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blablub123417 Jul 2017 07:46Hello,
My wife and I visited a model home park for prefabricated houses yesterday, and we noticed that each house offered various features and floor plans whose practical benefits I don’t quite understand. That’s why I’m starting this thread, hoping you can explain the advantages of these choices or point out what I might be missing and why it still makes sense to design a house that way:
1. Almost every house had floor-to-ceiling windows installed. What’s the purpose of these? I imagine they would be terrible both in summer and winter. Wouldn’t it get extremely hot in summer? And in winter, don’t you constantly have to lower the blinds so that anyone passing by can’t look directly into the living room or inside the house? Also, isn’t the effort to clean those windows huge? Am I missing something? Do they have advantages that I don’t see?
2. There wasn’t a single house where the kitchen and dining area were separated from the living space; at best, the kitchen was separated from the dining area. I understand that having everything open makes the space appear larger and is better for hosting many people, but isn’t it very impractical? If I’m frying or cooking something in the kitchen, doesn’t the whole living room end up smelling like food? It would also bother me that as soon as my wife or I have guests over, the other person couldn’t sit in the living room and watch TV quietly, for example. This might sound a bit picky, but for me, it’s important that everyone can invite their friends without the other person always being within earshot or needing to get out of the way somehow. Why are open-plan ground floors so common? What are the real advantages?
3. The balconies on the upper floor are always accessible from one of the children’s bedrooms and the parents’ bedroom. Doesn’t that significantly affect privacy? I can’t imagine it’s great if my child can constantly knock on our bedroom door via the balcony, for example. Also, if you have two children, wouldn’t the one without a balcony be at a disadvantage?
I don’t want to bias you with my opinions here—I’m completely open to your views because I’d like to be convinced of the benefits. So I would like to know your reasons for including such features in your plans. Alternatively, has anyone built in a more “traditional” way and can speak to the practicality of these layout choices?
Best regards
My wife and I visited a model home park for prefabricated houses yesterday, and we noticed that each house offered various features and floor plans whose practical benefits I don’t quite understand. That’s why I’m starting this thread, hoping you can explain the advantages of these choices or point out what I might be missing and why it still makes sense to design a house that way:
1. Almost every house had floor-to-ceiling windows installed. What’s the purpose of these? I imagine they would be terrible both in summer and winter. Wouldn’t it get extremely hot in summer? And in winter, don’t you constantly have to lower the blinds so that anyone passing by can’t look directly into the living room or inside the house? Also, isn’t the effort to clean those windows huge? Am I missing something? Do they have advantages that I don’t see?
2. There wasn’t a single house where the kitchen and dining area were separated from the living space; at best, the kitchen was separated from the dining area. I understand that having everything open makes the space appear larger and is better for hosting many people, but isn’t it very impractical? If I’m frying or cooking something in the kitchen, doesn’t the whole living room end up smelling like food? It would also bother me that as soon as my wife or I have guests over, the other person couldn’t sit in the living room and watch TV quietly, for example. This might sound a bit picky, but for me, it’s important that everyone can invite their friends without the other person always being within earshot or needing to get out of the way somehow. Why are open-plan ground floors so common? What are the real advantages?
3. The balconies on the upper floor are always accessible from one of the children’s bedrooms and the parents’ bedroom. Doesn’t that significantly affect privacy? I can’t imagine it’s great if my child can constantly knock on our bedroom door via the balcony, for example. Also, if you have two children, wouldn’t the one without a balcony be at a disadvantage?
I don’t want to bias you with my opinions here—I’m completely open to your views because I’d like to be convinced of the benefits. So I would like to know your reasons for including such features in your plans. Alternatively, has anyone built in a more “traditional” way and can speak to the practicality of these layout choices?
Best regards
Regarding point 1) You get more natural light because of the larger glass area. However, the format is not ideal since rooms are wider than they are tall, meaning horizontal windows would actually be more practical. Also, floor-to-ceiling windows only make sense if they are not obstructed. This also means you lose usable space. In 10m² (108 sq ft) children's rooms, in my opinion, they are completely inappropriate and only make sense in larger rooms.
Children tend to sit in front of them as if hypnotized, watching outside, which is quite amusing to observe. Keep in mind that with a standard window sill height of 90cm (35 inches), a small child can't see outside. Once they can see out standing up, they usually can’t when sitting down, for example at a desk. So children really enjoy them.
Regarding point 2) Yes, open-plan living spaces are currently very popular. They save on walls and doors and allow for features like kitchen islands. However, they require expensive extractor hoods, especially if you want recirculation models that actually work. Appliances should generally be bought with quiet operation in mind, which increases the cost. As for the smell: Why does the kitchen smell when you cook?
It’s just more social, and cooking doesn’t last hours every day. Even 10 minutes of frying won’t bother someone who’s enjoying the premium TV program in this country at the time. For private conversations, you need separate rooms anyway.
Regarding point 3) I completely agree. However, I find balconies generally very dispensable in detached single-family houses — you have the garden for that.
Children tend to sit in front of them as if hypnotized, watching outside, which is quite amusing to observe. Keep in mind that with a standard window sill height of 90cm (35 inches), a small child can't see outside. Once they can see out standing up, they usually can’t when sitting down, for example at a desk. So children really enjoy them.
Regarding point 2) Yes, open-plan living spaces are currently very popular. They save on walls and doors and allow for features like kitchen islands. However, they require expensive extractor hoods, especially if you want recirculation models that actually work. Appliances should generally be bought with quiet operation in mind, which increases the cost. As for the smell: Why does the kitchen smell when you cook?
It’s just more social, and cooking doesn’t last hours every day. Even 10 minutes of frying won’t bother someone who’s enjoying the premium TV program in this country at the time. For private conversations, you need separate rooms anyway.
Regarding point 3) I completely agree. However, I find balconies generally very dispensable in detached single-family houses — you have the garden for that.
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toxicmolotof17 Jul 2017 08:10Model home providers simply show you what is possible, and what is considered "trendy" is usually built.
I believe there is no provider who cannot offer you BRH90 and a closed kitchen. However, both are quite 1980s style.
And the issue with the balcony becomes irrelevant if the dining area on the ground floor is cut for cost reasons.
I believe there is no provider who cannot offer you BRH90 and a closed kitchen. However, both are quite 1980s style.
And the issue with the balcony becomes irrelevant if the dining area on the ground floor is cut for cost reasons.
Regarding the floor-to-ceiling windows... see Alex85.
About cooking/dining/living... I prefer combining cooking and dining areas. I would rather have one nice large dining table than two separate seating areas, with the living room as a separate retreat. That way, one person can watch TV or read while the other has company in the kitchen, can chat, or easily get to the coffee machine or prepare some food, and so on.
As for smells, they stay contained within the room where you cook and eat. After all, the food still scents the air when served on the dining table.
Regarding balconies... you have to ask yourself if you really need a balcony at all.
Otherwise, the most important thing is what you personally like. So always question everything, observe yourself closely, analyze your wishes, and ask whether you are simply following a trend or if you truly want something for yourself.
About cooking/dining/living... I prefer combining cooking and dining areas. I would rather have one nice large dining table than two separate seating areas, with the living room as a separate retreat. That way, one person can watch TV or read while the other has company in the kitchen, can chat, or easily get to the coffee machine or prepare some food, and so on.
As for smells, they stay contained within the room where you cook and eat. After all, the food still scents the air when served on the dining table.
Regarding balconies... you have to ask yourself if you really need a balcony at all.
Otherwise, the most important thing is what you personally like. So always question everything, observe yourself closely, analyze your wishes, and ask whether you are simply following a trend or if you truly want something for yourself.
In show home parks, the focus is also on making the house appear as attractive as possible. This includes an open-plan living and dining area (spaciousness, openness) and floor-to-ceiling windows (light, light, light). In a show home, no cooking or daily living actually takes place, so practicality is not necessary.
I don’t even want to start talking about balconies like that...
I don’t even want to start talking about balconies like that...
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