Solar Home Designs & Custom Floor Plans From

Solstice 2 is a partially earth–bermed home, with half of the main living floor tucked snuggly into the north hill. The exterior is a creative mix of stone with stucco accents and a metal roof. The interior still has the same wonderful open feel of the original Solstice home. The unique front entry is set at the midpoint of the two levels, at the landing, with stairs leading down to the main level and up to the second floor.

Like all of Ms. Coleman's designs, Solstice 2 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 airlock foyer has plenty of room for coats and boots. It leads to stairs that bring you down to the main living area and the master suite, or up to additional sleeping quarters. As you descend the stairs, your view is drawn to the vaulted great room (rising to 19' at the ridgeline), and to the views provided all along the rear of the house. A centrally located fireplace in the great room faces the dining area and the kitchen as well. The dining area is quite large, and a French door leads to a patio 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 sunny window box that pops out behind the sinks, and it includes an island for extra counter space along with a pantry.

The master bedroom has double French doors leading to a patio with an optional hot tub, and to a covered porch. It has a sitting area, and features a large walk–in closet. The master bath has both a tub and a shower, two sinks, and a private toilet. Another room at the front of the house can function as a bedroom, a study, or a home office. Also located on the front side of the house are a three–quarter bathroom for guests and for the occupant of the optional bedroom, and a laundry room.

Second Floor
The upstairs consists of two uniquely shaped bedrooms at either end of the house, each with its own window seat and eave closet. They share a full bathroom. Another room can be used as a kids' room, or a guest room. The loft looks down into the great room, and it has lots of shelves, and space for a computer nook. A second entry leads to the stair landing between floors.

Garage Option
The optional, detached 3–vehicle garage has a greenhouse space that could also be a workshop. It can be accessed via the covered outside stairs up from the family side entry, or anywhere else your property allows.

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 upstairs have vaulted ceilings, while the rest of the first floor has 9' ceilings.

The plans for this house call for ICFs (insulated concrete forms) for the first floor bermed walls, while the rest of the exterior walls are 2x6 stud walls. However, the stud walls can easily be changed to 2x4 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.

Other Versions Available
There are two other versions of this plan – Solstice and Solstice 3 – available on this site. For easy access to these other versions, click on the Architects button on the left side of any page in our website, and scroll down until you see Ms. Coleman's name and photo. Red links to each of her plans appear below her bio, in alphabetical order.

Please Note
Ms. Coleman's plans include 35 - 8.5"x11" pages of specifications to help your builder construct this house 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 home. They also include detailed information on numerous passive solar and energy–efficient aspects of home construction.