Universal Design on One and a Half Floors

Exterior Elevations: In addition to the front exterior, your drawing set will include drawings of the rear and sides of your house as well. These drawings give notes on exterior materials and finishes. Particular attention is given to cornice detail, brick and stone accents, or other finish items that make your home unique.

Foundation Plan: The foundation page dimensions, concrete walls, footings, pads, posts, beams, bearing walls, and any stepped foundation information along with any retaining wall info (schematic only). A typical wall section for the home is also usually included on this page (if not, it is elsewhere in your plan set, as space allows). If your plan features a poured concrete slab rather than a basement or crawlspace, the foundation page shows footings and details for the slab, and includes plumbing locations.

Floor Plan(s): Exterior and interior wall framing, and windows/doors are dimensioned. Room sizes are indicated and any beams, posts and structural bearing points are called out. The floor plans include an electrical legend, and electrical fittings, lights and outlets are shown. Floor Plans will also indicate cross–section details (provided on the sections page) and show any special framing details applicable to the design. Cabinet elevations are included for kitchen and bathrooms; some designs feature cabinet elevations for design–related built–ins too.

Building Sections: Building sections show changes in floor, ceiling, or roof height, and the relationship of one level to another. Our section pages also show how the stairs are calculated (if there are some!) and depict roof and foundation members. We try and draw sections to show the most useful information — choosing locations where there are elements you or your contractor might need clarification on. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Sections and elevations depict the standard foundation only. 

Roof Plan: Roof framing or truss directions are shown, slope directions are indicated and structural members are sized and called out if applicable. The gravity loads used to calculate the rafters, beams and posts are indicated , and we also show gutters, downspouts, and any roof venting required for your home.

Notes and Details Page(s): Your home comes detailed to meet the requirements of the latest adopted version of the ‘International Residential Code’, and our notes and details pages outline all the elements applicable to the design of your home. Compliance with further standards may need to be incorporated into your plan set, depending on the requirements of your building department — these are usually done locally.