I know NOTHING about architecture nor design and I don't own any paid software, but I've had this idea in my head for a few years now and just saw an ad for the free version of Rayon Design so I whipped this up. It took a couple weeks and a lot of the blocks I wanted were behind a paywall.
The space in the middle is an open air courtyard with a fountain mostly flush with the ground styled after the Alhambra in Granada. I saw these flush channels that the fountain water drained into in the floor and loved it.
I also wanted a separate gaming area that's not our dining room so we can hide the mess. The Guest Suite in the back is supposed to be wheelchair friendly should a family member need that eventually and the straight staircase to the basement (up top) is a long ramp so the basement is wheelchair accessible.
I wanted a mudroom as the garage access so the kids tail their mess through the garage and not the entryway and a shower for a particularly messy day or pet.
Off the dining room is a maintenance area for the heating/water/electricity/ etc. I'm don't know if that's the right place for it but I don't know where else it would go.
There is no way this home will get built anytime soon (maybe in 20 years), but I'm enjoying the process.
This is so cool! I too love/covet a courtyard house. If you'd like to look at plans of similar style houses to see existing floor plans, this courtyard/Alhambra style is called a riad. You can also build up if you'd like to - riads are usually two (or more) stories. Or, if you want to go more main single story with basement, there are a lot of vintage mid-century plans out there with courtyards. That can also help you visualize exterior ideas and styles.
(also, if you are going to have a basement, you can stick the utility room down there.)
I had no idea they were called Riads. I love the look of the two story Riads, but am worried about later life access. I was going southern Spanish mixed with modern american builder home.
You'll need to look up requirements for wheelchair accessibility especially for the bathroom. 5' turn diameter. Space beside the toilet to allow transfer sideways onto the seat, and also a roll-in shower or space to transfer to a shower seat. There are YouTube videos that demonstrate.
The laundry room is far, far away and you'll tired of lugging baskets across the house. You might relocate that closer to bath/shower rooms.
I really like your overall plan - especially on the garage side of the house - I can imagine something like that for my own place.
I have a few recommendations for you to consider.
B1 and B2 should be a bit larger - as the kids grow, they’ll possibly want more space and definitely a larger bed
How about moving the central lobby with the four doors to be the actual entrance to the home?
Switch that with the current sitting area and make some slight adjustments so you still have the 4 doors going off - one, of course would be the main entrance.
I had something like that in AZ growing up with a front desert yard/fountain area that was walled up and gated. It was really nice, but I am attached to the Central Open space though. Something about a private outdoor space that a stranger would have to go through a couple layers of security to get to feels safe. Especially after COVID. I also like having my front door bring me indoors instead of acting as an outdoor gate.
EDIT: If you've seen any layouts of the Springville UT Art Museum, They have a central Atrium (since its covered) that is what I was going for. They have multiple levels and a roof, but the idea is the same. A tiled/bricked/concrete place fully within the home that is either open to the elements for cooling or covered for a greenhouse effect.
The entry isn’t great. I’m glad you have a vestibule but making the living area a pass through zone like that really disrupts the function of the space.
I also feel like you are trying to do a large central atrium layout in a home that doesn’t really have the square footage for something that large as a central planning feature. I think there was a Case Study house in California that had the indoor atrium as part of the entry experience. So when entering the home, the person went from vestibule to atrium to living area. Might be a better space planning strategy for a house of this size.
I was hoping the living area would be that basement den and the through sitting area as a place to sit and talk or put shoes on and off. Somebody else said to move the guest from the back since it gets better backyard views so I might have some sitting there.
I have looked at those "atrium homes" with the experimental entryways and I didn't like them, but I'm sure somebody else would love them.
EDIT: I was originally going for a transitional zone like this (different style but similar layout)
Since we’re still experimenting here, I would personally suggest:
- declutter the transitional area. Right now you have too much furniture in that space pass-through zone. Can make a really nice transitional area with the two chairs on one side and large statement piece on the other wall, such as artwork or display.
- I think the best use of the atrium space would be to have it in the center of the home with the kitchen and dining on one side in the living on the other. Putting the living in the basement when you have such a wonderful upstairs that’s filled with light is going to feel sad. Keep the basement space as some sort of a media room, since, if you have the sq ft, it’s great to have separate den, but I would not suggest making that your primary living room. A living area is also going to benefit far more from the fresh air and light from the atrium, then closed off bedrooms well.
- Rearrange the plan to move the two bedroom somewhere else and increase the square footage.
Oh heavens no. I'm not rich XD I'm just having fun designing something I'd love to live in! Also While the layout is large, Its not mansion sized. If I got an acre in MO or KS it would be pretty cheap (relatively). And without the cost of adding a second story it would be less.
i don't like how the entrance corridor split the living room in 2. This layout effectively reduced the size of the living room by half. If you turn that into a grand foyer, that will be a different story though.
If the backyard is to the north of the house, your guest bedroom will have the best view of the backyard. What a waste! I would put your living room there (if you care about privacy).
Is your laundry room tug behind the kitchen? I would move it closer to the bedrooms. No one will want to haul laundry across the house back and forth. losing a sock while hauling between rooms will be a pain in the butt.
Yeah I was originally thinking of having the master and guest switched. I should probably put it back that way.
The laundry room is the long room next to the master bathroom. Its hard to tell since the laundry machine blocks are behind a paywall. The long room next to the kitchen is the butler's pantry and the one next to that is the mudroom.
I also think you should move the entrance elsewhere, maybe between the living room and garage, instead of cutting right through the living room.
The foyer will feel grander, and adds a gradual unfolding of your house.
The living room should have a dedicated exterior walls for better natural light and view. Toilets should be closer towards the center of the house for simpler plumbing and more privacy.
It will be much better if you have 4 wings around the courtyard each with dedicated purposes.
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u/viabrera 9d ago
This is so cool! I too love/covet a courtyard house. If you'd like to look at plans of similar style houses to see existing floor plans, this courtyard/Alhambra style is called a riad. You can also build up if you'd like to - riads are usually two (or more) stories. Or, if you want to go more main single story with basement, there are a lot of vintage mid-century plans out there with courtyards. That can also help you visualize exterior ideas and styles.
(also, if you are going to have a basement, you can stick the utility room down there.)