PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Habitat for Humanity, a charitable organization whose goal is to provide affordable houses to low-income families, was in need of a new design for its Sacramento region 4 bedroom houses.
Due to extensive cost restrictions, the new design had to be extremely efficient in terms of space use. An important consideration that was to be incorporated in the proposed concept was the linking of the house to the street and to the aft garden.
Constraints
The primary limitation to the design was the very tight and unflexible budget - the house being built for a low-income family, the price had to be kept at a minimum.
One of Habitat for Humanity's goals is to enhance safety in neighbourhoods, therefore an interaction between the house and the street was an important aspect to consider.
Family-friendliness was another essential element of the project: the house had to be adapted for the needs of a family, and to the fact that a family changes over time with a shift in its children's age and lifestyle.
Solutions
The floor plan design offsets the living area to one side of the house, allowing a view towards the street. One of the rooms - which can be used as either a bedroom or as an office - has been placed on the side of the house adjacent to the street, also offering a view of the street, and creating a more important interaction between the enclosed space of the house and the neighbourhood.
Rooms were placed in the house in such a way as to maximize access to the outside spaces. They are meant to provide their inhabitants the space they need. The two washrooms are centrally located within the house. Against the local tradition, there is no washroom connected directly to the parents' bedroom, but two identical washrooms available for the use of all family members.
Glass doors provide direct access to the aft garden from the living area and the parents' bedroom. The garden is meant to be a place for the kids to play at whenever the weather permits it. View of, and easy access to, the aft garden from the parents' bedroom and the kitchen area make it safer for the younger kids to be playing outside while their parents decide to remain in the house.
