This is an oversimplification to say that there are only three types of two-story houses, but the vast majority of homes at average prices follow simple logical patterns that divide houses into three basic types. By asking questions to your customers, it is likely that you can direct them to one of these three types, which makes it easier for you to design and still allow them to believe that the house was designed specifically for them.
A typical house has five or six rooms on the ground floor; kitchen, breakfast, family room, living room, dining room and sometimes a den. The kitchen and breakfast area are next to each other for obvious reasons and in almost every case, adjacent to the family room. Since the kitchen is more closed due to the kitchens and kitchen areas, the breakfast area is almost always between the kitchen and the family room. While I was doing the opposite — the kitchen that shared the family room and breakfast — it did not work so well. Even the owner of the house for the fact that I built it, regretted the decision after this fact.
The kitchen-breakfast area - the family area makes up the main family living room. The family will spend most of their lives. wake-up time in these three rooms, and even when this occupation is the most frequently used area. For privacy, these three rooms are almost always located at the back of the house, away from the street.
The dining room will logically be located next to the kitchen.
The resulting layout has a family room, breakfast and kitchen along the back of the house with a dining area in front of the house next to the kitchen and living room on the other side of the entrance door in front of the house. This is a very functional and therefore popular plan. Almost every builder has a version of this plan in his portfolio, and this is usually the most popular plan of five rooms.
This layout also accommodates the family room next to the living room. If the client likes to have an additional entertainment area, you can open the living room to the dining room. If the family likes individual spaces, so a family member may run away to read in the living room, while the rest of the family films may want to close the window and create separate areas for watching a movie.
If the family wants a "den", you need to determine why she needs it. If this is an office area with possible customer visits, the buyer will most likely want to have an office office in front of the house. If so, you place the family room behind the garage with breakfast and kitchen along the back. To create more room at the front of the house, the lair is placed next to the kitchen, but at the back of the house. Then the office den and the dining room are located on both sides of the front entrance. If the dining room is located next to the living room to one large room, the dining table can be extended in the living room to accommodate large meetings.
If the den is really a guest bedroom, then you can create a room by sliding the garage forward and placing the family room behind the garage.
There are several variations that are most significant for placing a powder room and a laundry room on the first floor if necessary, but the vast majority of two-story houses will fit into one of these three patterns. When we developed a custom or semi-standard home, before we begin, plans will ask the family a couple of questions:
If the family is usually together, we will open the family room in the living room. If the family wanted two separate areas, we would either close the family room, or put it on the opposite side of the house.
Choose a ground floor plan that fits their needs, and you have a semi-standard template to work with.
Original content copyright 2011 by Thomas Robinson
