A good plan is the basis of any activity and any well-run construction. Due to the current construction law, the need for a house project is a matter of course. Slightly different is the case of the design of the home space, which is also extremely important and requires careful consideration.
In the case of the space around the house, the regulations mainly regulate such aspects as the location of the building on the plot, access, access and trash. The site plan from the construction project, which is required by law, includes the following information: the plot boundary, the mandatory building line, the location of the building, the entrance to the plot, the main entrance to the building, the location of the dumpster, the entrance to the plot, the entrance to the garage, the location of the terrace, the basic dimensions and distances from the plot boundaries. These elements must be included in the landscaping design. All other aspects are already an individual matter and not required by law. Thus, the construction project takes into account the location of individual elements, but no longer includes their form and function. A properly designed home space, in addition to the aspects mentioned above, should also take into account functional zoning, the specifics of the plot and the neighborhood.
Polbruk Complex slab
photo: © Polbruk
Functional zoning
The first step in designing the area around the property should be zoning. Every area around the house usually has a "technical" zone, i.e. a driveway to the garage, parking spaces and garbage garbage cans, as well as zones: entrance and recreation. The design of the space around the house should assume the separation of these three zones and, depending on the needs, for example, a vegetable garden or a playground for children. It should also take into account such needs as shelter from the wind or privacy (for example, by using a tall hedge or a line of trees). These zones should be connected to each other and to the building in a logical way, e.g. it is advisable to make the "technical" space a bit hidden, the entrance area - to make it easier to get to the door, the children's space, in turn, should be clearly visible from the terrace. Once the zones are separated and laid out, it is necessary to determine the course of the paths connecting them. The next step is to choose the surface.
Terrace in the main role in the recreation zone
In the recreation zone, the main character is usually a comfortable terrace overlooking a beautiful garden. The surface of the terrace can be made of concrete slabs. This is currently one of the most popular solutions. The universality of its use is due to the interesting design of concrete cubes and slabs available on the market, the fast technology of construction and affordability. For the construction of a terrace you can use both fashionable large-format concrete slabs and prefabricated products characterized by smaller formats, which can be arranged in interesting and fashionable patterns. Slabs with a thickness of 4 cm or more are suitable for a terrace. An example of an attractive solution is the Polbruk Lamell slab. It features a large 60×40 cm format and a modern design. Its unquestionable advantage is also the color scheme, which blends perfectly with modern arrangements. In smooth texture, the Lamell slab is available in colors: steel and nerino, in washed texture, similar to natural stone in ritmo_d color, i.e. melange gray. An alternative to large slabs are smaller pieces, such as Polbruk Oland. They have three dimensions: 14×28 cm, 14×42 cm and 14×56 cm, and are available in four color versions: white, nerino, steel and basalt. Oland slabs can be laid traditionally, that is, alternately, or in a herringbone pattern, which is very fashionable at the moment. Polbruk Exa terrace slab is also an interesting proposition. It has the original shape of a slightly modified hecasagon, which is extremely popular in architecture and interior design. Exa measures 56.3×43.2 cm and is available in modern colors: taupe and folk. It can be used to build terraces, but also alleys and paths in the garden.
Polbruk Lamell slab
Photo: © Polbruk
Convenient driveway and parking spaces in the "technical" zone
The "technical" zone, because of its different use, requires the use of concrete cubes and slabs with different utility parameters. Slabs laid on outdoor parking spaces and garage driveway should have a thickness of min. 8 cm. Such thickness is recommended for car traffic up to 3.5 t; for weights above 3.5 t, 10 cm thick slabs are advisable. It is worth checking the properties of each product and the recommendation for its use before purchase in the documents prepared by the manufacturer, in the so-called Declaration of Performance. For driveways and parking spaces, large-size slabs are not likely to be recommended, as they are more prone to mechanical damage, but even here there are exceptions. A large-format solution dedicated specifically to driveways is the Polbruk Magna slab. It is available in sizes of 50×75 cm and 75×100 cm, smooth texture and two colors that perfectly match the modern style - nerino and latte. Polbruk Triada paving block, which is new on the market, is also perfect for driveways. It is available in three sizes: 20×30 cm, 20×40 cm and 20×50 cm, which can be freely combined. It has a thickness of 8 cm, and due to the smaller formats of the individual elements, even at this thickness it can be used for heavier vehicle traffic above 3.5t. Triad has a minimalist design, it does not dominate the space, but "organizes" it visually and adds elegance. It has a smooth texture and comes in as many as 5 colors: nerino, onyx, steel, gray and graphite. One option, which, depending on the size of the driveway and the "technical" zone, is also worth considering, is the use of openwork paving blocks. It is an ecological solution, allows water to pass through and does not require additional rainwater drainage, which may be necessary in the case of full slabs laid over a large area.
Polbruk Magna slab
Photo: © Polbruk
Representative entrance in the entrance area
The main access to the building has by far the highest pedestrian traffic, so here the paving should rather be a solid surface and take into account the needs of the residents of the property. If this path will be traveled by baby carriages or used by ladies who prefer high-heeled shoes, a more convenient solution will be smooth slabs with larger formats and even edges, such as the aforementioned Magna, Oland, Urbanika 60, Triada or Exa.
Good organization of paths
When preparing the design of the space around the house, it is also worth thinking about the order of the paths in the garden. They usually have different weights, which can be accentuated by their width and choice of material. An alley that connects a playground to a terrace tends to have more importance than a path that leads to a vegetable garden. "Technical" paths, such as those going from the main entrance towards the trash should be functional, but not too exposed, so instead of a full pavement, for example, it is worth considering laying individual slabs using the step-by-step method, that is, at equal intervals matching the length of a human step. All of the above-described terrace slabs and those dedicated to driveways can also be used to build footpaths and paths in the garden.
Polbruk Urbanika 60 slab
Photo: © Polbruk
Functional zoning, proper hierarchy of pedestrian routes, properly selected materials in terms of parameters, the style and design of individual elements of the arrangement matching the body of the building, and finally, well-planned greenery are the most important aspects of a successful project for developing the space around the house. All these elements are worth considering well before proceeding.
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Polbruk S.A. is currently the largest manufacturer of paving blocks, concrete slabs and small architecture in the Polish market, and is part of the international concern CRH plc - one of the key distributors of construction materials in the world. Polbruk's product range includes products from the following segments: paving blocks and slabs, architecture and industrial solutions, used in the construction of squares, promenades, parking lots and sidewalks throughout Poland. Polbruk SA is the winner of the Superbrands Poland 2020 award.
Read more on the company's POLBRUK S.A. page on the A&B portal.
