How you can expand your living spaces

Have big dreams yet a small plot to make them a reality? Small spaces can accommodate everything you need if planned well. Experts share unique ways to create chic and multi-functional spaces.

Seamless designs

At the Chimes Villa, Hyderabad, architect Naresh Medappa of Mindspace Architects, Bengaluru, worked with staggering volumes. The double-height ceilings allow vertical transition of spaces from the common areas at the lower levels to the private bedrooms on the upper levels. The spaces are articulated in terms of volumes and at every level, they offer a brilliant vantage of the whole.

“In apartments, one can work with sliding panels that can be closed to create a TV room or bedroom and at other times, opened to be part of the living room,” says Naresh.

Architect Sunitha Kondur of Hundredhands Design, Bengaluru, says spaces should be creatively designed and flexible. “It is important to have layouts that work seamlessly, provide a space that fits the program and its users, and make the best use of light, ventilation, and views,” she adds.

An office design for an incubation hub, K-start in Whitefield, came with a challenge: the height available gave a perfect volume for a single floor but was a bit short for two comfortable levels. “The space was organised in a way that the area with two levels was zoned for more focused group interactions, ideation, or for individual time-out to rest and renew,” says Sunitha. Smaller meeting rooms and storage spaces on the lower level and resting, reading, and discussion spaces on the upper level were created.

The upper level also facilitated town hall speakers to address a large gathering when required.

At another project by the company, Airaa Academy, the architect made use of the ‘in-between space’ linking the classrooms on the upper floor and lower floor to create a well-ventilated and brightly-lit space for casual interactions.

Add mezzanines

About Rohan Ashima, Bengaluru, a row house design, Naresh says, “In this design, we have a mezzanine floor (an extended landing of the stairway) and an adjacent courtyard. The usage of the mezzanine space depends on the aspirations of the occupants”.

With such a project with many houses, different people interpret the mezzanine space differently. “Some people use it as a TV lounge, and music den while others have turned it into a small library. The space also serves as a perfect yoga deck or a play area if you can add more openings to the outdoors. It can also be used as a bar,” he adds.

At the Chukkimane resort, Mandya, Karnataka, architect Chetan Shivaprasad of Kham Design worked with a volume that was 16-feet high. He created a mezzanine floor (which accommodates two double beds) using locally-available metal frames and packaging wood. Mezzanine spaces are great attic spaces that children will love, he says.

It’s also an element that connects a public space and a private space within a house. “For a child’s room, the mezzanine floor can be a study space or play area, while the lower floor can be a bedroom or vice versa, which helps us connect two volumes into one space,” he adds.

Choose the right finish

At the Mukesh-Devika Residence, architect Ajay Abey of CSBNE, Kollam, utilised the area under the staircase to create a beautiful wash area. “We planned the landing of the stairway at a 2.1-meter height, to comfortably accommodate the wash area underneath. The sharp edges were clad with softwood and the wash basin was placed on an upcycled table,” he says.

Generally, for mezzanine floors, he works with metal but for houses, the finish looks better when concrete or wood is used, he adds.

The rib and skin shell slab system (a new slab casting technology developed by CSBNE that uses GI metal mesh instead of steel rods to cast 1.5-inch thick concrete slabs) is something Ajay goes by. It consumes fewer material resources and gives a pleasing finish.

At Svamitva Terravana, Kanakapura Road, Bengaluru (a villa project by Mindspace Architects), the mezzanine floor connects the lower level and the upper levels of the house.

The walls are rendered with lime plaster and the floors are covered with wood to give an earthy feel. For the structure of mezzanines, we use concrete and for finishing we use warm materials like mud walls, lime blasted walls, wood or rough stone flooring, says Naresh.

You can comfortably sit on the floor, throw things around, or pamper yourself with a spa day at home.

Adaptability

Although mezzanines can be an add-on feature when you have extra volume, planning them in the design phase will make things easier.

Design challenges

Addressing the availability of space is challenging. If you have a 3-feet space, you can only create an activity area for a toddler and if you have an 8-feet space, you can build a bedroom.

Wallet factor

*Extra square footage in the form of additional floors or mezzanines would cost Rs 500-Rs 1,000 per sq ft.

*Creating utility spaces below staircases or using in-between spaces can be done in any budget. Minimum budget recommended is Rs 10,000.

(The author is an architecture journalist.)