PLAN 497-31

This house plan would work well as a getaway second home or a peaceful primary residence on any site that has a view to be captured. This plan is a great mix of flexibility, luxury, and efficiency. This home also incorporates many of the popular modern green features such as an open floor plan, proper passive solar design, and a roof deck. At the first level of the house, large folding doors open up from the living room to the deck. The siding is a combination of two types of material. The fiber cement panel siding works well with modern designs while the tongue and groove cedar board siding provides a comfortably rural look and pleasing contrast with the fiber cement panel siding. The extended overhangs at the high point of the roof provide shading and weather protection for the large double height windows on both the first and second floor. Ideally this face of the house should be oriented in a southerly direction to take advantage of passive solar benefits. The most captivating interior feature of this design will be experienced upon entering the living room. The living room is a cavernous space that is absolutely flooded with natural light tanks to the large amount of glazing on the back wall. Large folding doors open up to the outdoor deck allowing a connection between indoor and outdoor space. The first floor plan was built to maximize the openness of this design while still allowing for functional built-ins and unique design features. The combination kitchen dining room represents one of the most popular and talked about features in housing today. This integrated open space creates easy flow between food preparation, and consumption. The second floor and roof deck plans have been crafted to create a true indoor-outdoor living environment.

• LEED for Homes Rating System: Guidelines to meet LEED for Homes certification levels of: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. LEED for Homes is a national, voluntary certification system, developed by national experts and experienced builders, that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes and encourages the adoption of sustainable practices by the homebuilding industry. The LEED for Homes Rating System is part of the suite of nationally recognized LEED Green Building Rating Systems administered by USGBC. Like all LEED Rating Systems, it is the market's leadership system, targeting the top 25% of home building practices in terms of environmental responsibility. LEED provides industry resources and tools on how to "green" any new home. With LEED, homebuilders can differentiate their structures as meeting the highest performance measures, and homebuyers can readily identify high quality green homes. LEED provides national consistency in defining the features of a green home, enables builders anywhere in the country to obtain a green rating on their homes, and assures homebuyers of the quality of their purchases, all based on a recognized national brand. Learn more about the LEED® Rating System here.
• Window shading details: External window shading devices are an effective method for reducing heat gains through windows during Summer. In fact, external shading devices can reduce heat gains by up to 80% if sized and built properly. With this in mind, the founders of Green Living, formerly Free Green, created this page to assist home builders in constructing effective window shading devices. The information we provide includes a zoning map of the United States, zoning charts for proper sizing of shading devices and a variety of shading device styles and materials to suite different tastes and different home designs.
• General Notes: Typically one sheet of general notes pertinent to the construction of the home
• Exterior Elevations: A blueprint picture of all four sides showing exterior materials and measurements.
• Foundation Plan: Drawn to 1/4" scale, this page shows all necessary notations and dimensions including support columns, walls and excavated and unexcavated areas. 
• Floor Plan(s): Detailed plans, drawn to 1/4" scale for each level showing room dimensions, wall partitions, windows, etc. as well as the location of electrical outlets and switches.
• Interior Elevations: Detailed drawings of kitchen cabinet elevations and other elements as required.
• Cross Section: A vertical cutaway view of the house from roof to foundation showing details of framing, construction, flooring and roofing.
• Wall sections and other construction details: Detailed drawings showing wall connections, from foundation to the roof. wall connections to foundation, window installation, siding installation, stair details, and more.
• Framing Plans: Drawn to 1/4" scale. The framing layout is intended to be a suggested layout only. Design loads & weather conditions vary by region. As a result the size, spacing & layout of all structural elements in this home design must be approved by a structural engineer and code official based on your specific site location prior to construction.
• Electrical Plan with electrical symbols legend: In general, each house plan set includes an electrical plan which will show the locations of lights, receptacles, switches, etc. Note: Most Green Living plans have an electrical plan, however some do not. Please contact us to verify.