super-categories
---
### Temporal locations
Locations that are specifically active at certain times.
*The school bus in the afternoon · The market on Saturday morning ·
The beach in summer*
These locations have:
- **Temporal tags:** Links to Days of the Week, Parts of the Day,
Months of the Year, or Seasons templates
- When a learner is studying a specific time period (e.g. Saturday morning),
temporally tagged locations for that period are highlighted in the map
---
### Memory locations
Locations from personal geography — places visited, places aspired to,
places remembered. *Places I have been · Places I might go*
These locations have:
- **Memory flag: Y**
- Map type: None (list-based, no navigable spatial view)
- Vocabulary typically covers: past tense narrative, travel vocabulary,
comparison of places, cultural description
- Concept cards tagged here connect to the Mental (memory, expectation),
Temporal (past / future), and Geographic super-categories
---
## Navigation Pathways
Three entry points connect the spatial map interface and the concept card library:
---
### Entry Point A — Spatial map → Concept cards
```
Learner opens spatial map
→ Selects context zone (Tier 1)
→ Navigates to named place (Tier 2)
→ Opens zone within place (Tier 3)
→ Opens object or specific area (Tier 4)
→ Sees concept cards tagged to this location
→ Selects a concept
→ Template loads with vocabulary in learner's language pair
```
---
### Entry Point B — Concept search → Location map
```
Learner searches "freshness of cheese"
→ System returns concept card
→ Card shows location tags:
Primary: In the fridge
Secondary: Kitchen bench · Dining table
Transitional: Deli counter → shopping bag → kitchen bench
→ Learner clicks a location tag
→ Opens that location's view
→ Sees other concepts at the same location
```
---
### Entry Point C — Language pair filter
```
Learner selects language pair (e.g. EN-JA)
→ Both map and concept search filter to show only
content with vocabulary loaded in that language pair
→ Locations where no concept cards are available in
that language pair are shown as greyed stubs
→ Learner can request AI generation for missing content
```
---
## Example Location Entries
---
### Example 1 — Tier 1 Context Zone
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BLOCK 1 — IDENTIFICATION │
│ Location ID : LOC-Z01 │
│ Location name : Personal / Home │
│ Tier : 1 │
│ Context zone : Self │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 2 — HIERARCHY │
│ Parent ID : — (top level) │
│ Child IDs : LOC-0001 (At home) │
│ LOC-0002 (In the garden) │
│ LOC-0003 (At the front door) │
│ Sibling IDs : LOC-Z02 through LOC-Z07 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 3 — SPATIAL MAP │
│ Map type : Neighbourhood map │
│ Map image ref : neighbourhood_map.svg │
│ Map coords : — (top-level zone; no parent map) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 4 — LOCATION TYPE FLAGS │
│ Journey flag : N │
│ Social flag : N │
│ Temporal tags : — │
│ Memory flag : N │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 5 — LINKED CONCEPT CARDS │
│ Primary : Household routines · Domestic relationships │
│ Secondary : Bodily/Physiological concepts (universal) │
│ Transitional : Journey concepts passing through home │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 6 — ADMINISTRATION │
│ Status : Active │
│ Notes : — │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
---
### Example 2 — Tier 2 Named Place
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BLOCK 1 — IDENTIFICATION │
│ Location ID : LOC-0001 │
│ Location name : At home │
│ Tier : 2 │
│ Context zone : Z-01 Personal / Home │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 2 — HIERARCHY │
│ Parent ID : LOC-Z01 (Personal / Home) │
│ Child IDs : LOC-0011 (In the kitchen) │
│ LOC-0012 (In the bedroom) │
│ LOC-0013 (In the bathroom) │
│ LOC-0014 (In the toilet) │
│ LOC-0015 (In the laundry) │
│ LOC-0016 (In the living room) │
│ LOC-0017 (In the dining room) │
│ LOC-0018 (In the hallway) │
│ LOC-0019 (In the garage) │
│ Sibling IDs : LOC-0002 (In the garden) │
│ LOC-0003 (At the front door) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 3 — SPATIAL MAP │
│ Map type : Floor plan │
│ Map image ref : home_floorplan.svg │
│ Map coords : (120, 80) on neighbourhood_map.svg │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 4 — LOCATION TYPE FLAGS │
│ Journey flag : N │
│ Social flag : N │
│ Temporal tags : — │
│ Memory flag : N │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 5 — LINKED CONCEPT CARDS │
│ Primary : Household routines · Home ownership · │
│ Getting up / going to bed sequences │
│ Secondary : Domestic relationships · Home maintenance │
│ Transitional : Shopping journey arriving home · │
│ School journey departing and returning │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 6 — ADMINISTRATION │
│ Status : Active │
│ Notes : — │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
---
### Example 3 — Tier 3 Zone Within Place
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BLOCK 1 — IDENTIFICATION │
│ Location ID : LOC-0011 │
│ Location name : In the kitchen │
│ Tier : 3 │
│ Context zone : Z-01 Personal / Home │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 2 — HIERARCHY │
│ Parent ID : LOC-0001 (At home) │
│ Child IDs : LOC-0041 (In the fridge) │
│ LOC-0042 (At the stove / oven) │
│ LOC-0043 (In the pantry) │
│ LOC-0044 (At the sink) │
│ LOC-0045 (At the bench / counter) │
│ LOC-0046 (In the cupboard) │
│ LOC-0047 (In the drawer) │
│ LOC-0048 (In the microwave) │
│ LOC-0049 (In the dishwasher) │
│ Sibling IDs : LOC-0012 through LOC-0019 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 3 — SPATIAL MAP │
│ Map type : Floor plan (room detail) │
│ Map image ref : kitchen_layout.svg │
│ Map coords : (45, 60) on home_floorplan.svg │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 4 — LOCATION TYPE FLAGS │
│ Journey flag : N │
│ Social flag : N │
│ Temporal tags : Parts of the Day (morning: breakfast prep / │
│ evening: dinner prep) │
│ Memory flag : N │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 5 — LINKED CONCEPT CARDS │
│ Primary : Kitchen equipment (named) · Cooking stages · │
│ Meal preparation sequences │
│ Secondary : Hunger · Appetite · Smell of cooking · │
│ Temperature concepts │
│ Transitional : Food journeys passing through · │
│ Shopping arriving · Meals departing to table │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 6 — ADMINISTRATION │
│ Status : Active │
│ Notes : — │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
---
### Example 4 — Tier 4 Object / Specific Area
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BLOCK 1 — IDENTIFICATION │
│ Location ID : LOC-0041 │
│ Location name : In the fridge │
│ Tier : 4 │
│ Context zone : Z-01 Personal / Home │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 2 — HIERARCHY │
│ Parent ID : LOC-0011 (In the kitchen) │
│ Child IDs : LOC-0081 (Top shelf) │
│ LOC-0082 (Middle shelf) │
│ LOC-0083 (Bottom shelf) │
│ LOC-0084 (Crisper drawer) │
│ LOC-0085 (Freezer compartment) │
│ LOC-0086 (Door shelves) │
│ Sibling IDs : LOC-0042 through LOC-0049 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 3 — SPATIAL MAP │
│ Map type : Object detail view │
│ Map image ref : fridge_interior.svg │
│ Map coords : (30, 45) on kitchen_layout.svg │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 4 — LOCATION TYPE FLAGS │
│ Journey flag : N │
│ Social flag : N │
│ Temporal tags : — │
│ Memory flag : N │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 5 — LINKED CONCEPT CARDS │
│ Primary : Freshness of dairy products · │
│ Freshness of meat and fish · │
│ Use-by status · Temperature of fridge · │
│ Fullness of fridge · Food waste level │
│ Secondary : Hunger · Shopping need · │
│ Meal planning certainty │
│ Transitional : Freshness of cheese (stored here) · │
│ Shopping journey (food arriving) · │
│ Meal preparation (food departing to bench) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ BLOCK 6 — ADMINISTRATION │
│ Status : Active │
│ Notes : Fridge interior has its own sub-zones │
│ (shelves, crisper, freezer) which are │
│ themselves Tier 4 locations. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
---
## Example Tag Assignment — Freshness of Cheese
This example shows how the three-tier tag system is applied to a single
concept card, and how that card surfaces at multiple points in the
spatial location index.
```
CONCEPT CARD: Freshness of cheese (CC-0089)
PRIMARY LOCATIONS
LOC-0041 In the fridge
→ The concept is primarily about cheese stored in the fridge.
Learners navigating to "In the fridge" see this as a main concept.
SECONDARY LOCATIONS
LOC-0045 At the bench / counter
→ Relevant when cheese is being served or prepared.
LOC-0017 In the dining room (at the table)
→ Relevant when cheese is being eaten and its freshness assessed.
TRANSITIONAL LOCATIONS
LOC-0051 At the deli counter (In a shop)
→ Cheese is purchased here; its freshness is assessed at point of sale.
LOC-0052 In the shopping bag (Transport / Travel)
→ Cheese is in transit; freshness clock is running.
LOC-0053 In the car boot (In the car)
→ Passing through on the journey home.
LOC-0045 At the bench / counter (In the kitchen)
→ Cheese passes through here during unpacking before reaching the fridge.
```
The transitional journey can be displayed as a path:
```
Deli counter → Shopping bag → Car boot → Kitchen bench → FRIDGE
↓
Dining table
(when served)
```
---
## Connecting to the Concept Card Structure
The Concept Card Structure document (Section 5 — Location Tags) uses
this document as its reference. The three fields on the concept card map
directly to the three tag tiers defined here:
| Concept card field | Tag tier | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Primary locations | PRIMARY | Where the concept most naturally and centrally exists |
| Secondary locations | SECONDARY | Where the concept also occurs but less centrally |
| Transitional locations | TRANSITIONAL | Where the concept passes through as part of a journey |
Each field contains one or more Location IDs from this index.
---
## Connection to the Master Taxonomy
The location index does not replace the master taxonomy — it sits alongside it
as a parallel navigation structure. The same concept card is findable via:
- **Taxonomy path:** Sensory → Taste → Freshness → Freshness of cheese
- **Spatial path:** Z-01 Home → At home → In the kitchen → In the fridge
→ Freshness of cheese
Both paths lead to the same concept card. The taxonomy organises by
*what the concept is*. The spatial index organises by *where it occurs*.