How to make your small plot look big
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Some tips on how to get the right space and comfort at home
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The sharp escalation in land prices in urban areas has meant that large plots are increasingly becoming a luxury. Which means the key to building a good house lies in making the best use of the available space, however small it is.
On the plot level, leaving setbacks is mandatory. In most cases, setbacks on the front, back and the sides of plot take away a good chunk of the plot area, lessening the plinth area. This aspect is overlooked by many owners, which lands them in problems later. Always bear in mind that the mandatory open space recommended by the bylaws will help in the long run. This open space can be suitably blended into the house with the help of a sensitive designer in creating interactive spaces around the house. This open space becomes the lung space of the house too. Parking, vegetable gardens, planting trees, washing and drying are some of the common uses to which these open spaces can be put to.
The main constraint in such “small-plot” houses is space — the existing available space has to be well utilised to give optimum comfort.
Comfort levels
Comfort levels are reflected in three ways:
•Physically: parameters such as sizes of rooms, storage and circulation.
•Psychologically: parameters such privacy, proximity and security.
•Climatically: parameters such as light and ventilation
So, when you want to build a comfortable house, thinking on these lines is the first step.
First, one has to identify the requirements of the occupants of the house. A thorough run-through of the activities will help one list down the number of spaces to be planned in the house. Then, certain activities can be grouped into a single room and an appropriate arrangement can be thought of. For example, viewing television, entertaining guests, listening to music and reading books can be grouped in and around living areas.
Do not think of too many separate “rooms,” such as those for living and dining, and three or four bedrooms with attached toilets, kitchen with pantry, store, work area and so on. Instead, a flexible design with spaces for these activities can be incorporated. This aspect becomes a major factor in the layout.
The suitable ways of tackling this problem are:
Split-level house
A split-level house is one in which the floor level of one part of the house is about halfway between the floor and ceiling of the other part of the house. The one-storey section typically contains a family room (also known as living room), dining room and kitchen.
There is typically one small set of stairs that attach one level of the house to the next level. See to it that there are no dead spaces in the staircase design.
Internal courtyard
Depending on its size, it can be called a “duct” or a “courtyard.” This feature basically brings in light, air and ventilation. It can be covered or open. Windows can be opened into it at different levels. These small courtyards become an interactive space.
SRILATA RAMKUMAR
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