Your question for a local Architect: January 2021 Edition

Of all the spaces in your house, your bedroom is the only place you can really consider your private sanctuary.

So as you’re building your home with an architect in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale, you need to make some key decisions to make this space perfect for your needs.

But the lingering question is: do you really need a window for your bedroom? This is what your local and trusted architect might tell you:

The legal requirements

As a general rule of thumb, you’ll need two exit points—a door and a window—as part of your planning permission to legally declare a space a bedroom.

Your architect in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale will explain this as a form of escape in cases of fire. This is why it’s very important to work with an experienced firm like Belal Rashid Technical Architecture to know the legal requirements set by the International Residential Code (IRC) for all residential dwellings including: 

·         Proper space. A room needs to be at least 70 square feet and measure at least 7 feet in all directions including the ceiling height.

·         Temperature control. A bedroom doesn’t require an air conditioner because it can already satisfy a space’s cooling requirements. However, the IRC requires a bedroom to have a dedicated heat source that should be installed in the room itself.

·         Means of exit. All bedrooms should have at least two separate means of exit in the event of a fire. At least one of these egress points should be a window.  

Your local building code may also have additional architecture requirements for bedrooms that your architect in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale should comply with.  

The alternatives:  

Now, there are many instances when a bedroom doesn’t have a window because it wasn’t supposed to be a sleeping area in the planning permission. So if you’re renovating a house with a windowless bedroom, you could work with your architect in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale in implementing these alternatives: 

·         Use drapes. If you’re not willing to spend on a new set of windows or if the space doesn’t allow it, you can ask your local and trusted architect to incorporate drapes into your interiors instead. Drapes give you the illusion of a window without having one and it also adds to the overall look of your bedroom. 

·         Use a lot of lights. Any architect would suggest that you add a lot of lighting if your bedroom doesn’t have any windows. Ambient lighting is especially a great way to make a room feel brighter even if it has no source of natural light.  

You can also let your architect in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale play with different lighting to give your room a cozy and warm feel. 

Finally, it’s smart to add mirrors to your windowless bedroom to add depth to the space and allow for light to reflect on it.  

If you need help with building a new house or renovating an existing one, make sure to get in touch with our team and we’ll assign an experienced architect in Oldham, Ashton-under-Lyne and Rochdale to work with you.