House plans start from a single room unit to a room with a bedroom, 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, to more complex plans as requested by a client.
Single rooms are usually a minimum of 3 meters by 3 meters. This size is tied to the size of an average bed, 2 meters by 1 meter. They are common among the low-income rental housing sector and around universities and colleges that will need to house students. These are not described in the current Building Code as residential units; however, some councils in Kenya, such as the Nakuru Municipal Council, have passed statutes allowing approval of these units.
The bedrooms are much larger; approximately 3 meters by 5 meters and include a larger space that fits a small kitchen and a living room.
One-bedroom units consist of a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. In general, they have a minimum of 30 square meters of surface. These and 2-bedroom units are very common for rental units.
Units with 3 bedrooms and above are not common as rental units due to lack of demand. Another easier method of selecting this type of house plans is to search for house plans on the internet and then ask your architect to adapt the plan to our area Building Code and Kenya Local Authority regulations.
The Kenya Building Code outlines the minimum sizes and dimensions of living spaces. For bedrooms, the minimum dimensions are 2.5 meters by 2.5 meters. For Kitchens, the dimensions are 2 meters by 2.4 meters.
The minimum floor to ceiling height is described as 2.35 meters for a living space.
Once all minimum floor plan dimensions are met, the house plan is approved by the local authority.
Your architect makes sure that the house plan meets all the minimum requirements laid out in the Building Code and from here, he can outline any extravagant shape you like.