The Seed of Life

The Seed of Life - An Essene Sanctuary Home in Texas

Requirements

i need drawings for a 2 story Mid Century Modern style Shed Roof home. I would like to start this project with the first floor.

MODULAR APPROACH

The design of the house is built around a series of 14’x14′ modules. Where 2 modules are next to each other WITHOUT a wall in between, the measurement would be 14′ x 28′ 4.5″ to accommodate the thickness of the walls they are adjacent to.

From left to right – top to bottom:

  • There is a 9″ rock facing that goes on… the exterior 9″ wall.
  • The Kitchen is complete simple 14×14 module.
  • Then there is 4.5″ wall which will line up with a beam that goes between the living room and the dining room.
  • The Entry module includes a 24″ standard depth closet and a 2’x2′ space for the dumb waiter. It also includes the stairway to the 2nd floor. When we include the wall that is the outside the front of the closet, the entry area should be a little less than 12′ across. (11′ 7.5″) The 6′ wide front door is centered on this wall. NOTE: Th Entry special pebble floor does not extend into the living room. it is confined to the 14×14 entry area.
  • Then there is a 4.5″ wall between the Entry and Office modules which will line up with a beam that goes across the living room.
  • The Office module includes a 5×8 bathroom and a closet and the remaining space is the office.
  • Then there is a 9″ exterior wall. This will carry a load up to the 2nd floor exterior wall.
  • The Utility module is divided in half between a laundry-utility room and a mud room.
  • Then there is another 9″ exterior wall. This will be carrying an exterior wall load up to the 2nd floor.
  • The Carport module is 1 and a half modules with a structural beam running across it.

———————

  • The simple 14×14 Dining room module includes the fireplace.
  • The Living Room module is double wide. It is 14’x28’4.5″ from the edge of the structural beam to the right wall.
  • The 2nd part of the Carport Module is divided in half with 2 storage lockers.
  • The Screen Porch is detailed further down this page.

FLOOR PLAN

I created this basic footprint floor plan in floorplanner software. The exterior walls are 9″ and the interior walls are 4.5″ thick. Please make sure you adjust the walls and such to get the measurements just perfect in your software.

The measurement of the interior space from north (front door) to south (sliding glass wall) should be 28’ 4.5”

The total Heated Living area that I got was 1211 square feet. I did not count the porch, carport, storage… and the mud room and utility which are not heated. Is that correct? 

STRUCTURE

Even though the entire back half of the house is “open plan.” i.e. the dining room opens to the double-wide living room, we still need to show where the structural beams will be across those rooms. The structural beams essentially live “outside” or in-between the 14’ room matrix. I used dotted lines in my drawings to show where they’d be? If there is a better way to do that, please advise.

The wall between the office and the utility-mudroom is specified to be a 9” exterior wall. This is because…
a) The utility room and the mud room will be treated as outdoor space (not living area) and will not have heating or cooling.
b) That wall carries the load to the second floor where this section is an actual exterior wall.

Please make sure there is a structural post at the corner of the carport.

SCREENED PORCH

The first floor has a screened in porch along the south side of the building. It is beyond the 14×14 module, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE 9″ thick exterior wall, and extends an additional 7″ of outdoor living space. The posts for the porches will be carrying part of the roof load, so they will need to be substantial. Please make them the size they need to be. The porch posts should line up with the other main structural beams of the house.

ROCK FACADE

Next, the exterior of the house is clad in local rock on the front half and simple corrugated metal on the back side. As we discussed, this must be called out in the drawing. Where the rock facing is will require 9″ of additional foundation slab. So 9″ thick exterior walls, plus an additional 9″ where the rock facade will be.
As far as showing the foundation – the wider foundation will continue across the wall where the siding is, just please do not draw the rock part covering a door or window.

WINDOWS and DOORS

Most of the windows and doors should be centered on the walls where they are placed. For instance, the kitchen sink and window above it will be centered on the 14′ wide room. However, the Home Office, the window will be centered on the shorter wall, because that 14×14 module also has a closet and bath within it’s “module.”

Please make sure the sliding glass doors are shown as opening left and right respectively as per the floor plan notes.

Door Schedule

    Location Type Size (inches) Swing
D1 Exterior Front Door double door 64 x 6-8 RH inswing
D2 Interior Entry to Bath 1 Panel Obscure Glass 2-6 x 6-8 LH
D3 Interior Office to Bath 1 Panel Obscure Glass 2-8 x 6-8 RH
D4 Interior Office to closet Bookcase door 3-0  x 6-8 LH outswing
D5 Interior Office to Living Room Barn Door 6-0 x 6-10
D6 Interior Entry Closet Louvre doors 6-0 x 6-8
D7 Exterior East Dining Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens right.
D8 Exterior East Dining Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens left
D9 Exterior South Dining Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens right.
D10 Exterior South Dining Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens left
D11 Exterior South Living Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens right.
D12 Exterior South Living Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens left
D13 Exterior South Living Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens right.
D14 Exterior South Living Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens left
D15 Exterior West Living Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens right.
D16 Exterior West Living Wall Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens left
D17 Exterior Mud room Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens right.
D18 Exterior Mudroom Sliding Glass Door 6-0 x 6-8 Opens left
D19 Interior Office to Mud Room 1 Panel Obscure Glass 3-0  x 6-8 RH outswing
D20 Exterior Mud Room to Carport Steel flat panel 3-0  x 6-8 LH outswing
D21 Interior Mud Room to Utility Barn Door 3-0  x 7-0
D22 Exterior Storage Locker Steel flat panel 3-0  x 6-8 RH
D23 Exterior Storage Locker Steel flat panel 3-0  x 6-8 LH
D24 Exterior Screen Porch Screen door 3-0 x 6-8 LH outswing
D25 Exterior Screen Porch Screen door 3-0 x 6-8 RH outswing
D26 Exterior Screen Porch Screen door 3-0 x 6-8 (2) LH and RH
W1 Kitchen Double hung 3-0  x 3-0
W2 Office Double hung 3-0  x 3-0
W3 Office Double hung 3-0  x 3-0
W4 Storage Single Hung 3-0  x 3-0
W4 Storage Single hung 3-0  x 3-0

EXPECTED CALLOUTS

Please make sure the drawing calls out the

  • Interior dimensions,
  • Ceiling heights
  • Floor surfaces:
    The whole house will have smooth poured concrete floors.
    The entryway and 1st floor porch will have a pebble finish concrete.
    Can you somehow differentiate these two areas?
  • Locations of major Kitchen appliances: kitchen double sink, kitchen single sink, fridge, under-counter freezer, wall oven, stovetop.
  • Locations of major Utility Room hookups: HVAC unit, water heater, single sink, washer, dryer, electric panel

SPECIAL NOTES

1) There is a bar height counter between the kitchen and the living room.

2) The fireplace downstairs is on the west side of the structural beam. This is so that we can use the same chimney for the upstairs fireplace that will be on the exterior porch.

3) There is a ‘dumb waiter’ between the kitchen and the upstairs loft.

4) There is a laundry chute from the Master Bath that will go down through the Home Office and then will have an opening on the western wall of the Utility Room.