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Corners add costs greater than a modest increase in total perimeter. From the foundation to roof, there is more complexity in construction and fabrication.
Thanks - now I'm debating if it just too boring without the indent I appreciate the help though as I know NOTHING about designing a house. I'm sure the architect will tell me plenty when I'm ready to hire one. Right now, I'm just seeing how much space I need by putting in some rooms as efficiently as I can figure.
It is pretty rare to find a completely square (rectangular) house with absolutely no bump-outs (recesses) or wings coming off the main body except in the most basic, starter house kind of product. Certainly in vintage houses when labor was much cheaper there is quite a lot of purely aesthetic detailing of bays, wings, oriels and other projections that often give older, stylistic houses a certain visual cachet and charm to them.
The trick is to make each element like that to really pay for itself in both an aesthetic and livability function. They are an essential way to grab and direct natural light into a house. Fewer and bolder is the way I like to design them in. Often you can skip the foundation and roof complexity with a continuous overhang line over or some simple cantilever framing under.
There is nothing inherently wrong with simple boxes but some deliberate massaging or offsetting of them with strong, simple rooflines can go a long way to create a better, more coherent whole.
It is pretty rare to find a completely square (rectangular) house with absolutely no bump-outs (recesses) or wings coming off the main body except in the most basic, starter house kind of product. Certainly in vintage houses when labor was much cheaper there is quite a lot of purely aesthetic detailing of bays, wings, oriels and other projections that often give older, stylistic houses a certain visual cachet and charm to them.
The trick is to make each element like that to really pay for itself in both an aesthetic and livability function. They are an essential way to grab and direct natural light into a house. Fewer and bolder is the way I like to design them in. Often you can skip the foundation and roof complexity with a continuous overhang line over or some simple cantilever framing under.
There is nothing inherently wrong with simple boxes but some deliberate massaging or offsetting of them with strong, simple rooflines can go a long way to create a better, more coherent whole.
Thanks so much!
I know a real architect will have some ideas to help out. I'm just noodling about at the moment and I appreciate your input. I'm planning on building my only and last house. I'll be retiring in a few years and would like a single floor house which can be pretty visually dull. You can spruce them up with landscaping and a few roof lines but I'm hoping to do more without cranking up the budget as the house I can tell will suck me dry. I admit I prefer old school houses but I don't think I'll have the space for shutters. The positive about the huge single story home is once I clear some trees, I'll have a huge roof for solar glass shingles.
Do you happen to know a website for people to get suggestions on improving the appearance of a home? I figure an architect will have some ideas but the more input the better even if I don't agree with every suggestion as some people would be mortified by the design of the house I'm playing with in my spare time using Chief Architect.
Prairie, MCM, ranch/rambler, cottage, bungalow, shotgun (based on one of your proposed footprints-kinda), etc. Call them what you will- but I think most people have a defined look for each of those descriptions; even though most could be lumped into one.
From there it’s easier to amass an elevation that will be appealing to your eye.
Thanks - cottage is the closest I can find. I prefer old-school in looks, cutting edge in tech including insulation, building science, wiring, plumbing, etc.
Do you happen to know a website for people to get suggestions on improving the appearance of a home? I figure an architect will have some ideas but the more input the better even if I don't agree with every suggestion as some people would be mortified by the design of the house I'm playing with in my spare time using Chief Architect.
Well of course you can get lost in Pinterest or Houzz, it takes a strong mental filter to get through the morass of posts available to explore but if you’ve got some fortitude to wade through it lots of great stuff to be had.
A couple of books that I always go back to that, while they may present a bit too focused for professionals or academicians, nonetheless present a “solid foundation to build upon” (yuk yuk) and of the why's and rules of domestic architecture and design are:
Get Your House Right by Marianne Cusato with Richard Simmons and Leon Krier A real nuts and bolts classical design overview.
A Pattern Language this is much more esoteric, delving into the Macro (cities) to the Micro (a window) and everything in between of design but it really is a remarkable volume that you can just pick up and open at any point and discover a sweet homily about design that really speaks to the humanistic qualities that drive good and thoughtful design.
As K’ledgeBldr points out there are several single story design styles to consider, each which have their own rules and patterns. With a simple building volume it is all the more important to consider the fenestration (openings arrangement) cladding and roof style and to understand the rules and equally know when to break them. Think simple, strong and balanced, with a couple of playful elements.
Some of the most beautiful houses in the world are simple rectangles but the layout of the windows, doors, cladding and roof design are paramount. You get to choose whether to rigidly space windows, gang them all together, introduce water table, belt-lines, monochromatic siding or breaking it up horizontally with different materials - all sorts of fun choices!
Last edited by T. Damon; 02-24-2021 at 08:22 PM..
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I appreciate the help though as I know NOTHING about designing a house. I'm sure the architect will tell me plenty when I'm ready to hire one. Right now, I'm just seeing how much space I need by putting in some rooms as efficiently as I can figure.
