Contemporary House Plan 1

Ground Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan (Optional, or could be left unfinished)

This courtyard plan allows a lot of flexibility for future changes without expanding beyond it's initial footprint. This house starts as a 1660 sf two bedroom, two bath home on one level. Adding the upper level above the garage increases it's area to 2309 sf, while incorporating the enclosed garage as living space increases the area to 2670 sf. The house is approximately 66' deep and 50' wide.

The 16' x 17' courtyard brings light deep inside the house and allows for easy natural ventilation in the summer. The courtyard provides private and safe outdoor living space even within a dense urban neighborhood.

The optional space above the garage could be left unfinished until it is needed to save cost. It is large enough to be divided into two bedrooms with a bath for children, or can be made into a large master suite for parents. In the illustration it is shown as a large media work space for two people.

The separation of the garage into an enclosed area and an open carport allows the garage to be incorporated into the living space of the house, while still leaving a covered parking space for those people with one car. The garage could be remodeled into an office or study at a later date. It could be made into a family room by opening the wall into the house, which will connect it to the kitchen and provide views into the courtyard.

So from a single footprint, or foundation, you can have a comfortable two bedroom house, or a larger four bedroom house, or a four bedroom house with office or family room. Flexibility to grow. Flexibility to change over time. See this post for an illustration of how the plan can evolve.