WHAT MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN DESIGNING HOUSE FLOOR PLANS?
HOUSE DESIGNING
A house is a place where a person spends most of their life; this is where our emotions range from the celebratory to times of sadness. This is where we eat, sleep, relax, and see our children grow within the boundaries of this structure. Given how much a house means to its owners, the design and construction of it should be given extra thought, time and care. Therefore, if you are designing a house for the first time there are a few common mistakes that the best architects know how to avoid when designing the floor plans
MISTAKES OF HOUSE FLOOR PLANS
- LACK OF WINDOWS
A house designer should never underestimate the importance of fresh air and sunlight. A well-lit and breezy house would automatically light up the mood of its inhabitants. Thus there should be sufficient windows in the lounge, bedrooms and the kitchen. It is also important to understand wind flow to allow for natural ventilation. Spaces should have two openings preferably in opposing walls to create a ‘drag effect’ to allow air to move.
- DISREGARDING STORAGE PLACES
An empty room or extra room, which is dedicated for storage, should not be created only if there is an unoccupied piece of land in the house. People often only create storage rooms when there is no other usage of space. On the contrary, a storage room is very significant, because you would be able to store all the unnecessary items, likewise the house can end up being cramped.
- IGNORING THE FURNITURE SIZE
A design may look absolutely perfect on the plan but before construction, you need to make sure that there will be enough space for all the furniture. If your client is moving into a new space they maybe buying new furniture or even keeping the old ones. It is preferred to take measurements beforehand in order to avoid future circumstances.
- ANGULAR WALLS
A house is meant to be inviting and warm and not a tormenting experience or the state of the art. Angular walls can often lead to stress and confinement especially if they lead to tight corners. More so, they are hard to clean and troublesome to furnish.
- NOT DESIGNING ENTRANCE LOBBY
Entrance lobbies can be important to a household because the main entrance might directly open up into the living space. This can be very uncomfortable as the privacy of the residents is compromised, since they would find themselves in the company of any stranger who knocks on the door.
- ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION
Consideration of the natural environment is the smart way of designing. Avoiding the integration of daylighting and fresh air could make your house dim and eventually increase costs in the longer run. At the same time, shade must be considered to avoid direct sunlight entering the home and heating it up. The correct and smart orientation of the house would save its owners a lot of money and energy that would have to be spent on artificial lighting / ventilation / cooling. The rain should also been factored into formation of roofs and eaves. This will protect you house and also the surrounding landscape if drainage is well managed. Collecting the rain water will save on energy costs when it is redistributed in the house. This kind of green and eco-friendly mindset will help in making the homes more beautiful, affordable and functional.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Make sure you use a professional and qualified architect for the design of your home, as there are a number of considerations which all effect each other. If any of of these are overlooked they will cost you more in the long term. Some drafters and builders may be able to avoid these basic mistakes but they most often do not have the capacity to combine these with the emotional understanding of space, flow and ability to ehance your expectations.