Article was written by Rhett Selvan.
It is remarkable how things change! 85 years ago we were in the middle of the art deco era and today we are in what is known as contemporary architecture. Modern living requirements are very different in comparison to what they were 80 years ago, and no doubt they will continue to evolve and change, especially considering today’s energy crises and the carbon footprint aspect. Although a lot of the new glass and concrete designs are not to everyone’s taste, they certainly do have their appeal, unfortunately, concrete generally is not very eco-friendly, but there are many advantages as well.
The most obvious change, however, is how our living space has changed and our requirements along with it. Many older buildings offer numerous possibilities in terms of modernization without losing their old-world charm and many options become available with a bit of foresight and planning.
For example, up until the 1980’s many homes (and this still happens) consisted of two or more bathrooms and yet none were en-suite? In most cases, it is no longer expensive to make bathrooms en-suite, is a much more user-friendly option and makes life so much easier. Another exmaple of an outdated common trend was the seperation of the kitchen and dining room area. Nowadays, with modern design and open plan living that is generally no longer the case and so the possibilities are almost endless. This way, space is used far more effectively, as many areas have become multi-functional. The kitchen, for example, can be integrated into the living entertaining area without loss of function, home offices can be incorporated into a multitude of places, modern high powered extraction systems can now keep the home odor free, and lighting has become fully adjustable, so it doesn’t compromise the living/dining/cooking/office spaces.
By upgrading to modern layouts, materials, and design you find that you can easily increase your useable space and get far better flow and use from the same square meterage.
One of the most current topics, as our planet is facing an environmental crisis, is energy efficiency.
*Switzerland is one of the cleanest suppliers of energy in Europe, where the supply is made up as follows:
Hydro – 54%
Nuclear – 34%
Solar – 6%
Bioenergy – 5%
Oil/Petroleum products and manufactured gas – 1%
Although nuclear energy isn’t popular, it is clean and it is our government who will ultimately decide where our power comes from and, we (hopefully) believe that they will do what is required in terms of the planet’s emissions and their role in keeping at lower levels.
We all have a role to play, and ours, on an individual level, is to consume as little of what the government makes available to us as possible and one of the first ways to do this is in our living environment. The amount of wasted energy in some homes is utterly anstounding (this is especially true for older properties) where homes are heated by antiquated and high energy consumption heating systems. Draughty windows and doors, poor insulation, leaking taps, faucets and toilets, high energy lighting, lack of proper recycling stations and the list goes on.
With all the above in mind, when you are considering, buying, changing, designing or building your new home, apartment, or office, consider using an English-speaking professional who has spent decades in the industry and has experience ranging from design & budget control to feasibility studies & project management services.
Rhett Selvan architectural design and drawing services building consultancy is able assist you in all aspects of your project. I can presonally guide you through what is essentially unknown territory for most and make your experience a positive one.
*Information source ch.ch
