The size and volume of a space as defined by its dimensions exerts a major influence on the room or space quality of residential house plans. This is because we experience space in the context of the volume that we feel when we are within that space, eliciting certain mental pictures about the space. Individuals may experience different sensations when they are in a space, ranging from a feeling of being dwarfed by a large space to being highly confined based on the dimensions of space.
Sizes of spaces and internal dimensions on residential house plans
When a space is heavily constrained by having small dimensions and volume, an individual may experience a sense of claustrophobia and constriction. Depending on the circumstance, the individual may feel a pleasant sense of solitude in a smaller volume space if they are interested in solitude as well as simply being away from the crowd. One may be familiar with exclusive booths and niches within diners which are targeted at giving greater sense of privacy and intimacy to their customers. This is in accordance with this rationale .
In contrast, one can create a grand volume and imposing space through giving spaces huge volumes, whether on domestic house plans or in commercial buildings. Creating large volumes in public passageways, hallways and entrances can be appropriate if they are given this grand nature through having a larger scale of space. The larger volumes in such large rooms and spaces have a strong sense of airyness and spatial comfort. A possible undesirable effect of this however is that a user in the space can end up feeling unknown, dwarfed and totally out of scale with regard to the space in question. A good example of spaces where such character can be useful is in design of halls and entrances.
Varying the sizes of spaces in residential house plans
Residential house plans have several larger sized rooms which can use this power of scale to create a more striking effect in their build up. These include the lounge, entrance halls, staircase lobbies and the like. Such spaces have an option to be enhanced through having their volumes interspersed and overlooking each other, through having double volumes and raised ceilings. This ensures that they are able to be visually interactive and enjoy a scale that is grander than rooms with common volumes. The effect is a more awe-inspiring character in these public rooms of a residential home.
It is thus seen that by manipulating the surfaces enclosing a volume, a designer can manipulate the sense of space that an occupant feels when they are in the space. For example, if the floor plane surface is recessed lower than other levels around the it, that space takes on a different intimate character in contrast with spaces adjacent to it. This is the idea behind the sunken lounge in residential house plans, hence their popularity with those who are interested in creating a feel of intimacy in their living rooms.
A similar effect can be experienced when modeling residential house plans by simply playing with the ceiling plane of a building. One can lower the ceiling in certain areas where an intimate feeling is desired, creating a feeling of enclosure and humanness of scale. However the opposite, raising the ceiling, creates a larger volume which gives a feeling of public space as the volume dominates the individual within it. It may give a greater volume of air, but the scale of the space makes it feel public and open.
Quality of light and air within residential house plans
The quality of light and air that is experienced within an internal space in residential house plans also goes a long way in defining what the feel of a place is. Having good amounts of both is an advantage, and is sure to lead to better user experiences within the space. Having less means that a space or even entire house plan may fail to be approved by a municipal council.
The amount of light coming into a space has a profound effect on the feel of a space as it directly visually affects interior spaces and perception of planes. Sunlight provides natural light that has much more profound effect than artificial light sources in this regard, and if a space is designed to take utmost advantage of daylighting, it inevitably ends up feeling lighter and larger. This could be achieved through various means, such as use of atriums, large windows and high level openings. Having a large amount of daylight entering into a space will give it a sense of being larger and more spacious, which can be advantageous in lounges and public spaces catering for numerous users. This is also harnessed in commercial spaces like shopping malls that may seek to lighten up their interior spaces by using rooflights with atriums and light scoops. Through this method, even spaces that are distant from windows can be lit and made to feel more spacious in their makeup.
Domestic house plans too that have a high level of enclosure can be enhanced similarly by creatively locating light fittings in order to create a perception of greater openness within the space, making use of direct or indirect lighting. Setting the light to create various levels of lighting including general lighting, task lighting and effects lighting can help to create this sensation of openness within these spaces. For instance, one can use strip lights along corners and ceiling edges, or off wall mounted lights can wash wall surfaces with gentle light. By so doing, the architect or interior designer is able to adjust the feel of the space to have an illusion of greater size through usage of light of brighter color such as warm and cool white light. However using light of different color spectrum can give the opposite effect.
Manipulating the size and feel of spaces creates better residential house plans
Having less light in contrast creates a sense of intimacy and enclosure in a space. This is the same effect that some eating places striving to create a more cozy ambience try to create by dimming lights or using different colors of light that have a lower degree of brightness. However careful attention needs to be taken that a balanced level of lighting is achieved, as failure to do this can result in having dreary, dingy looking interior spaces within the residential house plans.