Broken Plan Living

Broken Plan Living
One of the biggest innovations in architecture and interior design in the last few years has been the growth of broken plan living, which has in many ways become the modern way to live. The broken plan has been a feature of many of our completed residential projects and remains so at many of our in-progress sites. 

It is all about dividing rooms without the use of traditional walls by cleverly using space and things like screens, partitions and even furniture. It divides a space into zones - such as kitchen, dining room, living room - providing a spacious feel at the same time as giving a sense of separation. 

Photo credit: Cuckooland

The flow of light is one of the most important considerations when looking to create a broken plan. The same light passing through the different sections of a property helps to give off the same cozy feel in each section whilst the openness that the separation provides. To create the ideal broken plan it is important to divide the spaces without sacrificing the light that they share. 

The use of mezzanines helps to visually segregate sections of a property that serve different purposes. This is a feature of our project at Drub Lane which is nearing completion. The house extension in Bradford will contain a mezzanine between the ground floor and the client’s photographic studio. The fitted furniture at the site is also acting as a means of dividing the spaces on the ground floor, with an open bookcase separating the living room from the kitchen dining area without blocking sightlines or losing natural light.

The insertion of half walls is another really effective way of achieving a broken plan as seen in our 2016 project at Aspen Close in Gomersal. They separate the spaces, such as a kitchen and a living room, while still allowing sociability and can typically be used for storing things or decorated to make an interior more attractive.

Of course, a broken plan can be formed as simply as using different finishes for the different zones of the property to make them more distinct. Whether these finishes are with the floor or the use of different paints depends on the style that the client is going for, but as architects we recognise and appreciate the  subtleties of creating these modern day spaces.