Ceiling Heights And Internal Volume In A Modular Dwelling

Ceiling height is the first thing people feel when they walk into a dwelling and the last thing anyone discusses at design stage.

In a factory-built dwelling it is worth discussing early, because it is decided by more than the internal dimension.

What sets the height

Three things stack together, and the total is what travels on a trailer.

**The floor cassette,** which carries the structure of the floor and the services within it.

**The internal ceiling height,** which is the part everyone is actually talking about.

**The roof or ceiling structure above it,** which carries the insulation, the services and the roof itself.

Add the trailer deck underneath and you have the overall travelling height, which is what determines whether a module can reach a site by road.

So internal volume is available. It is bought from somewhere else in that stack, and the decision belongs in early design rather than in a change request later.

Why it matters more in accessible housing

A dwelling designed for a resident who uses a wheelchair, or who relies on a ceiling hoist, has requirements that ordinary dwellings do not.

**Ceiling hoists** need structural support at ceiling level and enough height for the track, the motor and the sling above a seated person.

**Manual handling** by support workers is easier in a space with air above it.

**Perceived space matters.** A dwelling where somebody spends most of their day feels very different at a generous ceiling height than at a minimum one, and that difference is not decorative.

Which is why the Specialist Disability Accommodation standard sits behind the whole design at MADE. Building to that [standard](/standards) means the questions get asked before the module is fabricated.

Where volume can be added

**A raked or raised ceiling in a living space,** created within the roof structure rather than by making the whole module deeper. This is the most common answer and it gives the volume where people gather.

**Highlight glazing above head height,** which brings light in from above and makes a space read as taller without changing the ceiling.

**A change in ceiling height between spaces,** so circulation sits lower and living spaces sit higher. Contrast does as much as absolute height.

**Site-built elements** in the base structure, where a veranda, an entry or a link between modules is constructed conventionally and carries the height the module cannot.

That last one is the point of the hybrid method. The module does what a factory does well, and the base structure resolves what the transport envelope will not.

The site question

Two constraints decide the maximum travelling height, and both belong in the [site assessment](/blog/site-constraints-that-decide-modular-viability) rather than in the design.

**The route.** Bridges, overhead services, awnings, signage and trees between the factory and the site. A single low structure on the only access road sets the ceiling for the whole project.

**The site itself.** Overhead powerlines, the crane position, and the clearance needed to fly the module into place.

Both are checked before design is committed, which is why the route survey happens early rather than the week before delivery.

What we do about it

Volume is designed in, not added afterwards.

The living spaces get the height, because that is where it is felt. The bathroom and the circulation get what they need, which is width and clearance rather than height. And the roof form is used to create the volume rather than the module depth, because the module depth is what has to travel.

A dwelling that feels generous is a design outcome. It is not a by-product of the construction method, in either direction.

Talk to us about a project.

MADEmodular / MADEbetter.