Editing House (section)

== Elements ==

=== Layout ===
[[File:Gingerbread House Essex CT.jpg|thumb|Example of an early [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] "Gingerbread House" in [[Connecticut]], United States, built in 1855]]

Ideally, [[architect]]s of houses design [[room]]s to meet the needs of the people who will live in the house. [[Feng shui]], originally a [[China|Chinese]] method of moving houses according to such factors as rain and micro-climates, has recently expanded its scope to address the design of interior spaces, with a view to promoting harmonious effects on the people living inside the house, although no actual effect has ever been demonstrated. Feng shui can also mean the "aura" in or around a dwelling, making it comparable to the [[real estate]] sales concept of "indoor-outdoor flow".

The [[square footage]] of a house in the United States reports the area of "living space", excluding the garage and other non-living spaces. The "square metres" figure of a house in Europe reports the area of the walls enclosing the home, and thus includes any attached garage and non-living spaces.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Land Management: Challenges and Strategies|last=Iyyer|first=Chaitanya|publisher=Global India Publications Pvt Ltd|year=2009|isbn=978-9380228488|edition=First}}</ref> The number of floors or levels making up the house can affect the square footage of a home.

[[File:Vogelhaus Modell Eduard 4.JPG|thumb|right|[[Nest box|Birdhouse]] made to look like a human domicile]]
Humans often build houses for domestic or [[Wildlife|wild animals]], often resembling smaller versions of human domiciles. [[Familiar animal]] houses built by humans include [[birdhouse]]s, [[henhouse|hen house]]s and [[doghouse|dog house]]s, while housed agricultural animals more often live in [[barn]]s and [[stable]]s.

=== Parts ===
Many houses have several large rooms with specialized functions and several very small rooms for other various reasons. These may include a living/eating area, a sleeping area, and (if suitable facilities and services exist) separate or combined washing and [[Toilet (room)|lavatory]] areas. Some larger properties may also feature rooms such as a spa room, indoor pool, indoor basketball court, and other 'non-essential' facilities. In traditional agriculture-oriented societies, domestic animals such as chickens or larger livestock often share part of the house with humans. Most conventional modern houses will at least contain a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen or cooking area, and a living room.
The names of parts of a house often echo the names of parts of other buildings, but could typically include:

{{div col}}
* [[Alcove (architecture)|Alcove]]
* [[Atrium (architecture)|Atrium]]
* [[Attic]]
* [[Basement]]/[[Basement|cellar]]
* [[Bathroom]]
* [[Bedroom]] (or [[Nursery (room)|nursery]])
* [[Box-room]] / storage room
* [[Conservatory (greenhouse)|Conservatory]]
* [[Dining room]]
* [[Family room]] or [[den (room)|den]]
* [[Fireplace]]
* [[Foyer]]
* [[Front room]]
* [[Garage (house)|Garage]]
* [[Hallway]] / [[Hall|passage]] / [[Vestibule (architecture)|vestibule]]
* [[Hearth]]
* [[Home-office]] or [[study (room)|study]]
* [[Kitchen]]
* [[Larder]]
* [[Laundry room]]
* [[Library]]
* [[Living room]]
* [[Loft]]
* [[wikt:nook|Nook]]
* [[Pantry]]
* [[Parlour]]
* [[Porch]]
* [[Recreation room]] / [[rumpus room]] / [[television]] room
* [[Shrine]]s to serve the religious functions associated with a family
* [[Stairwell]]
* [[Sunroom]]
* [[Swimming pool]]
* [[Window]]
* [[Workshop]]
* [[Utility room]]{{div col end}}