Simple Orchard View House

This home is a testament to the belief that size and budget are not limiting factors for good design, and that a home can be both satisfying and beautiful as long as it responds to its site, and to the owner's lifestyle and budget. Small can be beautiful, as this house clearly demonstrates.

The owners of this home approached the architect to build a small house on a gorgeous site in the midst of an old yet still productive apple orchard. They requested a simple, elegant, light–filled house with an open floor plan that accommodated three bedrooms, two of which would be used primarily as home offices. The original site was located on a west–facing slope in an existing clearing of the orchard, and provided views of the Canadian Cascades and the farmlands of the Nooksack river valley in Washington.

In order to meet the budget while constructing a house of high quality, the overriding goal was to minimize square footage. A simple 36'x 36' square footprint broken into a 4 x 4 foot grid was used to control the overall size and provide a tool for guiding the proportions of the house. But even with its compact footprint, the house feels spacious because it generously opens to the outdoors from every room.

There are three different door openings on the main floor, so the main entrance can vary, depending on your preference and how you orient the house on your site. On the ground floor the architect carved out the original southeast and northwest corners of the property to provide both morning and afternoon patios for outdoor dining and enjoying the landscape. The living areas are open to each other, with exposed wood posts and beams that help differentiate the spaces. The abundance of windows and glazed doors in the open living areas – including a bay window in the living room – provide multiple views, and create a light–filled environment. Built–in storage was incorporated throughout the house – in the stairs, fireplace wall, kitchen island, and window seats. At less than 1600 square feet you can see no space has been wasted! A lower hall leads to a full bath that accesses a utility room, and a bedroom.

The upper hall landing has room for additional bookcases next to the stairwell. There is a full bath that is shared by the two upper bedrooms that have ceilings that vault from about 9'6" at the window wall to a height of 13'. Both bedrooms have windows along two walls to bring in lots of natural light and views.

This plan set also includes a drawing for a detached single–car garage that has a covered carport/workshop area. The garage is filled with natural light, with windows on two walls, and glazing in the door itself.

Construction Info
Although this home was designed with a S.I.P. (Structurally Insulated Panel) roof system, it can be changed to standard frame construction by your builder or design professional.