You deck you!

Design

So there is a major issue happening. Our foundation is half on slab and half on piers. The problem with this foundation system is the transition between the two levels. The driveway sits on the lower half and due to the piers must be at least a foot off of the ground, which means we are going to have to have 3’-8”grade beams and foundation walls. Cost and complexity. The entrance into the house lies on the slab which is about 2’-8” above the level of the parking ground. One way that we tried to solve the problem was by putting a retaining wall that would physically and diagrammatically separate the two levels. This works really well because it separate the spaces up into 2 main spaces which represent the public and the private. The problem with this solution is cost and general aesthetic design. More foundation walls more formwork and more concrete. Aesthetically the approach from the car to the house is abrupt in nature. The path brings you directly along the building chopping though the foundation wall and bringing you onto a slab porch. Basically surrounding you with foundation wall the whole way up. Not to mention the porch at one corner drops off almost 3’ so you see 3’ of concrete and additional railing may need to be added. One thought about this system is that it frees up a flat space in the front of the house for the children in the family to play on.

Another solution to the entrance of the building is to gradually move up through the space along the retaining wall. The main problem with this idea is that there is now an inconvenience for the family as they get out of their cars they must proceed away from the house and then back towards the house again. But again this way the slope of the sight wouldn’t be so harsh and major retaining walls could be taken out of the budget. The hardest part about this issue is presenting ideas to the rest of the class. The force always seems to work against which is not good in my case. Maybe one day. Let’s see what we can do.