Read about our ideas and thought process behind the B.1 modern house! http://www.coolmodernhouseplans.com/modern_house_plans_b1_info.html en-us B.1 modern home plans info@dialectdesign.com Dialect, LLC The Butterfly Roof For this modern contemporary house we implemented a All the water runs to the center of the roof and then to one side. There all the water is being captured with one sculptural downspout. The water can be stored for gray water reuse. The seemingly complex angles and slopes of the roof are actually simple to build. We made use of the juxtaposed volumes of the garage and the main house to have a simple building process, but spectacular outcome. http://www.coolmodernhouseplans.com/rss_the_butterfly_roof.html 29 Apr 2009 15:53:09 GMT B.1 modern home plans info@dialectdesign.com When we started the design on our B.1 set of modern house plans we contemplated the problem of a narrow urban lot. As a result this contemporary home fits on a forty foot lot with five foot sideyards. The overhangs of the butterfly roof will extend into that area, so be careful, if your local ordinance does not provide for this allowance. We placed the garage in the front of the house for the same reason and centered the layout on the main building “cube”. Within the cube and the garage of the B.1 set of modern house plans you will find your main living area and master suite. The remaining one story “tail”, is easily adjustable for a number of different configurations. We settled on two bedrooms with a joined bathroom, having a small family in mind. However, if more bedrooms or amenities are needed, the rear of this house can adjust easily. This part of the house also lends itself to be subleased or transformed into work space, might it be a home office or studio. When we conceived of the second floor, we considered giving the option of an open loft space. And so it is your choice to leave out the walls of the main suite toward the atrium. Instead you can leave it open to below and have the entire space work in unison. The juxtaposition of the downstairs living with easy access to the garden and from your car, and the upstairs sleeping quarters with a roof terrace, offers a rich interaction of uses and living zones. The semi-open steal stair case allows you to think of your roof terrace as a public extension of the living room, or as you private terrace to your bedroom or open loft. The rooms in the back for your kids, your work, in-laws or renters have no direct access to this area. By arranging the spatial configuration of this contemporary house in this fashion we tried to generate spacious living units for a small compact urban lot. And by making those flexible for usage and custom changes we also hope to have created an affordable solution of your modern way of live and contemporary living needs. http://www.coolmodernhouseplans.com/rss_the_loft_and_spatial_layout.html 13 May 2009 19:12:29 GMT B.1 modern home plans info@dialectdesign.com With the B.1 contemporary house we also tried to tackle some of the issues of as roof terrace. We wanted to provide for a great outdoor space on a higher level, secure from the street and the adventurous conditions of some urban areas. We had continuously received comments about great views of city skylines that needed proper staging grounds for get-togethers or private enjoyment. One potential drawback of roof terraces are, of course, concerns of water leakage. We ceased on the opportunity in at least two ways. We started with developing a roofing system that would allow adequate protection, but would remain affordable to build. Secondly, we decided to place the roof terrace over the garage as a secondary precaution, so that if the workmanship during the installation is not satisfactory any potential damage is contained. As a result, a whole set of spatial arrangements broke loose. For example, it offered us to include a “screened-in terrace”, again on the second floor. By integrating the horizontal slats of this porch with the siding of the house, we were able to provide a time-tested useful element within a modern contemporary design setting. This porch is partially overlooking, properly, the street, and partially the roof terrace. The roof terrace is also rendered luxuriously large for utilizing an area already given by the garage. A three foot parapet allows you to tuck yourself away from street views. At the same time, being oriented towards the street, you can easily advertise a joyous occasion. So you got a modern contemporary house, a large roof terrace and an insect-secure and rain-protected porch all in one. How about it? http://www.coolmodernhouseplans.com/rss_no_water_problems_with_a_roof_terrace.html 13 May 2009 19:46:27 GMT B.1 modern home plans info@dialectdesign.com The Kitchen in this modern home is based on an idea we worked out in an upfit for a house. Along the rear wall of the first floor main living space you can make out the wall cabinets. They are two feet deep from floor to ceiling and stretch along the entire wall. They are suggested to be made out of sleek panels, creating a nearly uninterrupted “second wall”. You can house a broom closet in it, all your appliances, the refrigerator (see: http://dialectsallthingsmodern.blogspot.com/2009/12/built-in-refridgerator-kburt3675e.html), storage, pantry, dishwasher, and the like. For the storage portion you can have regular 1 foot deep shelving above for better reach with extra 1 foot deep shelving on the doors. In the plan you can make out two smaller windows. Those cut through the cabinetry and create deep openings. This wall of cabinetry is paired with a multifunctional counter. The only hardware in it is the cooking surface and a sink. They are housed in full cabinets below. The rest of the counter is open to below. That portion, in conjunction with medium high chairs is your breakfast table, dining table, homework station, cooking counter, and so on. In the case of the B.1 we are taking this counter through the tall window arrangement on its one end all the way to the outside. A smaller awning window right above the counter serves as a pass-through for a cozy dinner outside. In the version we have built, we created a gorgeous counter that is part high-end concrete and part butcher-block. http://www.coolmodernhouseplans.com/rss_the_kitchen.html 18 Dec 2009 21:03:01 GMT B.1 modern home plans info@dialectdesign.com