Design Concept I
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| Design Concept I, Northwest View | Design Concept I, Northeast View | Design Concept I, Southeast View |
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| Design Concept I, Floor Plans |
Pros
- Ground floor is elevated 4 feet for resiliency with a 'sacrificial' basement containing no mechanical systems in case of flooding.
- The volume and shape of the building is very similar to our original design mockup but cleaner and better thought-out in terms of interior space. The cantilever pushes the upper floor volume away from the neighboring houses, makes the house less boxy, and gives it some length.
- The relatively long narrow shape of the upper floor allows for a greater expanse of south facing windows and better light penetration into the volume.
- The large roof surface allows for solar PV panels and a generous deck.
- The small covered porch provides easy access to the outdoors from each bedroom and can be optionally screened in.
- The cutout in the northwest corner of the ground floor, accentuates the cantilever and visually lengthens the house.
- The front entry landing repeats and reinforces the cantilevered architectural elements.
- First floor layout is clean and maximizes the useable square footage.
Cons
- A 3rd bedroom is nice but it pushes the dining room into the kitchen. We need more separation for our dinner guests from the mess in the kitchen and we need more privacy for the office. The ground floor guest bedroom is a better location for the office.
- The ERV air in-take location is less than ideal next to the trash.
- To alleviate any concerns with freezing, the tankless water heater should be located inside the envelope of the house.
- Guest have to walk past the garbage as they enter the house from the driveway.
- The shower is located on the southwest corner farthest from the beach.
- There is no natural lighting in the guest bath.
- We wanted to avoid having a circular staircase to access the roof deck. It's a challenge navigating the stairs while carrying food and beverages.
- There isn't kitchen island or long counter space to serve food buffet style.
Design Concept II
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| Design Concept II, Northwest View | Design Concept II, Northeast View | Design Concept II, Southeast View |
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| Design Concept II, Floor Plans |
Pros
- Like the first design, the ground floor is elevated 4 feet for resiliency with a sacrificial basement containing no mechanical systems in case of flooding.
- The office/flex guest room is half a floor down from the common area, providing good separation and privacy from the rest of the house.
- The outdoor shower on the alley side of the house is conveniently located closest to the beach.
- The covered porch is large and may be able to accommodate a hot tub.
- The master bedroom is generously sized.
- Good southern lighting for dining room and kitchen.
- Nice kitchen island and counter space.
- The configuration of the stairs doesn't allow for a second bedroom on the ground floor.
- The shape of the house is a little boxy and the cantilevered office doesn't extend naturally from the main structure.
- Similar to the first design, we wanted to avoid having a circular staircase to access the roof deck. It's a challenge navigating the stairs while carrying food and beverages.
- The smaller roof surface may be challenging to fit a decent solar PV array and decking.
- Low ceilings over the covered parking space may feel cramped.
- The square configuration of the common space doesn't allow sunlight from the south to penetrate all the way into the living area and stairs.
After reviewing both design concepts at length, we decided to go with Design Concept I. The overall shape and volume of the building and key architectural features really spoke to us and allowed us to incorporate features we liked from the second design more easily.
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