Alexei Kornienkov

A member of the Philip Greenspun's Homepage community since November 15, 2001

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August 1, 2004, on House Design:
I am currently designing a house for myself to meet very similar requirements (single, no kids, work a lot from home on various projects, want a home outside of town, hate tiny rooms). The work is far from finished, but here's what I learned so far: - Fenestration must be clearly separated by function (getting the light in and getting the view out). In most locations with a view that is worth looking at those two requirements are contradictory. - A house with four glass walls and a skylight requires a megawatt HVAC system even in cold climates. Internal screens are useless. They block the light but still radiate almost all the heat inside. I found studying Frank Lloyd Wright's approach to getting natural light in helpful. - Flat roof decks are difficult to properly build and maintain, especially if you get occasional snowfall. Balconies work better. - Probably because of lifetime conditioning I just do not feel comfortable sleeping in a huge open space. I opted for a separat...