Schematic Drawings

First Phase of the design process is well underway. We met with the builder to go over schematic drawings. So here's the update to this point.

Site plan - revealed no problems at all. It was interesting to see the details of the property and the set back lines which mark the limits that you are allowed to build on the property and remain within zoning constraints. Based on the site plan, I could build several outbuildings in the backyard and still have room to spare. There's room in the future to expand the garage toward the street and have a side entrance instead of a front entrance. The problem with the garage today is that if you enter park a car in the left door, you can't open the driver-side door once you're inside the garage. So, I'm exiled to parking in the driveway unless I want to "Dukes of Hazzard" in & out of the window every time, which would be fun for a while...

Schematic Drawings
We have a series of schematic drawings now. The first ones created were an as built of the existing structure.

Rear Elevation (as built):
Typical split-level layout from the rear. I'm not a fan of the house from the back as it currently stands. Having it drawn out really makes it stand out that it needs some help.





Interior Floor Plan (as built):

So here's the current interior of the home. The area in the middle (main floor as we call it) is where we are doing the work. The top of the image is the back of the house. The garage is on the left. The upstairs & downstairs part where the bedrooms are won't be touched with this project. The current layout of the main floor is very open. As you can see, the kitchen is pretty small.

Proposed Exterior Changes (Rear Elevation View):
Here's the change to the back of the house. I think they nailed it with the design. The new addition will encompass a kitchen and a screened porch. The kitchen is under the gable and the porch will be under the metal roof. I really like what was done with the roof line. It ties in the house very well and also does a good job of breaking up the split-level look. You'll see a little line between the two gables. That's called a "cricket" to prevent a dead drainage spot in the roof. The brick along the bottom will be taken from the wall that is being knocked down so it will tie the addition into the house better.

Proposed Interior Changes (favorite):
This is our favorite interior layout that was proposed. To give an idea of scale, the footprint of the addition is approximately 16' X 27' so it's pretty substantial. There's plenty of backyard left so it'll still be a pain in the ass to mow. The kitchen is huge. and I really like how everything has been shuffled around. I also really like the addition of the hallway, pantry, and powder room. There are also built-ins drawn in on the right wall in the dining room and the parition wall by the foyer. If budget is an issue, I can live without the built-ins and the powder room and pantry since that can come at a later time if necessary without too much interruption. The dotted line in the kitchen and dining room is where we would trey up the ceiling to 9 feet.

Next Steps:
We make some notes and go back to the builder with any proposed changes. The only change is to have a window along the left wall of the kitchen so we can see that portion of the yard. Once that is done, we'll be able to see 3D renderings of the interior space to get a better feel for it. After that, more details will be worked out. I still need to take interior & exterior "before" pictures. There's plenty of time for that since construction won't begin for a while.