ARCHITECT’S VIEW
Maximising space in a small build
Matthew Wood, director of MW Architects , shares his tips and tricks for making compact homes feel bigger
How can you make best use of a small footprint?
The most effective way to make a compact living space work for you is to plan out in detail how you’re going to use the area and how you want it to function for you day-to-day. In terms of an extension, people often start off by assuming they need a fullwidth addition to get the living area they want. This is often a costly project that will take up a significant amount of your garden.
By carefully considering and planning how you’re going to use a space, down to what furniture and fit-out features you want to include inside, you’ll often find that you don’t need as much room as initially expected. Detailed planning will help you to assess how much floor space you need to create a functional area that fully utilises each and every square inch. You can save money and time by building less and being more conscious of where you want to add area and why. By building smaller rooms and saving on construction costs, you can invest in what’s on the inside.