open plan living basics
Looking at the key elements to creating a functional open plan.
Here’s the link to Stewart Hick’s video on the architectural history of the modern open plan: https://youtu.be/HjbbWX9WbQs
And a brief summary:
Today, I'm discussing the most significant aspects of an open-plan layout.
Rectangles are the most efficient open-plan living areas. (For additional information on the history of open designs, see Stewart Hicks'). A familiar layout will run the kitchen, dining, and living inside the rectangle. Note that there are a variety of reasons why you can pick a different layout than this. Still, your orientation to the north is always the most critical. In this example, lets say, the long side is facing due north for the optimal position to get natural light. You want as little direct sunlight as possible coming in through your windows throughout summer. However, as much light as possible coming in throughout the winter. This requires just a little overhang that will shelter you from the sun in the summer but will not be long enough to keep the sun out in the winter. Your floor, furniture, and everything else will then be lovely and warm throughout the winter. The east and west facades are somewhat different. When the sun is lower in the sky, you'll need a longer overhang. I've also learnt that you may use vertical components to stop these low light angles from hitting your northern façade. Clearly, this is dependent on the design and context. Still, it will offer some structural points and enable indirect, reflected light to enter the area, filling it with lovely orange light.
Lastly, where is the optimum place to enter the space? Most of the time, there are just a few obvious choices. Suppose you're dealing with a typical terrace house with a hall down the centre, for example. In that case, you'll often have a clear solution through the centre. Unfortunately, this often places the dining table near the centre of the corridor, which I don't mind, but others do. Thus you might have to close it off with a door or something similar, such as a screen. The second option is to avoid coming via the centre. You will have more or fewer choices depending on whether you are building a new house or renovating an existing one. Preferably, attempt to enter from either side of the eating area. The dining space will always have a circulation zone from which you are extending. The final alternative is to look at the other circulation zones for the kitchen; it would be approximately half a metre from the wall since your joinery would flow through that side - I'm not too fond of this unless the kitchen has adequate room. The other option is half a metre away from the living room wall since you want to avoid walking directly into your TV cabinet. Again, you're extending the circulation based on how the living room is utilised.
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