Building a stick frame house in the woods in 90 days

[J F]

Hopefully Pete and his builder have already done the real thing by now. :laughing:

 

[sixdogs]

Sixdogs, chief architect has several versions of their product. The consumer version of the landscaping software is here:

Home Design and Landscape Software - Home Designer Landscape and Deck

That may do what you're looking for.

Thanks!--will take a look.

 

[J F]

If you end up getting some software sixdogs, definitely start a thread about it. :thumbsup:

 

[dave1949]

I understand about hating to trim grass, that's why it shouldn't be planted :laughing:

Anyways, I think the sidewalk from driveway to patio should be brought out away from the wall to leave a usable planting space in front of the stone wall. Having a sliver of ground that is hard to make use of is maybe worse than no ground. But running the sidewalk adjacent to the wall is too barren IMO.

One option would be a hardscaped mini-patio space outside the wall that could be used for container/potted plants, a bench, integrated planting beds, etc. with the sidewalk passing through it. I wouldn't recommend this for people who don't like gardening, but Pete's Mom obviously does, and the climate is such that it can look pretty good year-round.

The triangle is a challenge, but I think it would be expensive to eliminate at this point and could look patched in if the siding is not re-done on that gable. I think the triangle may just need a visually balancing element, it could be at ground level even, maybe on the left side of the proposed mini-patio.

Detail adds character, so I would lean towards working with the triangle rather than eliminating it. It may take a while to find the right treatment, but that's okay.

 

[sixdogs]

If you end up getting some software sixdogs, definitely start a thread about it. :thumbsup:

Absolutely. I do some earthwork and it would really help to see what a new place would look like with mature trees or plants. A couple years back I did an exhaustive search on landscape programs and some cost in the thousands of dollars. It seemed they all had good and bad points but were difficult for the casual user to master. I just came away confused.

 

[J F]

I'm with you on the grass/triangle thingy Dave. And don't blame Pete or his builder, I just drew it that way from seeing some stone gravel/stone on the ground in one of Pete's pics.

 

[J F]

Absolutely. I do some earthwork and it would really help to see what a new place would look like with mature trees or plants. A couple years back I did an exhaustive search on landscape programs and some cost in the thousands of dollars. It seemed they all had good and bad points but were difficult for the casual user to master. I just came away confused.

:laughing: Yeah, you described most software, doesn't matter the day and age...it all makes you crazy, it's just a matter of how crazy.

 

[J F]

Nice Jay, it looks much better without the stone above the garage door, and side walls. How about add the triangle back in, since it's already there. The vent may not look right then?

Dave

Thanks Dr. Dave, I missed your post earlier.

 

[pacerron]

Jay,
Your getting good on exteriors. Maybe you could sub your service to other contractors and save your elbows!
The open triangle makes the garage door more balanced, the column should be round ( base for this square one would require 12" block and stick out hazardous corners, as your CAD program shows, unless the base is very small), and the entrance hole needs to be where it really is now on the blocks, next to the column. I don't really like the brown accent at the stone wall corners. It draws too much attention away from the house. The stone veneer highlight at the bottom of the garage door looks ok in the rendering but in real life would probably break off and the bump up of the car every time entering the garage would be annoying.
Just my likes and dislikes. There will be more agreement and disagreements over this than there are boards on the house:laughing:
Peter and his mom have to make the final decision but I'm sure they will appreciate your generous input of time to the project.
Ron

 

[J F]

Thanks Ron, the stone veneer at the garage entrance is just me fighting the #$!%*! software. :laughing: I can't figure out how to get the driveway to meet the garage, like in "real" life. :hissyfit:

I figured I'd putz around with a round column here shortly. Also, wood accents, duly noted. You haven't commented on my nice slate tops for the stone walls (I know, they're not very visible in the drawings).