Container Home Project
Planning Process
Research
Bubble Diagrams
These give a general idea for the layout of the home.
1st Floor (Top Pic.): I began to build the layout based on an open floor concept between the living room and kitchen. I wanted an open floor plan because the containers make the house seem cramped and small. By keeping as few walls as possible, it would make the house feel better. I designed the other rooms on the 1st floor around this aspect.
2nd Floor (Bottom Pic.): I designed the second floor around the idea that it would center on an open game room. I used this idea to place my bedrooms directly off of the game room, giving easy access to them rooms and a decently sized entertaining area.
Floor Plan Sketch
Using the bubble diagrams, we began to make the first sketch of our floor plan and began to really work the containers into a functional layout.
1st Floor: I used the same general idea for the bubble plan as I did on the floor plan sketch, but I added in a bathroom and laundry room in the extra space after deciding on the general layout.
2nd Floor: I entertained the idea of making a patio for the second floor. This led me to shift the second floor off one edge of the first floor. This opened up the roof over the kitchen to be used as a patio of sorts. This also created an overhang on the other side which would be used as a covered parking area. Also, with the extra unanticipated space that I found after sketching the floor plan, I added a theater room into the second floor plan.
Sketchup Volume Drawings
AutoCAD Drawings
Floor Plan
Elevations
Site Plan
SketchUp Models
Home Location/Reflection
I would locate this home at Flaming Gorge, Utah near the lake. I would place this home up on one of the cliffs overlooking the gorge because it is a beautiful view. Flaming gorge has a mild climate. The summers are beautiful, great for being out on the lake and just out is nature in general. The woods around the gorge are calm and provide a great surrounding. There are tons of outdoor activities in Flaming Gorge and it is a great place for family time.
I enjoyed the designing process for the home and designing the whole thing on my own. Getting the home to flow with all the pieces you want to include is like piecing together a puzzle. It was fun to rearrange the home until it became functional. The most difficult challenge I faced through this whole process was using SketchUp to make the model. It was the first time I had used the program and it took me a while to get the hang of it and learnt eh intricacies of the program.