I have been lurking around this forum for a few years and think I'm about ready to start building.
What I have in mind is starting with a small 16' x 16' cabin with the idea of adding to it later on down the road. I want a full loft above - not sure but thinking of a 4' kneewall with a 12/12 pitch roof. That would give me some decent usable space upstairs. The longer term plan would be to add an additional 16' to the end to make a 16' x 32' cabin with a full loft.
Anyhow, I know the Victoria plan is a 16' wide building but it has bumpouts on either side and the initial cabin will be a box more or less. The Victoria also doesn't have a full loft or traditional stair. I know a staircase will be tight in a 16' wide design but I'd prefer to have stairs even if they are a bit steep.
The 20' 1.5 story is close to what I want but it is obviously wider. Do the plans for this design have an allowance for a higher kneewall? With the narrower space I'd need that to give me more headroom in the loft.
I guess I could order both plans but I don't want to overload myself with too much to digest mentally.
Just looking for some guidance as to which plan might be more suited to my needs.
Several people have built the 1-1/2 story cottage with 12' side wall studs and a full length loft. That gives about a 3'-4' sidewall height in the loft.
With a 16' width you would be able to use a smaller joist. If you use a pier and beam foundation you can likely make the beams smaller as well. Work up a floor plan layout to see how this would work out. Your stair will be important as you may want a full U-stair (about 6'-6" - 8') that has headroom (6'-8" min) all the way to the loft floor.