Building a plan is something you should need on your paper and most importantly in your mind as well. Which is one of the main things that make your dream happen in reality. Work well on your building plan before starting doing anything related to the construction of your house on the ground. Because if it’s done once, it’s done forever, we cannot undo that or it will cost you dearly. So, we must be very careful when planning things on paper and consulting a professional is highly recommended. Probably by reading this far, you already understood what this article is about and yes, today we are exploring about the planning processes we do for a home, often in papers. Read well everyone 😊
1. Primary Building Plan Types
A. Site Plan
The Definition:
Plot plan is its other name and is actually a diagram that mainly shows proposed improvements to a site or property. Generally, the site plan consists of both what already exists on a particular plot and what the person is trying to build on that specific property.
The main idea of a site plan is to connect or show in paper the relationship between the things that already exist in the plot and the things you are planning to build there. It could be an addition like a garage or anything that adds value to a plot.
An important thing to understand is, all plot plans are made differently and of course, they will not be designed or look the same. This is especially because every building authority will require things that are different. Some permit us to draw our own plan in a graph paper while others may state the requirements of a land surveyor to do the job. Keep in mind to contact and clarify the permitting department before proceeding further with plan making and all.
The Importance of a Site Plan:
- Local Zoning and Building Codes: To show the officials the exact way and the intention of the land use with respect to the features of the building and the surrounding area included. When making changes and additions to a specific property, the government requires plot plans to ensure both local and state building codes are adhered to the desired property properly.
- Local but Essential Services: It helps to ensure the proper availability of amenities and in other cases local services like roads, sewers, educational institutions and hospitals are sufficient for what you are going to develop.
- Land-Use Planning: It is to prevent the encountering of future lawsuits regarding improper land use and that your project will be protected in the case of insurance coverages and which can also save your land from potential law sets. But constructing something without the permit or in an inappropriate way that does not comply with the building or zoning codes may cause a significant damage to your wealth and ultimately cost your mental peace as well.
- Historical Records or Archives: These are necessary because the Governments may need them for future purposes. You probably change something in your land but Governments should keep an eye on everything (it is debatable though but knowledge is the power they want to retain and which also keeps the system running), it may save its own subjects from future disputes or the reasons the general public cannot foresee much.
B. Floor Plan
What it Means:
It is simply a view from the above diagram, with all the details of a home or property. An illustrative design of the plot, which emphasizes on the structural in-depth details such as windows, doors, walls and stairs and even the fixed appliances of kitchen and bathroom fittings.
It should have the measurements like surface areas and is drawn to scale; and needed to clearly communicate the purposes of different rooms and important spaces. Depending on the intention of floor plans, it can also include outdoor areas, patios or yard, either furnished or empty.
Types of Floor Plans:
- 2D Floor Plans: Shows the basic property outline, the drawing is flat and it pictures the layout of rooms very clearly including the walls, entrances, doorways and windows. Even the view is from above but it lacks depth. These plans can be sketched by hand or created online, there are paid or free tools available and some of them allow easy exporting of your 2D drawings as well.
- 3D Floor Plans: The configuration, layout and design of a property are presented in a 3-dimensional view. Which usually make the property visible from an angle and also consist of the elevation of the altitude into the created drawing or design. These plans make the process of visualizing a project easier and include details with depth like furniture and décor serving the operations simple; adding realism to the plane for maximum output.
- First-Person Perspective: More advanced design structure that allows you to do an in house tour experience of your floor plan but virtually. The space is created to be perceived by a first-person plane and it helps you make educated design decisions prior to the starting of your construction developments. With the help of a right app or software, one which can offer the premium outcome you can walk through the design as if it were already in the reality plane and suggest better changes and make astute choices.
C. Elevation Plan
The Definition:
It shows any of the one exterior side of a home, most probably a 2D Image. The elevation can change as per which side you are facing to like side, front or back. The main difference between first person view and elevation view could be, in the first view, the part closer to you of the house can appear larger and the view is fixed in the latter.
Nearly all perspectives are flattened usually in the exterior elevations of homes and the drawing removes the distortions that are present in order to make it look two dimensional from that particular side of the house.
Elevation Types:
It is easy to label them as North, South, East and West depending on your location conveniently.
- Front Elevation: Usually consist of the design elements associated with the front entrance of the home like the main entrance, front porch etc. But in the case of many residential homes, it also includes the garage and other materials used in the façade of the home.
- Back Elevation: Shows the home’s exterior rear view, mainly including rear entrance doors and also the deck or back patio as well. If you have a walkout basement, the elevation also displays the ground slopes with respect to the first floor and the foundation.
- Left and Right Elevations: A view from the side of the house showing design elements like windows, side doors or even passive wall vents sometimes. And the left and right two-dimensional views could be opposite to each other.
D. Section Plan
By an intersecting plane, the plan would appear like a vertical cut and also it is an orthographic projection. It is similar to a floor plan, but drawn vertically including information that is cut through. In reality, the plan has wall thicknesses, windows, doors and openings, all must be drawn in the same way.
It shows what’s behind the line of the section cut like furniture that is built-in, kitchen bench outlines, bathroom vanities or toilets, sinks and also the material of wall and objects on the walls as well. The info about the distance behind the cut is called Internal Elevation.
The cut is the most important part of a section because it holds the deep insights about thickness of the material, types and in or out spaces, created shapes and forms etc. The elevation of internal stuff is usually indicative or secondary and shows in detail only in the drawings dedicated to the internal elevation alone.
E. Landscape Plan
An Explanation:
A landscape plan is analogous to a floor plan used in architectural design. It shows the relationship of the elements of the architecture to each other and to the existing landscape, both natural and built. Landscape planning seeks to harmonize the relationships between people and their environment with a view to long-term environmental sustainability.
Landscaping planning can be understood as a detailed analysis followed by a well-detailed design. Garden planning is predominantly plant oriented while landscape plan considers a larger area than a garden. It includes all outdoor elements such as plants, buildings, circulation systems, water, utilities and the processes that affect them.
Types:
- Site Analysis: It is the basis of every landscape plan and records the existing elements such as buildings, trees, paths, elevations and property lines. Site analysis ensures that the long-term implications and limitations of the land are fully considered prior to design.
- Bubble Plan: A type of diagram, using circles or other simple shapes, that loosely represent the function of particular spaces. Bubble diagrams are often used in design and communications to show how areas such as seating areas, wells, gardens or driveways may relate.
- Plot Plan: An illustrated layout of an area including dimensions, buildings and major structures and may include buildings, decks, pools, utilities and adjacent lots. Used as a detailed guide for where to place everything.
- Concept Images: These are images showing the intended design via the use of photographs or visual examples. They will indicate to the client the proposed style.
- Renderings or perspectives: Two-dimensional or three-dimensional drawings show a landscape’s completed appearance. This plan helps clients to appreciate proportion, aesthetics, and mood of a design.
- Planting Plan: A detailed drawing shows plan types, sizes, numbers and locations for ensuring vegetation suits the site, pleases the eye and supports the local ecosystem.
Landscape plans intend to create sustainable outdoor spaces with good design and affordability.