Working House Plans

Designed by us, using Broderbund's 3D Home Design program.
     Front of house is about 3 feet off the ground.  The rear of the house is at least 6 feet off the ground.  The house is built over an enclosed crawl space to allow for easier plumbing and electrical modifications.  The ceiling over the living room is two stories tall and vaulted.  The ceilings on the rest of the first floor are 10.5 feet high.
 
Structural items incorporated for accessibility: 
  • There will be no steps leading to the front door because Bill has dug, hauled, moved and moved again tons of dirt and rocks to make a gradual slope to front door.
  • All doorways are 3 feet wide.
  • The hall is 4 foot wide.
  • The distance between cabinates in the kitchen is 60 inches wide to facilitate a wheel chair's turning radius.
  • There are seats in the shower and at the end of the bath tub.
  • All main living areas are on the first floor.
  • Light switches and electrical outlets will be no higher than 48 in (1220 mm), or lower than 15 in (380 mm).
  • Supports for grab bars in bathrooms framed for future use.
  • Hard floor coverings on the first floor.
  • Two bedrooms have exterior doors for easy emergency exits.
  • Not shown:  the decks will now wrap around left side of house to facilitate easy emergency exits.
If incorporated in the design stage, these items are inexpensive or free.  I don't understand why all builders don't make all or most of these concessions. 

For more accessibility information go to the Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities.

 
Help Request:  E-MAIL ME

If anyone has information or ideas how to make a exterior door threshold flat, or almost so, and still allow room for the door swing, please e-mail me.

If anyone has raised their dishwasher to allow for easier loading and unloading, I would like to know how far you placed it from the sink. 

If you have any ideas where to place the faucet handles for the bath tub to make them easily accessible from inside and outside the tub. please e-mail me.

Engela@homeschoolkids.freeservers.com

Creek side

Front


3D View from the front
Front Porch

3D View from the
Back of House 60' x 10' Deck

Style
    From the outside:  we hope the house looks like an old Texas Ranch House.  This shall be accomplished by designing the home around a very simple shape, lots of porches, stone and cedar exterior, metal roofing, and lots of mature trees.  I'm trying to talk Bill into operable exterior shutters on the front windows, but so far no luck. 
 

   From the inside the vaulted ceiling and the number of windows will give away the age.  The inside will have simple finishes, no wallpaper, and wood floors.  Bill jokes, "Yes, plywood floors." 


Under Construction and probably will be forever.
    As of 1-21-99 we are framing the roof.   As of 7-1-99 Bill is still framing the roof.

This page includes our House plans
   1st floor
       3D from front
       3D from back
   But the 2nd floor plans have changed and are still evolving.

Construction Photos are just a click away. 
 
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