Designing a smaller home: look beyond the floor plan

Look at the room from the side

A section is a drawing that slices through the building. It shows relationships that a floor plan can't explain clearly: how a ceiling slopes, where a high window sits and whether the land rises just beyond the room.

I wouldn't raise every ceiling simply because the home is small. I'd ask where extra height would be enjoyable. Perhaps it belongs above the dining table, while a lower ceiling suits the sitting area. That's a preference to explore, rather than a rule about what makes a good room.

Ask your designer to show alternatives within the same footprint. You can then discuss whether the change improves a particular place, and what it means for the roof, structure and overall design.

Make the windows earn their place

I'd give each opening a job. It might frame a tree from your chair, bring daylight above a kitchen bench or provide an outlook while you're standing at the sink. Once that job is clear, you can judge its position more usefully.

In a hypothetical compact living room, replacing a broad low window with a differently proportioned opening might leave a useful wall for furniture. It could also lose a view you love. Draw both options before deciding which compromise suits you.

More glass needs a comfort discussion too. MBIE's passive heating guidance treats window placement and size as part of a wider design involving insulation, heat retention and shading. It also stresses considering passive cooling and ventilation. I would ask how the proposed room will work through the seasons, rather than judge the glazing from a sunny render.

• Mark what each window is intended to do.
• Show the wall space needed beside and below it.
• Ask how shading will affect both daylight and the view.

Let the surroundings take part

A smaller room doesn't have to reveal everything outside. I would look for an outlook worth enjoying from the place where you'll actually spend time. That might be a nearby planted corner rather than the widest available panorama.

The published Malaghan House project describes a compact guest dwelling whose position responds to established trees and views towards Coronet Peak. Its guest accommodation brief is different from a full-time home, but it offers a useful question for your own design: which existing features deserve to shape the room's orientation?

Ask for views you can trust

Before settling the concept, I'd ask for a small set of interior views alongside the plan and section. Choose ordinary positions: sitting on the sofa, entering the room and working at the bench. Keep the furniture realistically sized and show neighbouring buildings, fences and ground levels.

Use the same viewpoint when comparing options. If a room only looks appealing with furniture removed or a very wide camera angle, ask for another view. The drawings should help you make decisions you understand.

• Check the ceiling and window heights against the section.
• Identify what you can actually see when seated.
• Name the improvement you prefer, then check its effect on the rest of the design.

Bring the room you want to feel comfortable in

If you're considering a smaller home, bring your site information and a few images of rooms you like to an initial conversation. Tell me what appeals to you about each one. We can discuss which qualities are relevant to your project and what the next design step should be.