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Mikiten Architecture

Building a New House with Limited Space

7/10/2020

33 Comments

 
Trying to build a new house from the ground up can be a daunting but rewarding task. One of the biggest advantages of building new is the ability to design everything to your exact specifications. However, sometimes design plans are hindered by the amount of space you have to work with. When building on a restrictive plot of land it can be difficult to ensure that you are getting the most out of your home and your land. That’s why we’ve reached out to the experts in home design from Portland to Philadelphia to provide you with ways to optimize the design and layout of your home when working with limited space.
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Know exactly what you want
When designing a house with limited space, a conversation on a homeowner’s vision for efficient living needs to be had with the architect before starting the design process. This is so appropriate design goals that support this vision can be organized. A designer can use the wall cavities for storage, raise the ceilings to provide clerestory light, fabricate custom built-in furniture fit to small dimensions and employ other design tricks but if there is not the preexisting appetite for simplicity and efficiency by the homeowner then it will not be possible for the architect to turn a house’s limited space into unique design opportunities. Rooms tend to get bigger with each design review by the homeowner in a residential project if the homeowner does not hold onto a succinct vision supported by specific efficiency goals. An architect experienced in energy efficiency, construction and interior design will be able to organize appropriate design goals with a homeowner’s vision for living with less. Nick Dean Architect

Read Between the Studs 
It’s standard to recess a medicine cabinet between wall studs, but why not take advantage of that “free” space elsewhere? For small bathrooms, we’ll often put a tall cabinet recessed in the wall that’s great not just for medicine, but for all those other small items you want in the bathroom, or the six bottles of shampoo you bought on Amazon, but don’t have space to store elsewhere in your small house. And if your wall is framed with 2×6 studs rather than 2×4, that cabinet can even hold rolls of toilet paper. – 
Mikiten Architecture


Build Vertically
It’s not unusual to see three, or even 4-level homes that make great use of interior glass, open staircases and strategic layouts. Many companies now offer residential elevators that take up surprisingly little square footage, and the breezes and views from that top floor can be amazing! Don’t be afraid of a nontraditional floorplan. A talented designer or architect can even make a triangular room work for your lifestyle. Additionally, be sure to shop for appliances and furnishings carefully. Many top-tier brands now offer down-sized ranges, refrigerators, and furniture that fit a more compact, urban lifestyle without having to sacrifice quality. – Modern Architecture + Design Society
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Have an architectural program ready
Right-sized homes don’t happen by accident. They come about through thoughtful planning and design. To fully realize the potential of a small plot of land it’s important to begin with a careful study of your space requirements. In the world of architectural design, this is commonly referred to as an “Architectural Program”. It’s a specific and complete list of your space requirements. In the hands of a skilled architect, this list will form the foundation of a design that’s both space-efficient and inspirational. – Harry Hunt Architects

Make your home work smarter with dual-purpose spaces
When you are confronted with the dilemma of limited space it requires you to be more creative with circulation and room usage. You may need to provide rooms that will provide a dual purpose such as a study/family room or kitchen with island seating which would be your breakfast area. If your kitchen is very tight you may consider a corner banquette seating. It takes some squeezing to get situated but it saves floor space. Furniture may need to be oriented to allow circulation through a room eliminating hall space. Bedroom furniture such as bunk beds or raised beds with a desk below are also space savers. An office can also serve as a guest room by providing a pull-out couch. – Aric Gitomer Architect

To make the most of your limited space, design with a dual purpose. Most homeowners seldom use their foyer as the main entry. Instead of leaving the space unused, turn it into a functional area such as a home office. Staircases are also prime real estate that can serve multifunctions. Consider a stacked, exposed staircase, and tuck a wine cellar or reading corner beneath the stairwell, for total optimization. – John Lum Architecture

To make your home work smarter due to space constraints, design your bathroom as a spa-experience versus a utilitarian space. Rain head showers and deep soak tubs can turn a bath into a spa. Also, rethink the sink. Ask yourself, do I really need two sinks and all that plumbing? Negative space can make a bathroom feel bigger. Combined with an open plan kitchen which extends the room while removing the boxed-in feeling, a small footprint can have maximum living (and resale) value. – Studio SHK
First, minimize the impact of vehicles on the square footage of the lot.  Limit area devoted to circulation and combine uses when possible.  Bring in views with expansive floor to ceiling glass to increase the perception of the area by leading the eye beyond the walls. – Mark A Silva Architect
Circulation is key

​It’s all about circulation. Old houses tend to be compartmentalized; the easiest thing is to remove doors that remain open most of the time. When I remodel an old house I look at space that is eaten by pathways. By opening the dining to the kitchen will make your kitchen more useful and bigger. – De Meza + Architecture Team

Narrow or constrained lot sizes can be a challenge when designing a new home, but can also result in unique, carefully designed and beautiful spaces.  H2D Architecture + Design approaches space constraints with thinking about a design that flows efficiently and graciously between the spaces horizontally and also vertically between the floors.  Open floor plans which combine uses, such as living, dining and kitchen areas, help to reduce the need for extra circulation spaces, as well as utilizing open stairs between floors in the design can help create the feel of a larger space. – H2D Architects

Let there be light
Light is essential when dealing with smaller spaces. A well-lit space can give the impression of largeness without the actual footprint size.  Large glass walls taken from floor to ceiling to adjacent walls can allow for small spaces to open up visually and connect to the outside.  Accordion doors are a favorite product to physically open up the interior space to exterior living.  On restrictive lots, tall garden walls provide privacy and intimacy even in the face of density. – Tomecek Studio Architecture

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Large covered porches, accessed by quad-slider doors (which open up 6ft in the center) can make a small home live dramatically larger.  An open floor plan with high ceilings (9-10ft) can also help make a house feel larger than its square footage.  Lastly, if we’re constrained in size, we emphasize quality over quantity – this shows up in “Not So Big House” ideas such as extra built-ins to keep everything organized and uncluttered. – Rodwin Architecture and Skycastle Construction

Less is more 
As the partner of an architectural practice in London for many years, high property costs meant space was always a premium and forced us to become experts in designing homes with limited space both inside and out. Since returning to the US, I often rely on this knowledge. Limit material selections and the rooms will flow as one. Keep spaces flexible – double or triple their function and always design them to accommodate change in the future. Design houses with seamless transitions from inside to out, utilizing large floor-to-ceiling doors and windows and importantly if the same floor finish inside continues out to open-air spaces, i.e. patios or covered porches, the room will effortlessly extend out and feel much bigger. There are many great tricks a good designer can and will use to make limited space feel grand. – Architecture Joyce Owens

When working with small spaces keep materials to a minimum, using the same materials on the floor throughout your rooms.  When choosing wall colors, pick colors that reflect light. Your furniture should have multiple uses and be lighter in weight where they can be easily moved from space to space when needed. – Streamline Architects

Take advantage of 3D modeling
It’s hard to optimize the rooms in your home without being able to visualize the spaces beforehand. By modeling in SketchUp, you can get a good sense of space in 3D, rearrange furniture to test different layouts, experiment with different materials & textures, and design for the space you have. You can also go up! See what your small footprint would look like as a two or three-story building! – SketchUp

Optimize unused space for storage
Many times issues of space ultimately affect precious home storage. As a result, consider clever ways to maximize the space often allocated to essential design features. For example, a staircase’s rise and run create a unique storage opportunity that is often wasted. In the past, I have made each stair act as a drawer. – Larry E. Boerder Architects

Avoid double-height rooms
First, avoid double-height rooms, it takes up a large portion of your buildable area. Instead, go with taller ceilings throughout. Second, carve out exterior basement rooms, it creates more unique spaces and extends the basement space for those beautiful warm nights. They’re also great for direct access to and from the backyard if you plan on having a pool. – RS Mannino

Fluid indoor and outdoor spaces
Designing beautiful and useful homes while optimizing limited space is our core strength at D3 Architects. We always talk to clients about making sensible, connected spaces and not throwing away money on finishing wasted space. This thought process begins with the site or the outside.  Consider two things in particular: the orientation of your spaces to daylight (the qualities of daylight are different from the N, S, E, and W) and the connections to the outdoor spaces you will use. After that, the most important thing is thinking about flows of movement.  Consider how you will move around your house, say from the entry to the kitchen, and then the movement within each space, for example, how you would ideally like to prepare a meal in the kitchen, moving from the stove to the refrigerator to the sink, all while being able to keep an eye on the kids playing outside. If you map these relationships out thinking about your own family’s priorities, living in your home will always be a pleasure. – D3 Architects

Picture
Know exactly what you want
When designing a house with limited space, a conversation on a homeowner’s vision for efficient living needs to be had with the architect before starting the design process. This is so appropriate design goals that support this vision can be organized. A designer can use the wall cavities for storage, raise the ceilings to provide clerestory light, fabricate custom built-in furniture fit to small dimensions and employ other design tricks but if there is not the preexisting appetite for simplicity and efficiency by the homeowner then it will not be possible for the architect to turn a house’s limited space into unique design opportunities. Rooms tend to get bigger with each design review by the homeowner in a residential project if the homeowner does not hold onto a succinct vision supported by specific efficiency goals. An architect experienced in energy efficiency, construction and interior design will be able to organize appropriate design goals with a homeowner’s vision for living with less. Nick Dean Architect

Originally posted on Redfin
33 Comments
Royce link
1/10/2021 03:52:17 am

When designing a house with limited space, a conversation on a homeowner’s vision for efficient living needs to be had with the architect before starting the design process. When working with small spaces keep materials to a minimum, using the same materials on the floor throughout your rooms. Many times issues of space ultimately affect precious home storage. As a result, consider clever ways to maximize the space often allocated to essential design features.

Reply
Chris Pederson link
1/21/2021 11:59:16 am

I like your advice about how an experienced architect in energy efficiency can help organize an appropriate design that goes along with a homeowner's vision. I want a custom home someday but making it energy efficient is more important than my personal wants.

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4/3/2021 05:33:35 am

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7/22/2021 08:25:25 am

Now that my friend is expecting her third child, she wants to build their own house to have enough room for everyone. This will also ensure that she gets a home that perfectly fits her style as well. It's great that you explain that it's important to find an architect that is experienced with the type of home you want.

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7/30/2021 12:09:02 am

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8/20/2021 12:32:26 am

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Hailey Miller link
8/24/2021 10:50:08 pm

Thanks for pointing out that building a home from the ground can be a rewarding task. As you said, we can design everything to our exact specifications. This is really helpful because I am planning to have my dream house built next month. I guess I should look for a custom house architect on Monday who can design a two-story house for me within two weeks.

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9/17/2021 05:20:10 am

Homeowners should look for easy, cost-effective ways to increase their home’s value over time, especially if they’re planning to sell in the future.

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9/25/2021 04:58:07 am


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Architecture Firms in Dubai link
10/27/2021 02:59:13 am

First, avoid double-height rooms, it takes up a large portion of your buildable area. Instead, go with taller ceilings throughout. Second, carve out exterior basement rooms, it creates more unique spaces and extends the basement space for those beautiful warm nights. They’re also great for direct access to and from the backyard if you plan on having a pool.
Thnaks

Reply
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11/14/2021 09:32:10 pm

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12/2/2021 12:07:55 pm

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6/12/2022 02:09:24 pm

My wife and I are planning to build a house, but the space isn't exactly that spacious. I appreciate that this post shared that one of the best ways to overcome this is to build the house vertically as it helps in adding space. I think I will look to hiring a contractor with experience to help me with my endeavor.

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Construction Company Lahore link
7/17/2022 11:58:03 pm

You can take control of the floor plan and use every inch effectively to create a house plan with no wasted space.
Knock Down the Walls. Some home designs have multiple small rooms.
Ditch the Dining Room.
Ideas for Putting Square Footage Where it Counts.
Consider your Needs.
Think Outside the Box.

Reply
Braden Bills link
8/1/2022 06:42:32 am

I'm planning on buying a smaller home. It makes sense that I would want to keep storage space in mind as I choose one. That way, I can ensure that there's room for me to store all of my things.

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Mia Evans link
8/25/2022 12:23:40 am

Thanks for pointing out that we should use less material when we have a small space with the same items for other rooms as well. I hope that this can help us with our limited budget as well, because we have gone over our budget when we bought this piece of land. We will get a custom home built next year after we save up a little more again, and this tip you gave can ensure that we can stick to what we can save until then to achieve the tiny home we wanted.

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Henry Killingsworth link
9/8/2022 12:39:47 pm

I like how you mentioned that a conversation needs to be had with the architect when you are constructing a custom home. I would imagine that it would be a good idea to make sure that you and the architect are on the same page when it comes to what you want. You would want to be on the same page so that no errors occur during the construction of your new home.

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Tex Hooper link
9/13/2022 05:53:24 pm

I agree that you should avoid double-height rooms. It would probably suit me better to have more buildable areas. I'll have to hire a contractor to plan a build with me.

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9/21/2022 02:25:35 am

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10/11/2022 10:52:39 pm

I always look forward to reading your articles. You obviously put a lot of effort into this post, and I appreciate that.

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Millie Hue link
12/19/2022 08:25:22 pm

I like that you talked about 3D modeling which would be a huge help in getting a good sense of space when we have a limited area. I will share this tip with my best friend who mentioned that she might need a custom project design service from experts to work on the piece of land she bought. It is located in the city which is why the area is small, so she might have to build vertically to have spacious rooms for each part of the property.

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1/17/2023 08:37:08 pm

Thank you for this very informative article about Building a New House with Limited Space. I will surely share this one in the future.

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Victoria Addington link
1/28/2023 08:16:16 am

I appreciated you pointing out that right-sized homes demand thoughtful planning and design. My friend wants an innovative solution for her dream house. I should advise her to hire a contractor that practices effective design and build construction management.

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2/8/2023 04:50:36 am

When considering a new lease on a work and house, the knowledge I gained from your blog has been quite helpful. I was searching for that thing like crazy, and thank goodness Ocean Pointe Business Centre located it at the appropriate time.

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    Erick Mikiten, AIA, LEED-AP

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