How to choose housing structure and layout

How to choose a house with a reasonable layout? As housing reforms progress, the proportion of individuals purchasing homes is increasing, and thus the demands regarding house layouts are rising as well. Whether the layout of a house is reasonable or not is an important factor that influences consumers’ decision to buy. In this regard, there are several points that homebuyers should keep in mind. 　　(1) Choosing a floor plan based on usage 　　How should consumers choose a floor plan for a residence? Based on their layout, residential units can be classified into: single-family apartments, two-bedroom one-living-room apartments, two-bedroom two-living-room apartments, three-bedroom one-living-room apartments, three-bedroom two-living-room apartments, four-bedroom two-living-room apartments, etc. Based on sectional changes, they can be classified into: complex type, step-type, offset-type, etc. When making a choice, consumers should consider both the plan view and the cross-section. For apartment types such as one-bedroom with one living room, two-bedroom with one living room, and two-bedroom with two living rooms, since the primary goal is to meet functional requirements and space constraints are strict, a design without large-scale movements in the cross-section should be chosen. For high-standard residences such as single-family apartments, three-bedroom-two-living-room homes, and four-bedroom-two-living-room homes, it is desirable for there to be variations in their cross-sections. If everything is developed from a single elevation, the spatial feel becomes rather rigid, and walkways are also required. By taking into account the changes in the profile, horizontal corridors will be reduced, thereby creating an additional layer in the space. Therefore, when choosing such residences, consumers should opt for designs with varying cross-sections. From the perspective of floor plan design, ultra-large and ultra-small apartment styles do not meet the needs of the general public; instead, apartments with a moderate size, separate functional areas for different rooms, and two living rooms, two bathrooms, and two balconies are more popular. 　　The currently popular mezzanine design and outdoor corridor-style kitchen and bathroom design are favored by more consumers, offering promising sales prospects. 　　(II) House layouts vary from place to place. Due to historical reasons, there are differences in the layout of residential properties in different areas; compared to cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen, the housing layouts in Beijing are indeed relatively outdated. There are mainly two reasons for this: Firstly, Beijing has very strict requirements regarding height limits and building spacing. Considering the plot ratio, developers, in an effort to maximize the available floor area, are forced to compromise on the rational design of the apartment units ； Furthermore, in the past, the main consumers in Beijing’s housing market were organizations with collective purchasing power; when buying homes, they focused more on the size of the residence and the number of rooms, with fewer requirements regarding the layout of the apartment. This also caused developers to neglect the improvement and innovation of apartment layouts. The lack of market pressure naturally results in lack of innovation in apartment design in Beijing, leaving it behind cities in the south. 　　(III) Outdoor landscapes are becoming increasingly popular When purchasing a home, factors such as the size of the residence, the number of rooms, the orientation, and the internal layout are all important considerations. However, there is a new trend among buyers these days: they tend to pay less attention to the orientation of the rooms, while placing greater emphasis on the outdoor landscape. If the outdoor view is beautiful, even units facing north, which are traditionally considered to have a poor view, can be appreciated. This is mainly because people are busy with work these days and have less time to rest at home during the day. Additionally, with the widespread use of appliances such as air conditioners, people’s demand for natural conditions like sunlight has decreased, while their desire for beautiful scenery has increased. 　　(IV) Choose the living room first and then the bedroom, in that order. When purchasing a home, customers consider the priority of different areas in the dwelling: first, they check whether the living room is functional, taking into account factors such as its size and layout ； The second is the rationality of the master bedroom, such as its size, lighting conditions, and privacy ； Third is the function of a relatively independent restaurant ； The fourth factor to consider is the kitchen environment; a spacious and functional kitchen is often valued more by customers than a secondary bedroom ； Fifth is the secondary bedroom (study, guest room) ； Finally, consider the balcony. 　　Additionally, when selecting and designing the hall, floor width is also a relatively critical factor. The width of the surface can cause great inconvenience in use. It is generally advisable to have a height of over 3.9 meters; at the very least, 3.6 meters should be sufficient. 　　As the master bedroom has gradually become an important living space for people, its functions have increased significantly compared to before, which in turn requires an expansion of its size. In terms of layout design, the introduction of walk-in closets has also made the layout of the master bedroom more flexible, allowing for an appropriate increase in the room’s depth.

First, choose the location and apartment size based on your financial capabilities; then select the apartment layout according to that size. A more expensive option is not necessarily the best – what’s best is what suits you and is within your budget!

What types of structures are there in current housing models? The most frequently mentioned is the frame structure. I also know that frame-shear wall structures are more robust, especially as they offer much better resistance to horizontal torque. But are there any commercial housing units with this type of structure? I really lack knowledge about commercial housing

On the 2nd floor, Zhangya*ong has already discussed in detail the issues related to \"construction\"; here are some additional points. 1. Developer investigations: Developers come in various sizes, and some larger ones have their own design firms, or even their own construction companies. In other cases, the design firms and construction teams are not owned by the developer, and there is no direct relationship between the designers and the developer. I can’t say which one is better; that’s the reality of things. Everyone should understand the details for themselves and decide for themselves what to do. So before buying a house, take a look at what kind of model the developer uses. (Aside: Perhaps this could be useful as a reference for friends who haven’t graduated yet when looking for jobs – what kind of job can help one grow faster?) ) II. Investigation into urban planning: This will be briefly mentioned – the location of the residential complex; was it previously a chemical plant, a shooting range, or something similar? ； Check the local wind rose to see the relationship between the building’s orientation, the orientation of the windows, and the prevailing wind directions throughout the year ； Are there any chemical plants, cement factories, paper mills, or other similar facilities in the upwind area? ； If there are rivers, what kinds of things are there upstream? ； Check what other plans there are for the area around the community, and what will emerge in the future. III. Investigation of foundation systems: Refer to Chapter 4 \"Site, Foundation, and Substructure\" of the \"Code for Seismic Design of Buildings\" GB 50011-2001. Past earthquakes have shown that pile foundations are more resistant to seismic forces than natural foundations, and areas with excavations are more resilient to seismic impacts than areas with fill soil. This is easy to investigate – what was the site like before, and is it now filled in or excavated? I also need to check whether it is an area at risk of seismic disasters (by referring to the regulations and their explanatory notes). Having dealt with many slope-related projects, I’m now too afraid to buy houses at the top or bottom of slopes when looking for a home. Only two kinds of people dare to buy them: those who are bold, and those who don’t understand anything; the ignorant are fearless. If there are people at the local geological or seismological agency, I’ll check whether there are any \"active faults\" in the area (by referring to the \"Code for Geotechnical Investigation\" or the \"Handbook of Engineering Geology\"). I don’t care whether such faults have been inactive for many years or won’t be active for many years to come; who knows? If an earthquake does occur, the buildings will simply be torn apart. IV. Investigating the structure is quite difficult; developers and design firms will not provide you with the structural diagrams (it’s a matter of intellectual property rights, not the consumer’s right to know). However, as seen in the Wenchuan earthquake, no high-rise buildings collapsed, and I believe that the current High-Rise Building Code has withstood the test. Shear wall structures are still better than frame structures (for high-rise buildings, shear wall structures are the only option). As for villas, their seismic resistance is somewhat poor. To create a larger living room, there should be no columns at the corners, and the design needs to be practical, etc. Often, the framework isn’t properly structured throughout; there are also beam-supported columns and irregularly shaped columns, etc. (The calculation results for irregularly shaped columns using PKPM are quite strange, and many people doubt them) – it’s really annoying. Let the rich people live in villas; I’m not interested in them. V. Feng shui investigation (Moderator, does this count as discussing something other than technology?) ? ) As for what’s inside the house, there are countless possibilities; those who are interested can look it up in books. Here I’ll just give an example from my own experience. There is a retaining wall that makes a sharp angle at the turn, creating a pointed corner that faces the entrance of a house; as a result, it’s difficult to sell that house. People say that such a situation brings bad luck and negative energy. Is feng shui valid? Who knows? I’m a materialist; I don’t see any evidence to the contrary, so I prefer to believe it exists rather than assume it doesn’t.

For the layout, the orientation is still important; generally, people prefer the side facing the sunrise

Based on their layout, residential units can be classified into: single-family apartments, two-bedroom one-living-room apartments, two-bedroom two-living-room apartments, three-bedroom one-living-room apartments, three-bedroom two-living-room apartments, four-bedroom two-living-room apartments, etc. Based on sectional changes, they can be classified into: complex type, step-type, offset-type, etc. When making a choice, consumers should consider both the plan view and the cross-section. For apartment types such as one-bedroom with one living room, two-bedroom with one living room, and two-bedroom with two living rooms, since the primary goal is to meet functional requirements and space constraints are strict, a design without large-scale movements in the cross-section should be chosen. For high-standard residences such as single-family apartments, three-bedroom-two-living-room homes, and four-bedroom-two-living-room homes, it is desirable for there to be variations in their cross-sections. If everything is developed from a single elevation, the spatial feel becomes rather rigid, and walkways are also required. By taking into account the changes in the profile, horizontal corridors will be reduced, thereby creating an additional layer in the space. Therefore, when choosing such residences, consumers should opt for designs with varying cross-sections. From the perspective of floor plan design, ultra-large and ultra-small apartment styles do not meet the needs of the general public; instead, apartments with a moderate size, separate functional areas for different rooms, and two living rooms, two bathrooms, and two balconies are more popular. 　　The currently popular designs include mezzanine layouts and kitchen/bathroom arrangements with an external corridor.

I’m very grateful to all the house-hunters, especially those on the 5th floor, for their introductions; now I know what to pay attention to when viewing houses next time