Kirill Yurovskiy: How to correctly design a house

The negative environmental situation, the pollution of megacities, and constant traffic jams on the roads are forcing people to think about changing their place of residence. Many people buy plots of land outside the city and start building cottages on their own or with the help of a construction company. But before the main work is necessary to draw up and submit a plan of the future structure. Build Co Kirill Yurovskiy tells how to properly design and plan your home yourself.
The first step – reconnaissance of the area
According to your taste you have already chosen a place to build a cozy nest. It may be a flat surface with a fertile layer that is perfect for a garden. Maybe you want to stay on the ground with a complex landscape. In each case, construction will have its own peculiarities. To understand what kind of difficulties and financial costs you will have to face, it is necessary to conduct a study of the soil.
When erecting buildings, it is important to consider a large number of characteristics:
- Groundwater levels and seasonal fluctuations. This directly affects the possibility of creating a basement or cellar. If moisture is close to the surface, much attention will have to be paid to the waterproofing and monumentality of the foundation. All rooms below ground level will require a large amount of insulation materials, construction of ventilation systems is mandatory.
- Characteristics of the soil. Depending on this the foundation of the building will be designed. On rocks, the depth will be minimal. On loose soils, especially heavily watered ones, sometimes it is necessary to go very deep.
- Rocks are evaluated for frost heaving in climatic zones with strong temperature variations.
- The presence of water outlets on the surface (springs, streams) is determined.
All the information will serve as the basis for the design of the building and the landscape of your site.
How to properly start designing a house
The easiest way out is to buy a ready-made model plan, especially since many companies are currently engaged in this activity.
Suppose that you want to make a scheme of the structure on your own taste.
Where to start:
- Decide on the location and approximate size. There are some restrictions on the location on the site. For example, you must set back the required distance from the boundary, you can not go beyond the front line. Plan the space for the proposed buildings (gazebo, summer shower, garage, pool, etc.). From all these factors will clarify the best place for the future residential building.
- On a family council or independently determine the number of floors, the required number of rooms, orientation of windows and all other individual wishes (from having a separate bathroom in the bedroom to the breakdown of the winter garden).
- Transfer all your plans on paper. Draw a diagram of the site with the proposed facilities. This will help you understand how conveniently organized the space of the yard will be. Sometimes even 50 cm is very critical, for example, when leaving the car. You can also use appropriate software.
- Draw to scale the facade and other angles of the main building. The right thing to do will be to execute it all in color, so you get a close to the real look.
- Proceed to the process of defining the interior design.
What can be used to make a layout on the site
Assume that you have decided on the size of the structure. In order not to draw objects every time, create a layout in a convenient scale. For example, one meter equals a centimeter.
From heavy paper, you can cut out an area in the same reduction. Mark the restriction areas and arrange your “cubes” as you want. Such a layout gives a very clear view, and the whole family can easily make adjustments depending on the wishes.
It’s worth thinking about possible future changes. For example, if in the future you want to build something else in the backyard, it is not bad to have access to such an area in order to bring construction materials and special equipment.
Do not do everything hastily, the proper planning of the site – a pledge of future coziness for the whole family. If it did not work the first time, then repeat the process.
How to do a proper house plan
Solving such a task is a creative and interesting activity. All members of the family will gladly take part in it.
Initially, decide on the volume of the structure, the presence of the basement, garage, second floor or attic. Match your wishes with the financial possibilities. Determine individual preferences.
Decide what material will be used to build walls, foundations, floors. This depends on the thickness, which later should be transferred to the plan. Find out the possibility of summing up the communications and create a sewer, the place for the well. Armed with all this knowledge, proceed directly to the creation of the scheme.
Basement
There is no unnecessary territory. Everything that is below ground level has its own specifics. The use of it can always be found. There perfectly placed space for storing canned goods for the winter, bath or sauna, workshop, gym, laundry room, boiler room, etc. With a sloping landscape, a garage under the first floor is very convenient.
Decide how you will get there. Options include going downstairs in a common block with stairs to the second floor or a separate entrance from the street, technical space. It should be understood that the area occupied by the passage will also be inaccessible to accommodate any objects on the 1st floor.
After you have decided, draw a scale plan with the allocation of all the thickness of the partitions, the location of window and door openings, and staircases. A convenient option is to place all communications at this level. The design of the design should be taken into account. As a result, you will get a scheme, on the basis of which you can continue further creativity.
How to make a plan of the foundation of the house
The task is similar to the previous one, only a little easier. On what will be the foundation, depends on the location of the bearing walls and the laying of the plumbing.
Drawing the drawing of the foundation with the allocation of the thicknesses of all walls, we get a basis for the creation of further rooms.
There is an option not to embarrass yourself in choosing the layout of the residential building by the outline of the foundation. Then you will have to put a capital slab on the support. In this case, the location of the partitions in the above space will not depend on the selected type. And for professional advice, you can contact a design company.
Modern design of the first floor of a country house
The layout of the interior space is limited only by the outline of the foundation and your imagination. It can be a studio or a classic version with dedicated bedrooms, living room, kitchen, corridor.
You already have in front of you the layout of the capital walls. It is categorically not recommended to move them. Otherwise it all depends on your preferences.
Make a rough sketch of the division of the area. Entrance in the middle belt of Russia necessarily implies the presence of a vestibule. This should be taken into account. It can be built-in or in the form of a porch.
After understanding how to make the approximate layout of the house, decide on the location of windows and interior doors. Glazing is an important part of how the building will look from the outside. You need to match the amount of light coming in.
Determine the parameters and principle of the doors (hinged and sliding). With the help of placing all the details on the scale drawing, make sure that it is convenient.
Choose the best location of the stairs. They take up quite a lot of volume, and you should not skimp on it, otherwise you will not be able to make a safe ascent. The position of this element quite seriously affects the circulation of air inside the room. It is possible to combine the node with the descent into the basement, which will optimize the layout.
Most of the time you have to spend on this level. Usually, the kitchen, common room, bathroom and bath are located here. Therefore, you need to approach the organization of this area with special care.
Communications
The laying and wiring of electricity, water, gas, sewerage, ventilation, data cables affect the usability and ease of maintenance. Having an approximate diagram of the location of facilities in the basement and on the first floor, you can already understand how the pipes, ducts and wires will be laid.
Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the scheme in order to simplify and optimize the lines. On laying, for example, gas pipes, there are many restrictions and rules. They will have to be taken into account. And such a system, such as drainage, it is desirable to design with the possibility of easy maintenance and replacement.
Also, it should be taken into account that all products have a limit of service life. And if not you, then your children sooner or later will be forced to upgrade the entire system.
An important role is played by appearance. A popular way is to lay in specially provided niches. Modern materials allow you to solve all problems.
If wrongly made water supply and waste drainage will not lead to great trouble, then the problems in the provision of gas and electricity can provoke fatal consequences. Therefore, it is better to entrust both the creation of a plan and execution to competent organizations.
Independent design of the second floor of a private house
Significant expansion of the living space can be carried out with the construction of the 2nd level. At the top it is customary to have sleeping quarters, sometimes with a bathroom, the territory of recreation (gym, billiard room, greenhouse, nursery).
In drawing up the scheme of the structure you will have to rely on the location of the load-bearing walls of the first floor, the point of the stairwell, the possibility of summing up the communications and coordinate with the design of the facade. We recommend creating the same layout as in previous cases.
The feature of the second level is the possibility of placing a balcony or loggia. This is an advantage to be considered. The presence of two floors brings a certain specificity in the organization of heating. Designing heat supply is done with the calculation of the reduced output at the top and greater output at the bottom.
Mansard and roof
The main element that protects the building from precipitation is the roof. At the same time it plays a large decorative role. Shape, design, materials used are very important. The space under a metal tile or ondulin is often empty. In many cases, a good solution is to create additional living space. Without changing the angle of the slope it is possible to place a full room in half the size of the first floor.
This solution allows you to increase the dwelling one and a half times with minimal cost. If you make changes to the roof, this figure can increase to 1.8.
External precipitation protection should perform its main function: to reliably withstand rain and wind.
Recently, the minimalist style has become popular. It involves the creation of a flat roof. This is quite an expensive solution, because the snow is not able to descend and melts as it accumulates from the heat coming from the technical level. The overlap is made of solid concrete slabs that can withstand heavy loads. Waterproofing is done by a layer of bitumen.
Modern realities allow you to create a very diverse design of the roof and attic. Only your preferences and financial situation can limit your imagination.
How a project is approved before construction begins
So, you yourself have made a sketch of the house and, having made more than one attempt, were able to draw the plan correctly. Most likely, in this form the project will not be accepted. The number of nuances in construction is so great that even professionals are not immune from minor mistakes.
The best solution would be to provide your developments, wishes and on these parameters to order a working draft in a specialized competent organization. The service will allow you to avoid many formalities, for example, wiring and gas supply requires certification. In addition, an expert, most likely, will notice the little things that you have not paid attention. This will save you time and money. The path from an idea to a legally binding document is quite long and requires a lot of specific knowledge.
This information is not an official recommendation and was taken from public sources. The material in this article is not intended as a guide to the legal rules governing land, property, erecting and finishing walls, or building. The manufacturer cannot be held liable for legal recommendations or for deficiencies in the construction or its components, which arise during or after the completion of construction work based on this information. Use the services of certified legal and construction professionals to carry out such work.