Like all of Ms. Coleman's designs, Garden Atrium 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 foyer off the front porch leads to a garden atrium in the very center of the house. This soaring space includes a fountain with a 16"–high wall around it. The garden atrium leads into the main living space, the outside walls of which are nearly all glass. Your guests will move from one dramatic environment to another! The ceiling over the great room, dining room, sunroom, and part of the kitchen vaults to 18' at the edge of the atrium, with skylights above the kitchen as well. The main living spaces are flanked on either side by a morning room and a sunroom, and there are several points of access to a large deck that runs along the back and side of the house.

The master bedroom opens onto a deck with an optional hot tub. The bedroom has a large walk–in closet, and the bath features a double shower, two sinks, and direct access to the laundry room. There's a second bedroom on this floor (which might work perfectly as a home office or a study), and a full bath.

Second Floor
The quaint loft, with its sloped ceilings, has a study area that overlooks the main living areas and the garden atrium. The skylights and glass block maximize light in this cozy space. A third bedroom is located on this floor, along with a full bath.

Garage
The attached two–car garage is separated from the house by a family airlock entry. The storage space above it is accessed by pull down stairs.

Passive Solar Info
To maximize its passive solar design, the windows along the main living area should face south. There are some interior mass walls for thermal mass and character, but the house would still be comfortable without them. 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
This plan comes with an ICF foundation plan that is a concrete slab and partial basement combination.

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.

Modification Ideas
Move the laundry to the airlock family entry and then enlarge the master bath. Make Bath 2 a half bath and expand the laundry.

Similar Versions Available
There are seven similar versions of this plan – Adirondack Atrium, Adirondack Atrium 2, Atrium, Atrium 2, Atrium Breeze 3, Cottage Atrium, and Mountain Atrium – 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.