National features of the construction of residential real estate

Recommendation points

• Typical American home
• Apartment in Japan – minimalism in action
• Swiss chalet
• Passive Scandinavian House

Real estate in different countries of the world always has its own characteristics, due to the local climate, traditions and mentality. The current situation allows us to highlight the main points that become the main feature of residential real estate in Israel, Japan, France or the United States..

In Israel, apartments with windows facing both sides of the world are especially appreciated, since it is this layout that allows you to arrange a draft on hot days in order to save on the operation of the air conditioner and ensure the most efficient air circulation.

The attitude to housing located on the first and last floors in Israel is very different from the Russian one. So, apartments on the first floors are in great demand and are often more expensive than the rest of the living area of ​​the house. Firstly, they are always cooler, and secondly, Israeli apartments on the lower floors of an apartment building very often have their own small plot of land – a front garden, a patio, which allows you to equip your own green corner in the center of a big city.

The peculiarity of a typical Israeli apartment is a small kitchen, which is used exclusively for cooking, and not for gatherings with the whole family..

The last floors, of course, are considered the hottest, and therefore not too prestigious, but the owners of such housing have the opportunity to add an additional floor and become the happy owners of a spacious penthouse or duplex apartment. Therefore, Israelis often make a choice in favor of an apartment on the top floor, since this housing has the prospect of increasing living space.

Another feature of a typical Israeli apartment is the small kitchen, which is used solely for cooking and not for family gatherings. The so-called “salon” becomes the center of housing, that is, the living room, which often occupies half of the living space and serves as a meeting place for the whole family and a place for receiving guests. A balcony or loggia is always used as efficiently as possible, often they become a place for evening tea or gatherings with friends, as well as a greenhouse, where not only ordinary indoor plants grow, but also vegetables, herbs, and citrus fruits.

Typical American home

In the United States of America, the most prestigious are not apartments, but private residential buildings. It is the United States that is one of the world leaders in the category of the amount of living space per person. Living in a small rented apartment, the layout of which is quite comparable to our Khrushchevs, is becoming a common situation in the United States, until the moment when a young American decides to start a family. After that, the newlyweds, even those who work in the center of the metropolis, try to move out of town, to their own house, acquired on credit, since it is generally believed that it is in such conditions that it is best to raise children..

Grant Wood. American Gothic. 1930

The typical American home is a private property located in a quiet suburb, the main features of which are the combined kitchen, dining room and living room. Most often, such a house has two entrances – a front one, with a carefully trimmed lawn, usually not fenced off, and also a back one, leading to a courtyard carefully hidden from prying eyes..

Another feature of the typical American home is that the number of bathrooms usually matches the number of bedrooms. It is generally accepted that it is the presence of a bathroom and a toilet for each family member that is the main criterion for the comfort of a home. So, the parents’ bedroom can have two bathrooms at once – for each adult family member. Such premises are equipped in accordance with the tastes of the sole owner, and a separate bathroom is allocated for the guests of the house..

In the decoration of American houses, the most modern materials, fashionable furniture are used, and the presence of a pool in the yard becomes an indicator of the wealth of the owners.

Apartment in Japan – minimalism in action

All the features of a typical Japanese apartment are due not only to national traditions, but also to the fact that real estate in this eastern country is one of the most expensive in the world, so not every Japanese can buy even the smallest one-room apartment in Tokyo, despite the rather high level income.

Miyagawa Shuntei. Nihonga. 1897

That is why in Japan so many couples live with their parents, so that two or three generations are often accommodated in a small area. Interestingly, the dimensions of a room in Japan are not measured in square meters, but in tatami. So, the bedroom usually has dimensions of 6-8 tatami, on which they really sleep, and for the day they are removed in special niches. And even in the apartments of the most modern Japanese, who want to equip their dwellings in a typical European style, there is still one room with a tatami, which is called washitsu – “wasitsu”.

The partitions between rooms are always very thin, often traditional screens take their place, so it is not surprising that it is in Japan that the so-called “love hotels” are especially popular, where any couple can rent an inexpensive room for a couple of hours.

In the decoration of the apartment, the Japanese prefer to use only natural materials – wooden floors, plastered walls, walnut or oak furniture.

Apartments with small plots of land in front of the house or roof gardens are highly prized.

Another feature of Japanese residential real estate is the obligatory presence of a bathroom, shower cabins have not taken root in this country, since the Japanese love to soak up the foam, considering this the best way to wash away the stress accumulated over a long working day. In this regard, bathrooms in Japan are usually separate, since a bath can be taken for a very long time, and it is not customary to disturb a person relaxing in hot water..

It is worth remembering that Japan is located in a zone of frequent earthquakes, so residential buildings are being built taking into account the possibility of this dangerous natural disaster. Houses in the village are usually very lightweight, wooden, the foundation is not erected, and the walls are a structure of load-bearing columns and light wooden panels.

Swiss chalet

The name “chalet” translates as “shepherd’s hut” and means a small country house, built in such a way as to harmoniously fit into the surrounding landscape. The main feature of the chalet is the protruding eaves and a sloping roof, on which snow traps well, providing additional warmth for the upper floor. Such a house is being built only of wood, but if the building has several floors, then the first of them is built of brick or natural stone, and the upper ones are made of wooden beams.

Eric Dovetta. Chalet d’Alpage. 2007

The warmth and comfort of a real country house, reliable, weatherproof in the mountains and in severe winters – these are the distinguishing features of a typical Swiss chalet. A fairly low ceiling, natural wood preserved in the wall decoration, massive beams on the ceiling, an indispensable fireplace, cute little things such as a cuckoo clock, simple but solid furniture, an abundance of textiles, leather and fur are the main features of the interior of a typical chalet. The attic floor always has a sloping roof, which makes the bedrooms and study located here especially cozy and original.

Of course, in modern chalets, which can now be found in the Moscow region, shingles or shingles on the roof are replaced with ordinary metal tiles, houses are equipped with an open terrace or even a balcony, but the presence of a fireplace on the basement and the use of natural materials in interior decoration, as well as overhanging edges of the roof remain unchanged.

Passive Scandinavian House

As in the case of Israeli apartments, the differences between Scandinavian houses are mainly due to the peculiarities of the climate. And if in the case of a typical Israeli apartment, the need to ensure air circulation and protection from heat comes to the fore, then in the northern states located on the Scandinavian Peninsula, the main task becomes precisely the preservation of heat and the use of energy-saving technologies..

The term “passive house” appeared not so long ago, but the very principle of constructing buildings that retain heat as efficiently as possible arose several thousand years ago, when northern peoples began to build their plagues and igloos, which did not need additional heating, as due to only the warmth of the inhabitants maintained a completely comfortable temperature.

Kalle Lochen. View from Christiania – Oslo. 1884

A modern passive house in Norway, Sweden, Finland is a wooden, brick or stone structure with large south-facing windows, the outer walls of the building have an extremely high level of thermal insulation. Usually the walls are insulated both inside and outside, so that in the end they do not release heat and do not let cold in. Also a mandatory component of a passive or, as they say, non-volatile house, are vacuum glass units, economical lighting and the installation of high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems.

In general, the construction of such a house, which has become one of the most popular in the Scandinavian countries, is somewhat more expensive than the construction of an ordinary residential facility, but within two to three years all costs are paid off by saving money on heating and energy costs.

As for the interior decoration of the house, the abundance of wood, natural fabrics, the functionality of each room have become integral features of a passive house in the Scandinavian countries..

Of course, these are far from all the most interesting examples of national residential real estate, but it is simply impossible to cover all the existing options in one article. In addition, a typical European apartment in the past few years has become universal and does not differ too much in Germany, France or Austria, so in general we can confidently talk about the trend towards globalization in the real estate market and the blurring of differences between residential properties in different countries..