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!