The development of the house plan revolves around one main objective: ensure comfort of its occupants. Orientation, circulation, organization of spaces, positioning of heating elements, scalability..., all these elements influence the quality of life inside the home. Beyond space and aesthetics, many points must be studied so that your future living space is at the same time pleasant, intelligent and sustainable.
A house plan adapted to current and future needs
Before drawing up the first lines of a plan, it is essential to think about your lifestyle today and tomorrow. Because a well-designed house is one that evolves with you without requiring major renovations just a few years after construction. Therefore, prioritize multifunctional parts able to adapt to changes in life: teleworking, arrival of a child, welcoming a parent... Imagining the location of an office in the living room, planning a room on the ground floor that could become an office, guest room and able to anticipate aging or even relying on a mezzanine space or a removable partition in a bedroom are all simple ways to plan a evolutionary house.
Go further with the article: “ Why build a scalable house in the South West? »
A house plan for good distribution
THEroom layout is obviously the key to a successful house plan. For a house to be pleasant to live in, movement must be fluid and intuitive. No more long corridors, unnecessary intersections or poorly connected rooms. ideal plan places the living areas in the center and offers everyone an intimate space that avoids having to cross from one room to access another. Logical connections are integrated (the kitchen close to the garage and the storeroom, the bedrooms close to the bathroom, the cloakroom and toilet close to the entrance, etc.)
The day and night areas are also clearly identified and separated to ensure the peace and privacy of the occupants.
A well-designed home is one that feels effortless, where everything seems in its place.
City1 traditional house two-story, 92 m2, well distributed and with no wasted space.
Well-oriented parts
The brightness and thesunshine are an integral part of a home's comfort. By controlling the location of its openings, the latter knows how to take advantage of the benefits of the sun and also knows how to protect itself from it.
Improve heat input
Savoir orient a house on its land and mastering the layout of openings is an art that aims both to improve the well-being of occupants and to control energy consumption. The sun is a free source of energy that largely provides the heating needs of a home. In order to take full advantage of these advantages, the living rooms (living room, dining room, kitchen) are therefore preferably oriented towards the South or South West and equipped with large Windows which let the rays of the solar star penetrate.
The North will preferably be the location of technical rooms (garage cellars, laundry room, toilets, which thus act as a buffer space between the interior and the exterior).
Create pleasant lighting atmospheres
The location and size of windows also influence a room's natural lighting. To ensure the room is well-lit, east-facing bedrooms are often preferred to benefit from the morning sun. The office, meanwhile, should be placed in a bright space to work without artificial light, but without direct sunlight to limit glare. The kitchen should preferably be bathed in light to make cooking a pleasure.
To learn more about the concepts of bioclimatic houses and free solar energy, read the article: “ Reduce the bill with solar energy in the South West ».
Maximum storage space provided in the plan
Comfort also means order. Well-designed storage solutions avoid bulky furniture, free up space, maintain a spacious, orderly, and functional interior, and facilitate daily organization.
Integrate storage from the design stage
In bedrooms, entryways, or hallways, built-in wardrobes are essential. Designed from the very beginning, they blend into the space and are easily overlooked. They free up space from bulky furniture while allowing light to shine through. With increasingly discreet and elegant fronts, built-in wardrobes are now as practical as they are aesthetically pleasing.
Make the most of every square meter
A good builder will know how to make the most of every square meter by exploiting wasted space (under the stairs, background color, attic, under slopes, etc.). The multiplication of storage spaces offers a place for everything. Dressing room in the master suite for increased comfort and privacy, Pantry adjoining the kitchen, ideal for storing provisions, utensils and household appliances. Laundry room independent or coupled with the garage to manage the laundry without cluttering the bathroom. These are all key spaces to guarantee the comfort of a home.
Don't forget the technical spaces
A plan should leave nothing to chance. The location of technical networks (water heater, electrical panel, VMC) must be planned quickly. It is preferable to group them in a technical room so as not to interfere with living spaces. It is also important not to neglect ancillary spaces such as the garage and the garden shed which can accommodate bicycles, seasonal equipment, etc.
To find out how to place and use these rooms, read the article: “Ideal plan: Cellar, garage, laundry room… essential additional rooms”
Mastering acoustics and privacy
If noise pollution becomes a daily occurrence, comfort suffers. When designing the layout, it's essential to consider the distribution of spaces according to their noise levels.
Mastering the sound
As we have seen previously, it is best to separate noisy and quiet areas. To reinforce this, the plan includes reinforced partitions between certain rooms (bedrooms/living room, toilets/bedrooms) and possibly a corridor or an airlock between the sleeping area and the living area,
Preserve privacy
Privacy also requires visual discretion. Therefore, it's generally best to avoid having the entrance directly open onto the living room. The toilet also deserves special attention, with the creation of a small space or recess for access.
Discover the solutions for good noise insulation in the article “ reduce noise pollution in your new home as much as possible”
Think about thermal comfort
Designing a comfortable home means being able to control the temperature naturally. Thermal comfort in a home is a concept that needs to be mastered and well explained. here in a video from the Qualitel associationThis obviously involves a well-thought-out orientation that promotes free heat input, but also the creation of solar protection (pergolas, awnings, garage location, etc.) to limit heat input in the summer. Beyond that, it is a question of planning the locations of efficient heating (wood stove, heat emitters, etc.) and promoting natural ventilation with cross-sectional rooms that allow good air circulation.
Create harmony between interior and exterior
A home is more comfortable when it's open to its surroundings. The connection between interior and exterior spaces must be considered from the design stage. This allows you to take full advantage of the garden and natural light, and visually expand living spaces.
The openings are positioned to offer unobstructed views of the garden or terrace, which have become real living spaces, as the newspaper La Dépêche explainsThese choices allow for increased brightness, but also make spaces more welcoming. The circulation between indoors and outdoors must be analyzed so that the back and forth between the garden and the interior is facilitated. Thus, direct access between the kitchen and the terrace or outdoor dining area is to be favored as well as a practical link between the laundry room and the drying area.
It's about thinking about everyday use, for fluid activities: receiving friends, watching children playing outside, or cooking indoors while enjoying the outdoors.
The comfort of a home is not left to chance. It is built from the design phase onward, anticipating real needs, valuing natural light, and considering circulation, storage, thermal comfort, and openness to the outdoors.
An experienced builder will be able to help you transform your ideas into a tailor-made plan, perfectly suited to your lifestyle.
