Roof and elevation

[starkca3]

well i suppose you can call it a 3 car garage, but i think that most people wont actually be using all 3 spaces for cars. Especially if you use tandem parking. But It all depends and what people want. Do they want more living space? Or more garage space?

[SDR]

Ha ! Yes, that's been the trend. Now, finally, with the latest "energy crisis," perhaps common sense will begin to return to the American Consumer. . .?

As I've seen it, the recessed third garage door is a reasonable way to break up the vast expanse of three (or more) garage spaces all behind a single plane of doors. And, of course, the street elevation is probably more pleasant if there's room to have cars enter from the side of the house.

Brick, even in veneer form, is a decided plus in a home, in my opinion. A better grade of material, including something other than bright white mortar, is recommended, of course, and will add to (rather than subtracting from ?) the neighborhood.

SDR

[springtime]

Antisthenes,
Thanks for taking the time to post your sketch. We have the space that we want, yes, I got it.

[springtime]

thank you Starkca,

In this city, there are a lot of houses that are half house-half garage and that is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

We just need 2 car garage but I know that some people likes more space in a garage, some have 3 cars some wants the space for storage or a shop.

[SDR]

According to some, brick (or stone) veneer is what you want under any circumstances.

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-001-the-perfect-wall


SDR

[springtime]

SDR,
Thank you for the link and all your hep.
Blessings!!

[Antisthenes]

NP, so have you figured our your Cubic feet per person yet?

[mx2]

There are a few things that bother me about the layout...mostly three areas; the entry, the master bedroom and the garage. The entryway in all 4 for some reason just seem to be forced...almost haphazard. Maybe it's the extra-assymmetry, nothing seems to make them be the natural point of entry but some random pushing around of the massing. I feel entryways should be the most formal, if not the only formal part of the house. My opinion of couse...as long as the door is high enough, it'll work.

The master bedroom has one fatal flaw...the bay window for the kitchenette blocks the path outside of the door to the back patio from the MBR. It seems like a mistake, an afterthought rather than something that is on purpose. I would either eliminate the door there and have the MBR have its own patio or somehow change the relationship of the bay and the MBR door.

And the garage...well in general I'm glad to see some attempt to not make it bigger then the rest of the house! But it is bigger than some houses...that said, i prefer the side entry but overall, I find that I want to see the site plan. how far is the setback? where is the sidewalk? where is the driveway? where is north? where is the landscape features?....

and out of curiosity, what is the staircase to?

All that said, my opinion is number 3 is the better layout but I would modify the above mentioned with a side approach for a 3 or 2-car garage. But I would move the stair to where the entrance is now, acting as a buffer to the bedrooms, and move the entryway to the living room (?...that square space near the front) and make the entrance door more grand...more formal.

mx2.5

[csintexas]

My preference for #1 was mainly due to the smaller size, the front porch and the side load garage rather than the front elevation. While the balance of the elevation works well I think the individual elements (windows and roof) could be improved.

They added an extra hip over the front porch which could be eliminated. The issue of the garage window being popped up doesn't bother me. Yes it is fake but I have seen far too many architects do the same thing to really care.

The styling is contemporary classic whereas now-a-days we tend to be a bit more rustic. (at least here) So I consider the styling to be behind the times. On the other hand you don't want to be cliche'.

I don't think you need the extra exterior door in the living room and that little area of the back porch would be a good spot for a grill or gardening area type thingy. I think the laundry/garage door entry areas are not used very efficiently.

I could make more comments but if you are not going with #1 than they would be a waste of time so I would rather work with the one you choose.