Residents of a big city often dream of a beautiful and spacious house away from the hustle and bustle. Having decided on the construction of such a cottage or cottage, you need to choose the right project. The comfort of living and recreation will depend on this. A popular type of project, which is often chosen by the owners of a suburban area, is a house with an attic. The features of such buildings will be discussed later.
Building Features
The house with an attic, the photo of which is presented below, suggests the presence of living space in the attic (between the roof and the top floor of the building). This type of layout was "born" in France. It was used by a popular architect in the past, François Mansart, who made this design popular.
Previously, this type of construction was used by other French architects. However, it was Mansar who began to install beautiful windows in such rooms, which made it possible to decorate the roof. Since then, the attic has been used not only to create additional living space, but also as a decorative element of houses. Such projects are widespread due to the peculiarities of the tax system. The inhabitants of France were forced to pay the state for each floor of their house. Living space under the attic was not taken into account. The attic was not considered a floor, so there was no need to pay a tax for it.
In our country, this type of construction is also widespread. Projects of houses with an attic were actively used in the construction of St. Petersburg. Until this time, buildings with living space in the attic were rare in Russia. This is due to the peculiarities of local architecture.
In the last century, flat roofs were most often used in the construction of houses. Therefore, attics were not remembered for a long time. Today, this type of structure is gaining great popularity. Modern materials allow you to equip the living space under the attic, minimally loading the foundation and supporting structures of the house.
Features of the attic
Considering the projects and photos of houses with an attic, it can be noted that this design has a number of features. The walls here are angled, as they are formed by the slopes of the roof. In order for the space to be exploited not only in summer but also in winter, special attention will need to be paid to creating an additional thermal insulation layer. At the same time, it will be possible to equip a cozy, romantic corner in the cottage. This layout is practical and comfortable.
Previously, one could come across house designs with an attic and a garage or bathhouse. A few decades ago, the attic was used only in the summer. It could be above the garage or bathhouse. Today, this type of construction is used much less frequently. Garages are often done in the basement or attach small rooms of light materials for parking vehicles. It is rather difficult to attach an attic over such a garage. But the construction of the attic over the bathhouse is quite possible. The attic space will additionally warm up with frequent use of the bath. In this case, you can equip a relaxation room.
Today, projects of houses with an attic are created in accordance with special standards. They should be considered in order to form an idea of such structures. The height of the walls should be between 80-150 cm. If this figure is higher, you get a full floor. The highest point in the room should be higher than 2.5 m. If this figure is less, the space under the roof will not be suitable for people to live here. This will be an ordinary attic.
It is also worth considering that the flooring should not be lower than the beam structure. It is desirable that it be on par with such structural elements.
Advantages and disadvantages of attic projects
Private or country houses with an attic are being built more often than other types of structures. This is due to the many advantages of such a design. The construction of the attic allows you to add living space in the house without increasing the number of storeys of the building.
The presence of additional space under the roof improves the comfort of living in the house. For example, here you can equip a study or creative workshop. Also, a wardrobe room is often created here. The space in the house will be used more rationally. Attic also allows you to equip an additional bedroom for guests. There are many options for using the space under the roof.
If the attic was correctly mounted, the bills for paying for energy resources in winter will be less. The heat that previously went through the roof will remain in the house. Construction can be carried out during the operation of the main premises in the house. Residents of the cottage or cottage will not need to be evicted. At the same time, summing up all the necessary communications is also not difficult. All necessary wires, pipes can be extended from home. The floor with the attic will also give the structure a more interesting, harmonious configuration.
For this reason, the construction of houses with one or several floors often involves the presence of an attic. However, there are a number of shortcomings in such projects. It is not recommended to equip in such a room a nursery or a room where people are for a long time. Inclined walls can cause a feeling of fear, confusion.
Daylight with vertically arranged windows will not be bright enough. It will seem that the room is always dark. Therefore, it is necessary to equip special windows, which increases the cost of construction work.
You will also need to choose the right materials for construction. They must be high quality and light. If construction technologies are disrupted, the room will be cold and uncomfortable, fungus and mold may appear.
Varieties of buildings
Attic can vary in a number of characteristics. However, inclined walls will be common to them. There are various projects of similar structures. They can differ in shape, amount of living space in the room and in the house. There are several main types of such designs.
The first group includes projects of single-storey houses with a single-level attic. The total height of the building will be less than when creating a full second floor. However, the space under the roof should be sufficient for a comfortable stay of people here. To build this type of attic is simple. This can be done at the construction stage of the house itself or in the process of redevelopment.
The second type of attic also has one floor. However, the attic in this case will be quite high. It will correspond to a full second floor. In this case, the house will occupy two levels.
The third group includes two-story houses with an attic. In this case, the attic is used mainly for storing things. Its height will be minimal.
It is also worth saying that the attic can be summer or winter. In the first embodiment, when arranging it, thermal insulation is not used. This option is suitable for those owners who visit a country house only in the summer. If the cottage is operated year-round, the attic needs to be insulated. When choosing thermal insulation, it is taken into account from what materials the house was built.
Design Features
To live in the house was comfortable, when planning the attic, you need to create an accurate drawing of this element of the building in three versions. First you need to draw an attic with fully inclined walls. It is necessary to consider here the location of all elements of the interior. After that, a project with a partial slope is created. Also thought out the layout to the smallest detail. After this, you need to consider the option of equipping the attic with partially vertical walls. After that, it will be possible to choose the most successful option.
You also need to choose the material from which the structure will be built, take into account its features. For example, projects of houses from a bar with an attic require a minimum amount of additional thermal insulation. This material is quite warm. Brick walls require full external thermal insulation. In this case, construction costs will increase.
Another good option is the construction of a frame house with an attic. Such a structure will be lightweight, but durable. A layer of insulation has already been laid in the space between the two panels. Therefore, the cost of creating an additional layer of thermal insulation will be minimal.
It is worth considering where the staircase will be located in the room, where the window openings will be located. Their configuration is also determined. When creating an attic plan, every little thing is thought out. It is necessary to comply with building codes and fire safety rules. Possible places for supplying communications are plotted on the plan. Also important is the choice of layout in the room (depending on the functional purpose of the room), as well as interior design.
Layout of a small area
The layout of a house with an attic can be carried out in a very limited space. Such attics are most often equipped in a country house or cottage with an area of 6 × 6 m (for 3-4 people).
To correctly plan the space, you need to take into account the functional purpose of the upper floor. Most often, the premises of the "day zone" are equipped on the ground floor. Here is a living room, kitchen, dining room. The bedroom and bathroom can be in the attic.
If the house has dimensions of at least 6 × 6 m, you can plan the space as competently as possible. In this case, there will be enough space for storing things and rational distribution of the living area. Considering the projects of houses with an attic with a layout, you can take into account a number of features of such houses.
The pantry is best created in the space under the stairs. It is better to combine the kitchen with the living room and place them on the ground floor. It is also recommended to build a combined bathroom. It will also be located on the ground floor. At the same time, it is better to make a roof of the attic of a broken type. This will increase the space by placing here all the necessary household items. Most often in such houses in the attic they equip a bedroom. It will be a cozy corner for the rest of the owners of the house.
Layout area with medium dimensions
Considering the projects of houses with an attic, it is possible to note the features of the planning of space with an area of 9 × 9 m. This is a fairly spacious room that will allow you to create several functional areas here. In a house with such dimensions, a family of 4-5 people and their guests will feel comfortable. This type of layout is often found in catalogs of construction companies. Therefore, there are many options for arranging the inner space.
The standard plan provides for the presence on the ground floor of a spacious living room. There is also a kitchen and dining area. The space of the house allows you to make the rooms quite spacious. At the attic it will be possible to equip several bedrooms (from 2 to 4 pcs.). The boiler room and pantry will be located on the ground floor. There are usually two bathrooms. They are located on the first and attic floors.
A veranda or terrace is attached to such a house. You can make a balcony in the attic. This will allow in the morning to enjoy not only the view from the window, but also to inhale the smells of the nearby forest, to meet the dawn of the sun on a specially fenced area. You can make several small balconies.
Modern designs of houses with an attic also include a garage on the ground floor. It can be located within the main building. A space of 3 × 9 m is allocated for the garage. If the owners of the house have several cars, you need to create an additional extension to the house.
Spacious cottage with an attic
Modern designs of houses with an attic may involve the creation of spacious housing. For example, a cottage may have dimensions of 10 × 10 or 12 × 12 m. In this case, up to 10 people can comfortably live in the house. The design of such houses involves an increase in the number of bedrooms. The attic floor in this case can occupy an area of 50-80 m². This allows you to equip up to 5 full bedrooms.
On the ground floor of such a house, you can create not only a guest room, a kitchen-dining room, but also a home theater. Some people prefer to set aside free space at home to set up a gym. Here you can also create a sauna, a small pool. Some projects include guest rooms on the ground floor.
Projects of houses with an attic involve the creation of several bathrooms on the second and first floor. After all, a large family will live in the house. One bathroom is equipped on the ground floor. This is a must if there are guest rooms.
It is also worth considering one nuance. Most often, heating to the second floor is not carried out. This is due to the high cost of paying for energy resources. Therefore, the master bedroom and bathroom should be on the first floor. A storage room can be arranged in the attic. There are also guest rooms and 2 more bathrooms. Such a project is designed for guests to come to the cottage in the summer.
It is possible to equip a system of electric underfloor heating on the second floor. They can be included only in those rooms that will be involved in the winter. In this case, the layout may assume the presence of all the bedrooms in the attic.
Classic and Finnish style
Beautiful houses with an attic can be built in different styles. They allow you to emphasize the individuality of the owners. One of the most common types of projects is the classic building design. This style is simple in design. The roof is almost always gable. The building is square in shape. This allows you to harmoniously fit it into the space on the site.
The layout in this case also has several features. The kitchen is located on the side of the entrance. This increases the comfort of operation of the home. The bathroom is in the attic.
Home decoration is usually restrained, but elegant. There is nothing superfluous. However, the window decoration adds some charm to the facade. The house with an attic in a classic style is suitable for a building with dimensions of 8 × 8 m. This structure looks stylish.
Another popular home decoration option is Finnish style. This design is ideal for the countryside that surrounds the forest. Also, this type of structure looks spectacular on the coast of various bodies of water.
Installation does not take much time. This is a frame construction that is highly durable. The foundation in this case is most often equipped with a tape type. The cost of such a house is relatively low. Frame technology allows you to make the walls very warm. The design of such a house looks stylish. There are no special requirements for planning inside the house. They are distinguished by the presence on the ground floor of a large terrace, porch. The guest bathroom is usually located on the ground floor.
German style
The German-style attic house is a solid, durable construction. It is distinguished by practicality, as well as high economic performance. Energy costs in this case are minimal. At the same time, high requirements are put forward to the quality of materials and the technology of construction work.
The German style of home decoration today is becoming increasingly popular. It is associated with reliability, high quality and spectacular appearance of the building. The construction in this case has the shape of a cube. Facades must be finished with stucco. The color for the walls outside the building is chosen from pastel shades.
Inside the building there are many natural (especially wooden) elements of interior decoration. Often attach balconies. They are also made of wood. Balconies will look harmonious in combination with flowerpots with fresh flowers.
The windows are arch-shaped. It is permissible to make them in the form of a rectangle. In this case, massive wooden shutters are often used as decor. The basement of the building is finished with natural stone. The roof is covered with metal or bituminous tiles.
The layout is practical, combining nature with the latest technical developments. This style allows you to be in harmony with nature, while maintaining high comfort.
Having considered the features of projects and layouts of houses with an attic, you can choose the appropriate option. A cottage or cottage will be an ideal place to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city.