I actually hate the plan. Also, it's only 2 bedrooms. Who builds a 2 bedroom house these days?

Your plan shows stairs. Does that mean there is another floor above or below? I'm not an architect or builder, but those who are might want the measurements. I'd be OK with a two bedroom house as long as the other living space is OK (I assume you are building it for yourself and not to sell right away). However, two bedrooms and a three-car garage doesn't add up in my mind.

In terms of general use, I would want the laundry on the other side. I usually do the laundry in the day and would prefer to be able to hear the beeper when it finishes. I would also want an external door so that I can hang things outside when the weather permits. I would also want two living areas. One would be the more formal sitting room that is used most of the time, with the other room used if I want to shut myself away to read/watch TV/exercise or can leave the ironing board up without worrying about guests seeing the mess. Those points reflect the way I live and might not be appropriate for you.

(you might need a door on the mudroom).

To me this is a lot bigger than 1800 sq ft. and also a very expensive way to get square footage.We had a 1600 sq ft. house a long time ago built like a donut with an interior courtyaed. We had a small galley type kitchen one large and one small bedroom one bathroom and a LR DR combo. I loved the house and would build it again if I ever was in the mood to build. We need measurements that are in your head on the drawing. I have no problem with a 2 bedroom house if that works for your HOA because there are rules in most sub divisions about size and style of home.You will need a kitchen designer for sure and the first thing I would get rid of is the corner pantry biggest waste of space ever.I am not sure where the stairs come in.I do like bedrooms separate from living space but I would have the laundry in the mud room as mentioned above and all those exterior doors would be nice it they were all the same( we had sliding glass doors going into our courtyard.I also like the TV in a space away from more adult entertaining if you have kids.

Normally I'd agree with Patricia on the pantry, but I do think in an open plan design, having an area of the kitchen that can be closed off is a good idea, whether it is for storage or just a temporary dumping ground for dirty crockery.

And yes, an architect is needed. I assume this is just to get some ideas and thoughts to kick off the discussion. I'd hate to think my random thoughts are going to be set down in the building plans!

You could do with windows in the bathrooms !

I like the U shape and the fact that it will be filled with natural light. Very different from most plans we see here which is very refreshing.

I agree with all the others: you will need an architect to make your project happen.

A "U", "L" and "T" shaped plans are all good concepts for maximizing natural light in a home, and for zoing or separating the "public" spaces from the "private" spaces. Obviously, the larger footprint will be more costly than a simple rectangular plan, but it offer many other advantages not possible in a rectangular plan.

I think your concept is workable, but there's a lot of thought and experience needed to make your concept workable. For example, how does the occupant of the second bedroom/office find a bathroom?

Where does the stair go? Is there an upper level or a basement? Will there be more than two bedrooms?

Good luck on your project.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2806-W-Shelton-Ave-Tampa-FL-33611/45069532_zpid/ here's a U shaped house pictures might give you ideas good luck :-)

I'm looking at this as a "bubble diagram" where you are figuring out what rooms you need and where. I think you are off to a very good start. I can visualize walking into the entry and looking out over the stairs through large windows into the beautiful courtyard. This house will also have that "surprise" factor because you can't see the whole house from the entry. You will have to turn a corner to get into the kitchen etc., so it will be like the house slowly revealing itself. (I hope you can tell I like this plan LOL)

You also have great separation between your public and private areas which is nice. An extra bedroom/office on the top floor will be good too. Regarding how the house will live depends on your family make-up. I'm assuming your children are a bit older and that is why the extra bedrooms are in the basement. If they are toddlers, than that is a different story.

I would suggest you figure out what sizes you want the rooms by measuring the rooms you are living in now to get an idea where you want to go. Also, I wouldn't make any of the hallways less than 42" wide - 48" wide is better. You can go online and find minimum measurements of baths and kitchens. Or, since you don't seem to be a draftsman or architect, you could take this to a professional to get the plans drawn and have them work everything out.

And I agree with you on the laundry placement, but some people like the laundry near the living areas because it fits their lifestyle better. Keep at it and I'm sure you will end up with a lovely house.

Who will live here? Where are you? (General location, climate. Where's North?)

U shape houses can be awkward. Need an intercom, or just wave through the windows across the -- usually dark, dank middle between the wings? You have a lot of square footage in hallways.

Do you want bedrooms in a basement? (Not me.) If you actually have a 'wide lot', I'd build one story. (You say you have a 'side garage', but it's still a 'snout' projection at the front.)

Looks like they have all the living space across the front and bedroomsbedrooms down the sides. I like how they have the large doors right when you walk in. If you have stairs right there it might be kind of dark unless you have large windows

Google "Hugh Newell Jacobsen Dream House" for a variety of "U" houses, including the one published in Life Magazine:

At first glance there is a lot of wasted space with a lot of hallways. Best if you hire an architect to finalize the plan for efficiency so you can save money on construction costs. Designers can help in the beginning then take take it to the architect to get it finalized. Also, on PotteryBarn.com there is a room planner that is easier to use than PowerPoint. Happy Designing! https://www.potterybarn.com/tips-and-ideas/room-planner-tool/?cm_type=gnav

I like different shaped houses and a courtyard feel, but this seems too deep and tunnel-like to me. I imagine it would be more expensive to build with more sides, etc. Not knowing the direction or how wide your lot is, could you spread the house width-wise? This would shorten the U-sides and also create less hallway. Or even opt for an L-shaped?

I’m tempted to add a sunroom by the stairs in the courtyard. The courtyard is so big. I feel like there’s room for that extra room. For an office, or adult lounge, or morning sun in inclement weather.

Earlier this year when we were looking at houses, our runner up was a U shaped house like this one. It was a bigger house (approx. 3600sf) and slightly wider in the middle, but we loved the secluded courtyard that it created in the middle. The left side of the house was very much like your floor plan, but with a third bedroom inserted between the laundry and the master. In the center, the entry and stair area was expanded to make an open formal seating area and formal dining area. The right side was inverted with the kitchen and the garage (it was on a corner lot) out at the end of the U with the family room down at the lower right corner. This was one of the houses biggest flaws in that the walk from the kitchen and garage to the master was 75 feet and the kitchen was separated from the formal dining by 30'.

Your house I think solves that problem by placing the kitchen and garage entrance in the right corner so it is more central to the home. But I think from an efficiency standpoint, the house we looked at made better use of the bottom of the U. Your house has what amounts to probably 40' of corridor across the front of the U with little purpose other than entry and pass through. In a smaller house, all of this space could be put to better use. I would continue to study the mud room and pantry areas for ways to eliminate the hallway down the side of the garage.

I would also look at what purpose the entry at the end of the U can also serve. Maybe some of that space can be used to make a third bedroom (which you may not find important but would be really detrimental to your house if you ever go to sell) or a dedicated office nook. Or also consider moving the living room to the center of the U like in Virgil's plan below, which could greatly reduce the amount of dedicated circulation in the bedroom wing as well.

But one thing we didn’t want was the front door to open directly into the living area. If you look at the plan Virgil posted, it creates a sense of entry by having the fireplace be the division from the living area. You could place your stairs there as well. You have a good amount of space with your lot dimensions to spread the middle out.

Something you may not have thought of...appraising for value with the bedrooms in the basement. I'm speaking from experience as we put our kids in the walkout basement making our house technically a 2 bedroom...it was a struggle for appraising. I don't regret our decision, and I love having them down and away from us. Just something to consider :)

We also want a u-shape house and I've done something similar simply as a bubble diagram, though our purpose is to put a pool in the courtyard. I know it's frowned upon on this board, but I like hallways. I plan to make them wide and have bookshelves along one side in lieu of having a library. The only thing I really don't like about your plan (other than just two bedrooms which would never work for me) is the lack of use of the connecting area in the middle. An architect may have some good suggestions there.

Also, your garage does look sort of perched on the front. Can you perhaps detach it?

The sooner you get to an Architect the better off you will be.

I love "U" shaped homes for lots of reasons, but the big ones are they provide AWESOME cross-ventilation opportunist, private views, and allow for integration of exterior spaces into your floor plan. They can be very simple to build (I'm not sure what your architecture style is) and, depending on your solar exposure, can offer a WIDE variety of day lighting and shade options (goes along with the cross ventilation).

There is lot of criticism on here of your plan - but if this plan fits YOU and YOUR budget, then its perfect. Design features I like:

1) i like the "narrow" footprint of the entry ... but ONLY if these stairs are really well done and allow you to see through them to the court yard. This plan only works if all of your interior spaces turn into the court yard.

2) I would make the bathroom off your bedroom/den accessible from the hallway and use THAT as your half bath. That allows you to remove it from the kitchen/dining area. I have a big issue with having bathrooms so close/open to public spaces.

Questions:

1) what is your design style?

2) garage? car port?

3) what is upstairs?

You need an architect to study this in 3-d to make sure you get EVERY dollar out of your square footage investment. A draftsman isn't going to have the skills to get this done right.

All- in-all, you have the bones of a great home, but the devil is in the details, and if you get those wrong, all you have is a U shaped house.

I'd love to discuss this more with you off-line if you'd like.

Steve

www.StevenJohnsonArchitect.com

Modern Craftsman · More Info

Modern Craftsman · More Info

I have a bedroom in my finished basement and I have had no issue with appraisals related to the room there. It counted in the total number of bedrooms as it should. Maybe the issue pwanna1 ran into is a regional thing. But if its a finished basement the rooms should count in the basement the same as if they are on the main floor or a second floor.

Architects love to have a lot of time to work on a project without a rush, it rarely happens.

As a public service, Steve can be reached at (336) 558-8800.

I live north of Chicago. Basement bedrooms do not appraise in my town. We have a basement as insulation from the ground. The mechanicals live there.

The living space here looks tight for a 3-4 BR house.

Our town has some U-shaped homes made from converted stables, but the open space is usually wider. Think about how much light you'd get into that enclosed space if you want lawn or living plants.

(Nice Killer Staircase with no landings in that photo.)

dont wait until you are ready to build. Get the architect involved early. A year before build is great. That will give you time to get it all right. It tales longer than you might think. Good luck!