A growing home is a residence designed progressively due to budget constraints, but not merely as a result of renovations. From the outset, we have defined the goals for what the house will eventually become. To achieve these goals, the construction is divided into several stages. The concept of a growing home is often applied when there is an increase in the number of family members. For example, a newlywed couple without children may initially only need one bedroom. Later, when they have children, additional rooms or spaces may be needed. In essence, a growing home involves expanding the floor space, either horizontally or vertically (adding more floors), depending on the land size.
Do you recall the post about the Design of a Two-Story Affordable House? In that post, I designed a compact house on a 4-meter-wide plot to emphasize that the most essential aspect of a home is its functionality. As long as the house functions well and meets the owner's needs, it can be considered ideal. In this post, I aim to expand on that compact house with the concept of horizontal and vertical growth.
The existing layout, as seen in the phase 1 image in the upper left, consists of two floors. The first floor comprises a living room, bathroom, kitchen, and backyard. The second floor consists of a bedroom without partitions. This layout is developed with the addition of floor space both vertically and horizontally.
Horizontal expansion is done at the front of the site by adding a dining area and a family room on the first floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor, as seen in the phase 2 image in the upper right.
With this development, the house, which originally consisted of a living room, bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom, is now more spacious with the addition of a family room, dining area, two bedrooms, and another bathroom on the upper floor. It is well-suited to accommodate the needs of a small family with two children.
To ensure the rooms feel spacious, considering that even after development, this remains a small house, the use of built-in and multifunctional furniture is essential. In the family room, stacking sofa beds are an option to anticipate the arrival of relatives. This family room can be transformed into a bedroom. On the second floor, to save space, the stairs to the third floor use step shelves, serving as stairs to the attic that functions as a bookshelf. This is done to make the most of every space within the house.
For the overall appearance of the building, it stays true to the original theme of a budget house. An important aspect when creating a budget house is building maintenance. The front facade of the building is designed to harmonize with the initial appearance before development, maintaining consistency in both form and material. Composite wood material is added as a balancing element. The roof is slanted to one side for easier maintenance. To protect against rain water splashes, the bedroom windows are set slightly back from the wall.
How about it? With proper planning, a home can function optimally according to the owner's needs. With careful planning, the construction budget can be managed and controlled, one of which is through the concept of a growing home. So, there's no longer an excuse that the budget is insufficient. Anyone can build their dream home as long as it is well-planned. Hopefully, this post inspires you!