House with a mezzanine - design features and layout options. Mezzanine design features Mezzanine history

  • 14.06.2019

Many buildings use attic space to provide additional living space. It can be either an attic room, located in the space between the inclined roof rafters, or an independent addition to the attic - a mezzanine. This type of room at the top of the structure has its own roof and windows.

The history of the additional extension

In Russian buildings of past centuries, such an upper addition to the main dwelling appeared after Italian students settled in France. They completed the rented dwellings and increased the occupied living space. Hence the name of this room under the roof. In Russia, the windows of the building began to be decorated with carved architraves and all kinds of other works of wooden architecture.

Sometimes there is confusion in the names of additional volumes under the roof of the building. The difference between the mezzanine and the attic is that it has a separately equipped roof and walls. The mezzanine does not occupy the already created area of ​​the structure, but forms an addition to it.

Such a superstructure above the roof has, as a rule, a wall height of at least one and a half meters. The ridge of the structure is sharp and rises to a height of about two and a half meters. This height of the structure is especially relevant in the northern regions of the country. Snow, not lingering on the slope of the roof, slides down.

Design features

The configuration of the mezzanine roof is completely different. Since an extension to the main building can be made not only over newly erected structures, but also over existing ones, the designers have a lot of room for architectural fantasies. Roofs over mezzanines can be either simple single-pitched or multi-tiered. The combination of several types of roofs gives very interesting architectural solutions.

Another hallmark mezzanine is the presence of large windows. Additional lighting in such an extension to the house is also made due to glass extensions above the window openings. The lightness of construction and access to natural light create a special atmosphere in this room. favorable climate. Additional insolation can be increased with a balcony equipped on front side extensions. The balcony can be both external and internal.

How is it used

The mezzanine is often used to organize a summer bedroom, a library or a separate office. Sometimes the superstructure serves for additional lighting of the lower floor. In this case, the overlap between the lower room and the mezzanine is not organized. Multi-level dynamics with such architectural solutions helps to increase the space of the lower room and create more comfortable lighting.

A large amount of light and an atmosphere of isolation from the entire useful area of ​​​​a residential building create a special pleasant atmosphere for relaxation on the mezzanine and give the building style not only in the interior of the entire building, but also from the outside. The lightness and elegance of the construction does not create special difficulties and high cash costs during the construction.

Due to the fact that the construction of additional volume is not required a large number of building materials, there is no heavy load on existing foundations and there is no need to strengthen newly erected ones.

Industrial mezzanines

There is another building structure, which is also called a mezzanine. These are racks in warehouses. Most often, these are lightweight metal structures that allow you to store goods by placing them on several tiers.

Standard metal elements are fastened in a certain sequence with bolts. Such structures can have several tiers and are designed to store goods.

“A house with a mezzanine” - most people associate this phrase with the story of the same name by A.P. Chekhov. We begin to think about what a mezzanine is when the question arises of building or acquiring. You can learn a lot from this review. useful information about houses with a mezzanine, photo designs and description best projects help you decide if you want to have this add-on in your home.

Mezzanine - what is it? The photos presented in this section clearly demonstrate what this design looks like.

What advantages does the mezzanine guarantee to its owners? First of all, its presence significantly increases the living area of ​​the building. Having a separate entrance from the lower floor (as a rule, they use a screw), it provides privacy to its inhabitant. It is for this reason that a house with a superstructure is often acquired by creative people, equipping a studio or workshop there. Thanks to the protrusion of the superstructure over common part building, the room in it turns out to be very bright and comfortable. For greater access to sunlight, window openings are made.

From a technical point of view, it is much easier to build a semi-tier than a full-fledged floor. Almost all construction is carried out from the attic, the rest of the work is carried out with the help of scaffolding. In addition, the presence of such a design will help save fuel costs in the cold season. After all, you yourself choose the dimensions of the built-in room, thereby excluding the presence of irrationally used space. If there is no need for additional space in the house, the superstructure can be closed and not heated without disturbing the main part of the housing.

Important! You can organize a mezzanine in an already built building. This does not require rebuilding the main floor, it will be enough to make adjustments to the attic.

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Such designs can significantly increase the living space. In the article we will consider in detail the projects and photos of finished buildings, helpful tips, which will allow you to build a house without errors yourself or with the help of specialists.

Types of mezzanines depending on the design features

The half-tier can be of different shapes and sizes. In the classic version, architects use the shape of a square. Sometimes the superstructure is built in the form of a cross with access to the four sides of the house. However, high-tech Construction Materials, which are widely used in modern world, allow you to create designs of completely different, sometimes bizarre forms. The photos below are proof of this.

Very often, the superstructure ends with a terrace. It is very comfortable and allows you to fully enjoy the view from the window. It should be noted that not only the superstructure in the attic part of the house is called a mezzanine. It can also be arranged indoors, if the height of the walls allows. This design can often be found in luxury apartments, where the ceiling height reaches 3.5-4 meters.


The design in houses with semi-tiers has its own characteristics. There are many options for roofing, the choice depends only on the imagination and skill of the architect. At self construction more often use a gable roof. The protrusion of the superstructure is formed by three walls, and the attic space not used for housing is equipped under. There is also a popular option shed roof. But if you want to move away from the classic roofing options and make your home unique with a domed or pyramidal roof, use the services of professional architects. requires specialized knowledge. Otherwise, you risk indicators of durability and reliability of your home.

It is advisable to start the construction of the mezzanine immediately after the construction of the main floor. This will save you from the additional cost of dismantling the roof when creating a superstructure in an already functioning dwelling. In this section, we will present you with photos and videos of successful projects that may be useful to you in the future with a half-tier.

Arrangement of the mezzanine, the choice of style

The interior decoration of the superstructure depends on what function the room will perform.

Useful advice! First of all, you should decide whether the room in the superstructure will be used all year round or only in the warm season. This will determine the heating option.

A house with a mezzanine, what is it. This question is often asked by people who plan to build or buy their own home. Some confuse the superstructure with the attic. The structures have common features, but, in fact, they are not the same thing. The mezzanine was originally designed for living quarters and has its own roof. The attic is more of an attic, which can also be landscaped.

People who are far from knowledge in architecture often ask the question: mezzanine, what is it? This topic, in the most accessible language, will tell the reader about the design features of houses with mezzanines, the advantages of such buildings and options layouts. The mezzanine is a superstructure above the house, most often it is located in the center, but has its own roof.


From the room located in the mezzanine, there is usually an exit to the balcony. This building can have a different shape:

  • Square
  • Rectangle
  • hexagon
  • Cylinder
  • Polyhedron
  • Cross


But most often the mezzanine is made in the form of a regular square. The built-in floor, as a rule, is functional, however, it can also be decorative. Despite the fact that houses with mezzanines are one-story buildings, they have significant advantages over typical one-story buildings.


What are the advantages of a house with a mezzanine

A house with a mezzanine is endowed with many advantages, some of which should be highlighted in particular. In order for the stove in the house to have good draft, the length of its chimney must be at least five meters. The mezzanine superstructure allows you to place a long pipe in its space that does not require additional stretch marks.


It will be much cheaper for the owner to insulate that zone of the ceiling above which the mezzanine rises. In turn, this lightens the load on the foundation, which prolongs the life of the entire house. For the construction of the superstructure, only two small areas require scaffolding, all other structural elements are mounted from the attic level.


The excess area that is inherent two-story houses, is missing here. Accordingly, the cost of heating in winter period are declining. If there is no need to use the add-in during the cold season, so as not to waste heat carriers in vain, it can simply be temporarily closed.


If one of the residents needs to retire, best place than a room in the mezzanine, not to be found. There is no fuss or noise here. Such an environment is favorable for mental work and good rest.

Since the superstructure area does not depend on other rooms (the stairs to the second floor are usually located at the back of the house), the mezzanine can be rented out to tenants. And the current taxation system classifies a house with a mezzanine as a one-story building, which makes it possible to save on tax.


Attic and mezzanine - differences in designs

Some people unknowingly confuse the mezzanine with the attic. These architectural elements have common features, but still they are not the same thing. What distinguishes an attic from a mezzanine?

  1. The attic roof is sloping, while the mezzanine roof is straight. For this reason, a long stay in the attic room can cause discomfort.
  2. The main purpose of the attic is the attic. And it is not always converted for living. Mezzanines are erected after the house is ready. Their main function is living space, although sometimes superstructures are made exclusively for decorative purposes.
  3. The roof of the attic is also the roof of the house, while the mezzanine has its own.
  4. The walls of the mezzanine run vertically up to a certain level, and then smoothly pass into the roof.


The difference between a mezzanine and a simple attic is also in good natural light. If during the construction of the superstructure the masonry of the vertical walls is raised, the window area can be increased by an additional vertical frame, which is a continuation of the original window opening. Thus, a figured window appears in the interior.


In addition to visual appeal, non-standard windows let in much more light than the usual rectangular window systems. Natural lighting in the overbuilt floor is no worse than in the main premises of the house.


In the 19th century, all noble estates were equipped with a superstructure located in the upper part of the house. In fairness, it should be noted that recently the attic floors are becoming more and more elite.


Thanks to the mezzanine, the useful area of ​​​​the house is significantly increased and used more rationally. This design is especially in demand in houses with high ceilings. To build a superstructure, the owner of the house does not need to obtain an appropriate permit, which simplifies the procedure and reduces costs.


Today, mezzanines are popular for creating warehouses in which it is convenient to store any materials and goods. A multi-storey system of storage mezzanines allows you to sort goods into categories, making them easy to find.

Roof construction options

The roofs of such houses can have different configurations - from primitive flat or gable, to original and bizarre. The most common is a gable roof, installed using hanging rafters.


However, this design is not without drawbacks. The small height of the vertical fence requires the construction of side walls for the superstructure. In this case, a significant part of the attic space (the one located behind the sidewalls) remains unclaimed. It can be used to equip miniature pantries, but it is not suitable for housing.


In elite houses, sloping rafters are used for built-on floors, and the roof is usually made single-pitched. Sometimes they resort to a combination of single and gable roofs. Due to the presence of a bay window in the structure of the house, which is the basis for the superstructure, it can be completely placed under one slope. Under the hip hipped and semi-hip roof, the rooms are spacious and comfortable. The owners of small houses will suit the roofs of a broken configuration.


To create a fancy roof, which are domed and pyramidal polygonal structures, it is necessary to involve professional architects. An extraordinary approach to design will provide the house with a unique image and special appeal. These options, as a rule, are resorted to by the owners of elite housing.


Layout and design features

The layout of a large country house with a mezzanine, it can be designed so that only residents will use the bathroom on the attic floor, and for guests, a bathroom and toilet are arranged on the ground floor. For space planning, it is not necessary to look for complex design moves.

Ideally, the layout of the rooms is designed so that from the hall you can get into the living room and the dining area, which are also interconnected by a door. With such a layout, even members big family will not interfere with each other.


To make the mezzanine space as useful as possible, it is recommended to observe a height of 1.5 meters when building side walls. Thus, the total height of the superstructure should be 2.5 meters.

Mezzanines are sometimes located above the garage, then you can enter the room directly from the street along a special staircase. The built-in room can perform the function gym, home cinema, workshop or billiard room. It all depends on the needs and preferences of the owners of the house.


The arrangement of the roofing pie should be taken very seriously. Mistakes in the choice of roofing material will lead to the appearance of condensate on the walls and ceiling, which in winter will freeze and form a layer of frost.

Roof tiles can be:

  • metal
  • Flexible
  • Ceramic


The main thing is that the structure of the material is resistant to temperature changes and exposure ultraviolet radiation. The types of tiles listed above can regularly serve from 10 to 25 years.

When creating a roofing pie and insulating the walls of the superstructure, it is advisable to use gypsum-fiber boards. In addition to good heat-insulating and sound-absorbing characteristics, GVL has fire resistance and durability. The material is not afraid of dampness or fungus with mold.


To avoid high humidity in the mezzanine floor, a ventilation system should be installed. If necessary, installation forced ventilation it cannot be neglected. Such foresight will protect the roof and walls of the house from premature decay.

When purchasing mezzanine wall materials, preference should be given to those that are considered safe for the lower floor and basement. As a rule, these are light chipboards, fastened with a thin metal profile.


How to equip the upper half-floor

The rooms created on the mezzanine can have different purposes, but most often they make a bedroom for adult residents or a guest room on the upper mezzanine. However, if the owners plan to equip a nursery or study here, this option also has a place to be.


In the superstructure, you can also equip:

  1. billiard room
  2. library
  3. Workshop for creativity
  4. Spacious bathroom

Moreover, the residents of the mezzanine can exist autonomously from the rest of the inhabitants of the house. This is facilitated by the presence of its own dressing room, a separate bathroom and an entrance directly from the street through the stairs.


Room decoration tips:

  • Furniture for the mezzanine is best purchased to order according to individual sizes. Built-in structures will have to be abandoned, here they will be out of place.
  • It is not worth saving on lighting in the overbuilt floor. Natural daylight should also enter the room unhindered. Good lighting will help level out all the defects and shortcomings of the interior. For decoration, it is recommended to use light shades, which should be present both in furniture and in textiles.
  • Even if the room has ledges or niches, this inconvenience can be corrected with a combination of shades. This means that furniture and walls should be designed in the same way. color scheme and in the same style. In such a situation, the most advantageous material is wood or wooden lining.
  • The use of light colors is also preferable because the roof slopes have the ability to visually reduce space. If the residents of the mezzanine want to diversify the interior with vibrant colors, it is best to paint only one of the walls with a bright color, and make the rest pale.


Style selection

In the same way as the range of rooms is wide by purpose, it is also huge in terms of style. To create a pleasant interior, you can use any design direction. The main thing is to make the room original and as comfortable as possible.


If you plan to place a kitchen or bedroom on the mezzanine, you should look at the Provence or Country style. Minimalism is more suitable for a study, the same goes for a room for a child. Eco-interior is acceptable for any spaces.


You can use the usable area in the mezzanine as you like, provided that the configuration characteristic of the superstructure is presented in a favorable perspective. In other words, the advantages of the room must be emphasized, and the disadvantages should be carefully minimized.


Regardless of whether the house with a mezzanine stands alone or is located among other private properties, it is a real decoration and pride of the owners. Only an indifferent person, completely devoid of taste and creative imagination, can pass by such a house and not admire its architecture.


Video: House with mezzanine

What is a mezzanine? The mezzanine is small size, built on the roof of a residential private house with separate walls and windows (in other words, an extension to the attic).

The beautiful, airy building has long been associated with the patriarchal life of the Russian suburbs, manor estates, picturesque suburban buildings, and is an integral part of the “romantic realism” painting style.

Often artists from different countries they painted a mezzanine in their paintings, where they depicted the interiors of fictional or real streets.

Design features


The mezzanine is usually located in the middle of the roof, which allows you to increase the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house. In form, it can be:

  • square;
  • hexagonal;
  • rectangular;
  • cylindrical.

The roof of the extension has a steep slope, it can be single-pitched, double-pitched, combined, multi-level. Often such a room is equipped big windows with glass inserts above the window openings. In some cases, a remote-type balcony is attached to the front side of the mezzanine.

What advantages does


This extension has many advantages:

  • large windows allow for natural light in the interior of the room;
  • increase the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe dwelling without additional load on the foundation;
  • the mezzanine can be used as a room for any purpose: an office, a library, a bedroom, a nursery;
  • with its help mask and strengthen the chimney;
  • for the construction of this type of superstructure, it is not necessary to use special equipment, since all work is carried out through the attic;

mezzanine attached general view houses extraordinary features, it opens beautiful view from the window. In France, such extensions were rented by students for living, and in Russia they began to be used everywhere in the 19th century as part of wooden and stone houses. Most often, the mezzanine had three windows, its own roof and gable.

How it is applied and formalized

You can use such a room as:

  • cabinet;
  • game room;
  • workshop;
  • libraries;
  • summer bedroom;
  • children's room;
  • warehouse space;
  • recreation areas;
  • billiard room;
  • bathroom.

The mezzanine can be equipped as a guest room or as a separate living space for tenants, since the tenants in it can exist autonomously from a common house. Especially if it has a bathroom, a dressing room and a separate entrance from the street.

Advice from the editor: when arranging a mezzanine, it is better to use furniture made to order according to individual sizes. This will make it possible to take into account the non-standard of the room, to make its interior space comfortable and convenient.

To decorate the room, it is better to give preference to light shades. This will help hide defects, shortcomings in the interior, visually increase its area.

Differences from the attic

An attic is an attic space located directly under a high roof, where windows are most often built in.

The mezzanine is a superstructure above the house with its own roof, windows, gable. They can also be distinguished from each other by design features:

  1. Roof. At the attic it is inclined, and at the mezzanine it is straight.
  2. Application. The attic is used mainly as an attic, and the mezzanine as a living space or as decorative ornament Houses.
  3. The mezzanine has the best natural light.
  4. The attic is being built simultaneously with the house and is an integral part of it. The mezzanine can be completed in an already finished building.

How you can arrange a house with a mezzanine, see the following video:

The mezzanine, unlike the attic, rises above separate part house, and not over the entire floor, has its own roof with a gable and several windows, most often three, it can also have a balcony with columns, although such add-ons may be the most different shapes and be part of a building of almost any architectural style.

You can build a mezzanine in an apartment with sufficiently high ceilings. In production and warehouses warehouse mezzanine, where you can store goods and place equipment, has become widespread.

Doma with mezzanine

Houses with mezzanines were common in Russia in the 19th century. Such a superstructure had not only a practical, but also a decorative function. Usually they were in classic or modern style houses.

It is now also possible to build private house in the style of a cozy Russian estate. Houses with mezzanines usually have the same facades from the side of the street and the courtyard, a hipped roof, a mezzanine superstructure with a balcony. Some construction companies may offer you standard project houses with a mezzanine.

Usually such houses are one-story, but the mezzanine can also be made above the second floor of a residential building. Despite the "old" look, the house can be built from quite modern materials: aerated concrete, foam concrete, ceramic blocks, porous bricks. Can you build wooden house with a mezzanine in the Russian style.

Mezonin indoors - residential mezzanine

The mezzanine in an apartment or house differs from a real mezzanine in that it is not directly connected to the supporting structures. This means that it can not only be immediately included in the plan of the house, but also done later, when such a need arises. Sample Plan a house with a mezzanine might look like this.

The mezzanine in the apartment can be built with sufficiently high ceilings. In mansions in modern style you can build it both outside the house in the form of a superstructure, and inside in the form of a mezzanine with high ceilings. Such an internal vertical division of space using modern materials will suit almost any style and increase the usable area. It can function as a corridor or gallery between two parts of a building. It can be equipped


Mdo-it-yourself ezonine

In some new houses, an additional mezzanine floor is already laid out in the plan of the apartment, but you can build a mezzanine in the apartment with your own hands. To do this, you need to choose the right materials. Wood is commonly used - it is cozy and eco-friendly material. The main supporting structures are best made of metal. As flooring, you can take plywood, boards, fiberboard, OSB. It is important to correctly calculate the load on the supporting structures. Usually a mezzanine is placed between two walls to which a load-bearing beam is attached. As a beam, you can use metal rolling beams or wooden beam, for example, LVL beam. Additionally, with a large length of the mezzanine, you can put metal or wooden supports.

RRecommendations for mezzanine placement

It is important to make sure that there are windows on the new mezzanine, otherwise the mezzanine room will turn out dark and gloomy. Therefore, it is good to arrange such half-floors in apartments with panoramic windows. If natural light is not enough, it is necessary to provide a sufficiently bright artificial one. As lighting fixtures, it is best to choose sconces, wall lamps or curtain lighting if there is a cornice above the mezzanine. Should not be installed ceiling lights, especially the long ones.

Consider the height of the ceiling: the lower mezzanine should be high enough to make it comfortable to walk. It is best to make a mezzanine in a square or very elongated room. In a large room, you can make a mezzanine gallery that runs along three sides of the room. The best option would be if the mezzanine occupies no more than a third of the area of ​​​​the room.

To build a full mezzanine, the ceiling height must be at least 3.8 m. The new tier is placed at a height of at least 2.1 m from the floor. This will allow, if not standing, then at least sitting on the mezzanine, without hitting the ceiling with your head. Then it will be possible to place a sleeping place on it, this will be especially true for children and youth. For safety, provide a sturdy, stable ladder (not a ladder), handrails, railings, or railings. It is not recommended to place a mezzanine above windows or doors - this is inconvenient, it will look like a side shelf in a train.

With an insufficient ceiling height, you can not make a full-fledged mezzanine, under which you can walk, but simply raise the floor in part of the room, as, for example, in this photo.

Then under the podium there are drawers and cabinets for storing things, you can arrange a dressing room like this. You can equip the nursery in this way. The room takes on an unusual and interesting view. A mezzanine in an apartment of any design is a way to rationally use space. For example, in the steps leading up, you can arrange boxes. In a studio apartment with high ceilings, it allows you to get almost a second room in which you can equip an office or bedroom.

HIs it necessary to coordinate the construction of the mezzanine

The device of a residential mezzanine is not indicated either among the redevelopments that require coordination, or among those that do not. The mezzanine can be considered built-in furniture, so it does not need to be coordinated, except in cases where interference will be made in the supporting structures of the house, when the mezzanine will have big weight, for example, if heavy metal or reinforced concrete structures.

Sergey Novozhilov - expert in roofing materials with 9 years of experience practical work in the field of engineering solutions in construction.