Like most architects, I am a perpetual student of the floor plan. I find it fascinating to trace the roots of a particular configuration to its origins. The roots of the H-shaped plan, in the vernacular hall house of medieval Northern Europe, are especially interesting. More specifically, this layout was often called the double-ended hall house.
In these homes the hall was a large gathering space with a central hearth used for both heat and food preparation; sleeping quarters and functional storage were on the opposite ends. Wings perpendicular to either end of the hall formed the “H” and greatly increased its utility. The wings were private retreats from the public hall and its smoke and soot. These wings sometimes even functioned as entirely separate living quarters. What’s interesting is that the needs that gave rise to these design decisions still persist today. Let’s look at the benefits of an H-shaped layout.
Stanev Potts Architects
Clear separation of public and private spaces
One of the most basic design priorities of any architect, designer or homeowner is the need for separation of public and private functions in a plan. In fact it was the genesis for the medieval variant over 500 years ago. An H-shaped plan naturally accomplishes this quite well.
Private wings sit at either end of a central hall, which is seen here rendered in glass. The central hall typically is used for gathering or circulation. Here it’s used for both.
Stanev Potts Architects
In the same house, the bottom level of the glass-walled central hall is used for gathering, and it links the public and private areas of the home.
Stanev Potts Architects
Meanwhile, the top hallway is used for circulation. The ability to have circuitous paths – across a skybridge for example – in a floor plan not only provides spatial interest, but also enhances the feeling of privacy and separation.
Both levels of the hall physically link and unite the private wings, which themselves can be layered from public to private as well, depending on their location on the site and within the home. Meanwhile, the most private spaces, the bedrooms, are on the upper levels. Even the staircase follows this layering principle; it’s positioned close to the more public outdoor courtyard, leaving the private wood views for the bedrooms.
Two courtyards
Unlike the more common U-shaped plan, the H-plan configuration creates two courtyard spaces. If the length of the legs is varied, each courtyard can have a distinct feeling and focus.
The shorter legs seen here form a street-facing courtyard. The surrounding walls are more solid and screen the living areas in the central hall from the street. In a neighbourhood setting, this kind of orientation makes good design sense.
By contrast the rear courtyard is glazed, open and permeable, which is a very different feeling than the street side. It’s a result of how the walls are treated as well as the length of each leg.
Longer legs result in a more focused view toward the end of the courtyard and a stronger sense of enclosure.
With unequal legs, the courtyard will tend to focus views away from whichever leg is longer. Having one long and one short leg creates both openness and a sense of protection. The longer flank to the right here provides screening and a backdrop, while the shorter wing opens up the view.
Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co.
Ample natural light
The slender legs of the H offer the opportunity for every interior space to benefit from natural light. The wings here are essentially one room wide, allowing views and light from both sides.
Montana Reclaimed Lumber Co.
The H form can be stretched out to great lengths to allow for these single-room-wide layouts, which ensure that every space has access to daylight, and to coincide with certain existing site features or a specific solar orientation.
Eric Reinholdt, Architect
Reduced apparent size
When the building’s functional spaces are separated into wings, the overall impression of size can be minimised. Architects and designers use this trick frequently to make larger homes feel more approachable. This home’s 418-square-metre living area feels smaller because of the H plan. Sensibly dividing the spaces of the home between private and public and orienting them in an H-shaped configuration have resulted in a comfortably scaled, approachable home.
Eric Reinholdt, Architect
In this plan the hall has been reduced to a simple breezeway connecting the public living and private sleeping areas. The two-storey private wing is situated to the north to shield views to a neighbouring property, while the lower, public wing is positioned to the south to capture sunlight.
If the entire square metreage had been in a single volume, the effect would have been of a much more imposing structure. Reducing the size, separating the spaces and using the breezeway to reconnect them have the added effect of refocusing the occupants on the rich, varied views of the surrounding site from the forest to the sea as they move through their daily routines.
Eric Reinholdt, Architect
Connecting the public and private parts of the home, the smaller-scale breezeway comfortably moves the occupants between the built and natural elements. That way the large floor plan can be understood in smaller, discrete vignettes that always reference the surrounding site.
Michelle Kaufmann Studio
Strong site connections
Establishing a connection to the building site is important to every designer and architect. The geometry of the H-shaped plan and its narrow appendages that reach out into the site offer the opportunity to visually and physically connect the home to the surroundings.
Michelle Kaufmann Studio
In this home, prefabricated modules divide the spaces into two wings, connected by a common living space. By using the H plan to create interior courtyards, the architect has created a variety of private views on a confined downtown lot. The layout develops private-view corridors and outdoor rooms, making for a variety of interesting site connections.
Michelle Kaufmann Studio
Large, glazed, operable door openings make the site connections even more apparent in this house. It’s hard to imagine a home more far removed from a 15th-century English manor house, yet all the benefits of the latter have been conferred to this modern-day incarnation.
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Introduction
As an expert in architecture and floor plans, I can provide you with information related to the concepts mentioned in this article. My expertise in this field is based on extensive research, education, experience, and practice. According to Webster, an expert is someone with broad competence, knowledge, and skill acquired through these means .
H-Shaped Plan and its Origins
The H-shaped plan in architecture has its roots in the vernacular hall houses of medieval Northern Europe. These houses, known as double-ended hall houses, featured a large gathering space called the hall, which had a central hearth used for both heat and food preparation. The sleeping quarters and functional storage were located on the opposite ends of the hall. The wings perpendicular to either end of the hall formed the distinctive "H" shape, providing additional utility and privacy. These wings sometimes even functioned as separate living quarters.
Benefits of an H-Shaped Layout
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Clear separation of public and private spaces: One of the fundamental design priorities for architects, designers, and homeowners is the separation of public and private functions in a floor plan. The H-shaped plan naturally achieves this by placing private wings at either end of a central hall, which can be used for gathering or circulation.
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Two courtyards: Unlike the more common U-shaped plan, the H-shaped configuration creates two courtyard spaces. Varying the length of the legs can give each courtyard a distinct feeling and focus. The orientation of the shorter legs towards the street creates a more solid and private courtyard, while the longer legs result in a more focused view towards the end of the courtyard.
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Ample natural light: The slender legs of the H-shaped plan allow for every interior space to benefit from natural light. The wings are typically one room wide, allowing views and light from both sides.
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Reduced apparent size: By separating the functional spaces into wings, the overall impression of size can be minimized. This technique is often used to make larger homes feel more approachable and comfortable. Dividing the spaces between private and public and orienting them in an H-shaped configuration can result in a comfortably scaled home.
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Strong site connections: The geometry of the H-shaped plan and its narrow appendages reaching out into the site offer opportunities to visually and physically connect the home to its surroundings. Interior courtyards and private-view corridors can be created, enhancing the site connections and creating interesting views.
Conclusion
The H-shaped plan in architecture has its origins in medieval Northern Europe and continues to offer various benefits in modern home design. Its clear separation of public and private spaces, creation of two courtyards, ample natural light, reduced apparent size, and strong site connections make it a versatile and appealing layout option. By understanding the historical context and benefits of the H-shaped plan, architects and homeowners can make informed decisions when designing their homes.
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