Because it is a secondary structure, the maximum size for our new house is 850sq.ft. Our design includes a kitchen, living and dining room, guest bedroom, master bedroom, office, and a screened in porch for dining. It will have two levels, plus a roof deck that's raised another half level above the second floor. We were able to get so much out of so few square feet by prioritizing our needs. We opted for a small master bedroom, small guest room and small bathrooms in favor of a more generous kitchen and living area. We further enhanced the feeling of space by opening these common areas to the outside wherever possible, with a nine foot bi-fold exterior door on the South of the living room and a large serving window between the kitchen and the dining porch. The two story design also allowed us to create lofty ceilings in the common areas where there is no second floor above. Finally, we eliminated wasted space. Our house has no hallways, and our indoor staircase is steeper and narrower than codes allow (we have a second staircase outside that complies with code). We will have the laundry machine and dryer in a covered area outside, which will also have a utility sink and function something like a mudroom. We tried as much as possible to get storage spaces in areas that would otherwise be wasted, and in areas that because of their low ceiling height are not counted towards out 850 sq. ft. limit.
Building a house that's about 1500 sq.ft. smaller than the average new house is one of the best ways of reducing the impact our house will have on the environment. Another is to design the house to work with local conditions in order to create comfortable indoor temperatures without using energy. In Austin, where weeks of highs above 100 degrees are not uncommon, keeping a house cool is a challenge. Our design includes over sized eaves to keep the building shaded, and has very few windows or doors in areas that will receive sunlight. Summertime breezes, which in this area move from South to North, will be captured by large low openings on the South wall and drawn upwards through high windows on the North wall. In fancy words, we are locating our windows so as to maximize the effects of both wind-driven ventilation and stack ventilation during the Summer. We will also have ceiling fans, which means using air conditioning less often and at lower settings. Although we have no immediate plans to install solar electrical equipment, our roof angle is ideal for capturing solar energy, and we might decide to make the smaller but equally beneficial investment in solar hot water equipment. We are also planning to conserve resources by using as much reclaimed building material as we can get our hands on.
