Whats your Biggest hate in New building plans
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Mine is an area that a builder doesnt know what to do with so they just call it a NOOK. grr
Mine is an area that a builder doesnt know what to do with so they just call it a NOOK. grr
LOL, that's great!
Mine is general and over-the-top archi-speak, such as this:
Quote:
A platform establishes a second scale and is the threshold of the house, analogous to what it is with respect to the landscape. The platform is ambivalent in it the natural and the artificial are superimposed: the trees, the water and the rocks can be seen with the concrete podium, revealing another one of the characteristics of this house and which is that in it, the union of the nature and the abstract artifice of architecture.
The house has a double construction: a perrenial part constructed to last -firm- in an original construction to with the installation and the structure belong (where the material is the concrete and the stone, to which the steel comes to help, punctualy where it is necessay) and another part, more ephemeral and technical (where the materials are glass, tiles, steel and wood) built to move with the times -useful- that responds to the specific function and to the facilities.
The house has a double construction: a perrenial part constructed to last -firm- in an original construction to with the installation and the structure belong (where the material is the concrete and the stone, to which the steel comes to help, punctualy where it is necessay) and another part, more ephemeral and technical (where the materials are glass, tiles, steel and wood) built to move with the times -useful- that responds to the specific function and to the facilities.
It makes my journalistic heart cry bloody tears
Other than that, and in the actual building plans: Unspecified height of, say, switches, outlets and so on.
Where to start…..
1. Designs that don’t take into account sight lines e.g. sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen looking straight through the master bedroom into the ensuite for a view of the toilet.
2. Inadequate storage space i.e. stupidly small linen cupboards for a 4/5 bedroom home with no storage cupboards in the second living/rumpus rooms to store kids’ stuff.
3. Bedrooms that share a common wall, noise ‘issues’. Easily fixed by having wardrobes built in the common wall to kill sounds.
4. Bedroom doors that open up onto wardrobe doors.
5. Stairs that have 1/3 steps around corners. This being required as the designer didn’t set out the house with a ‘sensible’ set of stairs (both in flight layout and width) from the start.
6. ‘Cookie cutter’ designs (mainly from the big project home builders) that have no regard for prevailing conditions and siting requirements on the block.
7. Current trend of open ensuites as a feature of the master bedroom. It’s only a bathroom, I mean you don’t finish a wonderful dinner with guests and then retire to the bedroom to admire the ensuite over a few drinks…..or maybe some of you do…
1. Designs that don’t take into account sight lines e.g. sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen looking straight through the master bedroom into the ensuite for a view of the toilet.
2. Inadequate storage space i.e. stupidly small linen cupboards for a 4/5 bedroom home with no storage cupboards in the second living/rumpus rooms to store kids’ stuff.
3. Bedrooms that share a common wall, noise ‘issues’. Easily fixed by having wardrobes built in the common wall to kill sounds.
4. Bedroom doors that open up onto wardrobe doors.
5. Stairs that have 1/3 steps around corners. This being required as the designer didn’t set out the house with a ‘sensible’ set of stairs (both in flight layout and width) from the start.
6. ‘Cookie cutter’ designs (mainly from the big project home builders) that have no regard for prevailing conditions and siting requirements on the block.
7. Current trend of open ensuites as a feature of the master bedroom. It’s only a bathroom, I mean you don’t finish a wonderful dinner with guests and then retire to the bedroom to admire the ensuite over a few drinks…..or maybe some of you do…
From the displays I went through, I certainly noticed a distinct lack of storage space. Small bedrooms and garages were also pretty normal.
Quite a few houses had silly layout decisions like the toilet being visible from the kitchen, or, in the case of one particular home, the shower visible from the front door.
Quite a few houses had silly layout decisions like the toilet being visible from the kitchen, or, in the case of one particular home, the shower visible from the front door.
not enough storage
and in one display home i visited way to many doors it was like pick a box(door)
and in one display home i visited way to many doors it was like pick a box(door)
Too much open plan.
Can look impressive in the display house but no good if we want to watch different TV programs
Can look impressive in the display house but no good if we want to watch different TV programs
Sight lines. I hate guests being able to see into bedrooms, bathrooms and toilets from the family room, kitchen or living room.
Guests having to walk past bedrooms to get to family or lounge room
Tiny garages
Too little storage space
Ensuites without a door (I don't want to be woken up by the light and shower when hubby is up for work at 6am)
Tiny built in robes for the master bedroom
Guests having to walk past bedrooms to get to family or lounge room
Tiny garages
Too little storage space
Ensuites without a door (I don't want to be woken up by the light and shower when hubby is up for work at 6am)
Tiny built in robes for the master bedroom
Wholeheartedly agree with everything mentioned but will add the following.
Inadequate lighting plans:-
*Come in from out the back at night and turn off the outside light and you are left standing in the dark and hope you don’t fall over something trying to reach a switch on the far wall.
*Light switches behind doors.
*Power points positioned in silly places so you will need extension cords to reach them.
*No external lights.
Also don’t like:-
*Master bed at very front of house (we put Study there for 2nd build).
*Minor bedrooms sharing common wall with Master.
*Bedrooms off dining/living/family rooms.
*Guest bedrooms with ensuite (put a room there you will use regularly not just a few times a year).
*Combined living/dining rooms.
*Dining room off front hall a mile from the kitchen.
*Accessing the laundry through the kitchen (I’m cooking in here, GET OUT!)
*Fridge in pantry or at wrong end of kitchen with husband/kids constantly snacking (see brackets above).
*Adjoining family/lounge/TV rooms (I like the TV’s a long way apart).
*Lack of storage space in kitchen - every woman deserves a walk-in pantry.
Inadequate lighting plans:-
*Come in from out the back at night and turn off the outside light and you are left standing in the dark and hope you don’t fall over something trying to reach a switch on the far wall.
*Light switches behind doors.
*Power points positioned in silly places so you will need extension cords to reach them.
*No external lights.
Also don’t like:-
*Master bed at very front of house (we put Study there for 2nd build).
*Minor bedrooms sharing common wall with Master.
*Bedrooms off dining/living/family rooms.
*Guest bedrooms with ensuite (put a room there you will use regularly not just a few times a year).
*Combined living/dining rooms.
*Dining room off front hall a mile from the kitchen.
*Accessing the laundry through the kitchen (I’m cooking in here, GET OUT!)
*Fridge in pantry or at wrong end of kitchen with husband/kids constantly snacking (see brackets above).
*Adjoining family/lounge/TV rooms (I like the TV’s a long way apart).
*Lack of storage space in kitchen - every woman deserves a walk-in pantry.
Lack of storage and resort style bathrooms in the main bedroom.
Ensuites without a door (I don't want to be woken up by the light and shower when hubby is up for work at 6am)
Oh yes, that reminds me, the number of master bedrooms that had the ensuit coming straight off the bedroom, and the shower right at the end of it - completely open. Sometimes even with a window on the other side of the bed and the shower.
Some couples might be happy with that, others, uhh, notsomuch.
Lack of storage and resort style bathrooms in the main bedroom.
By this do you mean six sinks in each bathroom?
By this do you mean six sinks in each bathroom?
Yep and the low walls, usually the spa bath is right there, so you look directly into the bathroom while laying in bed, not cool at all or very practical.
Toilets in the ensuite that don't have a door. If I want to go to the toilet whilst hubby is in the shower I won't go if he can see me. I need a door. Our current ensuite has the toilet next to the shower and I hate it.
But I will add these:
Long hallways (imo this is bad design and waste space); or
A too narrow or very large hallway (also wasted space) unless you have a staircase of course;
No rebate on front or back doors (allowing for future screen/security doors)
Media and family rooms too close to each other.
Main bedroom and kid's bedrooms too close to each other.
Great topic, this will be popular.
Well said Treeseachanger - everything you said!! (unfortunately we are guilty of media/living room too close, was unavoidable
My personal biggest dislikes are open ensuites - some things that go on in there should stay private
Well said Treeseachanger - everything you said!! (unfortunately we are guilty of media/living room too close, was unavoidable
My personal biggest dislikes are open ensuites - some things that go on in there should stay private
Great thread!
I would say my biggest hate is house designs that don't think about solar orientation (ie. living areas facing north). But even if the design is set, then at least considering the appropriate windows (big on north, none on west if possible, smaller on east and south). Plus good insulation (batts + sarking) on western walls.
My DH is tall so his biggest hate is standard shower roses (ours are all ridiculously high but DH is in height heaven).
I would say my biggest hate is house designs that don't think about solar orientation (ie. living areas facing north). But even if the design is set, then at least considering the appropriate windows (big on north, none on west if possible, smaller on east and south). Plus good insulation (batts + sarking) on western walls.
My DH is tall so his biggest hate is standard shower roses (ours are all ridiculously high but DH is in height heaven).
Not enough storage is my most common complaint. I also hate with a passion toilets that don't have a washbasin in the same room. Every. Single. Month. I curse the WC.
Totally agree on solar orientation though; when I look at a plan, I automatically check which direction rooms would be facing. It is rare to see a plan even close to optimised.
However, one must consider that some things like master bedroom proximity to minor bedrooms really is personal preference. I have small children - I do not want to have to walk the length of the house to get back to my comfy bed after being woken up to attend to a child with nightmares/being sick/whatever. Nor do I want them to have to traverse the house in the dark to get to me.
Totally agree on solar orientation though; when I look at a plan, I automatically check which direction rooms would be facing. It is rare to see a plan even close to optimised.
However, one must consider that some things like master bedroom proximity to minor bedrooms really is personal preference. I have small children - I do not want to have to walk the length of the house to get back to my comfy bed after being woken up to attend to a child with nightmares/being sick/whatever. Nor do I want them to have to traverse the house in the dark to get to me.
Not enough storage is my most common complaint. I also hate with a passion toilets that don't have a washbasin in the same room. Every. Single. Month. I curse the WC.
Totally agree on solar orientation though; when I look at a plan, I automatically check which direction rooms would be facing. It is rare to see a plan even close to optimised.
However, one must consider that some things like master bedroom proximity to minor bedrooms really is personal preference. I have small children - I do not want to have to walk the length of the house to get back to my comfy bed after being woken up to attend to a child with nightmares/being sick/whatever. Nor do I want them to have to traverse the house in the dark to get to me.
Totally agree on solar orientation though; when I look at a plan, I automatically check which direction rooms would be facing. It is rare to see a plan even close to optimised.
However, one must consider that some things like master bedroom proximity to minor bedrooms really is personal preference. I have small children - I do not want to have to walk the length of the house to get back to my comfy bed after being woken up to attend to a child with nightmares/being sick/whatever. Nor do I want them to have to traverse the house in the dark to get to me.
, just don't get me started .......
That is kind of the point of this thread.
Not enough storage is my most common complaint. I also hate with a passion toilets that don't have a washbasin in the same room. Every. Single. Month. I curse the WC.
Totally agree on solar orientation though; when I look at a plan, I automatically check which direction rooms would be facing. It is rare to see a plan even close to optimised.
However, one must consider that some things like master bedroom proximity to minor bedrooms really is personal preference. I have small children - I do not want to have to walk the length of the house to get back to my comfy bed after being woken up to attend to a child with nightmares/being sick/whatever. Nor do I want them to have to traverse the house in the dark to get to me.
Totally agree on solar orientation though; when I look at a plan, I automatically check which direction rooms would be facing. It is rare to see a plan even close to optimised.
However, one must consider that some things like master bedroom proximity to minor bedrooms really is personal preference. I have small children - I do not want to have to walk the length of the house to get back to my comfy bed after being woken up to attend to a child with nightmares/being sick/whatever. Nor do I want them to have to traverse the house in the dark to get to me.
Agreed on hygiene; also on solar orientation and features
Re bedrooms, I know proximity to small children can be an issue but baby monitors can still be utilized even after the child is no longer a "baby"...
1. No eaves.
2. Large garage door being the dominant feature of a house's street presentation.
2. Large garage door being the dominant feature of a house's street presentation.
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