Chapter 11 Exterior Design Factors

Introduction House design does not stop once room arrangements are determined –Exterior must also be considered –Often a client has a certain style in mind that dictates layout of floor plan

Site Considerations Site factors affect house design –Neighborhood High value houses in a neighborhood with lower value houses will have poor resale value –Review boards Keep values of neighborhood uniform –Access The narrower the lot, the more access will affect the location of the entry and garage

Elements of Design Line –Provides a sense of direction or movement in the design of a structure and helps relate it to the site and natural surroundings May be curved, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal Can accent or disguise features

Elements of Design (cont’d.) Form –Lines are used to produce forms or shapes Rectangles, squares, circles, ovals, and ellipses are the most common shapes found in structures Typically three-dimensional Proportions between them are important –Form of a structure should be dictated by its function

Elements of Design (cont’d.) Color –Integral part of interior design and decorating –Helps distinguish exterior materials and accent shapes –Described by hue, value, and intensity

Elements of Design (cont’d.) Texture –Roughness or smoothness of an object –Important in selecting materials Rough surfaces give feelings of strength, security, and an illusion of reduced height Smooth surfaces create a sense of luxury, gives an illusion of increased height, reflects more light and makes colors seem brighter

Principles of Design Rhythm –Leads the eye through the design from one place to another in an orderly fashion –Can be created by a gradual change in materials, shape, and color Gradation in materials could be from rough to smooth Gradation in shape from large to small Gradation in color from dark to light

Principles of Design (cont’d.) Balance –Relationship between various areas of the structure and an imaginary center line Formal balance is symmetrical Informal balance is asymmetrical

Principles of Design (cont’d.) Proportion –Related to size and balance –Rectangles using the proportions 2:3, 3:5, and 5:8 are generally considered very pleasing Unity –Relates to rhythm, balance, and proportion –Ties a structure together with a common design or decorating pattern

Floor Plan Styles Single level –Most common style –Provides stair-free access to all rooms –Easy to maintain Split level –Combines features of a one- and two-story –Best suited to sloping sites –May be split from side to side or front to back

Floor Plan Styles (cont’d.) Daylight basement –One-story over a basement or garage, or two complete living levels –Well suited for a sloping lot Two-story –Many options for those who don’t mind stairs –Provides maximum building area at a lower cost per square foot than other styles

Floor Plan Styles (cont’d.) Dormer –Allows an upper level usually half of square footage of lower floor –Best suited to an exterior style that incorporates a steep roof Multilevel –Possibilities for floor levels are endless –Site topography and living habits dictate style

Exterior Styles Colonial –Second-floor living area same size as first-floor –Colonial influences: Georgian Saltbox Garrison Cape Cod Federal Greek revival Southern colonial

Exterior Styles (cont’d.) English –Fashioned after houses built in England prior to early 1800s English Tudor English cottage Dutch –Major difference was a broad two-level roof with flared eaves slightly rounded into barn-like gambrel shapes

Exterior Styles (cont’d.) French colonial –French Provincial –French Normandy –French plantation –French mansard –Second Empire Spanish –One story constructed of adobe or plaster

Exterior Styles (cont’d.) Italian –Italianate –Italian villa Victorian –Gothic –Second Empire –Folk –Queen Anne

Exterior Styles (cont’d.) American Foursquare –Simplicity Farmhouse –Two-story construction surrounded by a covered, wraparound porch Prairie –Low horizontal lines, one-story projections, low-pitched hipped roofs, and large overhanging eaves

Exterior Styles (cont’d.) Bungalow –Open, balanced but asymmetrical floor plans Craftsman –Asymmetrical, free-flowing, two-story layouts Ranch –One-story, rambling layout Contemporary –Does not denote any special style of house

Exterior Styles (cont’d.) Trends: –Open, informal spaces –Fewer hallways and bonus rooms –Spacious laundry rooms and ample storage –Accessibility –Spacious garages –Sliding partitions –Outdoor living