Like all of Ms. Coleman's designs, Moorhaus Cottage 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 includes a large space for removing and storing coats and boots, a coat closet for guests, and provides room for attractive entry furniture as well. A door on the left leads to the laundry room. The elegant glass door to the main living area of the house allows the entry to serve as an airlock during hot and cold periods. Upon entering, a short hallway leads you past the central stairway to the vaulted great room. Abundant windows in both the great room and dining area provide excellent views and lots of natural light. The kitchen, which is separated from the dining area by a countertop with a breakfast bar, enjoys the same views. A door off the kitchen leads to a screened porch, which then leads to a large open deck.

The master bedroom suite is conveniently located on this main floor as well. The bedroom shares an optional two–sided fireplace with the great room, and the master bath includes a dressing area, as well as his and hers walk–in closets and sinks. It is designed so that guests can use a portion of it, sparing you the cost of building a separate half bath.

Second Floor
The stairs bring you to a central reading area that overlooks the main living space. A second bedroom, an office that could also serve as a third bedroom, and a large away room or recreation space all share the quaint central bathroom, and all have access to eave storage areas. Bedroom 2 has a long walk–in closet, and the office has shutters over the desk area that let in light from the window in the dormer. Dormers on either end of the away room allow for the construction of window seats. A lockable 24" door in the away room leads to a shelf area for plants or artwork that can be seen from the stairs as well as the kitchen below.

Daylight Basement
The daylight basement is accessed from either the central stairs or from outside near the detached garage.

Detached Garage
The 2–car garage is long enough to include space for a shop, or for extra storage. The attic above it can be accessed by pull–down stairs.

Passive Solar Info
To maximize its passive solar design, the front of the house should face north. The thermal mass is designed to be in stone–covered walls and tile floors on the south side of the house. 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, part of the kitchen, and the upstairs have sloped rafter–framed ceilings for character and efficient use of space. The rest of the first floor has 8' flat ceilings.

The plans for this house call for ICF (insulated concrete form) exterior walls for the basement and the first floor, and for 2x6 stud walls on the second floor. If you plan to change the walls to a different type of construction, we recommend that you purchase the plans in CAD format.

Foundation Info
This house was originally designed to have a basement foundation. However, if you prefer a crawlspace or a slab foundation, these are fairly simple and inexpensive changes that your builder can often make for you. If the basement design is not displayed in the Floor Plans, it's because it is unfinished.

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.