It is important to note that the needs, preferences, and family dynamics vary from one family to another. Therefore, before entering the process of architectural coordination, it is essential to think with yourself and your family about your current and future needs and lifestyle, so that you can tailor the apartment you purchased to fit them.
Here are some examples of how lifestyle and family structure affect planning:
- Family Size and Home Layout:
- Families with young children: Requires planning with open spaces, play areas, and proximity between children’s rooms and the parents’ room. Safety considerations, such as rounded corners and the use of durable materials, are also important.
- Families with teenagers: The focus may be on greater privacy, with separation between the children’s rooms and the parents’ room, larger rooms with workspaces and media areas.
- Multigenerational families: Sometimes, solutions are needed that include separate living units, such as a separate apartment for grandparents or a guest suite.
2. Work and Learning Habits:
- Working from home: If one or more family members work from home, there is a need for dedicated office space or a home work area, which includes proper lighting, customized acoustics, and quiet.
- Remote learning: For children or students, comfortable study stations should be included in the children’s rooms or in a designated study area.
- Social or Quiet Lifestyle
- Social Hosts: Families who enjoy hosting often prefer a larger living room, an open kitchen, and a spacious dining area. Planning with accessible outdoor space, such as a garden or large terrace, can also contribute.
- Quiet and Intimate Lifestyle: Families who prefer privacy and tranquility will favor closed spaces, separate rooms, and layouts that separate the common living areas from the private areas.
- Space Usage Habits
- Cooking and Eating: For families who cook a lot, it is important to have a functional kitchen with ample workspace, plenty of storage, and easy access. An open kitchen is often suitable for families who cook and eat together, while families who prefer a more formal space might prefer a separation between the kitchen and dining area.
- Spending Time Together: For families who spend a lot of time together, more shared spaces, such as a spacious living room or a dedicated family room, will be allocated. In contrast, families where everyone engages in separate activities should emphasize private spaces for each person.
- Hobbies and Special Activities
- Sports Enthusiasts or Unique Hobbies: For example, families involved in sports may need a home gym or storage for bicycles and sports equipment, while art lovers may require a small studio or a space suited for creative activities.
- Pet Lovers: Families with pets may request solutions for storing pet food and accessories, or durable materials such as scratch- and dirt-resistant flooring.
- Cultural and Personal Considerations
- Traditional Culture: Some families may incorporate cultural elements into the design, such as a kosher kitchen with separate areas for meat and dairy, or a dedicated prayer corner.
- Special Accessibility Needs: If a family member requires customized accessibility (such as a disabled person or elderly), wider passages, sliding doors, and accessible spaces may be necessary.
- Balancing Personal Life, Work, and Leisure
The balance between work hours at home and leisure time, and the time spent in public versus private spaces, influences room design. Families who work more from home will prioritize quiet workspaces, while families who prefer to spend more time in shared spaces will focus on a more social design.
Ultimately, lifestyle and family structure dictate the apartment design so that it meets the unique needs of the family and provides the appropriate conditions for daily life. Therefore, you need to think about these and other factors to adapt the apartment you purchased to your needs, of course, considering the apartment’s limitations, timeline, and budget.
