Many people nowadays have made the decision to switch to a more minimalist lifestyle, and that includes where they are choosing to live. In recent years, tiny houses have gained a lot of traction in popular media, with more and more people deciding that they, too, want to live in a tiny house – quite frankly, with the way our current economy is looking and the cost of owning a traditional house, we don’t blame them.
However, tiny houses are just not about the aesthetic – they still need to be functional and practical to you. It is crucial not to overlook the importance of your needs when it comes to designing your tiny house, since the lack of space means there is (quite literally) not much room for error compared to standard house design plans.
Always determine your personal wants and needs first and refer back to these when designing your tiny house. If you’re still not sure where to start, then here are some of our top tiny house design tips to help you out.
Natural Lighting
When living in a smaller space, it’s natural to not want to overdo it with the furniture and appliances so as to avoid things looking crowded, which is understandable. However, when it comes to windows, don’t necessarily adopt this same attitude.
When space is limited, you don’t want to be filling it up with lots of artificial lighting for a lack of windows, which is why you should utilise natural lighting in your build. These will also help to open the place up and make it feel larger than it is.
We recommend floor to ceiling windows, as these not only bring in plentiful light, but allow you to feel more seamlessly connected with your outside surroundings. If you’d prefer a bit more privacy, then large skylights are also a great idea.
Optimised Space
The architectural layout of your tiny house must be astutely thought out so that it can be as optimal as possible in relation to your functional needs. The use of walls and layers can really help make use of the most of your space in the most practical of ways.
For example, you may decide to insert a loft area where your bedroom will be (as is common in many tiny house designs), which will leave more space at floor level for your general living areas. Since most of the time you spend in bed is sitting or laying down, then the lack of head room when standing in this area shouldn’t pose too much of an issue.
Materials
In modern domestic architecture, there is now a lot of focus on implementing recycled and sustainable materials into new home builds. These are ideal for tiny houses, as not only can they help to reduce your costs at the same time as being environmentally friendly, but you also don’t need a lot of them due to the size of the house.
The appearance of these could also be factored into the external design considerations of your tiny house. In addition to this, also look at the thermal properties of different materials and how these relate to the climate your tiny house will be in, as this may also help to lower your energy costs.
Architectural Design Services Birmingham
So, are you considering scaling down your current home to live in a tiny house? If so, you need Integrated Designs & Associates. Based in Birmingham, our architects are on hand to help you with your residential product no matter how big or small.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about the domestic services that we offer.
