september 2019 195
Createtheidealopen-planspaCe
MariekeBotha,professionalarchitectandownerofBeautiful
BuildingsProfessionalArchitects,shareshertipsoncreating
the ideal open-plan space:
• To create an open plan in an existing home, it will be
necessary to demolish some walls. The first thing to
determine is which internal walls are weight-bearing.
These cannot be removed without the input of a structural
engineer. If the thickness of an internal wall is 110mm, it’s
generally not weight-bearing.
• The flow through the newly created areas needs to be
considered (the paths people will walk from one space
to the other). Try to minimise these by overlapping
circulation roots.
• Consider where light will flow in through windows and
other openings. It will have an influence in positioning your
furniture. For example, you don’t want a glare on your TV.
• Consider existing services in place, such as plug points,
water connections and so forth. Moving these services
due to re-planning will have a cost implication.With thanks to Beautiful Buildings Professional Architects, Meik Architects and Metaphor Designnadine naidoo, prinCiple arChiteCt at Meik arChiteCts, shares her ideal
open-plan renovation CheCklist:
✓ Consult a structural engineer to check structural implications.
✓ Ensure utility areas are not in direct view.
✓ Consult your architect to create zones within your open-plan space.
✓ Split your lighting into zones. You might not want to light the entire area at once. Make
use of feature and task lighting.
✓ Consider how you will heat the space – can you close the space off to maintain the heat?
✓ Consider how will you deal with noise transfer – will materials create an echo or are soft
finishes sufficient?
✓ Consider orientation – this is imperative to thermal comfort.
✓ Check if your service connections can be moved.
✓ Is your design clever and making use of all the options? This might mean some
unconventional suggestions.
✓ Your home is a big investment. Hire a professional to get the best return on investment. Q“Through careful planning and creative thinking, this once dark and closed-off
home is now an airy open-plan space that is bathed in light.”