A good location on the site and competent internal planning of the houses is the key to the convenient operation of the house and comfortable living.
Therefore, to live comfortably in the future house, it is necessary to know how to correctly create the layout of houses. We will devote our article to this important issue and consider the question of how to properly place the house on the plot, and how to properly plan the interior.
Smart planning of houses begins with determining the external shape, dimensions of the house, and its location on the plot by the cardinal directions. Planning houses according to the sun and wind reduces heating and air conditioning costs. The organization of the courtyard area, a convenient entrance, and additional buildings are no less important than the internal planning of buildings. Let’s consider the main recommendations for optimal planning of houses from custom home builders in Sacramento.
How to properly place the house on the plot?
- The optimal layout of the houses on the site assumes the orientation of the living rooms mainly to the south to maximize the use of the heat energy of the sun. Commercial premises should be planned on the north side.
- The planning of buildings in the area of strong winds involves protection from their influence and arrangement on the north and west sides of the windscreen. Planting tall trees, a hedge, a fence or a utility room can protect the house well from the wind. Such planning of houses with wind protection reduces energy consumption by up to 30%.
- It is better to place the living room on the south or southwest side of the house. Because this is the most important room in the house, which should be well lit.
- The kitchen should preferably be located on the north or east side of the house. Since the kitchen is usually warm enough due to the operation of the stove and oven.
- A bedroom or children’s room is a zone of personal space where a person should feel most comfortable. Therefore, the planning of houses should take into account all the personal preferences of its residents when arranging bedrooms and children’s rooms. For those who like to get up early, it is better if the windows of the bedroom or nursery face east or southeast. Those who like to sleep longer will feel better in a bedroom with windows to the west or northwest. It is not recommended to place the bedroom on the south side, so that it is not very hot there in the summer. Also, you should not place bedrooms facing north, because then these rooms will be uncomfortable and you will feel a lack of sunlight.
- Rational planning of buildings involves the location of utility rooms on the north side. There is no need for heating in such rooms. The utility room itself will be a barrier against the cold in front of the main living rooms.
- The planning of houses should take into account the placement of a terrace or veranda on the sunny side, from which a pleasant view opens. Due to such a solution, it will be possible to create an atmosphere that will contribute to pleasant spending time in the fresh air and enjoying the beauty of the surrounding nature.
The internal planning of buildings includes the demarcation of functional zones in the room and their spatial limitation. First, you should decide on the square footage of the house and the number of floors, and then divide the interior space into separate residential and commercial zones. One-story and two-story house projects are the most popular and in demand for suburban housing. A one-story cottage will be more economical to build, and a two-story cottage will be more comfortable for a large family. The planning of two-story houses has its characteristics. The first floor, as a rule, includes common and utility rooms. On the second floor, the owners’ personal space is planned – children’s and bedrooms. This layout of houses creates a truly cozy, family atmosphere.
If you take note of the following recommendations, your interior planning of houses at reasonable costs will allow you to create a warm, cozy and economical dwelling.
How do properly plan the room in the house?
- Initially, the internal planning of buildings is divided into residential and economic zones. The living area is divided into a day room and an evening room, which are divided into rooms for adults, children and guests. The daytime zone consists of such premises as a vestibule, anteroom, hall, living room, dining room, terrace, bathroom. The evening area includes bedrooms, dressing rooms. The household area consists of a kitchen, a pantry, a garage, a laundry, a boiler room, and a workshop. The planning of houses should be correctly oriented according to the cardinal directions. The internal layout of houses should be based on the position of the sun at certain hours, views that open from the windows.
- Today, a very popular planning option is the planning of houses, in which the kitchen and living room are organized into a single space. You can also arrange a mansard in the attic space.
- The convenient layout of the houses provides for the location of a summer terrace or veranda next to the kitchen with a pleasant view of the yard.
- The planning of buildings should take into account the glazing area of the building, that is, the number and size of windows. The ratio of the area of the glazed window surface to the floor area should be at least 1/8 to avoid additional heating costs.
- The planning of two-story houses necessarily includes stairs, which must be well-lit for safety reasons. When planning the stairs, you need to decide whether they will be an active element of the interior. If so, then the staircase is located in the main room – the living room. If not, then they are planned in the corridor or hallway.
- At the design stage, it is important to decide on heating and ventilation systems, water and sewerage, and electrical wiring.
- The planning of buildings may provide for a garage on the first floor of the building. A house with a garage provides good savings on building materials, heating, and space.
- The planning of buildings should include constructive solutions that ensure sound insulation of the premises of the night zone. For good sound insulation, there must be two lines of doors and at least a small corridor between the rooms of the day area and the bedroom.
As you can see, it is not so easy to correctly allocate functional zones, plan all the rooms in the house and the necessary communications. Therefore, the planning of buildings should be carried out by experienced specialists, and you should decide on all your wishes before starting all the work. After studying your individual needs, a professional architect can design the most comfortable and rational layout.