Sometimes the best way to control costs, quality and construction methods is to ponder most often requested market demands and preconceive ideas. This is a vast departure from the normal part of the design process, whereby you sit face to face with a person, hear what is important to have in a home or business and have an idea evolve with frequent feedback. This approach focuses cost constraints in a challenging economy, downsizing, leaving opportunities open for green and sustainable technologies and taking full advantage of what sites of different terrains have to offer.

For example, developing a structure that is compact and dimensionally modular allows for a less expensive project because of less waste of materials. This also makes a home more flexible to add to or subtract from so you don’t limit options by closing off circulation patterns. Simplicity of structure also lends to a wide variety of stylistic preferences.

Since these are preconceived plans and it is nearly impossible to satisfy everybody’s domestic needs with a single concept, they can be offered and altered at a lower cost. While some prefer a custom design, certainly some of these elements can be considered in planning a new home or remodel.

This is a very simple compact plan approach with a strong visual axis with respect to interior and exterior negative spaces forming courtyards and patios. Less than 2000 square feet in the basic design, it appears larger than it really is.

There are three bedrooms shown, with a garage that can easily accommodate an office in one of the bedrooms and a fourth bedroom. This is ideally suited for a relatively flat site that is not dependant on views. It is conducive to solar hot water heating, insulated block walls, exposed, reclaimed beams, rainwater collection and any number of other systems that can be employed.

As the name suggests, this scheme is more ideally suited to steeper terrains with a view corridor in at least one direction. It was planned as more of a vacation or second home or one for a couple, with two master suites and generous public spaces. This design is almost 3200 square feet and has many features designed into it such as a chimney stack over a stairwell for natural ventilation and lighting, a living garden entry and breezeway, room for reclaimable treatments to be incorporated and certainly solar gain.  Materials such as stone, brick and tile are ideal for flooring and retention.

The circulation allows for easy access of each bedroom suite to public spaces. One is more privately placed in the level below. The other closely relates to the kitchen and entry corridors.  The structure allows for simple spans and ease of construction.