Level Changes: Defining Spaces

Typically the floors of a house are treated not as topographies with changes in level but as continuous flat surfaces, extending from exterior wall to exterior wall and partitioned into rooms. This applies to apartments, one-story homes, and houses with multiple floors, often stacked floors connected by stairs. But of course this is not always the case. Split-level houses may require intermediate levels. Mezzanines may be inserted into tall spaces. And who can forget conversation pits?

Changes in level inside houses may be more expensive than flat floor plates, and they may be discouraging to people who have difficulty climbing steps. But when desired and even necessary they serve a purpose that often improves the character of a home's spaces.

The following examples highlight the ways that level changes impact the flow of interior spaces, be they open, closed, or somewhere in between. The vertical changes range from one step to half a floor.