It's too small to read. What are the lot dimensions?

Also you have a long narrow lot. Why would you need to have all the angles? Angles look interesting on paper, but usually don't work as well in real life.

The volumes are very deep and large, which will result in a very bulky and blocky exterior. Have you considered the exteriors in the development of your plan?

It looks like some rooflines are on the drawings - with any sort of pitch - that thing is gonna be a monster. And yes - the kitchen and inner rooms/ areas will be cavelike.

cpartist,

Didn't know how small the pics were until posting, wasn't sure if they could be zoomed. I can post more specific ones, the attached picture is worse (smaller), but it gives a better idea of the lot. Also, we are building a bridge onto the property, the lot is 1.58 acres, there is an additional 1/2 acre over the river that can't be built on. 0.8 acres is really usable for a home on the 1.58 acres given some of the lot is on the river.

Virgil Carter Fine Art, I am using home designer software to come up with a basic plan, room layout, size, etc. I will then have an a professional develop full plans. I was just curious if something looked strange. We want a round staircase, 10' or 11' ceilings on main floor and basement, the gun safe is also a safe room at 8'x12' (maybe a little unusual)?

Why would you handcuff a "professional" by attempting to do the job for them? Take in a list of needs and wants as well as several inspiration pictures and let them do their job. And by "professional" I do hope you are referring to a true Architect and not a draftsman.

jannicone,

The roof is just auto drawn from Home Designer Suite 2016, so that will be modified. I want to put solar on the 2 garages so I will try to get it designed to be efficient from the south. The lot faces south, or the house that is, so it should be good with solar.

Cavelike - should I add more windows? Not sure if high ceilings will help? There should be good light in the family room and kitchen table area, but the deck could prevent some light. Is that what you were thinking?

millworkman,

yes an architect, I will be openminded and honestly hope he can make improvements, I did it to get a better estimate on size and the garage layout - all being attached with walkways to meet some specific codes on "detached" garage location. Because I have too much time on my hands and software to play with, I have numerous ideas to give him (probably 30 drawings) and will let him work on it.

I think that your lot cries out for a more linear plan and not something this square. It looks like you situated this very close to your lot line? Is that a vacant lot next to you or more of your property?

Cavelike - more windows are nice - but they won't help light penetrate into the inner areas of the house.

It appears you will be spending a pretty good chunk of change - work hard to establish the wishes, style pics, how you live, what you want the house to do for you, your future plans, etc and not on the CAD SW.

The SW has enabled people to be empowered and given them the ability to do this - but not the KNOWLEDGE to do it right.

Looking at the larger photos - you have laundry going right behind your head at night. You will have a dark bedroom. You have a whole bunch of weird angles that will just be hard to decorate around and manage cabinetry in, as well as add no value. The deck will make the cave effect even worse. The clear spans showing in your upstairs will require a several tons of steel and a LOT of engineering - and windows appear to be doled out grudgingly.

You seriously owe it to yourself to find pics of spaces and styles that appeal to you, and have a professional CREATE a design for you - and let them take you through the process, ask you questions and watch something special evolve.

jannicone,

It is more of my property.

Good point on the laundry at night. Not a 100% sure on the weird angles comment, there are only a few walls affected by the angles, but I do get that. Fitting the large garage(s) on the lot has been challenging and provided some the angle issues. Agree on the professional, just figured a little homework and time on my side would give him a better idea of what I want. We already have pictures of the kitchen, bathrooms, wine room, bar area in basement as well as Theater (use some of the design when we built my first house).

Thanks for the feedback!

Where is the river? Is that it on the south? Is it pretty? If so, why wouldn't you want to have the house designed so it takes advantage of the views and the passive solar from the south?

Right off the bat, I see the following:

You've enclosed almost all your living spaces with private spaces assuring the interior will be dark.

You didn't open up for passive solar to the best views and light. You want lots of windows on the south side of the house to take advantage and fewer windows on the north.

Your kitchen is dead center in the house, which assures it will be dark.

To get to your family room you need to walk through your kitchen and your dining area and practically bump into chairs as you do so.

Your foyer is huge. I can understand having a beautiful foyer, but consider how much time you'll actually spend in the foyer vs other rooms and put your square feet where they'll be the most used.

Your master bath is the size of a master bedroom, yet it's mostly empty space. Think how much space you really need in a bathroom.

Which bedroom is for your parents/grandparents?

Why does a pool bath need to be 11' wide? Again, a pool bath is to do your business and shower and change out of wet clothes.

I'm trying to understand why you arranged the powder bath the way you did?

There's more, but I have to get ready for dinner. :)

It sounds like and looks like from the drawing you have a beautiful piece of property and being able to build on .8 of the lot is still quite a large house. However what you've drawn is not it. Honestly I wouldn't even bother giving this to your architect.

Go to your architect with your needs, your wishes, your wants. Talk to your architect about which rooms you want near one another, and which rooms should be far from one another. Talk about how you want that curving staircase, the safe room, etc. Talk about how you want solar. Talk about how best to create a beautiful home that takes advantage of your property and also sees to the needs of your parents/grandparents as they age.

Bring lots of photos of houses you love, and even rooms you love.

Designing a house (a home) is much more than simply arranging rooms using a CAD system. Once the true needs, budget and site constraints are understood, the beginning point is to explore and select an overall organizing concept which will be the basis for further design and development until the design is complete. So many folks on this forum want to have fun "designing" their own home, saying that they want to have something to hand an architect (if they plan to use an architect).

Frankly, it's really a waste of time, and often has a negative and expensive effect in that many owners become "wedded" to their own work and become reluctant to give it up since they have invested so much of themselves and their time in the design. These sorts of situations force an architect to spend a great deal of time and expense explaining the weaknesses and why such plans don't work, before beginning a more experienced and creative search for workable options.

Unfortunately, it's like someone said some time ago here, such preliminary drawings are "like bringing a sandwich to a banquet". There are so many other useful investments of your time and energy.

There are so many problems with the design above that it's just impossible to get into a detailed or itemized discussion in this forum. My suggestion is to start over and limit yourself to a design that is no deeper than two rooms at any point. That's a very sound principle that has withstood the test of centuries for the design, construction and livability of houses in the U.S. and Canada.

Good luck on your project.

Jim, understand that to get what you want, you and your architect will need to collaborate.

What about having the garage as the first floor and an elevator?

It would give you a very large garage/parking area and usually better views if you are on a river.

I think if you come up with what you think will work and list all the reasons why you designed it the way you did, this could be very helpful for a "professional" to either redo or polish what you have.