Design, design, design

The second part of this project is the building, beyond the little barnini, of a house, a building that will look out on the barn.  This is the first post on the second project.  My goal will be to photograph and catalogue the design and building process.

Over the past five years, house design has been pushing its way into my little brain.  And what has emerged through all of the various plans is the following.  First, make it small, not tiny house movement small, but within the 900-1200 square foot range.  Second, build simple: nothing fancy in the roof lines, and no massive spans.  Third, build out of how you live: my wife and I spend the bulk of our time sitting in some extra chairs in our dining area. This needs to be replicated.  Fourth, build a simple guest house that can be shut down when there are no visitors. Fifth, live outside when you can: plenty of porches.

Out of this has come literally thousands of iterations of house plans.  At this point in time, this is the one.  It's a 20 x 22 box with some shed roofs off the side to create a little more space. The two sheds allow for the dining area and the living room.  It's 1052 square feet, and it should be able to be heated, as the saying goes, with a hair dryer.  What is not outlined on the plan are the porches, of which there are many.

It has 1.5 baths and one bedroom.  A full basement will allow for an extra bedroom and bath downstairs if needed.

The upstairs is built with 54 inch knee walls, enough height to allow for access to the edges of the rooms, but still give a sense of a cottage.  It has a large bathroom, two walk-in closets, and a laundry room at the top of the stairs.

We are waiting for our current house to sell before we get started.  The design is still in the works, but it continues to get closer.