Problems with converting the schematic floor plans! So first, here is a photo of the compact cottage-sized home.

The colour & material choices of the client add a lot to the charming character of the home. Metal roofing is low-maintenance, durable, fire-resistant (important in a rural area), eco-friendly (the metal can be recycled ) as well as having a wide range of colour choices to express individuality. The colour is repeated on window & wall trims adding a unifying element.

Traditional board & batten and shingle-style siding on the exterior walls emphasize the cottage character, as does the simple timber-frame entry porch.

Interior floor plans coming shortly...

One of the smaller houses that I have designed was a cottage-sized dwelling with a footprint of 800 sq.ft. Despite the apparently small size, the house had three bedrooms, two baths and ample living & storage space.

Having lived in +/- 400 sq.ft. on several occasions myself, I find that can be plenty of space, if you don’t own too much ‘stuff’ . An open plan will increase the apparent living area. Extending the living areas into the outdoors by means of decks, porches or balconies also adds to the sense of space. Even more appealing is attractive surrounding outdoor property.

In this case the client had a rural property with river frontage, so the whole property had the feel of a casual cottage setting suited to outdoor living. The client planned to have friends help with the construction, so the building was to be simple & straightforward. The house shape decided upon was a rectangle - almost a square actually, which is the most efficient area (has the least exterior wall area). One-and-a-half storeys with a simple gable roof would allow for a usable attic with half-height pony walls on the sides & full height in the center, almost doubling the available floor area. The main level was to have living, dining, and kitchen areas, three-piece bath, laundry/utility room, and a bedroom, as well as the stairs to the attic level. A wood stove on the main level was to be the main heat source for the entire house. The attic would have two bedrooms and a full bath.

The rear of the house faced the river so the rooms were to take advantage of the views and access.

Any vehicles would be parked outdoors. Even a single-car garage easily requires 300-400 sq.ft. –a lot of money to spend on constructing shelter for an object, rather than for people.

How did all this manage to fit into the building footprint? Stay tuned for the interior floor plans.

Previously I presented a series of options for a porch design (see earlier post). I had intended to follow up sooner but my computer was in the shop!

The option chosen by the client was H: the gable roof porch with a small Dutch hip roof at the bottom. Here is the finished construction.

I actually would have chosen a different option, probably E (see drawings below): the porch roof as a Dutch hip across the whole front façade, for a few reasons:

• that version would have fully integrated the porch with the remainder of the house, as if the porch was not an add-on but part of the original construction.
  
• normally I would not choose to have gable roofs with two obviously different pitches on the same side of the house (though a different pitch might not even be noticeable if on another facade) The porch roof height was limited by the sill of the upper window, so the pitch had to be lower if a gable was used.
• a secondary benefit of version E (perhaps difficult to see in the small drawings) is that the overall porch roof & fascia height would have been higher, enough to allow an additional decorative trim (lattice or trellis work) spanning from post to post of the porch while still allowing a bit more light into the lower floor windows. This decorative element could have added even more heritage character to the house.
  

The gable chosen does create a central focus & emphasizes the entry point. This choice also avoided disturbing the existing house roof in order to tie-in to the porch roof.

Materials on the exterior were also changed, with the addition of shingles on the upper wall to match the porch gable, and natural stained wood trim around the existing windows & fascia to match the wood porch structure. This gives visual unity to the whole building – repeating materials and colours.

Next I will look at the design of a small cottage-size home and then the subsequent process when an addition was needed.

Here is a simple design scenario:

A client asked for a re-design of the front facade of a house: a gable wall with a small half-hip roof at the top. The upper window is symmetrically placed, but the lower windows & entry door are all offset, giving the front facade an unbalanced appearance. The steps up to the front door were also awkward: an abrupt entrance from the street just a few yards away.

Given the style & era of the house, it very likely had a porch at one time, and many inspiring examples were found in the neighbourhood & in another nearby community which has a strong heritage character.

The decision to add a porch was a significant & fundamental design choice:

• giving a more human scale to the 1-1/2 storey gable facade


• creating a welcoming transition from the public street to the private entry


• providing shelter from the elements before entering the house


• adding heritage detail in keeping with the character of the house


• a way of disguising the asymmetrical windows & door
  
  

I presented the client with four basic options for the porch roof design, each with two variations. Neither is a 'right' or 'wrong' choice - each basic option has precedents in the community vernacular - although some versions were more aesthetically appealing, to me, than others.

A: shed roof.........B: shed roof with centre gable

C: hipped roof ......D: hipped roof with centre gable

E: full Dutch hip.....F: full Dutch hip with centre gable

G: gable roof........H: gable roof with small Dutch hip

Ultimately the client chose his preference & constructed it.

Which choice do you prefer? I will post the version the client chose, with comments, next week.

Welcome to Kaptein K Design blog - a forum to discuss design issues in the Comox Valley & beyond.

I plan to post examples & ideas about architectural design principles, creative design development, and even ideas about potential enhancement of existing buildings & spaces.

I hope you'll join in the discussion!

Visit my website www.members.shaw.ca/kapteink for more info about Kaptein K Design.