I don't think it would be totally stupid. Ideal - obviously not. I'd heat the floor and insulate really well.

OhLaches

I am also in Central Ohio. Do you mind if I ask where you are planning to build?

I dont understand the design of the bath being the problem. It doesnt make the elevation unbalanced as it seems to be under the roof. I would not put a bath over unfinished space as you are talking. Too much potential for freezing.

If the problem is symetry, the left doesnt match the right with or without the bath over garage. The roof is higher but the length and window coniguration is also different.

Are they telling you they have to be symetrical? Do others in the neighborhood all have symetry ? Is it just the style your doing that they want that? Is it required ?

If it needs symetry you might consider moving your laundry next to the bath and pushing the music room out farther( possibly larger and open toward the back of the house with possibly a covered porch/screen porch to get the roof massing to match the garage closer?

I dont know if thats a problem for budget or site plan but its an option.

Bigkahuna....it is not required...nothing violates the design requirements in the deed restrictions; however, the architect that the HOA is using to approve the plans doesn't like it. I think he designs mainly for a suburb with very symetrical Georgians. Neither my engineer nor my builder have a problem with the current design, but I was trying to come up with options, because they won't approve our plan, so we can't build.....it's incredibly frustrating to say the least. The neighborhood is not all symetrical....I can't figure out why they have such an issue with it.

Ok ..Well like I said you might consider trying the laundry next to your bath and then pushing the music room out farther. opening a vew up of the back yard. If you added a roof over that space behind the revised space you may be able to create a covered porch or screen porch that could be accessed from the hall or the great room. This would get close to matching the roof massing on the garage end.

Also I noticed the 3 windows in the great room seem small and separated in a way that each window gets little view. Consider moving them together and getting a larger/better view. The one next to the sunroom out back is right next to the wall and offers a view mostly of the wall next to it. That would drive me crazy

Design review committee may be used to reviewing New Albany !

Also I am curious as to the reason for odd window configuration in the master bedroom . They dont seem to be in a rythem matching the front. I dont see the logic in it.

bigkahuna....you're right on the New Albany review; however, we're not building in New Albany. I think the master bedroom window configuration takes into account the roof of the hearth room, which is vaulted. I'm not sure how much room we have on the sides to expand before we hit the setbacks....I actually hadn't thought of expanding to balance it out...lol.....it's already bigger than I originally thought!

It seems like the roof would not force it but ok I will allow for that it is true. However you might consider then making it 3 windows wide with no space between them. At least it gives you nice views and one can understand the windows being off balance if you will but at least all off to one side!

Unless your design violates the covenants/deed restrictionss I would tell them that you appreciate their input but you have an architect and like your design. Unless the restrictions give them broad rights to deny permission based on unarticulated aethetics, I would stand my ground.

I realize it is cold in Ohio but I think worrying about freezing pipes in a properly insulated and lived-in home is not necessary. Sure a crappy house might have frozen pipes or a really old house, but using proper insulation techniques, I just don't think concern is warranted.

Ditto what sue said.

If you haven't bought the land yet, I would move on...if they are this difficult to deal with before you build just imagine afterwards.

She already owns the land and yes many design review committees have that kind of control. Thats why it is important to be sure what is required and why you need to get preliminary design approval before completing the construction documents. Sometimes they are positive things and sometimes they are a pain in the rear but the developers do have the right to decide these things.

That pretty much sums it up, bigkahuna....definitely a lesson learned the hard way!

We live in a small development in central Indiana that is about 10 years old where the same builder built all the homes in the early years. He had the reputation of a quality builder of custom-designed homes. Several years ago during a brutal winter, a home with the master bath over the unheated garage had frozen pipes. So maybe his reputation of "quality" wasn't deserved! (In my own home, I've found that to be true over the years.) In "cold country" I would have finished space over an unheated garage only if a true insulation professional wrote out the specs for how to insulate and the builder could be trusted to build to those specs.

Our master bathroom is over the garage, which is heated, and the pipe to the toilet freezes a couple times each winter (it has to go below 0 for it to freeze). The rim joist is insulated as is the floor between the garage and the room above (R38). I pulled out the pictures we took during construction and realized the plumber did something totally boneheaded. We have PEX, all with individual direct runs. A soffit was created in the garage for the pipes to run it. What he did was put the toilet line at the point closest to the rim joist. Because the toilet is the last fixture in the room that line runs by itself for about 6 feet. Luckily it doesn't burst because it is PEX. One of these days we will take the garage ceiling down and try to correct the issue.

My point being that pipes can freeze even in new construction if the pipes are not laid out with care.

Take photos of other homes in your neighborhood that are not 100% symmetrical. Do the Covenants require homes to be "symmetrical?" Remind them they cannot practice 'selective enforcement' of the Covenants and/or Architectural Standards of the neighborhood. As long as you are not going out of bounds or in the natural buffers (if required) on your lot the only reason they could have would be aesthetics. Too different than other homes, etc.

I am Chairman of our ARC, btw. Our Covenants give the ARC the "for any reason" reason. Granted, I've only reviewed one pool addition, one house and one barn. I think any ARC should have to have a good reason to turn something down.

Our MBath is over the single/lower storage garage. We have not had any issues with pipes but the stone floor can get colder in the winter than the stone flooring in other main level rooms.

having a bath or any room over the garage takes a bit of planning, but I don't see why it couldn't be done without a problem.

my "new" but not finished, master bedroom is over the garage. we decided, dispite the expense, to spray foam the ceiling in the garage. I've been told that it makes a serious difference.

if it were my master bath over it, i would put in radiant heat in the floor as well as the spray foam and discuss with the builder and plumber how they were going to run their lines to ensure they wouldn't freeze.

Good point that a bonehead plumber move could have any pipe freeze - whether or not it is over unfinished space. One would think in a cold climate that plumbers, builders and inspectors would catch these things.

Obviously you could have a double thick R-38 wall, but if a pipe is near the outside of it, it may only see R-3. Just the fact that you are aware of the possible issue will make it not be one. You superinsulate the area and keep pipes towards the inside....

Thanks again for all the good advice! Allison....the really frustrating part is that the house fits within the design criteria of the deed restrictions...it is only a difference of opinion....they simply don't like it. This is not a neighborhood where all the houses are symetrical...far from it, in fact....we have a suburb like that around here (whom our reviewing architect also reviews and designs for)....it boggles my mind that they want to micromanage this way. The only thing I can figure is that they don't have anything better to do with their time than to slow down my build!

The ARC is suppose to keep personal preferences separate from decision making. They should only be enforcing the Covenants and ARC restrictions as written. Have an attorney write a letter. ?

Hope you get it worked out soon.

Many towns have Architectural Review Boards and some allow neighborhood input to a varying degree. It seems fairly common for projects to get derailed this way. While this situation may be a surprise to you, I believe a prudent designer would have assumed potential problems, become very familiar with how the process works in your community and met with Board/Architect and neighbors before starting. At a minimum, he or she should have submitted a preliminary design for approval before proceeding. I sometimes think the designers ignore these steps because they can bill for all the work that goes into the redesign.

I hope your are able to find a solution without too much extra cost. I wouldn't put the bathroom over the garage. I have seen pipes freeze in a similar situation.