Background
This project was created for a competition that involved renovating an existing floor plan and making it more functional and appealing to buyers. We started out by researching design aspects and creating a floor plan. After that we would bring the floor plan to life through a website called Revit. From there the design advanced through two rounds of class votes to make it to the final round against other schools within the district. A presentation was made and presented to a board full of officials, ending up in 2nd place overall.
House Walkthrough:
The original house is a split level home located in Arlington Heights, IL. The design was built in the 1950s with an addition added on sometime during the previous owners stay. When I went to visit the home, the first thing I noticed was how run down it was. The siding was discolored and needed to be replaced. I also noticed how there was no front door and wanted to change that. Inside, the layout was abnormal and didn't make much sense. The major issue with the first floor plan was the kitchen. It was extremely run down and small. The basement was also an awkward aspect. It was very small only about 10' x 9' and the laundry was located down there. I knew in my design I would want to move that upstairs. However, probably the absolute worst aspect of this home was the middle floor bathroom located between the 1st and 2nd floor. My plan was to remove that altogether. Up on the 2nd floor, the bedrooms were small and the hall was cramped. I wanted to extend the 2nd floor and increase the size of the bedrooms, as well as adding a bathroom or two.
Planning Period:
This time was spent researching popular design aspects through websites such as Houzz. I then took my favorite popular design aspects and tried to fit them together in a functional, yet appealing floor plan. One difficulty I came across during this process was making sure the floor plan meet the square footage requirement. After many, many attempts I came up with one that I found to be satisfying.
Revit:
After finally coming up with a design on paper, it was time to make it come to life with a 3D model created through a website called Revit. I was able to see how the design would look in real life and how well it would function. With many struggles such as trying to find a good place for the stair case, measurement issues, and computer errors the design was changed many times until I finally came up with a final product to submit to the competition.
Floor Plan Summary:
The vision for this design included a functional, open floor plan with service aspects on one side of the home and residential aspects on the other side. It was envisioned to have a efficient flow with several different pathways throughout.
The first floor has an open concept with a nice flow throughout the space. The kitchen, breakfast area, and family room are all located on the southeastern side of the home, along with an added outdoor space. The location of these areas provides the most sunlight. On the southwestern side of the home, there is the living room, mud room, a bedroom or office space, and a full bathroom. Placing these rooms here allows for the best functionality in terms of residential living. The full bath is located directly next to the bedroom and living room, making it easily accessible.
On the second floor, there are two more bedrooms, the master suite with a balcony, a laundry room, a utility closet, and 3 more bathrooms; 2 full & 1 half. The laundry room being located on the second floor is a unique aspect that allows for a better functioning household, as well as the many added bathrooms.
The final product includes a variety of unique features. Another unique aspect included in the design is an unfinished basement. This grants potential buyers access to an unfinished space to use as they please. The addition of an unfinished basement also allows for another utility area besides the second floor utility room. The lot itself also includes exclusive opportunities. 602 S. Dryden is a corner lot located in Arlington Heights, a growing community of about 75,000 with a lot to offer. This lot would feed into Prospect High School, one of the best schools in the state, and is located near the local hospital. The neighborhood is a quiet area full of numerous parks, great for any family. The added outdoor space allows for residents to enjoy the area.
The first floor has an open concept with a nice flow throughout the space. The kitchen, breakfast area, and family room are all located on the southeastern side of the home, along with an added outdoor space. The location of these areas provides the most sunlight. On the southwestern side of the home, there is the living room, mud room, a bedroom or office space, and a full bathroom. Placing these rooms here allows for the best functionality in terms of residential living. The full bath is located directly next to the bedroom and living room, making it easily accessible.
On the second floor, there are two more bedrooms, the master suite with a balcony, a laundry room, a utility closet, and 3 more bathrooms; 2 full & 1 half. The laundry room being located on the second floor is a unique aspect that allows for a better functioning household, as well as the many added bathrooms.
The final product includes a variety of unique features. Another unique aspect included in the design is an unfinished basement. This grants potential buyers access to an unfinished space to use as they please. The addition of an unfinished basement also allows for another utility area besides the second floor utility room. The lot itself also includes exclusive opportunities. 602 S. Dryden is a corner lot located in Arlington Heights, a growing community of about 75,000 with a lot to offer. This lot would feed into Prospect High School, one of the best schools in the state, and is located near the local hospital. The neighborhood is a quiet area full of numerous parks, great for any family. The added outdoor space allows for residents to enjoy the area.
Presentation:
After advancing to the final round of the competition, a fellow classmate and I had to present the design to a board of school officials and people who work in an architecture related field.