YOUR REQUIREMENTS
This area is “in the majority of situations” governed by the following:
New Build or conversion
- Your chosen new developments locality and position in relation to work, schools,
shops etc, which is also determined on your ability to travel and the practicalities
of travelling, which may be out weighed by you chosen location, particularly when
moving to a desirable location.
- Planning constraints may preclude your ability to achieve a desired design to meet
your requirements and lifestyle, this may require very careful consideration, there
is good reason for careful thought prior to purchase of you development, being that
a development that under achieves your desires could be difficult to live with, although
it should be said that you may have to compromise,dependant on the complexity of
your design.
- Is the design you are considering “future proof” will it meet your needs in the years
to come eg, family expansion, working from home, additional vehicular parking and
storage facilities etc.
- Future needs and mobility within the living space and externally, especially future
needs, consideration should be made as to stair design (internally and externally),
doors, spatial design within all rooms, particularly kitchens, bathrooms, en-suites
and utility rooms as these may require alteration at a later date, of course you
may consider that the most important consideration is to design a modern and high
tech design with all the new technical innovations in materials and electronic devices,
this can be easier to design with the future in mind, but remember what is innovative
today may be out of date tomorrow, but materials giving the latest high specification
for thermal ability should be high on the shopping list, remember that a modern design
today may look 1960s tomorrow for which some designs date well and others just look
dated, it is important to get the design wright first time.
- Lighting and orientation of your development to natural sunlight should be, if not
at the top of the list then at least high on the priority, as a well positioned room
can give a feel good factor, this could also work in the reverse with conservatories
and living rooms as the suns natural heat can create a greenhouse area out of your
conservatory making it unbearable and uncomfortable to live in, this situation can
even materialise within all seasons, created by the suns heat. Living areas can also
be affected by the direct sunlight which creates reflection on walls, television
screens, computer monitors etc, Spatial orientation design is important but not always
essential bearing in mind that you can always screen the area with blinds, shutters,
curtains or go to the other end of the design spectrum using polerized glazing also
air conditioning, fans and hign tech ventilating systems can be used to create a
comfort area. The opposite to designing to allow for utilizing natural lighting is
to create natural lighting using the many solar reflective pipes on the market, these
are invaluable where the design prohibits windows, but cannot be used within bedrooms
and other rooms where Building Regulations prescribe that escape is required. The
natural sun light can also have a detremental effect on your furniture and can cause
fading and damage to television screens and other electronic equipment.
Extensions and loft conversions
This area is covered in many of the items above with the exception of location, unless
you are considering developing onto a property you are buying, the same consideration
have to be made but built around the existing properety, as could also be said for
a conversion being a preset footprint.
It should be emphasised that an extension does not have to be a box on the rear of
your property, there is always scope for design, if not in shape them material type.