Why Open Plan Homes Are Crucial For A Connected And Happy Family Living

After months of being confined indoors, there is an increasing demand for open plan homes enveloped by green cover. Properties with a thoughtful master plan, interconnected living spaces and one where indoors are in harmony with nature are preferred by homebuyers.

There’s more to it than meets the eye – a great deal of strategy goes into the designing of a villa like never before. Here are a few factors we take into consideration while designing our villas.

Maximizing Daylight in Your House

Daylighting refers to the use of windows and skylights to bring natural light into your home. Incorporating daylight into the floor plan of your home offers major benefits for residents. In addition to fresh air and well-lit space, natural light brings about good energy and positivity into a home. It can also lead to substantial energy saving. If your home relies more on sunlight instead of artificial lamps, it automatically reduces power consumption. Most importantly, natural light regulates human circadian rhythms, which is a natural internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It repeats on each rotation of the Earth roughly every 24 hours.

It is easy to save between 10-20% of heating costs if the home is oriented towards the sun without incorporating any solar energy features. Relying on daylighting is beneficial for homebuyers and the environment.

How to Orient your Home towards the Sun

Design your home in such a way that frequently used spaces such as the living room or kitchen receives a maximum amount of sunlight. It is also important to determine, which room requires less daylight, for example, a garage or the laundry room works fine with a minimum amount of natural light. The floor plan of your home should be designed accordingly. A few points to be mindful of when designing the layout of a home:

East facing: East-facing doors will receive bright light in the morning followed by shadows and no light in the evening.

West facing: West-facing rooms receive early evening light, which is long shadows and softer light. The sun is low in the sky.

North facing: Homes facing north will allow natural light without any heat from the sun.

South facing: South facing homes admit less light during summer and more natural light during winter.

Why Large Windows

Consider incorporating large windows into your homes, as they are the most essential part of the architecture. Sliding glasses can make a small room look large and connects indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Floor-to-ceiling windows bring you closer to nature and allow natural daylight, which makes your home more inviting. As we are aware that early morning sunlight is a great source of Vitamin D. It is essential to regulate the immune system, maintain healthy brain function and control allergy symptoms. If you allow sunlight to flood the interiors of the home, it will reduce your energy bills as it cuts your energy consumption.

Here are a few reasons to choose large windows for your home.

• Large windows bring in natural light and fresh air.
• Brings you closer to nature
• Connects indoor to the outdoor space
• Allows necessary solar heat
• Gives a spacious feel

Balconies

People realized the benefits of having a balcony this past year. It offered opportunities to inhale some fresh air without stepping out of their homes. Balconies and terrace are more of a retreat and you can make them your little haven.

From growing plants to relax in the morning over a cup of coffee with your spouse, to sharing a meal on the weekends or letting your pets play unleashed, balconies offer several purposes.

Green Backyard

In India, the landscape of the average household is evolving. When families need a bit of additional space, a green backyard may be the answer. It can be the perfect place to host an evening with friends or relatives when needed.

Green is very appealing to the eyes and a garden in the backyard will add spark to your daily life.

In general, the experience of life is the most important factor irrespective of the overall look and feel of a home. A visual experience lasts longer in the minds of people; therefore a green garden in the backyard tops the list in aesthetics.

Mental experience is also as important as visual experience when it comes to the frame of mind. After a long tiring day in the office, returning home to the sight of backyard green would be relaxing.

Fresh Produce

Today, most vegetables and fruits available in the market have remnant pesticides that are harmful to health. A backyard garden is a great source of organic  fruits and vegetables that are safe to consume. The time and effort spent on growing your own food is rewarding as you reap the benefits of good health. A practical example of ‘you reap what you sow’.

Impact on the Environment

The word backyard forces you to think about the environment and spending time with your dream ones. Irrespective of how big or small the backyard garden, the green backyard creates an environmental impression.

The most important factor is that green surrounding reduces energy consumption and plants absorbs greenhouse gases minimizing the glares from buildings. Green cover can minimize pollution to a certain level along with providing habitat for different life forms. This attracts various birds and insects which offers a pleasant sight to your property.

Open Planning for Connected Living

Open plan living is a popular choice for modern homebuyers as it enhances the spaciousness of an existing space and adds more light into living areas. By removing walls between the living and dining or dining and kitchen and unobstructed views between the various levels of a villa, open planning brings a feeling of oneness across floors.

Natural Light and Free Air Flow

Open floor plan design is ideal for free airflow inside your home. It diffuses natural light throughout the space as there are no walls to act as a barrier. Those who are residing in the home can experience the breeze and sunlight entering from the window around the living areas and it uninterrupted.

Shared Family Spaces

Today’s modern families have very busy schedules. When it comes to open plan living they can enjoy each other’s company even if individuals are occupied in their own activities. As a result, space creates some sort of togetherness.

Room for Entertainment

In order to host any weekend parties with your friends or relatives, a spacious area is essential around your home. Therefore, a backyard or a connected area will assist you to do that. If your guests or friends are large in number, having a connected dining area, kitchen, and living room helps you easily entertain them.

Check out NVT’s Villa projects near Whitefield and Sarjapura.