Longere Design

[Babnik]

I'm sure someone has gone through this before....does anyone have any tips for designing room layout in a longere? The long narrow building provides quite a challenge. I'm going to see some architects next week, but I would like to have some ideas down to discuss with them, rather than go empty handed.

 

Steve

[Catalpa]

Approx how long / wide is the building and will it have two (or even 3) floors?

Carole

[Babnik]

The main building is about 30 metres and width is almost 7 metres. On two floors. First floor is about 25 metres long. You inevitably have to go through some rooms to get to others.....it's finding the right balance that's difficult....

 

Steve

[Piprob]

Sounds like your project has loads of potential.

Consider more than one staircase, one from near the main entrance - close to the kitchen/utility rooms, and maybe one direct from the main living space, say, up to the main bedroom, bathroom. This reduces corridor space. If the other bedrooms/bathroom are accessed independently, you can create scope for 2 independent units in the future. If the the main living area is also at one end of the building, this allows windows/french doors on as many as 3 sides.

If the external walls are in a dilapidated condition, consider building new inside walls to take the weight of first floor and roof, especially as this will permit a solid beam and block floor which may be preferred to wood.

[Val_2]

Bathrooms and the kitchen need to be sorted so the plumbing can be arranged to be as near to the drainage system as is possible. Laying pipes and going through stone walls is very expensive if there is a considerable distance to go. Plan you stairs carefully and remember that spirals are not practical for getting furniture upstairs or a patient out if they need to go on a stretcher,but can be useful if they can be reached from either end. As said previously, corridoors can take up a lot of room and you need one if seperate bedrooms are to be made in the loft space. Work out the best way for doors to open either inwards or outwards if lack of room and the heating system which will keep the whole house warm and not just one room. Tiled floors are the norm downstairs as locals often walk straight in off muddy fields and you will also need somewhere to site your chauffe-eau out of sight and no point building an airing cupboard round it because it gives off no heat whatsoever. The EDF meter and water meter needs to be where they can be accessed and if inside already, will cost a few bob to site outside. Also if the electrics have to be upgraded,you will need to site a new upto date fusebox which can be quite large depending on your needs. A lot of traditional houses here sometimes keep a small room downstairs for use as a bedroom especially for the elderly or disabled along with a downstairs bathroom/WC.

[Babnik]

Walls are pretty solid, and the first floor is in place, although it is a wooden floor, and I would have prefered a block and beam for convenience. All that is needed really is the layout of the rooms, but I will definitely think about more than one staircase and also kitchen and bathroom layout first!

Steve

[Mysfloss]

[quote]Walls are pretty solid, and the first floor is in place, although it is a wooden floor, and I would have prefered a block and beam for convenience. All that is needed really is the layout of the rooms...[/quote]

to save further space you could consider sliding doors that retract into the stud walling.

[Catalpa]

Siting stairs is definitely a key element - which may sound daft, but for us they're the part of the design causing us the most debate.

We've something similar in size which needs new floors and - call us staid and boring but - we're replacing the corrugated iron roof with slate. We're able to go the block and beam route. Or is it beam and block?!

It'll take me too long to detail how we've laid things out so if you send me your address via a PM or by email then I'll mail you a copy of the plans and explain our thinking. You may not have them by... Friday was it? But at least it will give you something to mull over.

Carole

[Alexis]

I have been thinking about this.  Our house is much the same size  but part of it is habitable.  We are working from there.  Approximately!

It may seem strange, and I have my hard hat on, but it can depend a lot on your neighbours.  If you have lots of English friends popping in, they will go through to the sitting room for a coffee.  They might even enter through the front door.  If your neighbours are French, they will sit at a table in the kitchen and have a rouge.  They will always go to the kitchen door too.   Around here, there is the kitchen and the bedrooms.  Nothing else.  The kitchen has an enormous telly and you sit around the table to watch it.   I think my neighbours would be embarassed to go into somewhere 'posh' for a drink.  In their wellies!  So, we have no need for a front door.  In fact, I was going to have my kitchen leading into the garden but a moments thought and we decided it wasn't worth it.  People would have to tramp through the sitting room to get to it. 

Just put the dining room near the kitchen. . . !