How to design your dream home? (Part 5)

By Phil / On Aug.03.2015 / In / Width 0 Comments

In this blog post I take a look at the second design type, Mediterranean style. I love the look of these beautiful homes so I hope I can do them justice. I finished in part 3 of this blog series with a basic configuration of square towers around a central volume, as with the traditional design type, I envisaged a free standing staircase projecting into a double height space, but again this didn’t seem like a traditional design, so I replaced it with a curved stair at the back of the entrance hall, and cut a circular void in the floor above. The void was reduced in size from that originally planned, as it had to be smaller than the inner radius of the stair in order to form the landing. The extra circulation space at first floor I stole back by increasing the bedroom suites sizes, thereby providing a better balance between circulation and room floor area. Natural lighting to the entrance hall at ground floor level isn't a problem, it's connected directly to the lobby and to the courtyard at the back, which are both glazed. At first floor, I had to lose some bedroom floor space in order to give the hallway some daylight, with windows to the front and back.

I decided to use the wing at the back for a ground floor master bedroom suite, in the US, this seems to be a feature people like to have, I don’t know why, anyhow, I added a couple of hip roofed extentions along the side wall to make the geometry more appealing, and provide some extra space for the en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet. The computer model I developed further, in parallel with the plan, I added windows by trying various configurations and profiles, making quick renders after each change to see the effect of the alternatives, I still haven’t quite decided on the final look. The wall thicknesses and ceiling heights I adjusted with some vague notion of what typical construction details might look like, so if you are planning your own design, take a moment to look for typical details for the intended construction method, as it will have some affect on the positioning and dimensioning of the basic elements of construction. Finally the entrance porch I removed altogether, it was just too wide and squat looking, it just didn't complement the facade.

The results of this stage are below, still no glazing or roof details, but the basic form is becoming clear. Let me know what you think in the comments below: