A waste of space

[ARCHIJEF2000]

The Land where I live The Netherlands, has the worlds biggest (OK tallest) people living in the worlds most populated country. Building land is at a premium, and houses tend to be compact(small). It is therefore most important to make best use of such space as is available, and here intelligent design is really important.



This illustration shows a bedroom, you may call it small its in fact 3.60m x4.60m, perhaps the master bedroom it contains a double bed, and let's hope sufficient cupboards. Notice the position of door, because it is located a short distance from the corner, there is room enough to place a useful bookshelf. A simple piece of design now increases the utility of the room considerably.
The same principle can be applies elsewhere in a house, how about the hall, if the door is located away from the corner, this small space can now be used to hang coats or perhaps install shoe storage.
Would anyone like to share their views or ideas, as regards design and good use of space.

[mbbailey]

There are a multitude of things people used to do with houses to save space over the years. Built-in ironing boards, Wardrobes that can be moved, foldout beds built into a wall, cubby holes built into walls for phones or appiances, exercise machines that fold into the floor, storage drawers under beds and furniture, pocket doors, lights on the walls and ceiling instead of the floor and many other things that allow you to decrease the size of a room. One of the biggest wasted areas are halls. An outside door to a room or the arrangement of rooms can sometimes eliminate hall space. There are plenty of plan books that show very conservative designes with no more than 4 feet of hall space.

[Tim O'Donnell]

look down

[slatta]

[QUOTE=ARCHIJEF2000]The Land where I live The Netherlands, has the worlds biggest (OK tallest) people living in the worlds most populated country. Building land is at a premium, and houses tend to be compact(small). It is therefore most important to make best use of such space as is available, and here intelligent design is really important.


the master bedroom it contains a double bed,

land is at a premium lots of places,

a double bed is for a kids room here, not a master, a queen bed would be the smallest for a master, also, here you need a complete master bathroom seperate from the rest of the house bathrooms, oh and sometimes there is also a kids bathroom seperate from the guest bathroom..

basic house plans here CAN be as little as 1500 sf, but usually are somewhat bigger, even a 1500 sf house can have a smaller footprint if it is 2 stories or is everything in the netherlands single story. i just finished a 3 story 6000 sf houswe for 4 people

how big are the houses there usually

[ARCHIJEF2000]

Ok Neal, the situation here seems to be rather different.
I am Assuming 10 sq. foot = 1sq.m

Here 100 sq m is considered a reasonably sized dwelling, and could easily be expected to house a couple and two kids. There are bigger houses, and there are smaller, 40-50 sq m. is not unknown.
A 6000 sq foot house for 4 people are you sure? perhaps you could post an image. over here anything over 150 sq m runs the risk of being called a villa. These days you wont get much change out of a million dollars, for even a smallish such dwelling.
Take a look at this site it will give you some idea, prices in Euros.
http://www.brockhoff.nl/index_9.html

this site has good floorplans too.

This is the reality in Europe's Delta Country, this is why I wanted to start debate on good design that doesn't waste space and where the architect takes the time to really think about the way in which the inhabitants will be able to use the place, and not to design in niggling little errors, that will result in the residents cursing the architect for decades to come.

[louis]

In America they are called McMansions.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3225775/site/newsweek/

[Allen42acj]

I have been reading for years that the trend would be smaller homes with more custom detailing=moldings,cabinets,high end finishes.
So far it it still mostly big houses like the McMansions.
Many are not designed very well.Just bigger than the one next door..
With land prices high,people are afraid to put ranches or small capes on them..

[mcqueenhomes]

I don't design McMansions. I also dfon't make a lot of money. I enjoy designing at less than 3000 sq. ft. especially 1300 sq. ft. and smaller.

The previous owner of my house already beat you to your shelf behind the door idea. The second bedroom has one built-in.

[slatta]

here is the main floor plan for it,

as you can see it is OVER 6000 sf, then add in the decks and the garage, you'll be around 8000 sf, and then we even had an additional 30 x 40 pole barn for it, to make it total over 9000 sf, keep in mind this is in the hills on 30 acres.

do you have any density regulations or is it not governed?


edit how many dollars is a euro?

[Tim O'Donnell]

mcmansions are obscene...a waste of resources...both to build and to heat and cool...there is no way they can ever be considered 'environmentally friendly'...yuck

that is one of the basic problems with sf pricing..there is no incentive for the designer, builders, etc who use it... to design and build reasonably sized homes...only their consciences are left to guide them

[ARCHIJEF2000]

Yes Louis, thats an interesting an pertinent article, America once lead the world in innovative architecture, looking at the Mac Mansions I would say not now.
Jason, not necessarily my idea more an observation, just thought I would point it out.

Neal ,what are density regulations, is it anything to do with the intelligence of the planning officers.

Last time I looked the Euro was $1.33, though you wouldn't know it by looking at the prices the two information Dictatorships, Microsoft and Google would like us to pay for their products.

[slatta]

jeff, i am guessing that that is your name.

when I was referring to density i was looking for some basic lot size information,

some city lots here are 30' x 100' for instance with an allowable footprint requirement max of 35%, limiting main floor area to 1050 sf so we end up with a 2 story

usually a lot is at least 7000 sf though, and average is maybe 11 or 12000 sf for the new stuff, older lots are usually bigger but are being divided to the smallest allowed by the planning officers, i am sure the intelligence of your planners is the same as they are here...

[slatta]

mcmansions are obscene...a waste of resources...both to build and to heat and cool...there is no way they can ever be considered 'environmentally friendly'...yuck

that is one of the basic problems with sf pricing..there is no incentive for the designer, builders, etc who use it... to design and build reasonably sized homes...only their consciences are left to guide them

how many of you think that the responsibility for designing and encouraging the customers to be "enviro frindly" is a choice we have?

as a designer, i do not have a choice of style or size of the buildings, this is up to the customer.

typical projects are in the 3000 sf range

[Allen Brown]

OK, I don't feel that way. However, I don't criticise my customers for it either. I don't share with them my political views, or my religious beliefs...Unless they ask. My job is to draw their house and make them feel like thier job is the most important job I have, wether it is 1200 sq.ft., or 12,000 sq.ft.

Just sent out the CD's today for a couple building in Zionsville, Indiana. Their kids moved away to college, so they are downsizing, since it will now be just the two of them. 12,000+ sq.ft., but only about 9,000 finished.

[Tim O'Donnell]

how many of you think that the responsibility for designing and encouraging the customers to be "enviro frindly" is a choice we have?

i really do think it to be part of a designers job and responsibility to educate those customers who do not know any better...

and yes we do have a choice

it's actually very simple...if they insist on a huge monstrous dwelling, i turn the project down...it may not always be in the best interest for my bank account , but it always is best for my peace of mind...and it certainly bewilders those who are driven mainly by the acquisition of the almighty dollar