House plans begin from a single roomed unit to a bedsitter to a 1 bedroomed, 2 bed roomed, 3 bedroomed, to more complex plans as requested by a client.
Single rooms are usually a minimum of 3meters by 3 meters. This size is tied to the size of an average bed, 2meters by 1 meter. They are common among the low-income housing sector for rentals and around Universities and tertiary colleges which will need to house students. These are not described in the current Building Code as residential units however, some councils in Kenya such as Nakuru Municipal council have passed bye-laws allowing for approval of these units.
Flats
Bedsitters are much larger; roughly 3meters by 5 meters and include a larger space which fits a small kitchenette and a living area.
One-bed roomed units consist of the living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. They are usually at a minimum of 30 meters squared floor area. These and 2-bedroomed units are very common for rental units.
3 Bed roomed units and above are not common as rental units due to lack of demand. Another easer method of selecting these kinds of house plans is to search for house plans on the internet and then asking your architect to customize the plan to our area Building Code and Kenya Local Authority regulations.
The Kenyan Building Code describes minimum sizes and dimensions of habitable spaces. For bedrooms, the minimum dimensions are 2.5 meters by 2.5 meters. For Kitchens, the dimensions are 2 meters by 2.4 meters.
The minimum floor to ceiling height is described as 2.35meters for a habitable space.
Once all the minimum floor plan dimensions are met, the house plan is approvable by the local authority.
Your architect ensures that the house plan meets all the minimum requirements as set out in the Building Code and from here, you can describe to him any flamboyant shape as you may desire.
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