Home construction and building is dependent on a set of plans, layout and specifications. But before that, the house plot has been selected and the budget determined. Now it’s time to use all the sketches and designs you may have already collected for making the house plans. This is the main plan by which architects, engineers, suppliers and bankers determine the look of a home, the total area, things that go into it and many other factors.
But upfront, there is the distinction between ‘plans’ and ‘planning’ that has to be understood. Home plans refer to a set of scaled drawings for various aspects of the home construction. They can also be construed as blueprints, construction details, floor plans and working drawings.
On the other hand, planning refers to the decision making process involving the design and construction of a house i.e. final look of the house, material used in construction, cost estimates, architect details, financing process and so on.
To start with, it is essential to take a look at those elements that will be included in the home plan so that dealing with an architect or engineer is made easier.
A well thought of house layout plan is the foremost step to building a home. The best house plan should take into account factors like family size, requirements of the individuals, future necessities, suggestions from the entire family about designing the spaces etc., together with adherence to core factors concerning natural lighting, ventilation and privacy.
House Plans
A house design plan or blueprint includes the following aspects and elements:
• Foundation plan – this plan shows the dimensions and shape of the home’s foundation which includes outside foundation walls along with any interior pillars or columns. This plan will be used in laying out and building the footings; it also shows the location of the plumbing lines and fixtures
• Floor plan – will indicate rooms and spaces, the sizes and the general flow of the house. The number of rooms – bedrooms, bath, kitchen, living, dining, study, guest room etc. will feature here. Also the positioning of the doors and windows.
• Elevation plan – the elevation plan shows the overall appearance and shape of the building from all sides, including how many floors, whether split level, building height, verandah or open spaces, roof type etc.
• Site plan – this plan shows the entire plot drawn to scale, how the house sits on the layout, along with other major outdoor features like walkways, drives, fences, retaining walls, patios, wells, septic tanks etc.
• Construction details – other construction details like stairs, windows, railings, terrace balconies etc are detailed here to assess cost estimates and design plans.
