Matakuliah
Tahun
: Konstruksi Bangunan II
: 2008/2009
Pemahaman Teori Dasar
Konstruksi Bangunan Bertingkat Rendah
Pertemuan 4
Elemen-elemen Konstruksi Bangunan Bertingkat Rendah:
Split Level
Teori split level dan teknik penggambarannya
Interior
A stroll through most bi-level homes reveals a hodge-podge of looks and
styles that generally lack harmony. In most cases the furnishings are run-ofthe-mill, and the arrangements are unimaginative. In short, the interior of the
average bi-level is dismal.
But it really doesn't have to be that way...
The logic goes that because most bi-levels have a similar floorplan, the
layout of the rooms and the furnishings will have a sameness as a matter of
course. Look at your neighbors homes, and you'll agree. If your couch and
loveseat aren't in the exact same arrangement as theirs, you probably tried
it that way or even had it that way for awhile. Then you shifted things around
because it was dull. Chances are it still is. If you visit enough neighbors,
you'll even find identical furniture, purchased from this or that popular
furniture store.
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Because there are lines in the house, we tend to color inside the
lines. We seldom consider being innovative, despite the fact that
the bi-level floorplan is one of the easiest to modify. You can add
walls where there are none, or take down walls if it will help
(consult a licensed contractor or engineer first, or do so at your
own peril). For example, if you have an open floorplan but really
desire a bungalow look, you simply add archways between the
open rooms. If you want a Victorian feel, add walls with very
narrow entries. And if you want a thoroughly contemporary look,
remove walls and put new ones in on different angles. Put an
open counter between kitchen and living room. Put a low reading
loft in the attic and add in a steel spiral staircase.
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Another common complaint about average-sized bi-levels is lack
of a master suite. This is often a case of "too many walls" rather
than "too little space." In the example below, the first floorplan is
the "stock" or standard house from a highly competent developer.
The second is the exact same house with a few simple wall
changes. By moving the third bedroom downstairs (not shown)
and opening up the space, the cramped master bedroom can be
"opened up" with a large luxurious room complete with doublesized whirlpool and walk-in closet. Now that is a master suite.
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Top: Standard bi-level plan, three bedrooms upstairs.
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Below: By moving the third bedroom downstairs, the cramped master
bedroom becomes a luxurious master suite.
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A more in-depth study of the floorplans above reveals a host of
other opportunities for changing the character of this house.
Notice the open floorplan between living room, dining room, and
kitchen. This is ideal for contemporary style...Scandinavian
furnishings would be ideal for this house. Santa Fe style would
also look fantastic here. City modern, art deco, even
western/ranch would work great. But if your style, furnishings and
decorating taste lean anything toward Victorian, Louis XIV,
Queen Anne, Chippendale, Federal or even New England
Colonial...anything along those lines, the wide open floor plan
will be a disaster. Division between rooms is quite important in
this case; let's remake the house for a formal sense of style:
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Above: Using walls between living room, dining room and kitchen manages to
preserve the flow of traffic, yet creates the barriers necessary for a formal lifestyle.
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Let's keep exploring. Suppose the open floorplan isn't for
you, yet you don't want the confining quarters of a formal
home. Maybe your style is less defined, or a hodgepodge of decorating themes. In this case, we'll opt for the
bungalow feel -- rooms are clearly defined by entryways,
but the entryways are large enough so that guests feel
no barriers moving from room to room...
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Above: Using walls to define entryways between living room, dining room and kitchen
preserves each room as an individual unit, yet facilitates easy transition from room to
room. These rooms flow into one another, which works well with a more casual decor.
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Decorating
Bear in mind that the decorating style should be coherent through the
home, or at least harmonize. Now it's tough to tell a 15 year old that her
bedroom should have a particular style...and that's fine. Let your child's
imagination run wild in the private living spaces. But in your living areas,
kitchen, den, and bath(s), some design cohesiveness is best.
Most raised ranches are decorated in what could best be described as
"eclectic." Then again, most American homes are that way, and there's
nothing wrong with it. Obviously your exterior style will have some
determination on your interior. Beyond that, realize that most splits are
mid-20th century homes, and have existed during a prolific age of
changing styles and tastes. Almost anything will work. But you should be
aware that not all styles work as well as others in the average raised
ranch.
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Does your exterior scream 1980 contemporary? A modern,
Scandinavian style will work infinitely better than a cluttered
Victorian look. Queen Anne will do better than Georgian; Prairie
style will be more at home than Santa Fe. But again, if your RR is
on a Florida waterway, the rules change completely.
Another consideration is your personal style and ethnicity. Are you
a dark haired Italian beauty? If so, Tuscan style will work better
than Arts & Crafts. If you are of Oriental descent, work with
it...whatever your background, it is part of what makes you unique,
and it should be celebrated. A family of blondes with Northern
European lineage should not strive for a tribal style.
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Have you read through our "Fresh Approach" page? If you
haven't, take a moment to do so. You'll do best to avoid "trendy"
styles in favor of proven, classic looks. (Just watch how the
currently popular and altogether ghastly "shabby/chic" disappears
in a few years). One technique you might try is to find some older
design/decorating books and magazines; perhaps at thrift shops,
rummage sales, etc. Look at the photos that still look acceptable
today -- there won't be many -- and you'll be looking at examples
of timeless decorating styles.
Use common sense, visit your library, find things that fit your
lifestyle. With enough research, careful planning, some
experimentation -- and then more study and planning -- you can
find a successful style that works for you.
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