Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Bob Knight
15Hillside Housepg. 34
Jamie Salomon
Bob Perron
Michelle Stapleton
Darel Bridges
3Tapios Housepg. 10
Bob Knight
8The Cottagepg. 20
Welcome! 2
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . An Island 8
Lucias Little Houses
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tapios House 10
A Portfolio of small house designs
To build a house you bind the goods and trappings of your life together
with your dreams to make a place that is uniquely your own. 4 . . . . . . . . A Tall Place at the Edge 12
Charles Moore
I have been designing houses of all sizes since the late 1960s 5 . . . . A Sprightly Victorian Lady 14
but the house type I nd most satisfying and challenging is the
good small house. Here on the coast of Maine the demand has
increased steadily for the little and efcient home that takes 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunshine and Work 16
advantage of sun, site and design to reward people with modest
housing needs.
7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alices Field 18
We have selected 20 designs that have grown out of my
experience of giving clients a sense of place and light and fun.
These house designs vary in size from 636 square feet to close 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Cottage 20
to 2,000 square feet of heated oor area. Each was designed for
a specic client with individual programs but can be modied
to suit your specic needs. 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Forest Cottage 22
I hope you have as much fun imagining yourselves in these
houses as we have had in creating them. 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hansel and Gretel 24
11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austerity 26
14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stay Focused 32
CONT.
RIDGE
VENT TYP.
12
T.O.WALL
T.O.R.O.
6'-0"
2ND FLR
T.O. WALL
T.O.R.O.
6'-10"
WOOD
STORAGE
SECTION B-B
SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0" SEC A
Welcome!
2x6 LADDER 24'-0" 24'-0" 8'-0"
@ RAKES (TYP)
3'-6"
WITH 1x4 ON EA SIDE
1'-0"
T.O.R.O.
T.O.R.O.
NOTE: The Stairs as drawn in these plans may not meet your local Building Code.
Be sure to consult your local Building Code Official before building.
Extra width for stair may be gained by eliminating the bookcases and adjusting the
7'-4"
framing accordingly.
O.H. DOOR
6'-10"
9'-0"
16'-0"
16'-0"
2ND FLR 2ND FLR
2x12 JOISTS
GARAGE
T.O. WALL FLUSH
T.O. WALL
STL BM
2-2x12 HDR
6'-10"
6'-10"
Some notes on building your home
R.O.
1'-0"
10"
OIL TANK
1'-0"
EQ
MAIN FLR MAIN FLR
2'-2"
2-2x12 BEAM TYP.
SHELF & ROD
6"
02
R.O.
R.O.
5'-10"
WDW
WDW
07
SEAT
HTR
6"
CL 2x4 P.T.STUDS
12
10'-0"
6x6 P.T.
1'-10" & P.T. PLYWD
WOOD POSTS
ENTRY FROM FLR LINE
BATH #1
DOOR
R.O.
01
PORCH ENTRY DRESS'G
VENT @ BASE
6" R.O.
SKYLT
EQ
CABINET
ABV
OF WALL
EQ
SECTION A-A
3 1/2 "
8" DUCT
20'-0"
4'-0"
08
4'-0"
SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0" LAUN
PANTRY 2'-0" 3'-0" 3'-4" 7'-3"
11
SEC D
60'-0"
10
3'-2"
R.O.
ENTRY HALL
WDW
09 13
RECESS WALL
BEDRM #1
7'-2"
10"
8" 2'-10 1/2 "
FOR REF.
8'-10"
BATH #2 3'-4 1/2 " 5'-4"
UP
2'-6"
R.O.
CABINET
WDW
15 TABLE BY OWNER
03
SEC C
10"
3'-4"
BOOKSHELVES
3'-4"
CL 14
1'-4"
FACE OF STUD
FACE OF MASONRY WDW WDW
KITCHEN
8'-0"
8'-2"
R.O. 10" R.O. 10"
SEC B
FIRESLATE CAP
DECK #1
R.O.
BOOKSHELVES
POST
WDW
BEDRM #2
F
9'-6"
EL
SH
OVEN
SITTING
8'-0"
5 1/2 "
10"
SEC B
4'-0" 4'-2" 2'-8" 4'-8 1/2 " 3'-0" 3'-0" G
R.O.
WDW
5 1/2 " WDW 3'-6"
6'8" HIGH WALL R.O. CL
10"
6"
10"
W/ SHELF ON TOP
8'-0"
T.O.R.O.
DINING
DOOR 4"
16'-2"
T.O. RAIL 12
R.O.
05
R.O.
WDW
WDW C C
4
R.O.
3'-0"
10"
F
T.O. DECK
10"
12'-0"
LIVING
12'-10"
T.O.R.O.
SCREEN
PORCH
8'-0"
01
PORCH A A
6'-10"
R.O.
WDW
B B B B
Lucias Little Houses Sunshine and Work DECK #2
1'-0"
10"
MAIN FLR MAIN FLR
GARAGE FLR
Forest
Site Diagram Cars A good choice for a eld or hillside 8 1/2" 6' 6' 6' 8 1/2"
6
3 1/2" 3 1/2"
0 10 40 feet
with strong solar possibilities.
1" = 40'
GR FLR PLAN
This is a great house to spend 8'-0" 20'-0"
EAST ELEV
4'-0" 2'-0" 6'-0" 16'-0"
SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0"
the whole day in and watch SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0"
4'-2" 12'-2" CODE WxH T.O.R.O. MANUF. TYPE NUMBER NOTES
N WINDOWS
the sun move through your life.
Sunshine and Work Forest
This is essentially a one-story
56'-0" A
B
2'-9"x3'-0 9/16"
2'-8 3/8"x5'-1 9/16"
6'-11"
6'-11"
MARVIN
MARVIN
CASEMENT
DOUBLE HUNG
WCM 3236 Garage units insulated glass only
WDH 2626
C 2'-9"x3'-0 9/16" 6'-11" MARVIN CASEMENT WCM 3236 Fixed unit
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . 1,846 house (which will work without D 2'-9"x3'-0 9/16" 6'-11" MARVIN AWNING WAWN 3236
E 5'-11 3/4" x 5'-9 9/16" 6'-11" MARVIN DOUBLE HUNG WDH 3030 Mulled in pairs
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . 2,204 a basement) with a bonus space SEC A
F
G
2'-7 5/8"x4'-8"
3'-9 3/4"x3'-11 1/2"
VELUX
VELUX
SKYLIGHT
SKYLIGHT
VS-2
VS-4
extension pole
motorized
2 - Bedrooms
VIEW upstairs that makes an excellent Note: Typical unit is Low E glass and gas filled. Garage units are Insul glass.
2 - Bathrooms
Ofce workspace. DOORS
All units to be either SDL or ADL with energy panel.
2'-0"
5 3'-0" x 6'-8" 6'-11" MARVIN French door WFDR 3068 Right hand
6 3'-0" x 6'-8" 6'-11" MARVIN French door WFDR 3068
7 3'-0" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
8 3'-0" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -3912
9 2'-8" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
10 2'-0" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
11 3'-0" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
12 3'-0" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
13 3'-0" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
14 2'-8" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
15 2'-8" x 6'-8" MORGAN M -1053
G
North East South West
This is a house whose forms grew We strung the daytime places out in a saw- exposure over west and south (but you could a little crows nest to get outside to clap the
0 2
1" = 20'
8 20 feet
The one-car garage, while not a necessity, is 12
out of an interaction of three tooth pattern along the southern view. You ip the plan east to west). binoculars onto passing lobster boats. mighty nice around here in the winter. It 4
get up in the morning at the east end with shares the entry space with the front door,
primary forces. the sun, and move through the kitchen to the Originally what is now the living room was We sneaked in a guest room and bath off and turns the houses back on the cold north- 2ND FLR
dining room. The end of the day nds you to be the work space, but my clients agreed and away at the west side, very much out erly wind.
The rst was my clients desire of the ow of the trafc and working T.O.R.O.
T.O.R.O.
to have a house with rooms that 0 2 8 20 feet lives of this couple. This house is on a slab because it was a damp
reected the way they spend their 1" = 20' site and we wanted the thermal mass of the A A A A
day. Largely they work as writers slab to be able to soak up the suns heat. You
6'-10"
7'-0"
and do the survival kinds of things could add a basement and put a stair under
that make living on a Maine island Garage the one that now goes to the second oor.
interesting, like baking bread and
loading the woodstove. Utility
Bath While Ive never really seen a house with this MAIN FLR
Dressing
1 GARAGE FLR
Entry
Porch
Entry shape, it has a nice American familiarity
The second force was the very Laundry to me. Perhaps it reminds me some of the
long and harsh Maine winter. architecture where I grew up in the southern
Bedroom1
This island site is a somewhat Bath
2
part of New Jersey.
exposed eld that faces south Open
WEST ELEV
Study
with long water views to the east Bedroom Kitchen
2 SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0"
and southwest, and we needed a Working Drawings
house that would grab as much
Dining
16 www.luciaslittlehouses.com 17
Plan books have been around for system. If you want to see more of the build- of space realtors talk about, because it is the
more than 100 years, and have ings, we have more photos of many of the space that you can walk around and live in.
buildings on our web site.
produced many of the frame Adjusted Square Feet
houses that people admire the All the plans and elevations of the build- This is what we use in our ofce for price
ings in this publication are at the same scale comparisons. It takes the Heated Square
most in our landscape. All of (1=20), so you can get a sense of their rela- Feet above and adds on the other spaces
these Pattern books worked tive size. All the elevations are organized as if like garages, decks, screened porches and
you were walking clockwise around the build- two story spaces with a reduction factor. For
differently. Heres how ours works. ing (often starting with the entrance or south example, the open deck factor is .2, so 1,000
side.) The site plans are drawn to a scale of square feet of open deck equals 200 square
This portfolio contains 20 house designs, 1=40. In both cases there are also scale indi- feet of interior space. This sort of comparison
some with variations, that we have done for cators with the drawings. is necessary to compare the relative cost of
clients here in Maine over the last 20 years. constructing different houses.
Floor Area
View Dimension
We have tried to choose houses that we feel This is calculated lots of different ways by
are reasonably portable and will do well different people. In our portfolio oor area is The length of the side of the building that
on other sites, as long as people are sensible the gross area measured from the outside of faces the view. This may be important if you
about what they buy. Almost all of them were the exterior walls. It includes all nished oor have a narrow waterfront lot. This dimension
designed for rural locations, rather than orga- space. We count stairwells once. We do not includes decks that are integral to the design.
nized suburban lots, but some will do quite count area under the eaves below 4 in height Side Dimension: The length of the other side.
well in suburbia as I think you will see. In if it is sealed off. (See page 4 for more info.)
Cost
the descriptions of the houses we usually talk
Footprint
about the kinds of sites that we think they You should consult a local builder or architect
will work well on. The square footage taken up by the building, for cost information. In our area we would
decks etc. on the site; the actual site coverage expect these houses to cost about $200/adj.
With this portfolio we hope to give you of the building as shown. sq. ft. without site development costs outside
enough information to determine if you the building footprint. It is easy to imagine
Heated Square Feet
want to buy a set of the construction draw- that different areas could be $50 above or below
ings. These can be ordered from the form on Space enclosed by the walls and heated that cost without a signicant change in the
page 47 or by telephone, fax, or online at where there is headroom. Stairway space is quality. Subsurface conditions can also have a
www.luciaslittlehouses.com using the PayPal counted once. This is pretty much the kind signicant impact on the cost of foundations.
2 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
1'-2"
1'-2"
CHIMNEY IN
CHIMNEY IN FOREGROUND Determining Building Costs
FOREGROUND
2x12 RAFTERS (TYP) 1. Calculate the Adjusted Square Footage by adding the Total Heated sq. ft. to the
Total Factored sq. ft.
2x12 RAFTERS (TYP)
MTL DRIP EDGE
1x3 TRIM
1x6 TRIM
2. Determine the average square foot Building Costs in your area
T.O. WALL CONT. VENT
2 2
WOOD SHINGLES
1/2 " GYP. BD (TYP)
3-2x12
mine Your Total House Cost
MTL DRIP EDGE T.O.WALL
MTL DRIP CAP
3'-2"
ATTIC
T.O. WALL
2ND FLR
CONT. VENT
Heated Spaces
6'-10"
1x3 STRAPPING 16" O.C.
1'-2 1/2 "
2 2 BATH #2
2x12
WD TRIM
3'-0"x6'-8"
OPENING
1,800 Total Heated sq. ft.
WOOD SHINGLES STORAGE BEDROOM #1
3'-2"
2x6 STUDS-16" O.C. ATTIC 2ND FLR
3/4 " FOIL-FACED RIGID INSUL.
2,264 Total Adjusted sq. ft.
Building costs in your area (per sq. ft.) Your total house cost
6" F.G. BATTS 1X( ) (NOM) BASE BD WIRE MESH T.O.R.O.
Stripped $90 Stripped $203,760
6'-10"
4"
2x12 3'-0"x6'-8"
WD TRIM
4"
DETAIL
1'-2"
2
DRAINAGE
MAIN FLR DOOR MAIN FLR
MATERIAL B.O. CONCRETE & T.O. EXIST. GRADE
6"
DETAIL
1 SCALE 1 1/2 "= 1'-0"
SECTION C SECTION D
SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0" SCALE 1/4 "=1'-0"
DRAINAGE
MATERIAL B.O. CONCRETE & T.O. EXIST. GRADE
6"
2" 8"
DETAIL
1 SCALE 1 1/2 "= 1'-0"
3
Lucias Little Houses
Basement is 5% because
most of foundation cost is
already included in base
square footage
As a residential architect, almost On the other hand, when someone has been ings. (Remember, we have already gotten the
every potential client that walks told that it will cost $100 per sq.ft. to build basic oor space in our gross heated space, so
a house, they want the number of square feet this 0.5 is in addition to that amount.)
in the door wants to know the to be as small as possible so that the estimated
answer to one question: How cost is lessand then they multiply only by Does it really increase the cost of a room 50%
the interior heated square footage and get to have a cathedral ceiling? If that ceiling has
much per square foot does it cost that screened porch for free. open beams and lots of skylights and balco-
to build around here? nies overlooking it, it may be more. If it is
Of course, reality lies somewhere in between. simply a cathedral ceiling, probably notbut
The screened porch isnt free, but it doesnt this is an empirical way of comparing build-
For many years I had a casual, commonly ac- cost as much as heated nished space. To ar- ings, so some simplication is required. In my
cepted number. Then about 15 years ago, af- rive at a universal square foot that we can use experience, making ne adjustments to these
ter a spate of ination, I realized I was off by to compare costs, we have developed a series multipliers is not wise because it implies a lev-
about 25%, so I set out to get more scientic of fractional multipliers that we use to get el of precision that this methodology doesnt
about tracking how much our houses cost. what we call factored square feet. have. This is good for a rst look until you get
enough detail to cost it out stick by stick.
As I tried to make our pricing information We start with the gross heated square feet.
What about other spaces?
more accurate, it became apparent I needed This is a reasonably accepted industry stan-
to have a systematic way to compare build- dard, including the oor area measured to Full basements: We usually add 5% for full
ings with different components in order the outside of the rough walls. We get this basements. Why not more? In Maine, where
to get a universal kind of measurement for information for all nished oors and total I live, frost walls are probably 5 ft. deep any-
square footage. Unfortunately, having this it separately because this number by itself way, and we always put a rat slab in the
universal square foot number doesnt by itself has other usesfor solar calculations, bank crawlspace, so going to 8 ft. doesnt add that
solve problems when talking to clients be- appraisals, real-estate questions, etc. This much. Multiplier: 0.05
cause they have run into many different de- number is the total gross heated space, and it
scriptions of square feetwith no disclaimers is denitely what a lot of people think of as a Attics: If this is an unnished space under
attached. homes square footagebut it is actually just the roof eaves with only a plywood suboor,
the beginning. we usually estimate them at 20%. If it is a
Generally, people selling houses want them to trussed space, we see it as part of the roof
seem big, so a 25-ft. by 40-ft. screened porch Two-story spaces, we calculate and multiply and add nothing. Incidentally, I usually dont
might well be counted as 1,000 sq.ft. of liv- by 0.5. It is an industry standard that cathe- count space behind kneewalls that are less
ing space in the real-estate agents description. dral ceilings are 1.5 times spaces with at ceil- than 4 ft. high, so adding 20% for a real attic
4 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
How big is a square foot?
Uninsulated or raw garage: We usually Area Factor Raw sq. ft. Factored sq. ft.
calculate the square footage at 30% because
there are fewer expenses. Multiplier: 0.30. Heated Spaces
1st Floor 1.0 x 1,000 = 1,000
Covered decks, screened porches and roof
2nd Floor 1.0 x 800 = 800
decks over inhabited spaces: We take them at
40% because they involve lots of expensive 1,800 Total Heated sq. ft.
nishes and detailing. Multiplier: 0.40. Additional Spaces
Attic (raw space) 0.2 x 200 = 40
Open wood decks: We gure these decks
at 20%. We nd that a deck with pressure- Two-story space 0.5 x 200 = 100
treated framing and a western red-cedar sur- Full basement 0.05 x 1,000 = 50
face, some stairs, railings and built-in seating
Insulated Garage 0.4 x 265 = 106
goes for around $20 per sq.ft., which is about
20% of heated space at $100 per sq.ft. But Deck (Covered) 0.35 x 250 = 87.5
what if the house is a luxury model at $200 a Deck (Open) 0.2 x 400 = 80
footthe deck wouldnt increase to $40 per
463.5 Total Factored sq. ft.
sq. ft., would it? True, but with that kind of
luxury home, the deck probably will be made
of an exotic wood or be a granite patio with 2,264 Total Adjusted sq. ft.
granite sidewalls that easily costs $40 per sq.
ft. If it really hasnt escalated in character,
then reduce the multiplierbut dont say I Building costs in your area (per sq. ft.) Your total house cost
didnt warn you. Stripped $90 Stripped $203,760
The point of this is that the multipliers Average $145 Average $328,280
should reect the kinds of buildings that you Deluxe $200 Deluxe $452,800
build so that the factored square foot num-
ber that you come up with for your build-
ings will allow you to compare dissimilar
buildings. by a cost of $100 per sq.ft., it amounts to proved to be a pretty good predictor of build-
$50,000.00. ing costs.
When we develop a square-foot sheet for
a house that is at all atypical, we often will Surely it cant add this much to the cost, you When I do a schematic design for a new
adjust the multipliers to be what we believe say, and it probably doesnt. But other areas of house, I simply plug the base square footage
is a more accurate reection of this particular the home might add more, and if we reduce and the factored numbers into a worksheet
buildingbut they rarely change more than only the areas that seem too high, we will on the computer, grit my teeth and look at
10% up or down. The important thing is to end up with an overly optimistic estimate. the number the program generates. We give
go through the exercise and to realize this is For example, many clients want high ceil- that number to our clients along with the
a rst look at a buildingbefore you really ings on the rst oor. I dont use a multiplier schematic design, and reality starts to get
have enough information to cost it out. for a 9-ft. ceiling. But that higher ceiling the injected into the often overheated conceptual
clients desire might allow for some clerestory stage of design.
Dont massage the numbers
windows, so the excessive pessimism of the
Our clients often want to play with these es- multiplier for the two-story space eventually Use this information to create your own
timated numbers. I resist letting them do this gets balanced out. (Remember that this step spreadsheet. You can even create a simple
because the only way they get massaged is is a quick rst look that enables us to com- database of your past jobs that will give you
downward so that the building will seem less pare the relative costs of different designs and some empirical ammunition to use when
expensive. If a 1,000-sq.ft. two-story space should not be mistaken for a real estimate.) you tell your customers why things cost what
is multiplied by 0.5, it adds 500 factored they do.
square feet to the proposed homes square The bottom line is, when we resist our cli-
footage. When that gure is multiplied ents efforts to massage this spreadsheet, it has
5
Lucias Little Houses
1
A Sunny Place in the Forest
Heated square feet . . . . . . . . 1,418
Adjusted square feet . . . . . 1,649
2 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Full basement foundation
East South
When I designed this house it was This house was featured in Sarah Susankas book, Creating the Not So Big House (2000), in the Spring 1988 issue
foremost in my mind to create a of House Beautiful, and the February 1986 issue of Down East magazine.
Closet
Kitchen Open
Bath2
their family of four, and was designed with
Bath1
the idea of enlarging it (which we later did) if
they moved there year round. Bedroom2
Living/Dining
Deck
1" = 20'
Since we were only cutting a small hole in the do well with any site where the approach is
forest canopy, I took this compact footprint, from a different direction than the primary
and gave it a strong vertical component and view. The house can easily be mirrored to
a lot of roof glazing so the house could reach deal with a westerly as opposed to an easterly
up toward the light, like the spruce trees view orientation.
You enter this house on a corner porch and around it. This assured that what sunlight
immediately see across the diagonal of the fell down into this "hole in the forest" would It is desirable in a small house that circula-
house to another porch. Emphasizing the get into the house. tion space has multiple uses, so we have both
diagonal in the plan tends to minimize the a front door and an airlock mudroom entry
sense of connement that small houses must On this site the house looks out to a quiet off the front porch. This mudroom holds a
avoid. cove to the southeast, but this house would freezer and washer and dryer tucked under
6 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Sunny Place in the Forest
Site Diagram
Forest
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
Forest
Cars
A very compact footprint, and
a strong sense of geometry make
N
Water
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
West North
the stairs. In the dead of winter, the same Once inside the building, all of the rooms way that we developed into an ofce/study.
front porch and the same entry hall inside radiate off the central space, which is open Walk from there along the balcony that goes
will serve both entrancesno hallways! to the roof ridge so that you can always get a past the bathroom (or the closet space) and
sense of the entire space, even as you are shel- you end up at the bedroom. This destina-
tered in the cozier side spaces. tion effect makes the bedroom feel like a
very separate and private place because of the
Climb up the compact corner spatial transition to get to it. Once inside the
stair and the space at the bedroom, the bay window lets all the space
top of the stairs is y out into the view so that you can almost
like a wide hall- forget that the house is behind you.
Working Drawings
Fndtn. Plan, 1st r. Framing Working drawings provide
1st & 2nd r. Plan, Schedules you with the architectural
Dimensions
2nd r./Roof Framing documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,085 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Curved wall Framing Plan builder) need to build this
View Dimension 36 Living 24 x 12-6 Bedroom2 9 x 12-6 Section A and Details house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 33 Kitchen 11 x 13 Bath2 6-6 x 11 Section B and Details vary for each of the houses.
Height 26-6 Bedroom1 10 x 13 Study 13-6 x 7 Section C and Details The set for this house is listed
1st Floor 900 sq. ft. Mud Room 9 x 9-6 Electrical Plans for information on ordering
7
Lucias Little Houses
2
An Island
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,237
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,546
3 - Bedrooms
1 - Bathroom
Crawl space foundation
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
East South
I have always seen this house as an This house was featured in the September/October 2001 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
bit inland from the Maine coast. The outside deck augments the living space
with easy access from the screened porch and
With no commanding long distance view, I the dining room, affording a lot of casual
wanted to design a centrally planned house coming and going from deck to inside. Its
that would create its own place in a some- important to use the relatively inexpensive
what undifferentiated landscape, a house that space provided by decks and screened porch-
would become an island of order that would es to augment the limited interior space of
order the landscape around it. very small houses. The deck here is around
500 square feet, about half as big as the
This is an old idea in architecture, but it usu- rst oor area of this house, which is 1,132
ally is done with a bit more boasting than this square feet.
unpretentious cottage.
An unusual feature that I really like in this
In this plan the bedrooms and bathroom house is the kids bedrooms (two and three)
are attached around central eating, living which are only about 65 sq. feet. Tiny as
and dining spaces. These areas are open to they are, they work because we designed lofts
the east and southeast as opposed to west above the oor up under the roof. You can see
because the approach is from the east and I them as a dotted line. The kids climb up to
always like the kitchen to have a command their beds (or play areas) via ladders. There is
of the approach (if possible), and because even a small door (optional) that connects the
in colder climates I like the morning side two loft spaces. The lofts use all the volume
of the house to have lots of glass to soak under the roof as added oor.
up the morning sun and start warming the
house. Late in the day the western sun tends The parents houseguests get the loft space
to cause overheating, and so that is where over the entry area; this has a ships ladder to
we put the small screened porch. It is in the get to it.
8 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
An Island
Site Diagram
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
Cars A low prole house with a very
compact footprint with views
N Forest to the south and east. The open
plan gives it a surprising sense of
space inside. A good choice for
sites where height restrictions keep
Forest
things low, or where a low house
VIEW simply looks good.
West North
Throughout this publication, all of the plans and elevations are at the same scale: 1=20; similarly, all of the site The replace and woodstove act like an an-
diagrams are at the same scale: 1=40. Site plans are meant to serve as suggestions only, illustrating how this particular chor that holds this centrally oriented assem-
design was created to interact with its original site. blage together. It creates an entry foyer on its
north side and a hearth on its south side, and
holds up the guests loft.
Entry
Bedroom Bedroom Porch
Bath1
2 3 The dining room off to the southeast projects
like a peninsula from the house so that it gets
Entry
the sun all day long. It has the feel of a shel-
tered part of the porch when the big double
Bedroom
1 Kitchen hung windows are open in the summer.
Living
Dining
This house was designed for summer use,
where I think it works ne for its family of
four. Living there year round one might con-
sider bumping the kids rooms out with bays
Deck like the parents got. Our clients are prosper-
ing (with only an occasional grumble), living
there with two growing kids, so you can too.
1st oor 2nd oor
0 2 8 20 feet Working Drawings
1" = 20'
1st r. Plan Working drawings provide
2nd r. Plan you with the architectural
Dimensions
Sections documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,824 sq. ft. 1st Floor 1st Floor (cont) Elevations builder) need to build this
View Dimension 48 Living 20 x 20 Bedroom3 8 x 8 Fndtn. Plan, 1st r. Framing house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 47 Dining 12 x 12 Bath1 8 x 10 2nd r./Roof Framing vary for each of the houses.
Height 18 Kitchen 9 x 11 2nd Floor Wall Section, Details The set for this house is listed
Summary Bedroom1 11 x 11 Loft 10 x 10 Interior Elevations (Kitchen) at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 1,132 sq. ft. Bedroom2 8 x 8 Fireplace Section for information on ordering
9
Lucias Little Houses
3
Tapios House
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,523
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,690
2 - Bedrooms
1 - full Bathroom
2 - half Bathrooms
Sauna, walk-out basement
North East
house is small, nobody is ever too far Wander down a few steps to the living room.
from this radiant heat source. Sinking that oor a foot gives a surprising
feeling of spaciousness and a strong sense
Come in the front door and there is of place for this conversation area. A key to
a little cubby on the left to sit down making small houses work is a willingness
in and take off your boots and hang to look at the traditional roles of rooms and
up your cap. Walk into the entry area to change and resize them to t the way you
and there are the stairs and the big actually live. The former furniture repository,
west-facing window for the sunset on known as the living room, is now a small
your left, and a kitchen on the right but very important place to sit in a comfort-
thats big enough for a few people to able chair and talk to a few people.
work in and a few more people to
hang out around.
10 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
TapiosHouse
Water
Site Diagram
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
Forest
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
You can step up to a small library that takes the view. Best of all is the private balcony off
up the north end of the dining space. Here the sauna where you can stand outside in the
the ceiling gets low to the east, increasing winter and steam, or step outside
both the sense of enclosure and the impact of on a summer morning while
the low skylights. While this space makes a youre waking up.
nice little homework or reading space, it also
serves double duty as expansion space for the This house works best
dining area to the south. The table can get on a site with a view
longer and this can become the biggest room in the opposite
in the house when you have a party. direction
from the ap-
In the southeast corner is a pantry. Pantries proach, and
work well to keep costs down because it is a forested,
much cheaper to store a lot of food and china or at least
in a closet with open shelves than it is to store hilly, terrain.
it in a wall of cabinets where you can never I dont think
nd stuff anyway. it would prosper
on a at undifferentiated lot be-
Upstairs the guest room is on the right, and cause it has too much compressed energy and
on the left is a compact master bedroom. It it needs to be in a more containing visual
has a stunning 6-foot round window that environment. Working Drawings
somehow gives this room a sense of owning
1st & 2nd r. Plans Working drawings provide
Elevations you with the architectural
Dimensions
Sections/Schedules documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,092 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Fndtn Plan, 1st r. Framing builder) need to build this
View Dimension 32 Living 11 x 16 Bedroom1 11 x 9-6 2nd r. Framing, Kitchen house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 36 Dining 9 x 19 Bedroom2 11 x 9-6 Details vary for each of the houses.
Height 21-6 Kitchen 15 x 9 Bath/Sauna 5-6 x 7 Electrical Plans The set for this house is listed
1st Floor 864 sq. ft. Bath1 4-6 x 5 for information on ordering
11
Lucias Little Houses
4
A Tall Place at the Edge
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,484
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,855
2 - Bedrooms
1 - Bathrooms
Crawl space foundation
North
This house was driven by two This house was featured in the Winter 1997 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
Screened
Porch
Deck
Living
Open
Laundry
Open
Deck
Dressing Study
Kitchen Bath1
Bedroom Roof
1 Deck
Bath1
Entry
Open
Entry
Deck
Roof
The rst was my clients desire for an open The exterior has very clear angular forms that tall space allowed us to use a lot of south fac-
plan house with a great feeling of connected- remind me a bit of industrial buildings in ing glass so that we could get a great deal of
nesswe could do this in a no-holds-barred New England from 100 years ago. solar gain (and good old sunlight) in the long
manner because kids were not part of the Maine winters.
picture. The interior is very sparse and taut, and is es-
sentially one three story space with a second The kitchen is under this ceiling, but the liv-
Secondly, although they had a good deal of and third oor hanging in the space almost as ing room and dining areas are out in the tall
land, there was one place that grabbed ahold balconies. spaces. I didnt want the inhabitants to feel
12 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Tall Place at the Edge
Site Diagram
Cars
A good choice for a house on
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
0 2 8 20 feet
East South West
1" = 20'
overwhelmed by the height of the spaces, though there is this great space all around thought of as a kind of swing spacemaybe
so we created small bump-outs and alcoves you. an ofce or a guest room or an alternative
that are under lower ceilings. living room. My clients liked it so much
There one can feel On the northwest corner is a small screened that guests and ofce moved out to a studio
protected by the porch that is like an island on the deck that above the garage and they keep the tower
house even wraps around the north end. It serves as a room and its deck as a place to go and hang
subtle barrier to the more private deck on the out with a view.
west where the hot tub nestles in next to the
rocks. Here on this deck one is sheltered from This house would want a site with an
the west by the ledge outcrops. Rising above approach opposite the view and some tall
deck level, this enhances the sense that the elements around it. Because it is narrow
house is planted into this rock. and tall, it is specially suitable for the edges
of places.
The primary bedroom is on the second oor
and is open to the west, where it has its own
little second oor deck. This deck is just over Working Drawings
the ledge outcrops.
1st & 2nd r. Plans Working drawings provide
3rd r. Plan, Schedules you with the architectural
There is also a dressing area and bathroom
Window Schedule documentation you (or your
(which are walled off ) on this oor. You
Elevations builder) need to build this
can continue on to the top oor, which we
Elevations house. Working drawing sets
Sections vary for each of the houses.
Dimensions
Details The set for this house is listed
Foot Print 1,460 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Details at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 850 sq. ft. Laundry 8-6 x 5-6 Fndtn Plan, Framing
13
Lucias Little Houses
5
A Sprightly Victorian
Lady
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,183
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,364
2 - Bedrooms
1 - Bathroom
Crawl space foundation
North East
This is a wonderful little where you cant put furniture anyway, and via
Victorian summer cottage suitable Screen
a single door that swings into the screened
Porch porch. This also serves to make the small liv-
for hanging about in an old Deck ing room seem less of a trafc corridor.
cotton sweater and forgetting
Living
what you should be doing to
better the world. Entry
Porch
Dining
14 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Sprightly Victorian Lady
Site Diagram
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
One of the smallest houses in the
Water
collection, its a good choice for
N sites that will respond well to
Forest
delicate proportions and small
VIEW
scale. Being small, but somewhat
rambling, all the rooms have good
Cars views in two opposite directions.
Will work without a basement.
Forest
South West
Two bedrooms and a bathroom share the up- to use the toilet. The north bedroom has ac- cal component of this house, which very
stairs. Since this is the only bathroom in the cess to a roof deck over the screened porch to consciously echoes the carpenter gothic of the
house, it is divided into two compartments, make an adult refuge. 19th century. I think this house will do well
with the tub and sink being most remote so in subtle places where the delicacy of its form
that somebody can take a long bath without All of the bay windows carry through to the will not be overlooked.
junior beating on the door demanding entry second oor in order to emphasize the verti-
One signicant design feature with this
house is that there is only an 8 oor to oor
heightnormally it would be 9. Since this
house was to be left unnished inside, we
exposed the second oor joists, but the bot-
tom of those joists are about 7-4 high. I feel
this gives the proper scale to these rooms,
making the horizontal dimensions seem a
bit bigger. Likewise the upstairs is very much
under the eaves, with roofs springing from a
4 high plate. Although you could get away
with making this house taller, it would lose
something in the translation.
Working Drawings
Cover Sheet, Schedules Working drawings provide
1st & 2nd r. Plans you with the architectural
Dimensions
Elevations documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,006 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Sections builder) need to build this
View Dimension 39 Living 11 x 15-6 Bedroom1 11 x 12-6 1st & 2nd r. Framing house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 37 Dining 10 x 11 Bedroom2 12 -6x 11 Electric Plans vary for each of the houses.
1st Floor 640 sq. ft. Scr. Porch 12 x 8 for information on ordering
15
Lucias Little Houses
6
Sunshine and Work
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,846
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,204
2 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Ofce
Slab or full basement
foundation
North East
This is a house whose forms grew We strung the daytime places out in a saw- sure over west and south (but you could ip
out of an interaction of three tooth pattern along the southern view. You the plan east to west).
get up in the morning at the east end with
primary forces. the sun, and move through the kitchen to the Originally what is now the living room was to
dining room. The end of the day nds you be the work space, but my clients agreed that
The rst was my clients desire
to have a house with rooms that 0 2 8 20 feet
Entry 1
Entry
Porch
The second force was the very long Laundry
Deck
and ll those work spaces with it. Screened Living
I needed the house to spread out, Porch
The third force was our desire to design a at the west side of the house on the screened the view was so good from the second oor
house that would be a comfortable neighbor porch. Decks facing south and east are tucked that they would put up with the stairs in or-
to the very modest and friendly frame houses in the shelter of these saws teeth. As usual in der to be tucked up there under the roof with
that are in this area. this climate, I favored an east and south expo- the view. Once up there we had to add a little
16 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Sunshine and Work
Forest
Site Diagram Cars
0 10 40 feet
A good choice for a eld or hillside
1" = 40'
with strong solar possibilities.
This is a great house to spend
N
the whole day in and watch
Forest the sun move through your life.
This is essentially a one-story
house (which will work without
a basement) with a bonus space
VIEW
upstairs that makes an excellent
workspace.
Water
South West
0 2 8 20 feet
crows nest to get outside to clap the binocu- 1" = 20'
The one-car garage, while not a necessity,
lars onto passing lobster boats. is mighty nice around here in the winter. It
shares the entry space with the front door,
We sneaked in a guest room and bath off and turns the houses back on the cold north-
and away at the west side, very much out erly wind.
of the ow of the trafc and working
lives of this couple. This house is on a slab because it was a damp
site and we wanted the thermal mass of the
slab to be able to soak up the suns heat. You
could add a basement and put a stair under
the one that now goes to the second oor.
Working Drawings
Foundation Plan Working drawings provide
1st r. Plan you with the architectural
2nd r. Plan documentation you (or your
Dimensions
Elevations, Wind. Sched. builder) need to build this
Foot Print 2,416 sq. ft. 1st Floor 1st Floor (cont.) Elevations, Door Sched. house. Working drawing sets
View Dimension 56 Living 20 x 20 Bath2 6-6 x 6-6 Sections vary for each of the houses.
Side Dimension 60 Dining 6 x 8 Dressing 8 x 10 Sections/Details The set for this house is listed
Height 23-6 Kitchen 17 x 11 Scr. Porch 8 x 12 1st r. Framing at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 1,560 sq. ft. Bedroom2 11 x 12 2nd Floor Electrical Plan, 1st r. and prices.
2nd Floor 286 sq. ft. Bath1 8 x 10 Study 16 x 18 Electrical Plan, 2nd r.
17
Lucias Little Houses
7
Alices Field
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,284
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,427
2 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Full basement foundation
North East
This little shingled house that sits This house was featured in Fine Homebuilding magazines book, More Small Houses (1998) as well as in the May
on a peninsula in the Bagaduce 2002 issue of Yankee magazine, the May 1999 issue of Maine Boats & Harbors magazine, and the Summer 1997
issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine.
River at the end of a long hay
eld is, more so than any other in
each other when we are both cooking and so
this collection, an experiment. Screened
we needed two distinct work areas.
Porch Living Deck
It is the house Lucia and I built for ourselves, Our bedroom is upstairs, and Lucia insisted
and it is an experiment about tting a house Bath
on it being big enough for a comfy reading
Dining
to your life like a glove. We spend a lot of 1 chair so that it can serve as an alternate living
time in the summer on an old wooden sail- space if one of us wants to get away and be
boat that has very tight accommodations, and Entry
Kitchen private.
Bedroom
we love it. We love the cozy, at-home feel that Porch 2
we get when we are settled in down below on Theres also a wonderful bathroom on the
our boat with the tiny wood stove and paraf- 1st oor south that is big enough to have a sort of
n lamps. So when we decided to build a new 0 2 8 20 feet greeenhouse for soaking up the sun and long
house we thought about what we could do to 1" = 20' showers in the winter. Taking a shower in the
create the same feelings in a house, but still jungle!
have it be light and airy, efcient and con-
nected to this wonderful piece of land. The rest of the second oor is a nice sunny
Bedroom
1
landing at the top of the the stairs and big
The rst thing that we realized was that walk-in dressing room with all our storage on
we could do without the traditional living Dressing
Attic
Storage shelves, hanging or in drawers, but not be-
room. When we are in the living room we hind a lot of expensive doors.
sit around and talk, listen to music, read and Bath2
watch TV. All this could be accomplished Jesses bedroom (which is probably ours some-
with about a 10x11 niche with a built-in day) is downstairs and is on a prime sunny
seat. If this niche projected into the view 2nd oor
southeast corner, because most of the time
and had glass on all sides it would be all we it will be another dayroom/ofce type space
needed. Our kitchen needed to be bigger when hes not here and we dont have guests.
because we tend to get at cross purposes with
18 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Alices Field
Water
Site Diagram
0
1" = 40'
10 40 feet A very compact footprint and
Water
small cozy spaces make this a
very versatile house. This is our
N VIEW to water
house, and we designed it so that
we would always be near an
outside wall and the view. It will
work well in elds or woods and
can deal with a variety of view
Cars
potentials.
VIEW to field
Field
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
That pretty much set the sizes of the rooms, mined by the land, views and outside forces itKeep working. Then when it really did
and the shapes and orientations were deter- like the sun. start working together, she knew it and gave
it her stamp of approval. Good architecture
Because the house sits alone at the end of does not come without that kind of decisive
Alices Field with a backdrop of big oak trees input. That nal form turned out to be three
along the river bank, it needed a certain sense gable roofed forms that slide together, but
of internal orderto be able to stand on also seem to be pulling at right angles to each
its own as an object as well as deal otherpulled apart by the dynamics of the
with the dynamics of our program site but being held together by the centripetal
and the site. We also wanted force of the order. But it mostly looks like a
it to look OK in the fabric regular house and were crazy about it.
of other houses along this
stretch of the river. Seven years later in 2003, the only thing I
would change is to lower the living room
Searching for this person- window sills by 46 inches. Do we some-
ality was an evolutionary times wish it was bigger? Sure. Does it need
process where Lucias de- to be? Nope.
cisive input was critical. I
would mutter myself into
a compromise of these Working Drawings
forces, she would look at
Foundation Plan, Framing Working drawings provide
it and simply not approve
1st & 2nd r. Plan you with the architectural
Elevations, Schedules documentation you (or your
Dimensions
Sections/Details builder) need to build this
Foot Print 1,208 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor 1st r. Interior Elevations house. Working drawing sets
View Dimension 42 Living 12 x 16 Bedroom1 12 x 15 2nd r. Interior Elevations vary for each of the houses.
Side Dimension 28 Dining 16 x 12 Bath2 12 x 6 Mechanical, Electrical Plans The set for this house is listed
19
Lucias Little Houses
8
The Cottage
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,539
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,793
3 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Crawl space foundation
North East
What we have here is a shingled This house was featured in Christian and Christen Gladus book, Bungalow Plans (2002).
1
Entry Storage Open Immediately inside the entry door is an en-
Bedroom try hall with a high ceiling and the staircase.
1
It gives one access to the downstairs bed-
Bedroom
Bedroom 3 room and bath or the upper two bedrooms
2
and their bath without traipsing all through
Kitchen
Living
the house.
Dining
20 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
The Cottage
Site Diagram
Cars
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40' Forest
Forest
The house with the strongest ties
to Bungalow or Craftsman
N
style, this is a great waterfront
building. You can live on the
ground oor and put the kids
upstairs under the eaves and
theyll love it.
VIEW
Water
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
or a small ofce. The living room is a fur- The upstairs of this house has two nice bed-
niture grouping gathered around the replace rooms under the eaves of the roof, each with
and is focused on it. A lot of the action in a a window seat for views and daydreaming.
summer house (and in fact in most houses) The east bedroom doesnt have a closet be-
really happens around the dining room table, cause I thought something like an armoire
so why not put it in the view and would work better there.
let the living room look
over it to get a view. There is a hidden storage area under the
eaves, a bit low but useful, that is accessed
The big deck that from the back of the west bedroom closet.
makes up the fore- Even if you dont use it, your grandchildren
ground of this plan will love it.
is really dictated
somewhat by the Both rooms have a sink in them, because our
site. On ours it client remembers them in the cottage that
grounds this house he grew up in on this site. We leave them in
to a rock ledge that for you because it seems like a pretty civilized
slopes steeply down idea for what I think is a very civilized house.
to the harbor, but
your site might dic-
tate something very Working Drawings
different.
1st & 2nd r. Plans Working drawings provide
Elevations you with the architectural
Dimensions
Sections, Schedules documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,708 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Fndtn. Plan, 1st r. Framing builder) need to build this
View Dimension 28 Living/Din. 18 x 20 Bedroom2 13 x 14 2nd r./Roof Framing house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 42 Kitchen 8 x 16 Bedroom3 13 x 14 Details vary for each of the houses.
Height 21 Bedroom1 10 x 12 Bath2 8 x 8-6 Perspectives The set for this house is listed
21
Lucias Little Houses
9
A Forest Cottage
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,540
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,818
2 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Full basement foundation
North East
Another cottage on the shore, over the stairs. A little entry porch is cut out
but this one is designed for a of the volume to draw you in (and keep you
dry while you nd your keys). You enter into
forested site with more of a Kitchen
Bath
1 a small foyer with the back wall of the re-
vertical component than the Screened place in front of you and the woodstove close
Porch
at hand. On the right is a little alcove we call a
other Cottage in the portfolio. Dining
library, a place to keep a small desk and com-
Our clients had a heavily forested puter, or answer the phone, really just a niche
Library off the staircase which sort of wraps into it.
rocky site with an opening to
Entry
the south and great views to the Living
22 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Forest Cottage
Forest
Forest
South West
Just under the balcony is a dining area with price of the house feeling much less spacious. it would do well in an open site because of its
access to a screened porch and a very efcient Of course, if space is tight the entire two sto- strong cohesive form.
U-shaped kitchen beyond it. Since we wanted ry space can be oored in at a later date,
this kitchen to have a view to the north and but I bet you never do it.
west, and look south into the dining and
living space, we put most of what would nor- I did design this house with a forest
mally be overhead storage into a pantry across surround in mind, but looking at the
the hall. This is often a good strategy to open drawings I think
up a kitchen and to keep cabinet costs down.
Working Drawings
1st & 2nd r. Plans Working drawings provide
Elevations you with the architectural
Dimensions
Sections documentation you (or your
Details builder) need to build this Foot Print 1,102 sq. ft. 1st Floor 1st Floor (cont.)
Details house. Working drawing sets View Dimension 38 Living 16 x 12 Scrn. Porch 21 x 9
Details vary for each of the houses. Side Dimension 29 Dining 10 x 12 2nd Floor
Int. Elev. Kitchen, Schedules The set for this house is listed Height 24-6 Kitchen 12 x 11 Bedroom1 12 x 13
Fndtn. Plan, 1st r. Framing at the left. Please see page 47 Summary Bath1 12 x 15 Bedroom2 16 x 10
2nd r./Roof Framing for information on ordering 1st Floor 844 sq. ft. Library 7 x 6 Bath2 12 x 8
Electrical Plans and prices. 2nd Floor 696 sq. ft. Entry 11 x 8 Balcony 9 x 14
23
Lucias Little Houses
10
Hansel and Gretel
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,020
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,148
1 - Bedroom
1 - Bathroom
Full basement foundation
North
This house was really designed across in front of you with a big bench under
for a single person, though it them (15of bench will sleep two guests in
sleeping bags quite nicely, if you make the
would do ne for a couple. Its bench 2-6 deep).
Bath
Entry
Kitchen
Porch
one of the smallest houses in the
The chimney with woodstove forms a de-
collection and makes a decision marcation point to separate the eating area
Screened Porch
Dining
that its OK to have a house with Living from the living room. A small replace could
be here, but it gets a bit bulky and in a small
only one bedroom. The payback house simple is better than complex and
for that decision is really quite a compact is better than bulky. A medium
Deck with Arbor above woodstove will easily heat this entire house.
bit of elbow room in a house that
is just under 1000 square feet. 1st oor
Open
cabin I imprinted on in Big Sur.
It could be the house Hansel
Bedroom
and Gretel found in the woods,
without the witch.
It was designed to sit on a gentle slope that
slides down towards the water to the south.
You enter a nice little roofed porch, come 2nd oor There is a nice one-person-at-a-time kitchen
into an actual airlock entry with a closet un- 0 2 8 20 feet with most of the storage in a pantry next to
der the stairs, and then come into the main 1" = 20' the refrigerator. Beyond that is a small util-
living area of the house. Windows stretch ity area for the hot water heater and assorted
24 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Hansel and Gretel
Site Diagram
0
1" = 40'
10 40 feet
Cars
One of our smallest houses, and
great for a single person or a
Forest
couple. Its views are strongly
N
Forest
oriented in one direction and
it makes a great house for the
waterfront. Although you can put
VIEW it over a basement, you dont have
to have one.
Water
1" = 20'
junk. If you put central heat in this house, it storage space with the addition of some sky-
probably goes down below in a basement, or lighting. That is a variant that we will show
the utility area bumps out a few feet and it in the working drawings. But really, isnt one
goes in there. bathroom enough?
Stairs take you up to a long hall with a In fact, a case can be made for dormers in
very big closet (10of hanging space) the bedroom and bigger decks and bigger
with deep shelves behind the hang- screened porches and bigger... and soon the
ing clothes. Moving through the clarity of this small house is gone and every-
door you come into a 12x16 thing would need to be rethought, including
bedroom with skylights and your mortgage.
a little Romeo and Juliet
balcony. If you decide Why the arbor over the deck? I like it be-
you have to have cause it makes the deck feel more sheltered
a bathroom but doesnt block the sun in the winter. In
upstairs, we the summer you can grow leafy vines on it
could do and get as much shade as you might need. In
away with Maine, thats not much.
the light well
next to the
stairs and Working Drawings
capture the
1st & 2nd r. Plan Working drawings provide
Flr. Plan w/2nd r bath you with the architectural
Dimensions
Elevations documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,088 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Sections, Schedules builder) need to build this
View Dimension 32 Living 13-6 x 13 Bedroom1 17 x 13-6 Fndtn. Plan, Details house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 34 Dining 10 x 11 Storage 4 x 11 1st & 2nd r. Framing vary for each of the houses.
Summary Bath1 7 x 8 1st & 2nd r. Electrical Plans at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 676 sq. ft. Scr. Porch 6 x 14 for information on ordering
25
Lucias Little Houses
11
Austerity
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,477
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,689
4 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Full basement foundation
North East
We designed this house for a greenhouse-bay that extends the living space zone created by stairs on the left, an alcove
wonderful Yankee lady who and gives this little house a surprising sense on the right leading to the rst oor bed-
of space inside. It also helps this house to be rooms and bath, and some built-in bookcases
wanted a no-nonsense house to very easy to heat. in front and to the left. This buffer space is
move into after years of living visually part of the living space, but dened
1" = 20'
8 20 feet
storage 2
doors to the bath and bedroom are big
enough for handicapped access.
Kitchen
Attic
Bath1
Living
There are two bedrooms and a bath upstairs, Bedroom1
Deck Bedroom3
26 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Austerity
Site Diagram
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
Forest
A very simple small house and
Forest
attached garage, this one is good
N
Cars
on a variety of sites, and will
also do well in a neighborhood
of suburban homes. You can live
on one oor with guests and kids
upstairs.
VIEW
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
is an eating area that can get much bigger There is a woodstove (no energy-eating re- pivot point. A very efcient galley kitchen
with guests. place for this lady!) and chimney as a sort of with lots of storage and a laundry beyond is
on your way back to the garage.
Working Drawings
Fndtn. & 1st r. Plans Working drawings provide
1st & 2nd r. Framing Plans you with the architectural
Dimensions
2nd r. & Roof Plans documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,539 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Roof Framing Plan builder) need to build this
View Dimension 45 Living 13 x 15 Bedroom3 11 x 12 Section A / Details house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 44 Dining 8 x 10 Bedroom4 11 x 12 Section B / Details vary for each of the houses.
Height 22-6 Kitchen 8 x 10 Bath2 8 x 7 Elevations The set for this house is listed
Summary Bedroom1 10 x 11 Int. Elevations, Schedules at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 947 sq. ft. Bedroom2 12 x 8 Electrical Plans for information on ordering
27
Lucias Little Houses
12
The Charlie Cotton
House
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,705
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,887
3 - Bedrooms
1 - Bathrooms
Full basement foundation
North
This was our house. It was built This house was featured in the February 1994 issue of Down East magazine, the Fall/Winter 1994/95 issue of Good
in the 1790s by George Morse. Housekeeping, the November 1994 issue of Harrowsmith, the February 1997 issue of Remodeling, as well as in
other publications.
In 1990 we totally renovated it.
Lucia, our son Jesse, and I (and
As one moves off to the left the house opens
earlier, our two older boys) were Laundry/Bath-1 up into a two story space that we created by
sheltered by this wonderful house Kitchen removing one of the four bedrooms upstairs
(see back cover photo). This eating space is
since 1976. Of course, in time Library lled with sun all day in the winter, but in
honored Maine tradition, it is the summer big maples to the southwest give
Media
us shade in the afternoon. As the sun gets
still locally known as the Charlie Living Entry
Porch lower in the west it streams under the limbs
Dining
Cotton house after the man who of the maple trees that line the town road,
pouring through the small paned windows
lived in it with his family early in and drawing us into the living room for the
the 20th century. 1st oor end of the day.
28 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
The Charlie Cotton House
Site Diagram
A renovation of an 18th century
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
cape, we have redrawn this New
Forest
England farmhouse for modern
N building techniques. It retains
VIEW
the cozy spaces of the original,
but adds a lot more sunlight and
breathing space. It will work
well in the country and would
be especially happy in a New
England coastal town.
Driveway
1" = 20'
Foot Print 1,489 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor 1st & 2nd r. Framing builder) need to build this
View Dimension 39 Living 17 x 13 Bedroom1 12 x 17 Interior Elev./Cabinetry house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 56 Dining 10 x 13 Bedroom2 11-6 x 13 Interior Elev./Cabinetry vary for each of the houses.
Height 23-6 Kitchen 16 x 10 Bedroom3 10-6x12- 6 Millwork The set for this house is listed
Summary Den 12 x 10 Bath2 6 x 8 Electrical Plans at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 978 sq. ft. Bath1 8 x 7 Details, Schedules for information on ordering
29
Lucias Little Houses
13
The Cabin Cabin1
Cabin5
Cabin1
"Cabin1" happened as a result of held in the imagination more completely Cabin-2 adds a couple of 2-6 bumpouts
two demands sort of colliding in but there has to be enough visual and spatial cantilevered extensions to the kitchen
interest to make it worth your imagination's and/or dining area. The kitchen bumpout
our ofce. while. moves it from a super compact kitchen to one
that is just compact and efcient. The dining
Ever since we published Lucias Little In Cabin-1, I was looking for as small a room bumpout gives the dining area both
Houses we have had a number of requests building as possible that would still have more space, and better denition as a space.
for something smaller than our smallest a decent kitchen and bath. The possibility of skylighting both these ex-
house. However, it usually takes a specic site an entry porch to pause on arrival. tensions adds another dimension of interest
to really get me thinking about a house, and a screened porch for an outdoor living room. and can add markedly to the sense of place
in this case it was the east side of Alice's Field a replace (or stove) at its core. and space in both these rooms. These add 23
a denable place to eat.
where our friends are planning to build. sleeping lofts over the smaller spaces. square feet to the kitchen and 30 square feet
open plan so you can sense the entire space. to the dining room. So Cabin-2 ends up with
I wanted to show them something smaller enough modularity that parts can move and 688.5 heated square feet and 903 adjusted
than anything we had been talking about. still be logical. square feet. These extensions can also be
"Cabin-1" and its siblings were the outgrowth This building has 636 square feet of heated added to Cabin-3 or Cabin-4.
of that mix. oor space, and 850 adjusted square feet. We
Dining
Screened Porch
Porch Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen
UP
UP
I was looking for a small building that did gure it can be built for under $100,000, Cabin-3 consumes part of the screened porch
not become so obsessed with efciency that depending on nish and site utility costs, per- with a TV Nook as an alcove off the liv-
it lost its presence. Smaller buildings can haps substantially under. ing room. That alcove could be a space for a
capture your imagination because they can be small ofce, a sleeping area with a futon that
30 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
The Cabin
Dimensions, Cabin 1
Foot Print 640 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor This is the only house created
View Dimension 32 Living 10 x 15 Loft1 8 x 9
especially for this collection. It
Side Dimension 20 Dining 6-6 x 15 Loft2 8 x 11-6
Height 19 Kitchen 8 x 8 comes in ve variations that range
Summary Bath1 5 x 8
1st Floor 436 sq. ft. Scrn. Porch 8 x 20 from super-compact to small. Like
2nd Floor 200 sq. ft.
the VW Bug, we think this design
Dimensions, Cabin 5 will have a long life.
Foot Print 698 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor
View Dimension 32 Living 10 x 15 Loft1 8 x 9
Side Dimension 23 Dining 9 x 13 Loft2 8 x 11-6
Height 19 Kitchen 8 x 10
Summary Bath1 5 x 8
1st Floor 649 sq. ft. Bedroom1 9-6 x 9-6
2nd Floor 200 sq. ft. TV Nook 8 x 9
Cabin5
The Cabin does not have a site plan becausehaving been designed specically for this portfolioit was not built for Working Drawings
any specic client or designed to t any particular site. The design is exible in terms of site orientation, though we
Schedules, Notes Working drawings provide you
recommend that the entry face South and East and the screen porches face West, as in the plan drawings.
1Plans, Elevations with the architectural docu-
1Sections, Framing mentation you (or your builder)
gets turned back into seating during the day also introduce an alternate bathroom layout
2Plans, Elevations need to build this house. Work-
or whatever your imagination conjures up. in this plan (that could be used in any of
2Sections, Framing ing drawing sets vary for each
Another change shown in Cabin-3 is the sub- the plans) that moves the door to the south,
3Plans, Elevations of the houses. The set for this
stitution of an inglenook to the west of the thereby shortening the circulation path, giv-
3Sections, Framing house is listed at the left. Please
replace to provide a better seating situation. ing a space for a unit heater, but losing some
4Plans, Elevations see page 47 for information on
This precludes circulation around the central potential storage.
4Sections, Framing ordering and prices.
chimney, and the loss of some storage and the
5Plans, Elevations
ships ladder to the loft becomes a vertical Cabin-5 simply combines all the options of
5Sections, Framing
ladderbut I think the potential seating in the previous 4 designs into one loaded model.
Details, Foundation
the living area is greatly enhanced. This op- Yet even this building has a very modest 849
Details, Roof & Walls
square feet of heated oor space and 1,012
Framing, Alt Foundation
0 2 8 20 feet adjusted square feet.
1" = 20'
Open Utility
Bath Bath to
Bedroom Bedroom below
Dining
Dining
UP
UP
Loft Loft
Kitchen Kitchen
UP
UP
Screened
Porch
tion is available in all the Cabin designs. Because of the symmetry of the design it can You should be able to play with these per-
easily be mirrored left to right, the dormer mutations and come up with a compact little
Cabin-4 consumes another part of the can be put on the north side, skylights can be house that will adapt to your site, still keep its
screened porch with a downstairs bedroom. I added etc. original presence and feel like home.
31
Lucias Little Houses
14
Stay Focused
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,572
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,443
3 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Walk-out basement
North East
The success of this house comes the east and two bedrooms and a bath on the
from the kind of merging of site, west. No stone replace, rooftop balconies,
or fancy trim details would get in the way of
client, program, and builder Bedroom
having a house that was easy to keep clean,
that every architect is always 3 Entry easy to come and go from, and easy to live in
Porch
for an extended three generation familyand
looking for. Bath2
Entry
affordable. We needed to build it for under
$200,000 (in 1999) but still have it be a
Dressing
Kitchen
Bath1
My clients had gotten a beautiful corner of house that would grace a very beautiful site.
a peninsula that looked into a quiet cove. It Bedroom
2
had a little knoll so the house could sit a bit The rst version of this house had a loft space
proudly above the water, and allow a walkout Living/Dining
Bedroom over the kitchen area, with stairs that went
basement for the easy storage of kayaks and 1
up over the staircase that goes down to the
waterfront stuff. Although there was a very basement. But this pushed us over our clients
limited budget, the clients were very clear Deck budget and they realized that they didnt
2
about their needs. When our design and their need it. Without the loft, the main space is
desires got over that budget, we had a meet- Deck too cavernous, so we put in a few columns
1
ing and laid out the alternatives to get back and beams, like an indoor pergola to give the
kitchen a more dened sense of space. It was
a good tradeoff. The clients gave up space
1st oor PLAN that they didnt really need but got a wonder-
0 2 8 20 feet fully varied high-ceilinged space with a great
1" = 20'
south-facing 5 diameter round window that
lets a beam of sunlight play over the entire
room.
on course. They made the tough choices and
the house stayed focused on the prime mis- Since this is a single story house we used a
sion. relatively low-pitched roof that didnt enclose
too much volume. We didnt want the house
We were after a simple, easy-to-build struc- on this waterfront site to seem like a subur-
ture that would have a large central living ban ranch house, so on the approach side we
space anked by a master bedroom suite on carved a large, welcoming entry porch out
32 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Forest Stay Focused
Site Diagram
A very spacious, single story
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
house with a walk out basement
(though thats not essential),
N this is a very good waterfront
home with a more contemporary
treatment. Very cost effective
nishes and window treatments
maximize return on the
VIEW construction dollar in a house
thats a lot of fun to be in.
Water
South West
of the house volume, and on the water side roof windows. We got almost all of the effect open space under the upper deck that leads
brought the roofs down low over a window with half the cost. to the walkout basement, and when you ap-
seat sitting area. proach this house from the water you arent
There is a modest deck thats partially shel- oppressed by a large shadowy area under
This lower roof created a more intimate seat- tered by a roof that is accessed from the living overhanging decks high above you.
ing area in the southwest corner of the living room and master bedroom. Stairs lead to a
space where the view was best, and from the larger lower deck that is more sheltered from Cottage-like houses often benet from tra-
outside made the house appear to ow down the wind, is below the view from the window ditional windows with muntin bars, but we
the hill toward the water. We initially wanted seat area, and continues the stepping down felt that since this house is a combination of
a glass roof over this sitting area, but to the hill started by the roof over the window simpler shapes and very simple trim details, it
keep to the budget seat. This stepping down deck would do ne with large single lights of glass,
we backed off to tends to mask the thus saving dollars.
several Velux
I cant promise you the great contractor we
had here, or the incredibly easy site, or even
that you will be as resolute as our clients, but
this house will deliver a lot of living for a
modest amount if you do your part.
Working Drawings
1st r. Plan, Schedules Working drawings provide
Elevations, Details you with the architectural
Elevations documentation you (or your
Dimensions
Sections builder) need to build this
Foot Print 2,380 sq. ft. 1st Floor 1st Floor (cont.) Sections house. Working drawing sets
View Dimension 52 Living/Din. 24 x 19 Bath1 16 x 9 Details vary for each of the houses.
Side Dimension 50 Kitchen 12 x 15 Bath2 8 x 5 Foundation Plan, Details The set for this house is listed
Height 18-10 Bedroom1 16 x 15 Entry Porch 12 x 10 1st r. Framing at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 1,516 sq. ft. Bedroom3 14 x 14 Electrical Plan and prices.
33
Lucias Little Houses
15
Hillside House
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,647
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,070
3 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Walk-out basement
North East
Our clients had a beautiful tall on the water side because it is surrounded can feel the house embracing the south and
hillside that looks westwardly into by a grove of 60-foot tall spruce trees which the west and turning its back to the north.
frame it and keep the house in scale.
Penobscot Bay. Granite ledges Likewise, we wrapped the south and west
stepped away down the hill to We concentrated a great deal of glass on with porches and decks because we knew that
the south side in the kitchen and the din- on this difcult site, our clients would need
the west, and a grove of mature ing room so the house would be sunny and decks and porches in order to enjoy being
spruce trees made the site private warm, then concentrated another cluster of outside. This is not a site where you can step
windows on the west where the view is best. out your door onto the lawn.
and gave it a great sense of place. On the east side that faces into the hill and 0 2 8 20 feet
Closet Bath
Kitchen
Dining Roof Bedroom
Hipped roofs are a natural for this kind Screened Deck 2
34 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Hillside House
Site Diagram
Forest With strong western and
0 10 40 feet
southern views, this house will
1" = 40'
work well on a sloping site where
Cars
the land falls to the water. All
N VIEW
to
essential functions are on one
Water
oor with an accessible path
and there are a lot of outdoor
living spaces. A contemporary
interpretation of New England
cottages, it will feel at home on
either coast or in between.
0 2 8 20 feet
South West
1" = 20'
allows the rooine to run through and mini- will be the primary living space on many long Although we designed this house to meet the
mizes the impact of a two story high wall. The summer afternoons in Maine, and we wanted challenges of this rockbound Maine site, it
pergola makes it comfortable to sit out on this it to have prominence. Since its right on the would do ne anywhere with a strong south-
deck, but the kitchen and dining room inside corner you can look out past it to the south ern and western focus and an easterly ap-
wont be made dark by too much roof. and west from inside the house, and it doesnt proach. A hillside sloping steeply to the west
seem in your way. would be nice, but with some modications
On the southwest a screened porch to decks this house could be built quite nicely
anchors this corner of the house Upstairs we wrapped two bed- on a at site.
focused on the best rooms and a bath around a slightly
view. This is an expanded stair hall that doubles as
outdoor an ofce. Placing a roof window
room that in the east roof at just the right
height allows you
to look out and see
whos coming when
youre upstairs in this
ofce. These upstairs
bedrooms are small,
but both connect to an upstairs Working Drawings
balcony over the screened porch, giving them
Basement Plan Working drawings provide
an added dimension.
1st r. Plan, you with the architectural
2nd r. Plan, Schedules documentation you (or your
Dimensions
Elevations builder) need to build this
Foot Print 1,940 sq. ft. 1st Floor 1st Floor (cont.) Sections house. Working drawing sets
View Dimension 44 Living/Din. 20 x 22 Side Deck 30 x 8 Sections vary for each of the houses.
Side Dimension 53-6 Kitchen 16 x 12 Rear Deck 10 x 20 Details The set for this house is listed
Height 24-6 Bedroom1 15 x 16 2nd Floor Interior Elev./Kitchen at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 1,162 sq. ft. Entry Porch 7-6 x 7-6 Bedroom3 10 x 20 1st & 2nd r. Framing and prices.
2nd Floor 485 sq. ft. Rear Porch 7 x 14 Bath2 10 x 6 Roof Framing
35
Lucias Little Houses
16
A Tuscan Farmhouse
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,039
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,207
3 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Slab foundation
North East
Heres a house for a couple of From the small entry porch you can either in the center of their lives. As it works out,
college professors that sits at the go right into the main space, or turn left and the piano creates a buffer between the front
enter into a mud room/laundry that then door and stairs to the upstairs and the more
bottom of a hayeld that slopes leads through a pantry into the kitchen. The sedentary seating area around the wood stove
down to the water. The house is
set at the edge of the eld where Entry
Mud
Room
Coat
Room
Bedroom
Its a very gentle and rened site and I wanted 1 Living Kitchen
to make sure the house would complement
this landscape rather than competing with it.
Dining Bedroom Bedroom
2 3
The entry side faces north and is the most Screen
formally composed. You can see a number of Porch
36 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Tuscan Farmhouse
Cars
Forest
Site Diagram
This house needs a at spot to sit
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
in comfortably. It does especially
well when approached from a
N higher
Water
elevation, because you can
see it spreading out into its site.
The living spaces open out to
VIEW
the east and south, and a great
Forest
southwestern screened porch
makes the downstairs master
bedroom seem like its outside.
Water
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
big enough for a long ofce counter to be un- life that would normally nd its way into a sometimes even a sunbeam, and nice contact
der the low western roof. This bedroom also basement. with fresh air.
opens out into the small screened porch, so
in the summer time it feels almost like youre With a house that spreads out like this, Although modest
outside. you are bound to have at least one internal and compact, I
roomin this case the powder room. We have been in this
Upstairs the two girls each have their own al- include a skylight here, indeed a ventilating house with gath-
most identical rooms tucked under the eaves. skylight, so when you come into the pow- erings of 30+
They share their own bath and a sitting area der room instead of feeling like you are in a people, and be-
out in the hall that can hold a TV or what- closet, theres cause its so easy
ever. daylight, to move around,
in and out of
This house is built on a the porches and
slab to soak up the to the outside, it
heat from the winter feels as if it could handle
sun, so there is no twice that many. And get yourself
basement. You would a grand piano with the money you will save
probably want to with this very efcient house.
have an outbuilding
of some type for the Working Drawings
extra detritus of your
Schedules Working drawings provide
1st r. Plan you with the architectural
Dimensions
2nd r. Plan documentation you (or your
Foot Print 1,696 sq. ft. 1st Floor 1st Floor (cont.) Elevations builder) need to build this
View Dimension 48 Living 16 x 36 Entry Porch 7-6 x 4 Sections house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 40 Dining 8 x 10 Scr. Porch 12 x 10 Details vary for each of the houses.
Height 21-3 Kitchen 12 x 10 Deck 20 x 22 Interior Elevations The set for this house is listed
Summary Bedroom1 16-6 x 14 2nd Floor Foundation Plan at the left. Please see page 47
1st Floor 1,447 sq. ft. Bath-1 9-6 x 10 Bedroom2 12 x 14 Framing for information on ordering
2nd Floor 592 sq. ft. Bath2 5 x 4 Bedroom3 12 x 14 Mechanical and prices.
37
Lucias Little Houses
17
A Blue Hill
Farmhouse
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,942
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,194
2 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Crawl space foundation
North East
This house is based on one of the a clearing in the woods, or even in town on a truly the functional center of the house.
typical farmhouses common in quiet neighborhood street.
The dining room has a two-story ceiling with
our part of Maine. These were The little house contains the entry area and sunlight coming in from high windows and
built in the late 1800s, and theyre stairway plus a utility room and a full bath. a skylight. It is really the visual center of the
You can enter the house from the front porch house, with an overlook from the second
one of our favorite house styles. or from the garage through this space. The oor hall. The living room is open to the din-
front porch is long and deep enough to sit ing room and shares the sunlight from that
This version has been updated to meet cur- down on a nice summer day, or evening, to room. Its designed to be a relaxing place to
rent living patterns but it still follows the enjoy the view or chat with the neighbors. sit and talk and watch the re. Completing
traditional series of spaces, namely the big the ground oor is a retreat in the far corner.
Kitchen
Bath2
TV Room
Storage
Bath1
Utility Bedroom
1
Screened
Entry
Garage
Porch
Dining
Entry Porch Open
Living
Bedroom
2
0 2 8 20 feet
1st oor 2nd oor
1" = 20'
house, little house, and barn. In this case the The big house ows directly from the entry This is a quiet place for reading or watching
barn is an oversized single-car garage. This hall. As you leave the entry hall to your right TV that is still next to the kitchen for quick
house should be located with the entry porch is the kitchen, efciently sized for one or two snacks. In the center of all this is a woodstove,
facing in a southerly direction. We wanted a people. The kitchen has a large pantry cabi- although it could also be a replace, that
light-lled and spacious feeling house in an net and the high ceilings allow for extra stor- can be viewed from the dining and living
understated, traditional, and efcient form. age above the cabinets. From the kitchen you rooms. There is room to sit next to it when
This house will t well in a variety of settings; have a view toward the driveway and the back you want to get extra toasty warm. For the
on the edge of a eld with trees in the rear, in yard. Its close to the living and dining areas, original version we chose a metal chimney,
38 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Blue Hill Farmhouse
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
Driveway
For people who want traditional
N lines and a exible interior, plenty
of sunlight and an open feeling
inside. This house is a good choice
for a small family or a couple who
VIEW
want extra space for guests.
Steep Drop Steep Drop
0 2 8 20 feet
South West
1" = 20'
but a brick chimney is just as easy to do. And in the shower, gathering light from the stair- second attic storage room that
at the end of the house, on the west side so way, a skylight and a large window making is situated above the
you can enjoy the sunset, is a screened porch. the room a sunny one at any time of day. garage. This
Conveniently located near the kitchen, it can The master bedroom has a dressing
easily double as a summertime dining room. room and a small ofce space. There
is also an attic stair going up to the
Go up the stairs to get to the two bedrooms large attic space above the bedroom.
and the large bath. The stairway is lled with The sleeping area has space for
light from the two skylights, one at the land- dressers, bed, and chairs by the win-
ing and one at the top of the stairs. Both dow make for a quiet place to read.
the dining room and the stairway are light- There is also another small window
gathering spaces that bring light into several that overlooks the dining room and
rooms at once. This way each room in the borrows light from the skylight there.
house gets sunlight from different directions. bedroom has a small closet,
But rst, pause and take a look out over, and At the other end of the hall, the second actually a wardrobe cabinet, because
down into, the dining room. There is a bench bedroom has room for a bed, a small window we anticipated it would be used mostly
and lots of light, another nice place to read seat, and a small desk. The seat and desk are as a guest room. You could use some of that
and relax. In fact, you could easily put a desk under small windows set at eye level when storage room above the garage to increase the
there and use it as a small ofce. you sit down. From the bed you can look out closet space.
through the large windows that are placed
The bath has two sinks, a large shower, and above the porch roof and face the front of the
Working Drawings
a soaking-sized tub. There is a small window house. From this bedroom you can enter the
1st & 2nd r. Plans Working drawings provide
39
Lucias Little Houses
18
Lakeside Guest House
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,224
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,272
2 - Bedrooms
1 - Bathrooms
Slab foundation
Sometimes we design two houses We are especially pleased with this two-bed- the door is on the west but reversing the plan
of different sizes for our clients. room guesthouse that was designed to go will put it on the east side, away from winter
with a shingled cottage down on the shore. winds, if necessary. The porch entry is most
We often want to keep the size
down on the main house so it 0 2 8 20 feet
Bedroom1
of this, we design a number of Dining Bedroom-1
As it is a guesthouse, it has a very limited useful in the summertime when youll want
kitchen. You could expand the kitchen a bit to relax on the porch and enjoy the view. As
and have a perfectly reasonable two bedroom, you can see on the site plan, the view is down
one and a half bath house at a little over the hill, so the porch and most of the rooms
1,250 adjusted square feet. The plan is, for have the prime view.
the most part, symmetrical, so you could eas-
ily ip the plan and place the living room on The ground oor bath has a half bath and
the west side. laundry, with a stacking washer and dryer.
The dining and living spaces are open, al-
There are two entrance doors, one at the lowing some exibility in the furniture ar-
porch and one on the side. The side door is rangements. The living area has a replace
handy to the kitchen and a small coat closet. at the end. Window seats ank the raised
A small porch roof shelters this door which hearth and give you a cozy spot to read or
is next to the parking area. In this version, relax by the re. The kitchen is small. It can
40 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Lakeside Guest House
Site Diagram
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
VIEW
Water
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
West
be arranged to provide a bit more workspace ment, you can have a basement stair and enter The second oor has two identical bedrooms
though. You could also stretch that part of it from the kitchen. And with basements we and a shared full bath. The bedrooms each
the house a bit and give yourself some more often put in an outside stair for moving bulky have a bed and a sitting space next to large
space for the kitchen and the bathrooms as items into and out of it. windows. In the original design these are the
well. The open stairway brings in best seats in the house! You could set aside
extra light and adds to the spa- one bedroom for kids with two single beds
cious feeling. built into the corners. The ceilings slope
down to chest-high walls and give the rooms
The original design is on a added visual interest. Large windows on two
concrete slab. You could walls give you a great view and lots of light.
also build over a crawl And note the small window near the oor in
space or a basement. the corner where you can curl up on a cush-
If you have a base- ion under the low roof.
Working Drawings
1st & 2nd r. Plans, Schedules Working drawings provide
Elevations you with the architectural
Dimensions
Sections documentation you (or your
Foot Print 752 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Details builder) need to build this
View Dimension 29-4 Living/Din 28 x 14 Bedroom1 14 x 20 Structural Plans house. Working drawing sets
Side Dimension 28 Kitchen 10 x 8 Bedroom2 14 x 20 Electrical Plan vary for each of the houses.
Height 23-8 Bath1 6 x 8 Bath2 9 x 8 The set for this house is listed
41
Lucias Little Houses
19
A Mountaintop
Tower
Heated sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,484
Adjusted sq. ft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,929
2 - Bedrooms
2 - Bathrooms
Greenhouse
Slab foundation
North East
Small scale spaces and lots the natural beauty all around backdrop that they wont look silly and out of
of contact with the outside themand one with enough place?
distinguish this house that was variety of spaces that they could The living, dining, and kitchen areas are all
designed to sit in a forest of survive the long Maine winters contiguous, but each has its distinct sense
of place, and a different set of views to the
low-to-moderate height Jack without tripping over each other. outside. On the north side of the house is a
pines on a slope above a granite downstairs guest suite with a bathroom that
Being in the trees on the top of a (very low) doubles as a powder room. The screened
quarry. The site is like a Japanese mountain meant that if we could get a bit porch is on the northwest corner, where I like
garden of gnarled old pines with higher than normal, we would get a long it because you can see the sunsets in the sum-
distance view to the water. I climbed a few mer in the northwest. This is when screened
beautiful expanses of bare granite. trees and surmised that getting up about 20 porches tend to get used, and on this corner
Our clients, a professional couple, feet would get us the view without the house it never shades the rest of the house in the
sticking out of the forest and shouting too winter when the sun is low in the south and
wanted a small house that would much. This is always something to consider you need it.
be intimate and connected with with tall houses: do they have enough of a 0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
Bath
1
Screened
Porch
Bedroom1
Laundry/Util. Dressing
Entry Porch Bedroom2
Entry Office
Living
Greenhouse
42 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
A Mountaintop Tower
Site Diagram
Garage
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
A tall building with a tower
Forest
Forest room and a progression of rooms
N as you climb higher. The master
bedroom suite is upstairs, but it
can be swapped for a downstairs
bedroom later in life. A working
greenhouse makes this a great
VIEW
home for gardeners.
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
and up the narrow staircase to the tower. The other tall house in the collection, A Tall
Place at the Edge, is quite stark and a very
The functional program didnt ask simple powerful shape. This house is a col-
for the tower space, and thats lection of forms that culminate in the tower.
good because the view is On the interior, A Tall Place has a great
spectacular and it needs deal of open vertical spaceyou can look
to be many rooms, none up through all three stories. This house lls
of which are limited to a its internal volume with oor space, so there
specic function. is less vertical drama, but more privacy and
spatial variety.
Back on the rst oor,
there is a pretty extensive (for a 1,900 square But both houses need sites that support their
The entire second oor is the master foot house) greenhouse to bring a bit of sum- vertical nature by providing the right back-
bedroom suite, with a stair hall that mer in the long Maine winters. My clients are drop.
does double duty as a library/ofce, serious gardeners and wanted a full working
and on the third oor is the tower greenhouse, rather than a solarium/sun room
room. This library/ofce is a good example with a few plants. We still were able to have
of expanding a circulation space just a bit a window connecting it to the kitchen so the Working Drawings
so that it can do double duty as something warm earth smells can waft into the house,
1st r. Plan, Schedules Working drawings provide
elsein this case as an ofce that looks down but its still a greenhouse where you can water
2nd & 3rd r. Plan you with the architectural
through an interior window to the kitchen plants with a hose.
Elevations documentation you (or your
Elevations builder) need to build this
Dimensions
Sections house. Working drawing sets
Foot Print 1,698 sq. ft. 1st Floor 2nd Floor Sections vary for each of the houses.
View Dimension 58 Living 22 x 11-6 Bedroom2 17-6 x 12 Details The set for this house is listed
Side Dimension 38 Dining 12 x 12 Ofce 14 x 5 1st r. Electrical Plan at the left. Please see page 47
Height 33-6 Kitchen 12 x 12 Bath2 12 x 6 2nd & 3rd r Electrical Plan for information on ordering
Summary Bedroom1 11 x 11-6 3rd Floor Foundation Plan, Details and prices.
1st Floor 1,244 sq. ft. Bath1 10 x 6 Tower Room 12 x 12 2nd r. Framing
2nd Floor 527 sq. ft. Greenhouse 20 x 10 3rd r. & Roof Framing
3rd Floor 144 sq. ft. Entry Porch 14 x 7 Tower Framing, Details
43
Lucias Little Houses
20
Getting on the Land
Heated sq. ft. . . . . 608 and 1,593
Adjusted sq. ft. . 714 and 1,962
1 and 2 - Bedrooms
1 and 2 - Bathrooms
Full basement foundation
Phase 1
their land but were not ready to cost of doing it in two phases
instead of all at once. Living
commit the funds necessary to Dining
Open
Kitchen
Bedroom
Entry
44 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Getting on the Land
Site Diagram
A two-phase design that gets you
0 10 40 feet
1" = 40'
living on the land in the short
run, and leaves you with an
N
elegant Greek revival cape and
guesthouse in the long run. This
house will do well on many sites
and will t in nicely among other
houses in suburban locations,
but it will make your neighbors
envious.
Phase 2
North East
living room. Upstairs in phase two we will
45
Lucias Little Houses
20
Getting on
the Land
Continued from
previous page.
0 2 8 20 feet
1" = 20'
South West
This house was featured in the September 2001 issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine. so the house is more unied. We didnt do it
because it will be easier to detach the depen-
and very compact, and so the wide corners, whether it is wet or dry, and though expen- dency with a low roof, and when it forms an
broad fascia boards, and other complex trim sive is one of the things that makes this house Ell we wanted it to still seem dependent
details that echo Greek temple design change sing. Many of the houses in this portfolio are and to not block the view of the stream to the
the scale of these buildings and make them quite comfortable with asphalt-shingled roofs east from the upper oor.
very attractive to us. When large houses are and shingled sidewalls, but this house will
done in this style, they lose the appeal that lose a great deal if cuts are made in this area. If you build this house with the proper affection
comes from this scale shift. for the detailing and the exterior nishes, it will
Finally, if you really just want to build phase always be one the classiest houses in town.
Its important to note that these details and one and phase two may never happen, then
the quality of their execution cant be cut it would make more sense to simply continue
back, or you will end up with a very hum- the steep higher roof over the dependency Working Drawings
drum version of Developers Colonial, with
Phase 1 Working drawings provide
none of the gem-like quality of this house.
1st & 2nd r Plans you with the architectural
The red cedar shingled roof is a
Elevations, Schedules documentation you (or your
gorgeous thing that chang-
Sections builder) need to build this
es with the light of
Details house. Working drawing sets
the day and
Framing Plans vary for each of the houses.
Electrical Plans The set for this house is listed
Phase 2 at the left. Please see page 47
1st & 2nd r. Plans for information on ordering
Elevations and prices.
Sections
Sections, Schedules
Details
Electrical Plan
Foundation Plan
Framing
Framing/Details
46 www.luciaslittlehouses.com
Lucias Little Houses Order Form
Prices All house plans are $725 per set in U.S. Please send me plans for house number
currency and includes domestic shipping and house name :
handling. Additional sets of the same design are
$35 each and may be ordered separately. Prices One set of working drawings at $725.
are guaranteed through June 30, 2007.
Additional sets of same design x $35.
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your order is secure, fast, and as easy as possible. To learn more about
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Eastport
Orono 1
201
2
Bangor
Skowhegan 2
95
201
Machias
2 202
1A 1
2 Waterville 1A 1 Ellsworth
1
201
202 Belfast Blue Hill
1
Castine
Bar Harbor
Augusta
Camden Deer Isle
202
Credits
Stonington
Lewiston
495 Rockland
1
95
Vinalhaven
1
302
Brunswick Bath
Boothbay Harbor
495
Portland
Knight Associates, Architects is an architectural rm specializing in
ec
202
Bru
custom, residential design, located in Blue Hill, Maine.
eb
Biddeford
Ne
Qu
202
nsw
Kennebunk
w
1
ick
Lucia del Sol Knight, wife of Robert, is the boss of Lucias Little Houses. 95
Kittery MAINE
New Hampshire
responsible for all the wonderful freehand drawings and quite a bit of Blue Hill is a small town on the coast of
BLUE HILL
the other stuff. Peter is also the designer of A Blue Hill Farmhouse and Maine located midway between Penobscot PORTLAND
Lakeside Guest House. Bay and Bar Harbor. Blue Hill is 40 miles
from Bangor and 135 miles from Portland. ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Robert Knight, husband of Lucia and the boss at Knight Associates, BOSTON
Ma
Architects, is the designer of many of these buildings as well as the I in If youve ever read E.B. Whites classic ss.
e-mail us
getinfo@knightarchitect.com
Kevin Ireton
7Alices Fieldpg. 18
9A Forest Cottagepg. 22
2An Islandpg. 8
14Stay Focusedpg. 32
Tom OBrien
Bob Perron
Bob Perron
2An Islandpg. 8
7Alices Fieldpg. 18
Brian Vanden Brink
Bob Perron
Bob Perron