Country Living House Plans & Solar House Plans From

Like all of Ms. Coleman's designs, Solstice was originally designed for a client who wanted an energy–efficient, passive solar home. You can build this house facing in whatever direction suits your needs, but if you're interested in building it as a passive solar home, please read the section below titled Passive Solar Info for specific information on orientation.

First Floor
The front porch leads to a space that can be either a large foyer or a small music room. It also functions as an airlock entry for cold winter days. As you enter the house, your eyes are drawn to the vaulted great room, and to the views provided all along the rear of the house. A centrally located fireplace in the great room also faces the dining area and the kitchen. The dining area is quite large, and a French door leads from it to a deck that runs nearly the length of the house. The kitchen is separated from the dining area by a breakfast bar. It shares the same view to the rear, has a window box below the windows, and it includes an island for extra counter space, as well as a pantry.

The master bedroom has double French doors leading to a deck with an optional hot tub, and to a covered porch. It includes a sitting area and a large walk–in closet. The master bath has both a tub and a double shower, two sinks, and a private toilet. On the other side of the house, near the kitchen, there's a laundry room with a half bath, and a computer/mail nook.

Second Floor
There are two uniquely shaped bedrooms upstairs, each with its own window seat and eave closet. They share a full bathroom. Another room can be used for overnight guests, or as a place for your kids to play in. The loft area looks down into the great room, and it has lots of shelves and space for a computer nook.

Garage
The two–car garage with a tractor, workshop, or greenhouse space connects directly to the home with a small covered stoop, which could be enclosed.

Passive Solar Info
To maximize its passive solar design, the front of the house should face north. The thermal mass is designed to be primarily in the tiled concrete slab floors, but with added stone or stucco interior walls, the house could still be made comfortable over a crawlspace or basement. The 35 pages of specifications that come with these plans (see Please Note below) will give your builder precise details on all the passive solar issues pertinent to the construction of this house.

Construction Info
The great room and the second floor have vaulted ceilings, while the rest of the first floor has 9' ceilings.

The plans for this house call for 2x6 stud exterior walls. However, they can easily be changed to 2x4 stud walls by your builder, or to SIPs walls by a dealer in your area. If you plan to change the walls, we recommend that you purchase the plans in CAD format.

Foundation Info
This house was originally designed to have a slab foundation. You can of course change it to a full or partial basement, or to a crawlspace, but you will need the help of a local builder or designer, and the new foundation plans should be reviewed by a structural engineer prior to construction.

Similar Versions Available
There is a similar version of this plan, called Solstice 2, that is also available on this site.

Please Note
All of Ms. Coleman's plans include 35(!) 8.5"x11" pages of specifications to help your builder construct this house exactly as it was designed. These technical specifications are organized to follow the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) format, and apply to the various aspects of the built home. They also include complete details on passive solar issues.