An In Depth Look At Townhomes In Miami

Posted on: June 3rd, 2010 | 47 Comments

This is Day 135 of the Slow Home Project and we need you to join us in our quest to evaluate the design quality of houses in nine North American cities in nine months. This week we are analyzing townhomes in Miami, and today we will be looking at dining spaces in detail.

For today’s “In Detail” segment, we are looking at dining spaces in town homes. The example we have gathered are floor plans that have been posted by the Slow Home viewers and are from the Miami area.

As you remember from the Slow Home Test, a dining space is a principal space that can accommodate a table suitable for daily use. In town homes, dining spaces are often poorly designed as town homes tend to be long and narrow with party walls on one or both sides. This means that many dining spaces in town houses are in the middle of the plan and conflict with circulation routes or have limited access to light.

In the “What’s Wrong With This House?” book, we talk about the “Rules of Thumb” for dining spaces:

  • Proportioned to fit a table and chairs without wasted space.
  • Not a redundant or falsely labeled space.
  • Not cut off from other principal living areas.
  • Have good natural light and ventilation.

The following examples are of both good and bad dining spaces in tow houses.

This is a good dining space. Although it is in the center of the plan, there is a good visual connection to both the kitchen and living areas. The dining table could be located in a way that does not conflict with the circulation.

This is a bad dining space. The table is located in the landing area of the stairwell and is right next to the guest bathroom.

This is also a bad dining space. Be aware when plans are labeled with a “Great Room” with no clear indication of how one could fit both living and dining furniture.

This plan has 2 dining spaces. While the formal dining area is well designed, the kitchen nook is a problem. The table is right next to the door to the garage and looks like it will conflict with circulation.

This is a really bad dining space. It is both in the middle of the plan and totally walled in from the rest of the house with no natural light and in addition is right next to the guest bathroom.

This is a good dining space that is right in the kitchen. The table has a good relationship to the kitchen and access to lots of natural light.

This is the worst example of a dining space that we found in Miami. The dining table is in the middle of the kitchen, has a clear view of the toilet in the guest bath and is also right next to the air conditioner and washing machine which will be disruptive to peaceful dining.

We hope you enjoyed this “In Detail” segment. We want to hear what you think about dining spaces. Post examples of both good and bad dining spaces from the Miami area and tell us what you think about them.

Join us tomorrow when we will be reviewing the Design Projects and announcing the Slow Homer of the Week!

  • Murray

    Thnaks for this analysis of dining spaces. They have a direct link with kitchens and living spaces, and I would like to suggest an in-depth analysis of kitchens in townhouses, specifically (I don’t remember this being done).
    Yesterday’s submissions had some good ideas for the kitchen, but I think many were ultimately impractical. The narrow width of townhouse units, along with natural light and ventilation, and the ubiquitous garage pose real challenges to functional designs. We are all here to learn through trial and error.
    I read this morning that many submissions were delayed by the hockey game last night – what were you doing in between periods? Come on folks, get your priorities straight!

  • Mid America Mom

    Good morning…I guess- the Hawks lost ;).

    Murray- I commented on yesterday’s thread regarding your kitchen statements and plan. Matthew talked about kitchen design in the Denver condo week on this thread – http://theslowhome.com/slow-home-project/an-in-depth-look-at-aptlofts-in-denver/#comments . There he recommended 3 to 3.5 foot aisles. Fine for a single person but not when you add more people.

  • MJ

    Wow! That last plan is horrible! So many tiny windows

  • Mid America Mom

    I was about to spam the NKBA site for kitchen planning and reference but they recently made that content for members only :( I think you have to pay now.

    BUT google is our friend. Some helpful advice on kitchen design/planning from HGTV via the NKBA – http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/kitchen/planning/kitchen-design-guidelines/?page=4

    Mid America Mom

  • MollyK

    [img]capri.jpg[/img]

    This design is from a development called Mizner on the Green.
    The dining area…well, words can’t describe how sad this space is. It is nothing more than an area of circulation at the stairs and it faces directly into the kitchen. Granted, the unit is only 835 sf; but the proportion of the unit makes a dining “area” almost impossible. An eating bar may be the best solution in this case.

  • Mid America Mom

    OOPS- you may have noticed that link is not to HGTV but BHG – Better homes and gardens (online site of this popular magazine).

    That article is not complete either. BUT I am finding different articles/sites with the guidelines out there. It will take time but should find one with more complete information.

    Mid America Mom

  • MollyK

    [img]marseille.jpg[/img]

    Got another from Mizner on the Green.
    My main concern is, again, the circulation path around the table. But if the table is sized to fit the space while taking into account the circulation path, then it might work…I’m still on the fence.

  • nicole

    Murray, I agree. We should discuss the kitchen layouts.
    Three feet between the island and the counter is not enough space. Especially if there is more than one person in the kitchen, it is chaotic! This is why I chose to not put an island in my layout. (my own kitchen has 4.5 feet in a u-shape and it is not friendly to 2 people)

    Also, we should all be aware of when putting the cook top on the island is the safety factor. (becomes exposed x 2 or x3) The top should be far enough from the edge that kids do not put their hands on the cook top as they walk by the hallway. (But not just kids – anyone walking by could catch clothing, etc. It becomes more of a concern if it is a gas appliance)
    Which brings me to another point – If there is a cook top on the island, there should be another location for a wall oven.

  • MollyK

    [img]thc1.jpg[/img]

    Got one more and I think this one is a good example of the “rules of thumb”. Plus, it is not in a circulation path.

    BTW, I am jealous of those of you who enjoy a good hockey game. Yes, I’m from the South but I love hockey. I got into the sport (as a spectator) when I was in high school…a long time ago. But, alas, I had to marry a man without a sports bone in his body. So, now I catch less than a second of it as he zips past the channel on the tv. It was fun to read the comments last night…brought back some memories. Thanks.

  • nicole

    [img]indetailmiamitownhousedining.jpg[/img]

    The dining area I looked at was at Midblock – Midtown Miami, suite TH-2.
    It is a good dining space that has visual access to light through the living area, and good access to the kitchen. Just need to be aware of the circulation clearance that is required for the dining area while laying out the living room furniture.

  • Mid America Mom

    [img]pinemanoraruba.jpg[/img]

    Pine Manor- Aruba plan.

    Here is another dining room in the middle of the plan and it is pseudo greatroom. It appears to have a post at the corners of the room that helps to define the limit of the dining space.

    As the sole eating area it is a nice size. We can fit at least 6 seated at a table. It gets light from the kitchen which has a double walk out door to a small courtyard (in which I picture an outdoor dining table). The living room, connected to the dining, has its own double window.

    Mid America Mom

  • JessicaD

    [img]019042f01.gif[/img]

    This town house is located in Aqua Isles, and it’s a two storey 1,141 sq foot dwelling. I think the dining space is decent as it’s not a redundant space, and it is well connected to other principle living areas. I think it’s a little oversized, and it doesn’t have a direct connection with the outdoors, but the patio door should let in lots of light.

  • JessicaD

    [img]3_getimage.jpg[/img]

    Located in Villa Portofino East this 1,736 sq foot town house has a horrific dining space! The only upside is that it’s connected to the outdoors via the window and it is an appropriate size. Although its placement puts it right in the middle of circulation from the entry, powder room and stairs. It is visually connected to the powder room = a no no. It has no connection to the kitchen, which makes it inefficient, and being right beside the main entrance makes it a busy location. Even if they switched the dining and family rooms this unit would make much more sense.

  • Mid America Mom

    Nicole- you could have a slide in unit instead of a cooktop… http://www.geappliances.ca/jsp/ge_Listing.jsp?product_id=7 .

  • Cnick

    [img]m1383705.jpg[/img]

    This is a poor dining space. It is too small to comfortably fit a table and chairs. On the positive, it does have good natural light in both the nook and formal dining area. However, the formal dining area is redundant and one larger dining space would make much more sense.

  • Hilda

    [img]alessandria.jpg[/img]

    Hey All!
    This is a perfect example of poor dining space, while it can be argued that it stayed out of the way for circulation. The Dining room is totally enclosed in darkness, the only light source is from the patio, but from the floor plan, that’s pretty far.
    Posting a nicer one, hopefully, next.
    Cheers!

  • Terri

    [img]7390flp1lg.gif[/img]

    One of the townhomes I reviewed had no labelled dining room and only the Great Room, where presumeably a dining table and living room furniture shares the space. On first glance, there seems to be room to put a table at the top of the room at the window end, with room for circulation past it, but then there’s all that leftover space near the staircase. What would fit there? A grand piano, maybe, but not a sitting arrangement. It seems that the label “Great Room” mostly means “You figure it out, because we’re too confused to do it ourselves!”

  • Terri

    Hilda and Jessica D,
    It looks like you two posted the same plan with one of you saying it’s “decent” and the other saying it’s “poor.” :D
    I think the discrepancy only shows us how tricky this room can be to judge.

  • Hilda

    [img]florenza.jpg[/img]

    Hey!
    Okay, here’s one dining room that I think it’s okay. It’s not in the way of circulation, but it is still connected to the rest of the house visually. Not to mentiion, there’s a large window that provides excellent light source not only for dining also for kitchen.
    It sort of surprised me to see some of the townhome designs don’t really take advantage of the nice weather they have. Loking forward to hear what other people thinks!
    Cheers!

  • MollyK

    Terri,
    I think “great room” came about when some designers had left-over space and, in frustration, looked at each other and said, “Great…what do we do with this room?” ;)

  • Hawerchuk#10

    [img]1224flp1lg.gif[/img][img]1203flp1lg.gif[/img]

    The Belmont floor plan on 23800 SW and 112 Ave in Miami. The townhouse is listed as 2865 sf. The positives: 12’6″ x 10′ room size so fairly large I would say. But there will be some wasted space over by the stairs and the hallway to the back portion of the house. There is a window so there some natural light and connection to outside.

    The negatives: directly limiting circulation. As well the room is beside the stairs which could be argued a minimal factor. Only connected directly to the living room and not the rest of the house.

    I would say NO to the point.

  • Hawerchuk#10

    [img]1_1203flp1lg.gif[/img]

    Ok the wrong picture uploaded in the post. Sorry everyone, this is the floor plan I wanted you all to see.

  • nicole

    Mid America Mom,
    Thanks for pointing that out!

  • MarisaM

    [img]sorrentoalmalfi2color.jpg[/img]

    I choose the Amalfi floor plan by the Spear Group. I think the townhome has a good dining space. We are supposed to be weary of the “Great Room”. But I believe this townhome makes it work quite efficiently.

    The great room is at the back of townhouse just behind the stair case and kitchen. The centre hallway, and circulation flow heads towards the patio dividing the great room into two right there. The kitchen side of the great room is perfect to fit a dining table with a few extra feet for circulation. As well the room can be centered on the window, getting a good view of the outdoors while having a connection with the kitchen and living room set up opposite of the patio door.

  • Neogi

    [img]pinemanordaimari.jpg[/img]

    This is a 3000 plus sq. ft space but the dinning space, i think is terrible. The main floor plan is actually pretty well done with well proportioned rooms however the problem here is that the dinning space is really far away from the kitchen this means that it won’t be used on a daily bases. It would have been more beneficial if they situated the dinning space where the family room is. Another thing is that the current dinning space has minimal natural light. The nearest window is the one in the living space.

  • Neogi

    [img]getimage.jpeg[/img]

    This plan is called Isabella, a 1826 sq ft space. The dinning space is on the tighter side but i think the furniture fit alright. This plan is a center unit so the lack of side windows makes it dark. The dinning space also has a direct view into the bathroom. However unlike the last design i look at it is closer to the kitchen so it would be used more often. The kitchen also has an breakfast bar so that is good so there are more than one place to eat.

  • PeterB

    [img]andalusia.jpg[/img]

    The dining room in the Andalusias works well to an extent. Although not too ideal that its right off the front entry, the dining room has a nice vantage point towards the kitchen, living room, outdoor patio, but it is a bit strange coming right out the bedroom to the dining area.

  • Bell604

    [img]1_pinemanoraruba.jpg[/img]

    The Aruba at Pine Manor shows a good use of dinning space. The allocated dinning area is of good size for a table, and it has nice access to the rest of the home. There is no direct view into bathrooms or utility closets, and there is plenty of space around the dinning room for circulation. There is an open wall area near the sink for a view into the kitchen, which also connects the dinning area to the rest of the house. The only problem is the lack of natural light, as the only natural light can be acquired from the living room windows. Overall, I believe this dinning arrangement to be very nicely designed.

  • Deng

    [img]seville.jpg[/img]

    This is an example of BAD dining room space. In this floor plan, the designers made the dining room its own space! It is entirely separated from the kitchen and living room. This makes me laugh!
    It looks more like a bedroom than a dining room!

  • Deng

    [img]cascada.jpg[/img]

    Example of good dining room location. The dining room has direct visibility into the kitchen and living room. It is proportionate to the house. It also does not impose on the entry way. All principle rooms have great lighting as well!

  • frazer

    [img]1_irismodeltownhouse.jpg[/img]

    Hi everyone, I just tuned into the discussions. Very interesting comments. I found a townhome by ELAD National in the Colonnade Sawgrass community. Here’s a dining room with organizational issues. Once a table is added it becomes apparent that the circulation becomes cramped. There is also a lack of daylight and difficult geometry to deal with not to mention the washroom next to it(although the door adds a small barrier).

  • Kadoman

    [img]filatifp.png[/img]

    Here we have the Filati.

    This home has a dining room that I believe skirts the border but ends up being a poor space.

    The dining space is in quite a large area. It can easily hold a dining table, even a large one. In fact, one might argue, it is too large of an area, which creates some wasted space.

    There is only one window in this dining space. The area does have the advantage of it being a large window, which has a view into the private courtyard via the covered entry. However, with the covered entry, and posts, I don’t believe the window would afford as much light as you would think.

    There are also problems with the dining space being located next to the laundry and with no connection to the kitchen or living rooms. Finally, there is a potential view into the bathroom, from the dining room.

  • frazer

    [img]florenzatownhouse.jpg[/img]

    The Florenza plan in the same community has a much better dining room since it has more daylight and connects well with the circular circulation. Adding a table to the plan might reveal that it is slighty cramped which could be fixed by adjusting the patio size…

  • Terri

    MollyK,
    LOL–your interpretation of the “Great Room” is good!
    BTW, I’m not regular hockey watcher–just during the Stanley Cup playoffs, really, and since Vancouver’s no longer in it…my interest has waned further. But I live with someone who keeps better track, so I knew about the game on Wednesday, unlike you. Maybe you could check out the action on the Internet–ha–another website for your attention! ;)

  • bbhorner

    [img]splendidolgb.jpg[/img][img]1_splendidolgb.jpg[/img]

    The Splendido Model in the Artesia Complex has a pretty good dining room. it is connected to the other rooms but not interfering with the flow of the home. It has a nice natural light from the front window. The downside of the this plan is that they include a breakfast nook that completely blocks the back patio doors. This space also is unnecessary because they have a dining room and an eating bar. How many eating spaces do you need?

  • Andrew

    [img]019039f02.jpg[/img][img]1_019039f02.jpg[/img]

    The dining space in this home (Bermuda by Quantum Homes) does not interfere with circulation but it is yet another example of a dining space that has been terribly cut off from most of the house, particularly the kitchen which is all the way in the back corner of the floor plan. This dining space at least receives some natural light from the window that looks over the covered entry.

  • Allie G

    http://www.kafka-franz.com/images/TH2002.pdf

    This is an example of a horrible dining room space. The shape is incredibly odd and would not permit for easy placement of furniture. Not only is the shape of the house odd, but because of the location of the entry way, a guest would either walk into the living room or the dining room immediately upon entry depending on how you furnish the house. Another example of a bad dining space.

  • JPHH

    I looked at the Cascada at monterra-Dorada. This plan is an example of an mediocre dining room because it has good and bad features. One good feature is the amount of natural light. In addition it doesn’t affect circulation and can be easily accessed from the kitchen. One downside to this dining room is its close proximity to the bathroom is not ideal in my opinion. Another thing i would like to see is the entrance in a different spot.

    http://www.minto.com/buy-a-home-in-florida/Cascada/Dorada~369ht.html

  • Jessica

    [img]3thunitdfirstfllhgmod.jpg[/img]

    http://www.centurygrand.com/3T4.htm

    What we have here is an example of a poorly designed dining area. Not only is it sequestered and lacking in a connection to outdoor light, but the powder room opens directly into it.

  • Jessica

    [img]sanmichelle.jpg[/img]

    I think this is an example of a decent dining area; it lies in connection with the living and kitchen areas and has a significant connection to outdoor living in its close proximity to the balcony.

  • Grace Coulter

    [img]4_getimage.jpg[/img]

    I think this is a poorly designed space. The circulation is fine but there is absolutely no natural light within the space which would likely make it fairly dark. I don’t find it attractive or appealing.

  • Grace Coulter

    Also I forgot to mention having the garage door empty into that space is pretty bad.

  • Athena

    [img]miamitownhomediningspace.jpg[/img]

    This is the Avalon in Montclair, it is 1,744 Sq Ft.
    This Dining Space isn’t particularly bad, the Great Room is quite versitile since there’s a balcony and an island right by the kitchen. Also the powderoom and and laundry are tucked away from the great room so you don’t need to worry about circulation necessarily. The only thing that would be nicer is if there were larger windows by the balcony. Other than that I don’t mind this Great Room.

  • SangeetaG

    [img]th2001.bmp[/img][img]th2002.bmp[/img][img]thc1.bmp[/img]

    I’m presenting two plans from the Epic Townhomes in Maimi. Both the plans show a variation of bad dining spaces, in the first, the dining space is too narrow, can’t fit a dining table for sure. In addition, there is lack of light in that corner. The second floor plan has more area, although most of it is wasted due to circulation. There is a lot of light filtering through the living dining areas, however, placing a dining by the kitchen blocks the circulation.

    The third example follows the rule of thumb well. It has a designated area that does not blocks circulation and has light accessible to it. It all ties well with the kitchen and living areas.

  • SangeetaG

    [img]th2001.jpg[/img][img]th2002.jpg[/img]

    Sorry about the previous images not showing up. Here are jpeg versions of the two Epic Townhome plans.

  • DJS

    [img]1180flp1lg.gif[/img]

    This townhouse has the living/dining room in a long narrow space which makes placement of the dining room table quite difficult. It can’t go by the patio because of the master bedroom door and the patio door. Placing the dining room table anywhere in the long space will either prevent flow or create wasted space.

  • autobrad

    [img]2_getimage1.jpg[/img][img]3_florenza.jpg[/img]

    I looked at several designs and like the Florenza the best as it has the best light, open space and relation to kitchen combo. I thought the ground units at Epic were good as they have awesome light and great space/design of kitchen but I get it represents that you get what you pay for.