What makes for a perfect condo layout?

BRIAN ELIZABETH

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What makes for a perfect condo layout?

I read something on the forum, somewhere, about it being difficult for non-experienced purchasers to walk-through a floorplan.

In your opinion, what makes for a "perfect" floorplan?

45

Canada / General Chit-Chat

SYMMETRY DEVELOPMENTS

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1 BEST REPLY

Floorplans featuring dramatic angles and curves may look sexy but are a nightmare for furniture placement, leading to wasted space. The best architects are good space planners and design buildings that contribute to efficient layouts.
Slight angles are fine and visually interesting, it's the pie-shapes you should avoid.

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

68

Some of it depends on personal opinion, but I really like:
1. Efficient layouts - this means that there is very little wasted space on hallways, and nooks-and-crannies.
2. Split plans - I like two bedrooms, that do not share a common wall.
3. Light - I am not a big fan of light entering rooms through the use of transparent sliding doors, and as such I like all bedrooms to have a window.
4. A kitchen that actually works, and isn't just there in name.
5. Wide units - I much prefer a wide unit with a lot of window space than a narrow and long unit
6. Location of the washer-dryer.. not in the bedroom, or sharing a wall with the master-bedroom.
7. I really like a walk-in closet, or a set of closets with a separate light than above the bed
There is a start!

INGRID JARISZ

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These are such great features and ideas, Matthew. We have incorporated all of these in our units along with some other ideas most of which came directly from our discussions with past and future owners and survey's we conducted:

1. Lots of storage space, including walk-in closet which is accessed by pocket door directly to the laundry room.
2. Definitely as open as possible with the kitchen open to the dining and living areas and as many pullout drawers as you can!
3. Fully wired media room with built-in backing for future wall mount TV and wired surround sound system.
4. "Flex Room" which can be used as home-office, wine vault, hobby room, extra storage or my favourite - Man Cave!
5. Large Master Bedroom with retreat space within the room for exercise equipment, reading chairs, laptop area.
6. High ceilings, minimum 9' makes such a huge impact in a suite.

There's a few more ideas....

MARCO DIFOTI

BabbleBee

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Ingrid said:
5. Large Master Bedroom with retreat space within the room for exercise equipment, reading chairs, laptop area.

Yes! A larger master-bedroom is so important. Maybe the room for "retreat" but be a bit large for smaller inner city condos, but at least room for a queen sized bed, side tables, and room to maneuver!
"Liveable" master bedroom is definitely on my list!

CARMEN DRAGOMIR

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Brian said:
I ... about it being difficult for non-experienced purchasers to walk-through a floorplan.

In your opinion, what makes for a "perfect" floorplan?

The easiest way for a non-experienced purchaser to walk-through a floorplan is to literally envision walking through the suite entry door. While knowing what to look for in terms of features (lots of great features already listed by Matthew and Ingrid) is one of the most important steps, it will be also very helpful to bring your 'must have' list!

All floorplans should have a furniture layout and if not, make sure you ask someone to help you with that before you make the purchase! And when looking at the furniture layout always consider double checking the measurements of your own furniture items- not all chairs, beds, sofas have the same size and if you're not experienced on how to identify a two seater vs a three seater sofa (for e.g.) you may have unpleasant surprises when you move in.

When you look at the floor plan always consider the orientation and especially if the view is blocked by any existing or future buildings and... if you like the a sunset don't expect to see it in a east exposure :)

Don't forget to ask the builder if any customization is allowed (like adding bulkheads with potlights, or opening up the kitchen or taking down a den wall for e.g. and make your living space larger, adding potlights in bathrooms etc).

SAMPAN

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i iike there's an open space when a front door is opened.
i can see the whole/half of the unit.
bedroom is better to have window, not in the middle of the floor plan.
a small shoe closet close to the front door.

EVAN SAGE

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All those ideas are great to have on a checklist, I hope someone is writing them all down for a blog post.

I also think that Corner units, units with "protected" views and units that arent near elevator shafts would be on my list of musts.

Evan

CONDO CHICKS

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This is an article we wrote about this exact topic... Pretty much sums up what everyone has been saying.

Buying a Pre-Construction Condo: Choosing the Right Floor Plan

So you’ve made the decision to purchase a pre-construction condominium. Now here comes the hardest, but also more important decision – choosing the right floor plan. It is important to choose a layout that will accommodate your personal needs but will also prove to be attractive to potential buyers in the future.

One of the most important features to look for when considering a floor plan is the location of the windows in the unit. It is always more attractive to have windows in all the bedrooms and is a proven fact that natural light increases the resale value of the unit. Corner units typically have twice the amount of natural light which an extremely attractive feature for future buyers but beware of oddly shaped corner units.

One aspect that is often overlooked when choosing your unit is the actual location of the unit within the floor plan. A unit within close proximity to the elevators can prove to be very frustrating as noise levels tend to be high. This brings me to my next little piece of advice. Stay away from the garbage shoot! Many purchasers have been disappointed to learn that once they have moved into their condo they are constantly bothered by the sound of the garbage falling down the shoot. This has proven to be a larger problem for residents on lower floors especially when the garbage shoot runs behind their laundry room, which they typically do. Always ask your sales representative to show you the unit location within the entire floor plan.

When choosing your floor plan don’t forget to take into consideration the closet and storage space. Builders today are building taller condos however actual unit square footage is getting smaller. With smaller square footages, large closets and storage spaces come in handy, especially if owning a locker is not an option.

Being able to make good use of your space is extremely important when choosing your floor plan. This leads me to my next tip on choosing a functional layout. Even though pie shaped units or units with sharp angled walls have a dramatic architectural effect, they are extremely difficult to furnish and create a lot of wasted space. Evenly shaped rooms, such as squares or rectangles do not present this problem as they make furniture placement a lot easier and makes the space more useable.

Take into consideration the above mentioned tips when buying a pre-construction condo. The beauty of purchasing pre-construction is that you can choose the floor plan you like so why not choose smart?

MARCO DIFOTI

BabbleBee

476

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Evan said:
I also think that Corner units, units with "protected" views and units that arent near elevator shafts would be on my list of musts.

Protected views are a tough one! But, I couldn't agree more about the staying away from the elevator shaft. And, in that same vein, stay away from garbage chutes!
[Mods: Sorry, went off topic... please move to a different conversation if required]

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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Condo Chicks said:
One of the most important features to look for when considering a floor plan is the location of the windows in the unit. It is always more attractive to have windows in all the bedrooms and is a proven fact that natural light increases the resale value of the unit. Corner units typically have twice the amount of natural light which an extremely attractive feature for future buyers but beware of oddly shaped corner units.

Couldn't agree more, and I really dislike bedrooms with no windows but transparent sliders.
I am not sure if you have seen this, but Tridel has an amazing 3-Bedroom suite in on 822 square-feet. The amazing thing about this suite is that all three bedrooms have windows. Impressive design.
Floorplan: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EG2QBGQW7eQ/SvhunVWyFfI/AAAAAAAABxI/4bVNvHr0o6U/s1600-h/3bd+-+Tridel.JPG
From the article: http://blog.buzzbuzzhome.com/2009/11/small-suite-review-of-shrinking.html

CARY CHAPNICK

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Realtor Friends -- who does your floorplans for listings on the re-sale side.
Just met a guy Colin from realfloorplans.com -- using him for my new listnigs next week
TRUPLAN run by a great man named BERJU is a good company too.
PLAN-IT charges too much.
I always include Floorplans in my listing package - do you guys

RATEHUB.CA

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That Tridel layout is amazing! Is it in all of their buildings?

TRIDEL CONDOS

NewBee

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The 300 Front Street West 3B+den Cary is referring to was never sold as the upper levels (44th and up) were redesigned since the initial launch in Summer 2008. The 3 bedroooms (or 2 bedroom with den/office) were all improved even more. Happily, Tridel received an award from BILD for best three bedroom suite design for 300 Front.

Space is at such a premium that Tridel is very careful with designing suites. With over 5000 suites under construction, we've learned quite a bit on best design practices. Marketing, construction, architects, virtual modelers and interior design collaborate extensively. Working with virtual furniture helps a great deal in getting dimensions right and more importantly, electrical, cable and telephone in the most optimal configuration.

To get a good idea of space and good design, condo buyers should also visit designer decorated model suites. Even if you're not buying you'll pick up a huge amount of tips and ideas.

Tridel has some excellent ones that you can drop by and visit:
- Republic of Yonge & Eglinton: signature suites with awesome views, floor to ceiling windows. Visit the Art Shoppe decorated model and take in breathtaking views. New penthouse suites are getting modelled now. http://www.tridel.com/republic/prices.php
- Accoalde (Eglinton & DVP) : Signature models on the 32nd floor http://www.tridel.com/accolade/prices.php.
- Circa at Markham Town Centre- Signature and Garden Suites http://www.tridel.com/circa/prices.php

I had 360 virtual tours shot for the above but there's nothing quite like walking through the real thing.

An interesting case of a "crowd-sourced" design is our Huntington 2T http://www.tridel.com/huntington/ph/2t_suite.php which we gathered input from purchasers and prospective buyers. The result is a remarkable layout based on great feedback.

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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^^WOW! The 2T http://www.tridel.com/huntington/ph/2t_suite.php is fantastic! Really impressive.
I am really interested to hear how you crowd-sourced the information to creating this design.
Please fill us in on the process.

CARY CHAPNICK

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Tridel is clearly and has been for years an innovator with outstanding floor plans....not to mention they have broken ground with innovate salivating amenties....i have sold quite a few units resale at their building on Harrison Garden as my clients have fell in love with the rec center, the bowling, the golfing....
i cant wait for a carnival themed condo with like a roller coaster or bumper cars or ferris wheel for residents and their families

MOO STASH

BabbleBee

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How important is "efficiency" in the layout you choose?
I used to rent an old apartment (circa. 1920s). It was awesome, big, and had a ton of wasted space. It actually had a huge hallway (maybe 200 square feet of inefficient space) separating the dining room and living room from the two bedrooms and washroom.
It had a proper kitchen, big dining room, big living room, big master-bedroom, big walk-in foyer.
I can't stress enough the amount of inefficient wasted space. But, I loved it! It made it feel so luxurious.
So, my question, does efficiency only matter in small spaces? I havent been into many "luxury" condos, but do they have a lot of inefficient space??
So curious....
Please note, this rental apartment was awesome, but it was NOT luxury. It was just old, and built the way they did before the great-depression!

TRIDEL CONDOS

NewBee

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Moo- Luxury condo space has to be efficiently designed just as well as small space, maybe even more so. Many people buying luxury condos from estate homes are looking at severe downsizing from 5000 ft2++ down to 2000-3500 fts. We had one couple remark that the master bedroom of one of our penthouse suites is about the size of their walk-in closet.

Maximizing space can give the impression of suites being much larger than they are. We know it's done right when people underestimate the size when touring a designer decorated model by 25%.

Of course some people get around the size problem by simply combining adjacent suites. Also many luxury suites might not be used as primary residences. Some may be be second or third homes for convenience when in Toronto.

MOO STASH

BabbleBee

277

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^^ But, isn't there something nice about having inefficient space? Think about most homes, they are full of hallways, which makes for a real feeling of comfort and size.
What I am saying is that if you are looking at a 2,000 square foot home that is efficient, would you prefer a 2,500 square foot home that is inefficient for the same price?
On a p/sf basis, sure! You are getting more space. But, I am talking about from a perspective of which space you would prefer to live in?? I would prefer to live in the 2,500 space.

TRIDEL CONDOS

NewBee

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I always watch people closely during our grand openings, and with each square foot costing over $400, they want everything to count to making an enjoyable interior space . Their maintenance fees are based on square footage, so in short, value for their money is important in making a purchase.
On our 'crowd-sourced' Huntington 2T, which is ~2500 ft2, we were able to see the space that mattered most and adjusted accordingly, such as the enlarged southern terrace and move to large open living spaces for dining and entertaining.
No floorplan is going to be 100% efficient because a lot will hinge on your lifestyle and tastes. If you hate cooking, the wall kitchen is a superb option for opening up living space. Avoiding hallways in suites and sticking to open concept not only maximizes space but also helps with moving comfortably throughout your space.
Building mechanicals can cause odd nooks and crannies but allow you to get creative with interesting furniture and object pieces. I love seeing what Tridel's interior designers do with these challenges by turning them from 'problems' to the most interesting part of the room. At our Verve building, the south western suite had a little triangular space which turned out to be a popular window seat area and our designers cleverly put in the dog bed into space that could hold little else.
Certain floorplates will just naturally lead to inefficient space use. Circular or oval floorplates are a huge challenge to say the least, especially with small suites that are in the steepest part of the curve. Other irregular shapes with acute angles or 'y' shaped plates are a particular challenge but on paper look interesting and give a false impression that you're going to get more space.
The square and rectangle can allow the best use of space and the easiest to design interiors. The square floorplate has the added benefit of keeping the building's elevators, chutes and stairwells in the core without any adjacent suites so you don't have to worry about your bedroom being next to an elevator or chute. It also makes getting to your suite from the elevator faster. Our Aristo at Avonshire building (sales start March 2011), Accolade and Verve have these types of floorplates.
Building structure will also give you inefficient space use. A cantilevered building might have a nice thick supporting column coming into your suite to support the building weight instead of using exterior walls to do support work. On the plus side you can have floor to ceiling windows and a glass wall providing unobstructed views which give a sense of increased interior space.

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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^^Awesome Tridel! Loving your input.
Could you provide a link for a Y-Shaped layout? I am not certain that I understand the style that you are talking about.
Thanks!

BRIAN ELIZABETH

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Tridel hinted to this in post #20, but it is really important to pay attention to the location of the building's columns, and the size of these columns.
I have seen some amazing layouts ruined by columns in odd places that completely ruin the unit. This is most seen in smaller suites, with smaller rooms.
On the flip side, I have seen some columns that have added amazing architectural touches to the suite, and opposed to them being a nuisance, they turn out to be a real focal point.

JEREMY SHIFTLER

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161

Matthew said:
I am not sure if you have seen this, but Tridel has an amazing 3-Bedroom suite in on 822 square-feet. The amazing thing about this suite is that all three bedrooms have windows. Impressive design.
Floorplan: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EG2QBGQW7eQ/SvhunVWyFfI/AAAAAAAABxI/4bVNvHr0o6U/s1600-h/3bd+-+Tridel.JPG
From the article: http://blog.buzzbuzzhome.com/2009/11/small-suite-review-of-shrinking.html

That is an awesome floorplan! I am not sure if I could live in a 3-bedroom 822 squarefoot home, however if your budget is tight and need a family home, this would be an amazing plan to check out.
From the exterior, I have never blown away by a Tridel building, in fact I find them to be really conservative and boring, but they sure know how to do a layout! I guess in condos, conservative square condos are the best for living!

FRANCESCA

NewBee

1

Brian said:
I read something on the forum, somewhere, about it being difficult for non-experienced purchasers to walk-through a floorplan.

In your opinion, what makes for a "perfect" floorplan?

Loving these posts and ideas... there is so much that rides on your particular style, taste and what you need. For sure watch out for large squarefootages that dont provide much living capabilities, aka wasted space. Especially because maininence fees are based on square footage. Some points to think about when living in small spaces:
1. Remember your paying for your amenites so use them, so often I find that the common rooms are empty or only have a few people.
2. Think about what you own, then throw out about 50% of it, because you probably dont need it, never wear it, or hate it anyway.
3. Closets are not just great for the storage of the stuff you should keep, but they are good for sound buffers, look for plans that have closets between the sleeping areas and living areas if you are living on your own.
4. Look at the over all plan!!! units that are beside garbage shutes, not fun, units by stairwells: awesome.
5. Be wary of 'breakfast bars', sometimes they add this in because its generally thought this adds efficiency, but when removed a actual table could fit in its place... think about how you will use the space, are you entertaining, etc?
6. Walk in closet to the ensuite... love the noise reduction from this layout
7. Make sure there is a door to your bathroom from the main living area... I know strange, but some layouts only have ensuites.
8. Rectangle plans are often the easiest to work with, but dont be afraid of irregular plans, as you gain excitement. also... SCALE: please stop trying to fit your large home 200+ square ft furnature in a 800 sqft apartment... just get beautiful new condo sized furniture, you will still fit on it, and it will make your space feel better.
9. I'll say it again, windows... everyone loves them= better resale value

10. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER: and one of the most important things I learnt in design school... living is 3D, floor plans are only one part. Check where the lighting is going to be, Check the overhead storage, check the overhead bulkheads, check where your outlets are going to be, can you really make that nook into an office? How tall are your ceilings, door heights? Think about the whole picture.

Love this !

MARCO DIFOTI

BabbleBee

476

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Kitchens have been mentioned a lot in these posts, but how important is a kitchen in a condo?
Is it important that it is there, but small and hidden? Or, is it important to have an actual working kitchen? Do people actually cook in condos (like, serious cooking) or more just heat stuff up??

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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In the last four years that I have lived in my condo, I have done very little cooking. Sure, we make salad every night, and I use the microwave, but rarely do I do any serious cooking... and, I love to cook.
Potentially this is because my condo kitchen is not the best laid out for cooking, but it is also because I have very little time to cook, which is something that I imagine lots of young urban professionals who live in a condo feel.
A kitchen layout is important to me if it is efficient, and can handle basic cooking. A more serious kitchen waste precious square feet.

NHINCOMPOOP

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Matthew said:
In the last four years that I have lived in my condo, I have done very little cooking. Sure, we make salad every night, and I use the microwave, but rarely do I do any serious cooking... and, I love to cook.
Potentially this is because my condo kitchen is not the best laid out for cooking, but it is also because I have very little time to cook, which is something that I imagine lots of young urban professionals who live in a condo feel.
A kitchen layout is important to me if it is efficient, and can handle basic cooking. A more serious kitchen waste precious square feet.

^^ Could this be a bit of a chicken and egg situation? Would you make more of an effort to cook if your kitchen were more conducive to cooking?

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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^^ I do not think so. I think that the urban lifestyle of long hours at the office is not conducive to well cooked meals!
Also, if looking for the WORST layout EVER... Check this: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kljHVegVJQE/TVk2N4ndUeI/AAAAAAAAHmI/kqvEUIctf6c/s1600/Picture%2B9.png

MARCO DIFOTI

BabbleBee

476

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That is amazing! One of the funniest floorplans that I have ever seen. As this is a rental building, I can only imagine that this is not a mistake in their working drawings, but just a marketing mistake.
In any event, that post and floorplan, are gold! Great find.

INGRID JARISZ

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^^ Could this be a bit of a chicken and egg situation? Would you make more of an effort to cook if your kitchen were more conducive to cooking?

We have the "luxury' of offering over 1,900 square feet in our westcoast condos in Victoria and large, gourmet kitchens are extremely important to our buyer - but they are also older, semi or recently retired, and most who really enjoying high end cooking and entertaining - I can totally agree though, with Matthew that if your buyer is a young professional where time and square footage are limited, the kitchen has to be relative to the overall size of the suite.

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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Hi Ingrid.
Nope. I do not think that I would. Yesterday, for Valentines Day, I cooked a dinner at our condo. It was a medium sized dinner for two. I normally leave the office around 7:30pm, however for this dinner I left at 5pm.
Dinner was ready at 7:45pm.
As such, I do not think that it would be possible for two working people to properly cook dinner every night.
My wife and I discussed, and we decided that it would probably be possible to do one big cook-event on Sunday nights, which we could eat throughout the week.
If that is the case, is it worth it for a huge kitchen? Small kitchens can do just fine, but they are cramped.
Ingrid, in your opinion, do the people living in the 1,900 SF suites actually utilize the kitchen to their fullest? Do they need the huge slabs of countertop, and the Viking ovens?

INGRID JARISZ

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Matthew said:

Ingrid, in your opinion, do the people living in the 1,900 SF suites actually utilize the kitchen to their fullest? Do they need the huge slabs of countertop, and the Viking ovens?

Hi Matthew - Yes, our large condo units offer a true gourmet kitchen and I would say 80% of our owners utilize the 11 ft. granite countertop/eating bar and comment on how much cabinet and workspace there is; the large eating bar also doubles as a buffet serving area. More and more are demanding double wall ovens, warming drawers, built-in wine fridges to compliment our , french door fridges, gas cooktops and 300+ cfm range hoods - but we are steering away from Viking appliances as we've been disappointed with the quality these past few years, even with the high price tag!

In smaller unit condos, a common amenity space which would include an outdoor kitchen/bbq area would be a perfect compromise to a smaller in-house kitchen so you could still entertain and have your friends and family over for Sunday night dinner!

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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^^Sounds breathtaking. There is no doubt that in family-life, everything revolves around the kitchen (even if not cooking).

MARCO DIFOTI

BabbleBee

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When looking at a floorplate, check out the corner units, and try to determine if they will have a corridor view. If they do, they will be some of the most protected views in the city.

VANIA WONG

NewBee

1

Double sinks in the ensuite! No fighting in this home!

BRIAN PERSAUD

BabbleBee

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I've written a huge amount on this...going to explore it with numbers and case studies of poor layouts and good layouts. Any examples of poorly laid out buildings built in the last 5 years come to mind?

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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^^Hey Brian, I am not sure if you have taken a look at HIVE LOFTS, but they have some of the BEST that I have seen.
Check them out here: http://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/The-Hive-Lofts/Floor-Plans

BRIAN ELIZABETH

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Matthew said:
^^Hey Brian, I am not sure if you have taken a look at HIVE LOFTS, but they have some of the BEST that I have seen.
Check them out here: http://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/The-Hive-Lofts/Floor-Plans

I HATE SLIDERS!! These floorplans are fantastic, and I love that they are light on sliders.

MARCO DIFOTI

BabbleBee

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^^Agreed. Sliders sometimes look nice is a line-drawn floorplan, but are pretty terrible in a finished product.
Did you know that with the new Ontario Building Code, buried bedrooms will have to have their sliders 100% transparent?? Sliding doors to a bedroom are the worst.
Only exception, is proper pocket-doors. Solid.

URBANDREAMER

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Folks are always going on about the size of rooms, furniture, appliances etc. How about the size of themselves?
Wouldn't a skinny person see a small space differently than an obese person?

URBANDREAMER

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Matthew said:
Hi Ingrid.
Nope. I do not think that I would. Yesterday, for Valentines Day, I cooked a dinner at our condo. It was a medium sized dinner for two. I normally leave the office around 7:30pm, however for this dinner I left at 5pm.
Dinner was ready at 7:45pm.
As such, I do not think that it would be possible for two working people to properly cook dinner every night.
My wife and I discussed, and we decided that it would probably be possible to do one big cook-event on Sunday nights, which we could eat throughout the week.

You need a food steamer--not only is it healthier, but it takes me on average 5 minutes of prep time to make a healthy home cooked meal every day. Add water to the base, put one or two food types in each tray--brown rice on the bottom takes the longest at 50 minutes, then i add the meat or fish and veggies last--and other than adding trays, i ignore it until i'm ready to eat! bonus, they're really quiet and if you have two of them, you'll always have a clean one ready to go!
A decent one at Sears is $100: http://www.sears.ca/product/breville-health-smart-food-steamer/611-000736546-BREBFS600XL

MATTHEW SLUTSKY

BuzzStaff

1969

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^^Interesting. I have never used a steamer, and will look into it. Great idea, and beats having salad every night!

MRREALTY

NewBee

4

I'm reading this thread from my Blackberry and have read some great posts by what seems to be some fantastic Realtors which sadly enough is quite rare. Now I haven't read all the posts because its quite hard to read, but some seem to be geared more towards larger units. One thing I think wasn't mentioned and in my opinion is extremely important is the location of the bathroom. A bathroom should be close to the bedroom but not too close to the living area as this may make it uncomfortable for guests when they need to twinkle. Personally I prefer a unit with a semi ensuite and always recommend to my clients if it is designed right. A bedroom that fits a queen sized bed and two end tables is quite sufficient as long as there is enough closet space for two people. I prefer a larger living space over an over sized bedroom any day. Counter space is also extremely important. I advice my client not only to visualize walking through the unit but to also picture how they are going to use the space.

KEVIN KILLACKEY

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I get this a lot when looking at a floorplan with clients, or from friends when picking out a unit for myself: "there's too much wasted space in the hallway."
If you don't have a hallway then you walk directly into an open box. That does not ADD to a feeling of space. Walking through a hallway , turn right then left, etc and then entering the open space makes a condo feel more like a residence or more spacious home, IMO.
You do not just SEE space in front of, you also FEEL space and the latter can have a more powerful and lasting affect than the former.

NICANORTO

NewBee

8

I would avoid bowling alley layouts – having one long and narrow space spanning from one end of the home to another. There's too much wasted space. It may be acceptable if you're buying it to rent it out to somebody else.

WARREN GYULAY

Buzzer

21

Being a born space-planner, all space is utilized and useable when I plan. This is my number one rule before giving any space up for the sake of free space.
I agree with Tridel that mechanicals are in odd places sometimes yet the challenge is always welcoming!
I like to use walls as floor space as well. There is so much lost opportunity there that I only now see it being utilized to some degree.
It's always best when we can work with the structural, mechanical and electrical engineers as well as the architect during the early stages so we can all collaborate and work together to provide the end-user the best use of space possible.
Symmetry makes a good point that when a development has sharp angles, visually it may be appealing but in the end, the owner looses out because it's hard to furnish and secondly, hard for resale.
I really lkie the layouts at Hive: http://www.buzzbuzzhome.com/the-hive-lofts/units
Teeple Architects did a fantastic design of utilizing space and creating something unique archtiecturally.

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What makes for a perfect condo layout?

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BuzzBuzzHome Chat

What makes for a perfect condo layout?

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What makes for a perfect condo layout?

What makes for a perfect condo layout?

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