My Dream Home...
I was inspired by the architectural styles of Frank Lloyd Wright and Asian minimalism, and decided to start plans for my ultimate dream home using Google SketchUp. The setting will be in a mountainous area, so that the home can be partially built into the rock while taking advantage of trees for shade. I can envision a view out onto a lake or river with a small dock for fishing. The house itself will be an open plan, with plenty of windows and an interior courtyard for maximum daylighting and natural air ventilation. Energy efficiency will be further enhanced by the use of solar panels attached to the roof, along with a water recycling tank for use of grey and black water. As the home will be in a cool climate and the floors will be mainly hardwood, I thought it might be nice to have radiant floor heating to keep those feet nice and toasty! I laid out the floor plan in such a way as to limit the amount of steps in the interior, and I am working on some ideas for a ramp on the exterior of the home so that the entire space can be universal and at least somewhat ADA compliant. A large garage will be located separate from the main house but connected by an interior hallway and the wrap-a-round porch. This building will also house an art studio on the second floor with a scenic view of the backyard. I think my favorite part of this home is the interior courtyard, which will be surrounded by shoji screen doors on three sides that can slide open to allow plenty of fresh air into the interior of the home. This "sacred space" will have plenty of plant life and a water fountain--an ideal space for sunbathing, reading a book, practicing yoga, or just meditating.
This is still a work-in-progress! There are a few architectural details and sustainability issues I want to tackle, and I am designing my own furniture pieces for each space, but here is a taste of what I have so far...
This is still a work-in-progress! There are a few architectural details and sustainability issues I want to tackle, and I am designing my own furniture pieces for each space, but here is a taste of what I have so far...
