Laneway House Design Project – Day 1

Posted on: June 3rd, 2011 | 47 Comments


Today Matthew presents a brand-new design project!

To try the Laneway House Design Project, use the resources below:
Laneway House – Project Brief
Laneway House – Garage Remodel (Exist)
Laneway House – Garage Remodel (Demo)
Laneway House – Garage Remodel (Site)
Laneway House – Garage Remodel (JPG)
Laneway House – Garage Remodel (DWG)



  • Nicole

    Hi Matthew,
    In terms of privacy between the main house and the lane house should we assume the main house is being rented out or are we using this project as an extension of the main house for family members and guests? Also is the main house two storeys? Also, is this submission due Monday? Sorry if this is the way it normally works…I’m new to following your Design Minutes. Thanks.

    Nicole

  • Matthew North

    Hi Nicole – thanks for your questions! Yes, the main house will be rented and the lane way house will be occupied by the property owners. The main house is two storeys but is a historical style so the second floor has a gabled roof and is not as tall as some of the current infill properties being built. We will be running this design project for about one week and may extend it if we get lots of submissions (I hope!). We will do our first review of the submitted plans on Tuesday of next week, so if you can post something before Monday, that would be excellent! I am looking forward to seeing your submission! And, we are all very happy to have you be a part of the Slow Home Studio!

  • Nicole

    Thank you, Matthew. I am happy to be a part of the Slow Home Studio and am thrilled to have a design challenge!

  • Konkinsa

    Hi Matthew:
    Some months ago I came across a youtube video of John explaining how to use the resources, jpeg, demo etc.  - what computer programs are needed to design online as opposed to doing it with pencil and paper.  I can’t find that youtube now.  Can you provide the link for that info?
    Thanks.
    Sandra

  • John Brown

    Hi Konkinsa,
    You have a good memory. Here is a link to the link. Have fun and I hope you will post your results.

    http://blip.tv/file/3640925

  • John Brown

    Here is the video segment that describes how to use microsoft paint to work on a slow home design project.

    http://blip.tv/file/3640925

  • Nicole

    Hi There,
    Here’s my submission for the Laneway House Design. I apologize for the photos…I had some technical difficulties with my scanner.

    Nicole

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Nicole,Great project!, I see you have been following slowhome rules. :)I think your design is simple and logical. There are no major issues with it. Just a few notes, these are really minor, they are not a big deal :)_I am not sure where you placed washer/drier, i guess it is in that storage wall in the entrance hall. If so those wardrobes are too narrow, so the house should be extended towards the parking lot (yes, we ware instructed to stay within the footprint of the garage but, …..    ….see the post with my project, that I will post shortly, I will discuss that issue). _I would add some windows on the south wall of the house, I guess you ware concern about privacy issues, but it is a southern orientation, and benefits of sun (light, heating, sense of space) are grater then problems of privacy.That is it, great project you have…. ….good job.SN

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Hi,
    So here is my project. Few notes on the beginning:
    _The brief was use existing footprint… I think Matthew did that to make this project a bit more manageable. I don’t see the reason for using existing footprint, it was a garage, there is no thermal insulation of the floor slab, I am not sure it is a proper foundation to support the new structure. So I didn’t use the existing footprint, but my house is on the same spot where the garage is, it has a general shape of it, and it is under 600sq ft (598 to be exact), so I believe I comply with the project brief.
    _Regarding the access to the main house, I believe it should be wide enough for a car to go trough, for the practicality reasons. So what i did is to make a driveway and added a “cardok” parking system, (see this link http://www.cardok.co.uk/) it is a great solution, not that expensive, and you have a “garage”, additional units can be added so the parking for both houses can be solved on that driveway.
    _As you will see my house is a bit more open then one is used to. For a small house like this, it is great to design outdoor space to be extension of the house, that is what I did. So, to solve privacy issues, I planted high hedges, bushes to gain some privacy (mainly towards south and north between house and lane). These are evergreen plants, so foliage will stay trough the winter. I also added some deciduous trees on the south side whose purpose is to provide shadow and prevent house from overheating. In the winter those trees lose their foliage and allow sun to warm the house. I need to give credit to my wife who is landscape architect for giving me great advices in this aspect of the project. :)

    So let’s go trough the house, I included a plan with numbers, that I will go over:
    1_entrance
    2_study that has murphy bed installed (see the dashed line), when opened, desk moves to the right.
    3_small atrium, is is a extension of the work area. 
    4_high hedge
    5_high hedge to add some privacy to the bedroom
    6_high bushes, visual barrier between this, and main house.
    7_BBQ
    8_storage and/or recycling bins…
    9_mechanical
    10_”cardok” parking system, (see this link http://www.cardok.co.uk/)
    I’ll add some more stuff as I make them….. :)
    SN
    P.S. I guess this house is in Vancouver, that is why that guy is watching hockey :)

  • Brad W

    SN – very nice however next time show Boston scoring on Vancouver in your rendering :)

  • Brad W

    SN – I think the laundry is in the closet opening into the main living space.

    Nicole – I would agree with SN that you have done a nice job with the project. I particularly like your charming cottage exterior and thoughtful landscape. Like SN I think the south facade could be opened up. My other concern has to do with circulation – your traditional plan uses hallways as transitional space between rooms – this uses valuable square footage in this small space.

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    some additional renders

    SN

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Brad W,
    I did it this way to please Canadians, You see I am in the process of relocating to Canada (hopefully) and I don’t want to offend anyone. Hockey is like a religion there an I don’t want to get in trouble. ;)So let’s do it this way, next time we do a project in USA I’ll let you chose TV channel. :)

  • Brad W

    SN – I am Canadian. You see not every Canadian wants Vancouver to win the Stanley Cup. Don’t get me wrong, nothing against Vancouver, but as a big Bobby Orr fan from many many years ago I have to cheer for the boys from Boston. Also SN, many Canadian born players on all NHL based teams so national pride is less of a factor playing for the Stanley Cup than say playing in the Olympics. In any event good choice putting hockey on the TV!

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Just for you 

  • Jesse S.

    SN – Seriously?  You just intimidated the rest of us from submitting!  Really fantastic job, I wish I could render like that.

  • Matthew North

    SN and Nicole – Good work on your submissions! I am looking forward to seeing other submissions as well – keep them coming in!

  • Matthew North

    SN and Nicole – Good work on your submissions! I am looking forward to seeing other submissions as well – keep them coming in!

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Jesse S. , please don’t be intimidated by my project. I am architect so you should expect more from me….  It is not about who can make better presentation, make better drawings… sketch that Nicole made is great, you don’t need to make more then that (just a floor plan).To be honest, his project is not an easy one, even some architecture students would have problems designing this house, so whatever what you do, it is great…. ….and if you have no idea what to do this project, you can use my as a template to correct all my mistakes…. there are many, project is far from perfect…..SN

  • Oscar B. Morales

    Hello Jesse S,
     
    Don’t be intimidated, your hand drawings that you have submitted in the past are great!!!! Although S.N. renderings are exceptional, there is still a lot of the design that needs to be gone over. I will make several comments on S.N’s submittal as soon as I have another break.
     
    Oscar
     

  • Nicole

    Thank you SN and Brad for your feedback. Yes, the laundry is located in the closet off the living room. I also wondered about the southern exposure, but I was taking privacy into consideration. Also that south wall acts as a continuous storage wall as it transitions from Kitchen to Study to Media space. To address the light issue I placed clarestory windows in the center of the Kitchen and Living space and the large patio door on the west wall. Brad, I agree with the circulation issue. One of the things that I don’t like about open living is the bathroom door being located right off of a living space. So I tucked it away where it would be a little more private yet still easily accessible. I did notice, however that on your project, SN you used circulation spaces as part of the rooms. Your bathroom is tucked away but the hallway used for access also doubles as a dressing area. That’s really neat. It will be good to see the other submissions aswell!

  • Terri

    SN–You are having way too much fun doing those renderings! ;) But they’re beautiful, like always. I, for one, liked your first TV image–yay, Canucks!

  • Terri

    Nicole, I liked your hand drawings–very nice. Also including elevations is fantastic! I’m impressed. I agree with your idea of trying make the bathroom a little more removed. It looks like you wanted the entry to be similarly separate?

  • Brad W

    SN :):) Awesome – best goal ever – thanks

  • Catherine Taney

    Hi All,
    I decided to print off the plans and do a quick sketch – Jesse S. style! – and while I wasn’t able to fit in a flex space, I think it’s efficient. One thing that I’d like to spend some more time on is the exterior spaces – the one that was formerly the driveway needs to shield a view of the bedroom from the lane, and the moved garage door (I’m thinking the door is almost all glass) opens to a new south facing patio right next to what is probably a nice big tree! But as it is south facing, somehow the exterior would get some shading (I don’t know how you’d fully integrate some drapes inside with a rolling door…). Anyways, hope at least it adds food for thought to the conversation!

  • Catherine Taney

    Hi All,
    I decided to print off the plans and do a quick sketch –
    Jesse S. style! – and while I wasn’t able to fit in a flex space, I
    think it’s efficient. One thing that I’d like to spend some more time on
    is the exterior spaces – the one that was formerly the driveway needs
    to shield a view of the bedroom from the lane, and the moved garage door
    (I’m thinking the door is almost all glass) opens to a new south facing
    patio right next to what is probably a nice big tree! But as it is
    south facing, somehow the exterior would get some shading (I don’t know
    how you’d fully integrate some drapes inside with a rolling door…).
    Anyways, hope at least it adds food for thought to the conversation!

  • Frances GF

    Matthew you are killing me!  I just keep rearranging the deck chairs looking for the “flex space” in a 600 sq ft plan.
    I think the key to making this work elegantly, is getting the utility space right.  That being said, I don’t believe I achieved that in any of my designs.
    I have to post what I have so I can then view everyone’s designs…maybe I can find something to steal.

  • Oscar B. Morales

    Hello Mathew,
     
    Not to split hairs here, but the footprint was not really 24’ x 24’, nor was the area 600 s.f. It is actually 565.70 s.f. a difference of 34.3 s.f (this would amount to a descent size coat closet), now that that I got that off my chest.
     
    It was a good challenge; hope to get good comments from you and the SHS group.
     
    I envisioned that the roof planes would slope front to back with a clerestory at the ridge facing south. The box windows do not add to the square footage but do give the illusion of the spaces being larger.
     
    Oscar

  • Nicole

    Thank you, Terri. I don’t know about you but I always seem to be carrying an arm load of something in my front door. Having a bench to place those things and then walk a few steps and hang my jacket helps to keep clutter to a minimum…and not spread all over the Living Room. Similarly when you have guests over having a closet that’s just a few feet away allows them to enter into your home without tripping over each other. My closet is located right next to my front door and I find it akward to offer to hang their coats because they’ve entered right where I need to hang them. I don’t know maybe it’s a personal preference thing, but I like having the front entry be a place of transitioning from “my hard day at work”…or ” man it’s a zoo out there” to “aww, I’m home”. I suppose you may have to sacrifice a few square feet in order to accomodate such a space, and perhaps this was not the project for that considering the small square footage. But it makes for good conversation…

  • Matthew North

    Catherine – it is nice to have you back participating on the site! You were such a strong influence during the “Slow Home Project” of the recent past……. all the memories of us scoring all those house plans. I am SO happy that you have posted a scheme! I just can’t say to much about your project because we have included it in the episode tomorrow……you’ll have to tune in and watch! I’m wondering if any of the the other long time Slow Home viewers are out there watching along……say hello and if you are so inclined…..post a scheme!

  • Oscar B. Morales

    Hello S.N and Jesse,
     
    As promised, I do have a few comments on S.N. proposed design. Although I do love the concept there are a few areas that need attention. I am going to list them;
     
    1-         The bedroom is too small; the foot of the bed is less than 2’ feet from the window frame. I would steal 15 inches from the living area to make it work.
     
    2-         The openings from the bedroom, the northern most I would eliminate, and widen the one by the window wall.
     
    3-         I love the Murphy bed in the flex space; however for the few times that it will be used I would like to have a way of closing of the dressing area from flex area, bedroom and kitchen. I have a feeling that if you try to do that your design will fall apart (I love the openness of the design and would hate to give that up).
     
    4-         The kitchen is tight, if you eliminate the opening as mentioned before, extend the counter and dead end the kitchen and move the stove to the peninsula, you might have a little more room in the back counter near the refrigerator.
     
    5-         I Know that you would do a little more walking and also limit the access from the flex area, bedroom, dressing area to the bathroom, either you make this compromise or redesign the bathroom to be accessed from the kitchen.
    6-         I love pivot doors, the front door in your rendering was rendered with a texture of concrete, is this really your intent?  I think it would be way cool if that is the case.
     
    7-         The parapet that you are showing, has a texture like concrete, but is it synthetic stucco (EIFS) if not can you tell us what the material is.
     
    I love your exterior material palette; however what are your thoughts about using concrete in a 6°C average minimum temp and an occasional -10°C. I ask mostly because I am thinking about a similar detail for a project.
     
    Well, S.N., thank you for your project, I look forward to hearing from you.
     
    Oscar

  • Matthew North

    Frances! You have submitted three schemes! It looks like we are going to need to do additional episodes as we are still getting lots of submissions and a lot of people are aiming to post before the end of the week!

    This is a deceptively tricky project. Those Lane Fab guys are really skilled! I agree with you that the utility spaces are the trick to solving this design challenge. In my opinion, the “service” spaces of the bathroom, laundry, mechanical and storage should be located along the alley side as this is the least desirable location on the site. In both SN and Nicole’s scheme’s, they are proposing a planted barrier along this facade between the house and the lane. This is a great idea, but in a cold climate like Calgary, this hedge will be bare for six months out of the year and privacy will be reduced. I really like the Lane Fab design idea of having the service spaces face the alley with a high clerestory windows for light but still maintaining privacy. The second real challenge in this scheme is the bedroom location in plan. Facing the narrow side yard makes sense in plan, but with a two foot side yard and uncertainty about the condition of the neighboring property, this may not be ideal in real life. Having a large window on this facade may not be a good idea. I have been working through all of this in my own head and every new scheme is making me think through all the possibilities for this site! Good work everyone!

    Frances….I love how the living spaces in your 1st and 2nd schemes take all the south and west frontage – good use of the site orientation!

  • Matthew North

    Hello Oscar – I am so happy that you have posted! We missed you for tomorrow’s episode but with all the schemes still coming in, we are definitely extending the time on this project and will do another episode to review more schemes.

    You are SO correct about the square footage. I should know better than to “round up” on a small space design project where every square inch counts! An extra 34.3 square feet can make or break a plan – so I will correct this on the next episode!

    I am not going to say too much because I want to save my comments about your scheme for the next episode but I will say that I really like your auxiliary building with the recycling and storage sets up a really strong outdoor space and entry sequence. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I assume the “rough” edge detail of your courtyard pavers is to blur the line between the green space and the patio. A really nice touch.

  • Matthew North

    SN – the idea of creating a strong barrier between the alley and the laneway house is exactly what I would envision. Passing along and through the concrete wall and into the entry space as you have detailed it would be a very satisfying experience.

    One question – how are you going to make a door out of solid concrete?

  • Matthew North

    Brad W….I grew up in Victoria but now live in Calgary. I’m cheering for Boston. Absolutely.

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Hi Oscar,Thank you for the comments on my project.I’ll take freedom to comment on yours…overall nice project, you made an effort…_You have a great idea about entry, covered area is lovely, I am not sure about placing a recycling bins there, you don’t want to welcome your guests with odors of your trash…. …..I would turn recycling bins around so they face car parking area._I love your living area, it is great, the only problem with it is entrance to the bathroom. it is not that bad, but should be more private, think on placing a vestibule…_Kitchen is fine, it is the same size as mine, :) _Placing washer drier near the kitchen is fine, still you are missing a door, to provide some sound insulation…. you don’t want the noise interrupting TV night…_That entrance to the bedroom is not great… trough the kitchen and laundry… I am not sure…._you are missing a flex space, it was in the brief. It takes a lot of space, an may mess all of the house, so you may be better without it….Anyways I made you a sketch that resolves some of these issues…. SN

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Oscar,
    Thank you for the comments…1- Agree, still it is 21″ it is 6″ more then standard on this side of Atlantic…. 2- see number 43- Sure, see the sketch… ….It does not mess with the design…. :)4- No, I don’t think you gain a lot by doing that…5- Yes, but it is a small house, so walking around gives you sense of space…. walking is good for your health…. 6-Yes the doors are concrete. Steel frame with concrete “filling” . in render they don’t look great…. I would correct it but I don’t have time… :(7-Yes it is stucco, smooth….SN

  • Terri

    Hi Oscar,
    I’m not able to see your images on my screen. Is there any way to enlarge them?
    Thanks!

  • Terri

    SN; Just wanted to say that recycling doesn’t stink, so I think Oscar’s cupboard at the lane end of his covered entry isn’t an issue. If you turned them around, you wouldn’t have easy access…there’s always something!
     

  • Oscar B. Morales

    S.N.     I like the redesign of your project, and would like to clarify a few things about my comments;
     
    1-         In the kitchen the space either side of the stove feels to small to me (Please remember that here in the States we are more liberal with space) but I am adjusting to think in terms of other countries and what they consider a workable space. I was born in Costa Rica and raised in New England, in Boston. Every time I go to Costa Rica, I am amazed to what people get away with as far as clearance to furniture or how much gets built without any regard to any standards or regulations. I don’t know if they have any regulations.
     
    2-         I would put another pocket door at the master bedroom to have complete, privacy as well, when the flex area is being used.
     
    3-         My minimum standard from a bed to any wall or furniture is 36”. I have a few times used 29”, and it came back to haunt me later.
     
    Again thank you for your comments on my design, hope that you have found mine useful.
     
    Oscar

  • Oscar B. Morales

    Hello Terri,
     
    I don’t know why you are not able to see my previous attachment; I have made some revisions to my plan as per S.N. suggestions, and have saved the file at a slightly larger scale, hope that you can see this plan.
     
    Oscar

  • http://profiles.google.com/srdan.nad Srdan Nagy

    Matthew,Concrete door, no problem! You need steel frame, made from “T” beam (flat part facing outside), inside that frame you install steel reinforcement mesh (the one you use for slabs) to stabilize the concrete. You take a heavy duty pivot and fix it on the top and bottom of the doors. I used pivoting system instead of traditional hinged system, for cleaner look of the doors. You add some rubber sealing strips and that is it…Concrete door s are not that unusual, they are used in military construction allot… SN

  • Oscar B. Morales

    Hello Mathew,

    The rough “edge” does represent the green space. I am looking forward to hear your comments on my pproposed design. Please note that I deed revised the plan to convey S.N. comments.

    Oscar 

  • Steve in Van

    I love SN’s plan, so I offer a few thoughts about the site planning instead. 
     
    First, I think laneway houses still need to be easily accessible from the street (and street parking), not just from the lane.  It’ll be a long time before alleyways are nice enough for anyone to want to access their home solely from the back.  So in this case I envision a garden walkway along the east side of the main house leading to the laneway house’s primary exterior space.  The back yard would be divided East/West, which gives both houses southern exposure and access to both the street and lane.
     
    Second, there’s about 8.5′ feet between the lane and laneway house that could enclosed as a courtyard (see precedent).  A tall wall would buffer lane noise (and ugly lane views), provide visual privacy for the house, and still allow complete through-plan light and ventilation.  Clerestory windows on the lane wall don’t provide the same balance of openness and privacy, IMO.
     
    And for those who love the details, here’s Vancouver’s laneway housing guidelines …
    http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/lanewayhousing/

  • Terri

    Steve, Thanks for the link to Vancouver’s laneway housing guidelines. Judging from the ten examples they show in this document, access to the laneway house seems to be limited to the lane. Of course, they don’t show the backyards in those examples, so maybe there are paths from the street on the other end of the lot.It makes sense that guests would park on the frontage street.

    In the image you provided, the glass wall of the home allows view to…a wall, just a few feet away. Unless that wall is exceedingly beautiful or propping greenery, I can’t see the aesthetic value (personal opinion here!). It looks kind of closed in, with not much more sky visible than a long (or a series of) clerestory window(s) would provide.

  • Steve in Van

    As the master says, Look past the walls to the space enclosed. :-)  Interior courtyards, even very small spaces, can be very beautiful.  They were the central idea of much classical architecture (e.g. Greek residential), and are a stunning feature of many modern icons (e.g. Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion, Koenig’s CS21).  The experience of entering such a space is quite different from seeing only a slice of sky through a clerestory.  Here are a few pics and a link to inspire … 
    http://www.home-designing.com/2008/09/interior-courtyards 

  • Terri

    Hi Steve,
    You got me! Yes, I see the calming effect that  those uncluttered courtyards would have. A nice well of natural light, I agree. I especially like the ones that incorporate wood or plants.

     In the case of this design challenge, the lane courtyard, being north, wouldn’t get much sun–cool in summer and green with moss in winter (of course, I’m thinking west coast now, where you and I live!).

    Thanks for showing me the light!;-)