Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Atzaru Jun 13, 2010 15:04:11	How big should a standard civilian's house be? One that suits say 5 people. Should it by 20ft by 20ft? 20ft by 40ft? 30ft by 30ft? 40ft by 40ft
#2 Bandikoot Jun 13, 2010 23:14:58	What time period and how wealthy is your "standard civilian"?
#3 deacon_liadon Jun 14, 2010 12:35:54	Measure your own house, work from there.
#4 Tovec Jun 15, 2010 16:46:24	It widely varies on the family's wealth, standing and economy. In general I assume most of my civilians in a good city, not great city, to live in a house with a few rooms, so maybe 30x30. But if they're poor villagers living in a shack with little prospects (or food) then maybe downgrade to 10x10 or smaller. In general the previous poster is right, look at houses near you, assume relative standing and influence (ie. rich now vs. rich then) and go from there. Again, as far as a decent family house, 5+ people would do exceedingly well in 30x30, thats with several rooms, like parlour, kitchen, living room, and bedrooms.
#5 Thought Jun 15, 2010 17:10:59	To give you an idea, a decent sized apartment in America is around 1000 sq ft. That is around 30x30 ft total. Or in terms of squares, 6x6. For a modern American apartment. D&D tends to not be Modern nor American, so you could probably cut the living space in half at least. 3x3 "squares." Rooms would also be somewhat uncommon. Bedroom, kitchen, stable, etc all might be the same. It is unfortunate, but D&D "squares" do not translate into real space very easily.
#6 jfparmel Jun 15, 2010 17:50:42	It can depend on a lot of factors.  Is the civilization nomadic or sedentary?  Agricultural?  For instance, Roman villa could be in the many thousands of feet.  Ancient Jewish settlements tended to be one room affairs...upstairs.  The downstairs was the barn, for warmth and safety of animals.  Many families throughout the world still use houses that measure no more than about 10x15.  There are studio apartments in Los Angeles that are smaller than that that house closer to 20 people.  It really just depends on your culture and your intended wealth.  If you're thinking medieval commoners in Europe, maybe a 15x20 house for the entire family, possibly with a section cordoned off as a privy.
#7 uhf Jun 16, 2010 11:18:47	Canadian Houses are 2/3 the size of an american, and European houses are 2/3 the size of Canadian.  So... European houses would be 44% of the size of an american house. Prairie houses form the 1800s were minisclue, approximately 10X20 for 5 people.  Sod houses were even smaller. I used to live in South Africa, and one of the things that struck me in the movie District 9, was just how small Wikus Van De Merwe's house was.  His living room was just as big as the living room in the house I lived in. Castles?  Tiny.  3 foot wide halls, low ceiling.  You'd have to be rich to afford anything like we currently portray in D&D.  (But I don't care, I'm a big fan of Full Blades.  )  Don't forget that people were (and I assume would be) smaller and more efficient, i.e. much shorter.  So... Unless the area is a land of plenty, think small, or even tiny.  10X10 would be right for a large family.  Its not like they spend time in the house for anything but protecting themselves from the elements.  They go to bed early, after one back breaking day of work, in order to get ready for the next back breaking day.  The wife dealt with the children while spending approximately 4 hours preparing the next meal (2 meals = 8 hours). Watch a little Cadfael.  It was a PBS series and a good set of books.  Lords weren't as lordy as we make them out to be. And they weren't as rich as we make them out to be.  I also get the impression that they weren't as rare as we make them out to be. I hope all that helps.