I've touched on this in a couple other threads, so I'll post a layout of my current idea for a floor plan. It's a cross-gable design on either a full or partial basement. Our land slopes, so it would be a walk-out. This plan is a bit over 1200 square feet, and is 44' wide by 40' front to back. I consider it to be very luxurious for a couple empty-nesters. The main gable is 24' wide and 40' long; the cross gable is 16' wide by 44' long. The stairs are for the basement- I've decided there's no need for an upstairs. I'll put a guest room or two in the basement, but overnight guests will likely be very rare. This isn't a cabin, but a year-round home. The finish will be like a cottage- I'd be flattered if people thought it was 100 years old. Outside will be Hardi clapboards and a tin roof. I'm thinking about extending a deck out the back (towards the view) and having a huge covered wrap-around porch all the way around the kitchen/dining wing, with french doors out from the master bedroom and the dining room. The garage has to be at the top of the page, due to the lay of the land. It's going to be just big enough to park one car, since we'll have a big barn for everything else. I may connect the garage directly, or attach it with a breezeway. I welcome comments and criticism- I've designed and re-designed so many times, I need some outside input!
(https://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k18/flgargoyle/92509.jpg)
Interesting plan. I wonder if you might try a 3d model in sketchup or 3DHA. It would give a sense of the volume and feel of space. It could also test the porches.
You might want to go cathedral with the ceiling of the parlor.
I would like for you to consider a roof design that jumps to my mind. I don't know the correct roof terminology, but it would have a square "footprint" .... four triangles leaning in, touching together at the center/top. Would work well with a centrally located chimney. Might require four posts to be added to the "notches" in your floorplan. This roof design would be interesting, I believe "cottage-like", and would avoid snow/water damming ... and leaf collections.
I think what JRR is referring to is the hip roof. It would reduce water in the valleys, but would increase the amount of gutters required.
My question is what direction is south? That would help determine roof and wall design.
What type of heat would you use? Your layout might be a challenge to heat with a central wood stove on the main level. Or maybe it would be better to put a furnace (wood or otherwise) in the basement.
Your plumbing is somewhat spread out, but over all I like the design.
I think I saw something like you're talking about in Mother Earth News several years ago called "four leaf homes". Can't find it now, at least in a quick google search. The side roofs were shed-style, with the peak in the center of the house. The elevations looked great.
Here are some thoughts off the top of my head.
If you have a basement, I am guessing you live in a cold climate. With the house's irregular shape you have a lot of exterior wall --have you given thought to the heating of this abode?
Also, if you back fill against the basement walls, might waterproofing require extra attention because of the extra angles/corners around the perimeter? Those with more experience with basements than me could probably give you a better reading on that possibility. I'm guessing the construction costs will be more because of the irregular shape of the foundation.
That said, it's an interesting layout and my kind of place. I live in Southern California and slab foundations are norm here so if I've raised some non-existent basement issues, my apologies.
The side of the house marked 'View' at the bottom of the page is NNE exposure. That's also the downhill side of the house, so the back porch I described would be 10' off the ground. The direction of the slope and the exposure kind of hems me in on layout. DW wants the main kitchen sink facing the view. I like an east exposure in the kitchen and master bedroom. There will be one window on the east wall of the kitchen. The kitchen will have little or no overhead cabinets- we don't like them.
I have wondered if the inside angles in the foundation could trap water. I'm going to go the full gamut on waterproofing, with waterproofing sealer, dimple board, gravel backfill, and perimeter drains. With the slope, the perimeter drains can just empty down the hill. I've considered only having the basement under the main gable, and using a crawl space or even piers for the parlor and bedroom wings. It might save me a few bucks.
The South Carolina climate is pretty mild- about 3 months of real heating, and about 3 months of real cooling. We like the windows open as much as possible- anything between about 55 and 80 they'll be open. Here in FL, we haven't had our heat on in years, despite temps as low as 35, and a poorly insulated house. The walls on the new house will likely be 2X6, with an additional inch of foam outside the sheathing. The roof or attic will be at least R40. Heat will be central, although there will be a fireplace or wood stove. At some point, we'll be too old to haul firewood constantly, so I'm planning for a furnace. A/C will be a heat pump, so it can provide heat until it really gets cold. If I can swing it, the basement will be ICF, so it should be pretty snug as is.
My only concern with the porches is if they block too much of the natural light coming in. Much of the year in SC is 'porch season', though, so I'd like to have a really great porch.
I've thought many times about having a cathedral ceiling. I don't like them except timber framed. We have mostly antiques, and like very traditional homes, so if we have a cathedral ceiling, it will have fake timber framing (can't afford the real thing!) I also considered doing a cathedral/timber ceiling in the kitchen/dining area, and continuing the line out to the porch. The high peak, if left open, would let a lot of light into the porch and back of the house.
There will probably be a small porch at the front entrance, as well. The whole house will be universal design, with all the doors being 36". I've done some variants to this design where the gables are longer and narrower, so the the rooms are more separated, but I kind of like the more open feel, plus you wind up with too much hallway.
I've been playing with a somewhat similar cruciform design for a (I hope!) client. This is a screenshot of where the roof is at the moment. This might give some roof ideas if you haven't gotten that far yet.
(https://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x109/windyhilll/AutoSave_HaddockGableB.jpg)
I've sketched the main gable in at 8/12, the cross gable at 6/12, the porch at 3/12. The site is very sloped but we can drain both directions from the foundation corners so I'm not too worried about moisture. The main gable on this is post and beam, 4x10 rafters on 4' centers with a 4x10 tie across at plate level, 2x6 T&G decking and sips above, wrap and strap would work there as well.
As an aside I've contacted TP Inspections this past week for a client I sawed for. Current grading charges are $85/hr, 1/2 day minimum + $.45/mile... I wouldn't give up on TF portions too easily :).
Edit;
Porches do eat light, they are a tradeoff, where you are I'd take the trade. We're going with 9'8" walls and a fair amount of glass, some with transoms, to help with that.
That's a pretty busy roof. I originally was going to go 12/12, just because I like the way it looks, but I'm re-thinking that. I've done two renditions- one with cross gables, and another with a 4/12 shed roof over the parlor and bedroom. Not nearly as stylish, but a lot easier to build. If I extend the main gable out over the back porch, the shed roofs could go along the same line, so there wouldn't be any valleys to deal with. Due to the lay of our land, only visitors will see the house; it won't be visible from the road. Our friends and family are coming to see us, not the house, so I really don't care about external appearance all that much. So much has to do with what we have for a budget, which won't be determined until we sell our current house.
Ceilings are planned to be about 10', and external doors will either be 8' tall, or have transoms.
The kitchen is pretty big for a small house, but we are both avid cooks, and hate the tiny galley kitchen we have now. I also have a pretty elaborate outdoor kitchen planned, too!
I have some cheap design software- Total 3D, but I can't figure out how to make it do rooms that are open to each other, It's cool, because you can do walk-throughs, and even program the sun orientation and time of day, but it works in separate rooms, and my design is pretty open. Could be me- I'm not all that computer savvy, despite using them every day.