DESIGN MY OWN HOME- PERFECT

DESIGN MY OWN HOME

I have always thought of an idea like what would it take to know what makes a right building. From the beginning of my study years, I have been living on rent and never saw a perfect home. Some buildings were very bad, some were average, and some were good but not perfect. What does it really take to build a perfect home. For me, perfect does not mean aesthetically but functionally like proper sunlight in rooms, sound proof toilets, isolation from guest rooms, no privacy issues, leak proof home, smell coming into rooms from outside, proper ventilation, proper bathrooms, no electrical issues and so on. So, this blog will travel with my knowledge, will be modified, edited, updated and so on with time. So what do you think makes the perfect Building?

focusing on the living areas first. “Doing a little here and there in multiple rooms will only leave you feeling unsettled and frustrated,” she notes. “The place where you spend the most time should really serve as the focus of your energy and investment. When the budget allows, move on to the next space.”

Design For:

1. Sun

2. Views

3. Wind 

4. Noise

5. Population Pyramid

The compromise is made based on which in necessary for which application. 

• South- Continuous light during the day. So, make it either a living room. Living Room and  Family Room.
• North- Light does not fall. The light is constant. No change of light because light doesn't fall in the direction. Uniform light.
• West- Don't make living room in this direction. More heat is here. So, make it winter room.
• East- Happy room. Good start for the day. Bedrooms and Kitchen.

Windows in South:  sun at low angle. So, light passes to deep inside the room warming the house. Are easy to shade from the summer sun. 

 

Windows in North: Sun at high angle. So, less glare. less fluctuation in the intensity of light. Make window tight and less emissivity to avoid heat loss through it. It doesn't gain. Anyway it will not receive. 

Windows in East and West: More heat passes through it. less transmissivity, insulated glass best.

Put staircase in the north side. Also, keep the bedroom in the north beside the hall for light entry.

Learn:

1. Anthropometry:
2. ergonomics of Design
3. Topography, Air circulation and architectural orientation

Toilets - Use them to block lights: Using toilets in  South West blocks extreme heat to other room. Don't use them in the corner.  Also we can use them to block noise from the ladder where more people walks and make noise.

Use unnecessary rooms like electrical rooms beside the ladder to block noise. So, other rooms can be noise free. 

USE  Bigger Rooms like Living Rooms proper access to light. So, other small also have access to light falling on it and become VISIBLE. 

Isolate the rooms either by placing the cupboard in between the rooms for noise control or use toilets in between or anything that isolates.

Windows: Larger towards North and Smaller towards west or south to control the light access and heat control.

Bed room: https://architectureideas.info/2014/08/bedrooms/. Don't place the window near the window.

Outdoor living areas

In general, outdoor living areas should be north-facing so they receive the sun when they are in use. As discussed in location, orientation and layout, if the building is located towards the south of the site, this will provide a north-facing outdoor area.

Air locks

An additional design feature for both heat retention and heat exclusion is to include an air lock or space between the exterior and indoor living areas. Air locks are especially useful in high wind areas. An air lock needs to be able to be closed off from both the outside and the inside spaces and may be:

an entry lobby (which can usefully provide storage for coats, shoes and so on)
a laundry
a mud room
an attached garage - a garage with a large garage door that is very air leaky and that is often not insulated may not be the most effective airlock space.

The space should be sufficiently large to allow doors to be opened with ease, as insufficient space is likely to result in a door being left permanently open, defeating the purpose of the air lock. Sliding doors are not a satisfactory option as they tend to be draughty and are difficult to seal.

Noise Lock

Where noise cannot be controlled at source:

• increase the distance between the noise and the location where it will be heard – for example, locate the building as far as possible from a noisy street frontage
• use zones to control noise, by grouping noisy or quiet activity spaces together
• don’t locate windows or doors towards sources of noise
• avoid direct and flanking sound paths by off-setting doors and windows from noise sources
• provide a buffer space or spaces between quiet and noisy spaces – for example, by locating a wardrobe between bedrooms
• incorporate mass into external walls to block external noise, or use fencing or earth mounding
• use sound-attenuating exterior walls or sound-insulated interior partitions to control noise

Noise control should be considered alongside other factors such as orientation for passive heating and cooling, views, privacy, and ventilation. Compromises may be necessary, for example if opening windows are needed for ventilation or solar access on a wall facing a source or noise.

Zone planning for known external sources of noise

When designing a home, locate noise-sensitive rooms such as studies and bedrooms away from noisy activity spaces such as the laundry and garage, and away from sources of external noise such as roads. The least noise-sensitive space such as the garage and laundry can be located closer to source of noise where they will also provide a buffer zone. Internal wall may also be constructed using a proprietary acoustic wall construction system utilizing double studs, resilient channels, multiple layers of linings and sound absorbing insulation.

Zoning in most easily achieved with new houses, but it may be possible to re-allocate rooms or make suitable alterations in existing houses. When you’re considering zoning for noise, you must also consider orientation for sun, views and wind.

Take care of the population pyramid. Try to limit the population closer to entrance. Only needed less population to travel the longest route within the building. Living room, where more people comes, keep closer to entrance and have guest access to them. Keep bed rooms private and little farther and less accessible position from Entrance.

Some general rules of thumb for purchasing land and building:

--Land which allows the public spaces of the house to face south is always best for passive solar strategies;

--Land which only allows the public spaces of the house to face west should generally be avoided;

--Generally speaking, consider minimizing the facades of a house on the west and east sides, while maximizing the façade on the south side. Remember, in many regions the foul weather may approach from the west to north;

--Flat land is easy to build on and often the least expensive on which to build;

--Downhill slopes may be challenging, but often allow for strong designs and views, albeit with the first floor above grade over the downhill slope;

--Uphill slopes are the most challenging terrain to build on and to manage surface and subsurface drainage away from the house; avoid these properties unless there are other over-riding advantages;

--Always look for surface and subsurface natural drainage patterns and avoid building in or over natural drainage areas if at all possible;

--Always check for designated floor plain lines and the impact on the buildable area of a site;

--Similarly, become familiar with the applicable zoning, design and/or construction regulations for property of interest--every jurisdiction is different and these regulations always impact what may be built and where it may be located on an otherwise gorgeous piece of property;

--Look for evidence of expansive soils, soils movement over time and/or unnatural fill--avoid these properties!

--Finally, keep your head, and do not even consider buying property which fights one or more of these guidelines. You will be glad you didn't in the long run!

 the road wants it one way, the site wants it another way, and the view wants it another way. complex?

orient all of the major public spaces to the south, and step outside at sunset and sit in a lawn chair, with a frosty one, face west and watch the sun go down from the deck.