Is this buildable and can it be green?
I am working on putting together the initial design concept for a 2nd home we will build in Northern Michigan. We built our current home as a custom build, but this builder had an architect they worked with, so we were able to design to a specific cost as opposed to selecting what we want to build and figuring out if we can built to our budget. I am interested to get insight from this community into the plans I am leaning towards.
I would like insight from this community in terms of the following:
1. Does this look like more costly or economical home to construct and finish? We would build with a 4ft crawl space, and the land is flat. We are hoping to stay under $225/square foot for the finished home. We are not planning on super high end materials and finishes. This is where we are willing to compromise.
2. Our current thought is that we would do the angled roof for the interior for the living space starting just past the kitchen. What are the thoughts on our ability to to build this as an energy efficient home (would plan to definitely use spray foam insulation, reasonable quality windows, etc.). But, I know these choices also impact cost.
I am excited to get input from this community!
Thank you!
Holly
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To add a little more info ... There are 2 of us. We are planning on the variation 4 from this set of plan ideas (attached garage). We can orient the house almost any way we want to but would plan to have the living area South facing. We plan 3 bedrooms to accommodate guests and would plan on having one bedroom serve as an office. The guest bedrooms look a little small to us (10x13'), so we are considering to add 2 feett onto the house to make these rooms wider. We are not planning on the outdoor fireplace. We would plan fewer doors and replace some with windows instead. Any other questions to help with feedback on the plan? Thank you!
Keenershipp,
I don't see anything that is inherently expensive or hard to make energy efficient about the design - and nothing that would necessitate using any spray foam.
Without getting too deep into any changes you might want to make, If this is a vacation home, I'd consider eliminating the formal entry and much of the hall. That space could then be incorporated into the larger dedroom you want without making the house any bigger.
Thank you Malcolm for the feedback! I also do not love the long hallway from the front door. My husband really wants there to be some entry door beyond the garage and the door walls from the living area. He is also very set on the garage being attached.
I am very interested in any floor plans suggestions you can offer for ways of making the entry more welcoming, shortening the hallways or potentially moving the entry door to some other location (but where is what I keep looking at??).
Thank you!
Holly
The design has a lot going for it. Simple shape, simple roof design. I definitely like the covered patio area, this is a detail that lot of houses miss.
You still have to watch for energy efficiency details and make sure they are part of your design. You want an air tight envelope to be part of your build and because of the low slope roof, probably best to aim for exterior rigid insulation over the roof deck. Crawl space stem walls should be insulated and make sure there is poly on the crawlspace floor. All HVAC inside conditioned space and ventillation with an ERV/HRV. There are no details that I see that must have SPF, spray foam adds cost, design it out early in the build.
These MCM style houses always suffer from a lot (and expensive) roof issues, so try not to put any details up there. No skylights, or chimneys, go with rigid insulation above roof deck with membrane roof instead of torch down. These will go a long way for durability.
The overhang for a southern exposure seem undersized, or at least you need a 2nd set of shades above the first row of windows. You can run it through one of the on-line shading calculators like this:
https://www.insol.co.nz/overhang-annual-analysis-shading-calculators
You generally don't want much solar gain before end of October.
One modification I would make to the layout is to have the entrance from the side. Walking into a low doorway with a narrow long hallway is not the most inviting. On the layout without the side garage, making the utility room into a mudroom and entrance is much better.
Detached garages with a breezeway are generally much better for IAQ but does add cost which is well worth it. Plus it also gives you the option of easily turning the garage into a secondary suite down the road.
Most new construction around me is without any attic, cathedral ceiling are pretty much the norm. Generally I find it simpler to build but your local builder might not. I would try to have the entire house with a sloped ceiling. I have never gone into a room with high ceiling and said, "you know, this really could use lower ceilings".
Since I'm in the city, a 10x13 bedroom is luxurious, so I can't see it being an issue for a guest bedroom.
Thank you Malcolm and Akos for the feedback! I also do not love the long hallway from the front door. My husband really wants there to be some entry door beyond the garage and the door walls from the living area. He is also very set on the garage being attached.
I am very interested in any floor plans suggestions you can offer for ways of making the entry more welcoming, shortening the hallways or potentially moving the entry door to some other location (but where is what I keep looking at??).
Thank you!
Holly
I think you'll find that the utility room becomes the family entrance. Maybe just make that the formal entrance as well? There's no rule that says the entry needs to be as close to the street as possible, especially for vacation homes.
Hi Michael, I agree this is the entrance we will usually use. We are planning to do the variation where the garage is attached to the utility room. We were hoping for one more door that does not need to go through the garage. Thanks!
You can take version #4 plan, shift the garage up towards the bedroom but keep the roof starting point at the same stop. This extra roof now is an overhang, which gives you a covered entrance by the utility room/mudroom that you can now use as the main house entrance. Change the garage car doors to the right side or flip to the other side.
This layout works well if the living room faces the street, more open and welcoming as you walk/drive up to the house, much better curb appeal.