reverse floor plan home designer architectural 2016

REVERSE FLOOR PLAN HOME DESIGNER ARCHITECTURAL 2016 FULL
REVERSE FLOOR PLAN HOME DESIGNER ARCHITECTURAL 2016 CODE

Rather than the roof terrace structure fastening to the roof, it simply floats on top, held down by its own weight.

The joists (or sleepers) for the terrace structure are cut to the same slope as the roof in the opposite direction so that the resulting geometry is perfectly flat. We use a single ply roof membrane on our flat roofs which allows for easy addition of the roof terrace. Consideration should also be given to the location of the handle and closing mechanism of the hatch as it will need to be within easy reach from the ship ladder.Ī modern day flat roof isn’t, of course, truly flat (they’re typically sloped ¼” per foot), but they’re flat enough to construct a terrace structure on top. Because they rarely come in sizes that accommodate a typical residential ship ladder/stair opening, the position of the hatch should be carefully considered to minimize head-bumping conditions and odd drywall notches. With any of these roof hatches, regardless of manufacturer, special attention should be paid to their prefabricated dimensions. It’s an excellent, long hatch that keeps the water out and the heat in, all while staying on course with the modernism of our designs. We specify a commercial grade, thermally broken, Type L-50TB roof hatch door by Bilco. With manufacturers, hatch sizes, and opening mechanisms rather limited, this piece should be selected during the design development phase of a project and planned around early. There aren’t nearly the number of options with roof hatches as with other types of doors in a residence. In many of our reverse floor plan designs, the top floor is important for gathering and entertaining, and aligning all of the vertical circulation benefits the overall plan. It makes the most sense to locate the ship ladder to the roof terrace within this stair core, otherwise valuable floor area will get taken up to accomodate the rooftop access. Stack the ship ladder with the stairs.Īssuming that the residence is more than one level, typically around 40 square feet of area has already been dedicated to vertical circulation. It’s also desirable to match the material palette of the ship ladder to the stairs in the house.Ģ. We like the more generous tread and riser geometry of a stairway with the minimalism and efficiency of a ship ladder. At BUILD we design something that falls between a stairway and a ship ladder.

REVERSE FLOOR PLAN HOME DESIGNER ARCHITECTURAL 2016 CODE

Despite all of these liberties, however, the ship ladders to roof terraces still need to be perfectly safe, and the code simply puts the discretion in the hands of the architectural team. Because of these factors, ship ladders tend to be more cost effective and have less of a visual impact. When it comes to ship ladders, the building code has fewer limitations around the tread geometry and handrail/guardrail design. Fewer individuals may be using the roof terrace on a regular basis and because the rooftop terrace is often seasonal, its use is more limited.

REVERSE FLOOR PLAN HOME DESIGNER ARCHITECTURAL 2016 FULL

In addition to the geometrical constraints, most homes don’t need a full stairway to the roof terrace anyway. Both of these require a stair of significant height to reach the roof. This is primarily because of the added height of the roof assembly and the fact that the upper floor is typically a bit taller in the reverse floor plan designs. This is an important exception as a full stairway to the roof would require more length than what is typically allotted to the other stairways in the house, subsequently the stair to the roof wouldn’t fit within the opening of the stair core serving the floors below. There is a key phrase within the Washington State Amendments to the International Building Code (20.18) that allows an accessible rooftop of less than 200 square feet in area to be accessed by a ship ladder rather than a fully code-compliant stairway. Keep the roof terrace to under 200 square feet. Our knowledge and experience on these highly enjoyable spaces can be condensed down to 5 simple points for single family residences.

We’ve included enough rooftop terraces in our projects that we’ve got a bag of tricks, a handful of lessons learned, and a portfolio worth of photos to share. As density within our cities continues to increase, our constant reach for daylight and view, and the continued success of the reverse floor plan, roof terraces are a frequent architectural element in the designs here at BUILD.

Reverse floor plan home designer architectural 2016