The shingle siding, stone, and Craftsman–style knee braces on the exterior of this beautiful home make it look warm and inviting. And the large porches and decks will put a smile on the face of anyone who enjoys outdoor living.

Like all of Ms. Coleman's designs, Equinox 3 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 covered entry is part of a front porch that wraps around the side of the house. The living room on the left has a fireplace and a built–in TV/media center, and a French door leads to the covered porch. All of the living spaces along the front of the house are vaulted (rising from 9' at the exterior walls to 13' at the center of the house), and have an abundance of windows providing natural light and views. The dining room is on the right of the foyer, which leads to a large kitchen with an island, a pantry, and a desk. Next to the kitchen there's a cozy breakfast nook that's surrounded by windows, and then a family room that opens on to a large wraparound porch and exposed deck.

The master suite on the main floor has an extra large walk–in closet, and the bath has room for both a whirlpool tub and a shower, and for two separate sinks. A door in the bedroom leads to the deck in the rear of the house. There are two additional bedrooms on this floor – one of which could be used as a guest bedroom, or a home office – and a very large laundry room.

Daylight Basement
The basement has a large entertainment room, one or two additional bedrooms with a full bath, and a garage that can accommodate 3 cars along with storage.

Passive Solar Info
To maximize its passive solar design, this house should face south. The thermal mass walls in the living and breakfast areas can be covered in stone or tile, stuccoed, or constructed with brick. 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
Equinox 3 was designed to be constructed with a trussed roof, and an ICF (insulated concrete form) foundation. The first floor has 9' ceilings in the sleeping rooms, while all of the common spaces are vaulted.

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 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.

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

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.