At Coastal Home Plans we offer up a good many home designs that feature what we call an “inverted floor plan.” This type of plan positions the living areas on the highest floor while allocating space for the sleeping areas to the middle or lower floors. The purpose? It’s all about maximizing the views! Many coastal properties (ocean, lake, bay or river) have obstructions that block the coveted water views. Placing the living areas on a lower level may place your line of site straight into a row of trees or a neighbors house. Since most of our time is spent in these areas architects took to flipping the traditional floor plan upside down and voilà, long, unobstructed views became available to happy homeowners. In addition to capturing views, inverted floor plans also have a few additional benefits: 1) Capture prevailing breezes 2) Allow for more dramatic, vaulted living areas and 3) Lessen the nuisance of pesky mosquitoes and other biting insects.

Giving credit to the first architect or designer to utilize this sleight of hand trick is rather difficult. Figuring out where the inspiration for the inverted floor plan came from is a little easier to decipher. From early on, humans have strived to ascend by climbing the highest mountains. The physical excitement caused by taking in views from an elevated perspective is a reaction built into our DNA. Setting up camp on higher ground is also an effective strategy for protecting one’s self. The cliff dwelling Anasazi Indians survived more than 2,500 years using this simple, but effective technique. Traveling back to medieval times, the castle presents the first and most dramatic example of the inverted floor plan. Designed for safety and protection, the castle utilized a floor plan with a series of concentric circles beginning with a moat and an outer wall interspersed with towers. In the middle of these concentric circles designers placed the tallest tower, called the Castle Keep. This was the last line of defense for the inhabitants and was where the living quarters were usually located. By placing themselves at the highest point, the occupants could look out over the entire surrounding landscape as well as the interior of the outer castle walls. The benefits of incorporating this into their castle design were obvious – hark the marauders approach! One wonders if they enjoyed, between invasions, the views that their perch provided?

Here in America, the inverted floor plan most likely came into existence as those in the upper classes began to build residences in “view worthy” locales. The antebellum homes that look out over the harbor in Charleston, SC come to mind. If you tour one of these homes, you’ll notice that many incorporate parlor rooms not just on the lower level but on upper levels as well. Surely the pervasive use of double piazzas in Charleston Single home designs were placed not just for the prevailing breezes but for the delightful views too. While these residences don’t fully “flip” the traditional floor they may represent at least a nod in that direction.

At the turn of the last century, as Victorian era seaside homes went up along the Eastern Seaboard, the exteriors where fanciful, but the floor plans were largely traditional. The same can be said of the Stick and Shingle style designs made popular by the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White. Perhaps somewhere along the way, an enterprising home designer noticed that family members were congregating in one of the larger waterside bedrooms on the upper level of one of these seaside beauties and decided, in a piqued state, to move the living room upstairs.

While homeowners may have been a bit leery of inverting the floor plans of their primary residences, they were more willing to experiment with their vacation homes. Property owners with building lots located adjacent to view worthy landscapes, such as the vacation communities situated on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, began to see homes built with the living areas on the top floors. In fact, one of our bestselling designers believes that the first inverted vacation home in the country was built in the town of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1981. An updated version of that design, called the Kitty Hawk Rental, is available on our website and remains popular. At first, folks considering an inverted plan were skeptical (“we’ll have to carry the groceries up all those stairs?”). But once they took in the expansive views offered by the inverted design, attitudes quickly changed.

As residential elevators became more affordable in the 1990′s, the inverted home took off in popularity. The elevator solved the “carry the groceries up two flights of stairs” issue. In fact, in some coastal areas, such as the Outer Banks, it is far more common to build a home with the living areas up than down. The rationale for this remains the same as ever: better views, better breezes and living areas with room under the roof line for soaring and dramatic vaults.

In the end, we shouldn’t be surprised that architects and home designers altered their design approach so that they could maximize views for their clients. Modern architecture has always coveted the spaces at the very top. When we hear the word “penthouse” we know this space will not be a view-less room located in the basement. It is fitting then, that the number of residential designs featuring inverted floor plans has increased so dramatically over the past 20 years. If the view from the top is so treasured, it only makes sense to place the rooms where the most time is spent on the uppermost floor. Our DNA demands nothing less.

If you’d like to preview our collection of house plans with inverted floor plans, click here: Inverted Floor Plans

Take an end of summer road trip
You’ll be amazed at how many ideas you’ll get for your own home building project by getting away from your home building project. Take a road trip to one (or more) of your favorite coastal towns to find inspiration for the home you’d like to build. Without fail you’ll see delightful details that you can incorporate. Remember to take plenty of pictures and keep them in a clip file. Doing this type of recon will help you figure out what you really like – and don’t like – about particular design styles, building materials and colors. As a bonus you’ll get to hang out at the beach before the water gets too cold and grab a few “right off the boat” seafood meals. You know your favorite coastal places, but here a few that we love that have plenty of delightful residences worth checking out:

Charleston, SC – Best home viewing is Downtown Peninsula, Mount Pleasant (I’on, Old Village), Sullivan’s Island and Daniel Island. For “beachy” homes go to Isle of Palms or Folly Beach. Head to The Boathouse at Breach Inlet (Isle of Palms) for great seafood and views.

Siesta Key, FL – Hit the road to Siesta Key to see cute beach bungalows, jaw-dropping oceanfront estate homes and everything in between. Hop across the bridge at Stickney Point Rd. to get to Coasters Bar & Grill. Their Intracoastal location is perfect for watching the parade of boaters float by and you’ll satisfy you’re culinary needs by sinking your teeth into a near perfect grouper sandwich.

Southport, NC – This small coastal town offers up a quaint Main Street, a nice variety of historic and new homes to ogle and easy access to the Bald Head Island Ferry for those looking to extend their house viewing adventures. Grab a bite at Cape Fear Restaurant where the cooking is down home (go for the fried fish and hush puppies) and the views are spectacular.

Half Moon Bay, CA – Here’s one for you West Coasters. Half Moon residences are best viewed from the seat of a bicycle. Park at the Ritz-Carlton and head north toward town. As you get closer to town you’ll get up close views of fun, funky and downright cool homes that hug the bike trail and the Pacific Ocean. When hunger calls, for an upscale treat, make reservations at award winning Cetrella (who can resist the scallop dishes?). Or, if you prefer a more casual setting head to Miramar Beach Restaurant for a meal with a view.

Peaks Island, ME – Hop on the ferry to Peaks Island from Downtown Portland to spend a delightful day sightseeing, bicycling and dining. This small community is easy to get around by two-wheeler. Take a left after you get off the ferry and walk several blocks and you’ll find the friendly folks at Brad’s Bike Rentals. For a measly $9 you can rent a bike for 3 hours. You can choose from a stable of refurbished bikes – nothing fancy, but all in good working condition. We could have spent 100 hours checking out all the amazing cottages and homes on this island. Whether by building code or good sense, all of the homes here are of a scale that fits the place, which gives this community a certain soulfulness. After you’ve worked up an appetite, wheel into the Inn on Peaks Island for a cask conditioned Shipyard Ale and a delicious Lobster Roll sandwich. Lucky, lucky you!

Drive safe on your Labor Day Road Trip and we’ll see you back online at Coastal Home Plans when you return. As always, we’re here to help you find the perfect home design for your place on the coast.

Visitors are flocking to check out smaller cottage designs in our inventory – including, in no particular order, these popular plans:

The Sullivan’s Island Retreat
Mingo Creek
Sprig Tail Cottage
Calusa Cottage
Carrabelle Cottage
Banks Channel

If you’d like to surf our entire collection of design by sqaure footage range, try these links:

House Plans Under 1,500 Square Feet
House Plans Between 1,500 – 2,500 Square Feet

Smaller may just be the smarter way to go – you will save money not only on the construction of your new home, but on the operation of it as well.

The floor plans of this designer’s home are the main factors in classifying the Florida Cracker style as green. Cracker-style designs are typically structured with rooms coming off one main hallway. This layout, coupled with very open entry ways, increases the air flow from room to room helping to cool down the home. The design is also ideal for increasing efficiency using passive solar orientation – or the placement of the home in relation to where the sun shines the strongest. For passive solar orientation in this style, the windows and main focus of the house face away from the brightest sun rays. Deep overhangs are placed over windows, especially those facing the hot sun rays, to help further shade the home. Even window placement is important for home cooling -windows are placed around the shell of the home to promote cross ventilation indoors. Outside of the home prevailing breezes can be enjoyed on wide porches and outdoor areas – seaside Cracker homes should face in a direction to take advantage of these breezes.

Building one of these homes today puts you one giant step in the right direction in reducing your energy costs – as the homes were designed to cool themselves in the hot Florida sun before air conditioning even existed. To further the eco-friendliness of a Florida Cracker home, take interest in where your materials originate. Try to obtain materials that travel the shortest distances which helps cut down on the shipping costs, energy usage and pollutions of shipping vehicles. Opting for recycled materials is always an earth friendly choice, but if the materials come from thousands of miles away you might negate the good you thought you were doing. This designer also suggests planting trees and flowers in your yard that are native to your area. This will help cut down watering needs and the negative effects the intrusion of foreign plants can have on your land.

When building green, always keep in mind that it comes down to the basics and the beginnings – the floor plan, orientation of your home and structural elements have just as big or a bigger say in energy efficiency than many of the newly developed techniques and materials on the market today. Be a smart home builder and keep these techniques in mind when beginning your green home.

Check out this designer’s portfolio of Florida Cracker homes at Coastal Home Plans here

This holiday season Coastal Home Plans is offering 25% off any plan purchase! In order to take advantage of this great promotion, you must order your plan before December 31, 2008. What better way to begin this holiday season than with a new home design! This offer can save you hundreds of dollars on your purchase! Click here to learn more about the offer and take a look at some of Coastal Home Plan’s most popular plans of the year.

Guide to Residential Styles: http://www.realtor.org/rmoarchitecture_guide/residentialstyles

Architectural Glossary: http://www.archiseek.com/guides/glossary/a.html

Construction Glossary: http://www.homebuildingmanual.com/Glossary.htm