Arts & Crafts Design

It starts with a CONCEPT that is translated into an ARTS & CRAFTS HOME.

This design has the curb appeal of a more traditional home. It is envisioned in the context of a New Urbanist Community. These planned developments are being built around the country. They typically feature traditional neighborhood design with a "sense of place." They are high density developments and the homes are on small lots. They are pedestrian-friendly and often have front porches and rear-loading garages

This design features flexible floor plans and building systems that enable interior spaces to be reconfigured more easily. For instance, the space of the garage can be customized or if money is a concern, the space can be finished at a later date. The front room on the first floor has access to a bathroom that could be redesigned as first floor bedroom. An elevator could easily be added within the open stairwell. The wrap around porch could be transformed into a ramp. Organized, efficient mechanical systems like plumbing manifold and flexible plastic water piping also make this home more flexible.

The design is sensitive to the ability to construct good quality homes in an efficient manner. Since the homebuilding industry is faced with challenges of a shrinking pool of skilled labor, price spikes for building materials, and costly landfill fees for wasted and scrap materials, the Concept Home uses improved production processes, which increase building efficiency and reduce cycle time. For instance, a plumbing core or wet wall could be manufactured and craned into place. Factory built modules could be stacked to create the house

Visit Joe & Carla and Michael & Emily to see how they might customize the floor plans for an Arts & Crafts home.