Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Oregon Coast House Construction 2

This house was designed from the inside out. The coastline views from it's bluff top location are stunning. The design lays out each room, not only to have a view of the ocean, but to experience a panoramic view of the ocean and coastline. The house is now framed up and the windows and doors are installed.









The pictures above show the view from the main floor living areas. No matter where you are you see the full panorama of the coastline.





The two photos above show how the two guest bedroom upstairs capture the view.

The Oregon Coast is regularly pounded by hurricane force winds in the winter so the window wall is created by using a collection of smaller windows set in the framing to reduce the size of unsupported glass exposed to the wind. Additionally, steel framing reinforces the tall walls facing the ocean. Nearly all windows facing the ocean are fixed to better resist wind driven rain, with operable windows located on the sides out of the direct wind.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Island House Plan 9






Downstairs main Verandah




Upstairs Owners Suite Verandah




First Floor Plan


Second Floor Plan

This 7,200 sf plan is comprised of three buildings and a service building. The central main building has the kitchen and indoor seating areas with a large covered verandah on the main floor. The second floor is the owners retreat - with it's own large covered verandah. Two identical guest wings frame a swimming pool and are connected to the main building by covered walkways. The four guest bedroom all have large bathrooms with walk-in closets and outdoor showers. If the house is going to be in a rental pool, having the four guest bedroom equal in amenities makes it more desirable for multiple couples since no one is stuck in a back bedroom without a private bathroom.

When placed correctly on a site, the "U" configuration can protect the the pool and terrace areas from blowing wind. Each of the buildings are only one room deep so they can be adequately cooled by natural ventilation, and do not need to rely on air conditioning. The service building has a storage garage, laundry workspace, staff toilet and a covered porch for staff to hang out away from the main buildings.

The two 49' wide verandahs are the outdoor living space for the house with roll down rain screens for inclement weather. The buildings are simple and uncomplicated in style for a casual and relaxing Island lifestyle.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

San Francisco In-fill Housing












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This is a design concept for an in-fill housing project that combines a historical building with a new building on a 25 foot wide vacant lot next door, on Sutter Street in San Francisco. The elevator becomes the connecting element between the old and new. Units in the new building become open loft type spaces, while units in the old building are crafted out of exisiting rooms that have interesting historical architectural woodwork and detail to be preserved.