Designing a Home Around the Land: Why Natural Features Matter
When you first begin to daydream about building a home on a fresh plot, it’s super easy to fall into a trap. Most of us go online, find a beautiful floorplan with a huge kitchen island and imagine plopping it down right on the dirt. I’ve done that myself. But you spend a little time standing on real dirt and you realize that just taking a standard house design and slapping it on a unique piece of ground almost never works out the way you think it will.
You have to fight the natural slope, cut down every ancient tree, level out every bump and usually what you end up with is a house that feels like an island, not a sanctuary. By building with the landscape, rather than against it, your space is completely transformed in how it looks, feels and functions every day.
If you are just starting out and looking for that perfect place to build, you can view listings to see what kind of acreage is available. So when you find the right spot, here’s how you can start to shape a house that really belongs to the ground it sits on.
Getting to Know the Soil First
Before you sign off on any architectural plans or call in a dirt crew, you need to spend some time on the property. Just go out there one random Saturday morning with a thermos of coffee and hang out. Watch how the breeze hits the high spots in the late afternoon. Look where the morning sun cuts through the trees. Look where the rain water pools after a heavy rain.
Each plot of land has its own little personality. You may have a large cluster of rocks, a peaceful little drop-off, or a huge shade tree that should be the main focus of your back porch view. Build around these details and you instantly add character to your home that money can’t buy.
- Work with the hills. If you have sloping ground, try to work with it, rather than flattening everything out. Staggered levels or step down rooms look amazing and will save you thousands in excavation costs.
- Follow the water. Water always wins in the end. Make sure to leave yourself some natural drainage paths, and keep your main living foundation far away from low areas.
- Save the good trees. A few big old trees will do more to keep your roof cool in mid-July than any high-tech insulation you can buy.
Designing for Breezes, Sun and Views
One of the best things about owning your own piece of land is the real privacy and never-ending views. But getting those views requires a bit of planning. You want the places where you spend most of your time, like the kitchen and living room, to face toward the things you actually want to look at, like a line of trees or a sweeping field.
The sun also has an important role here. You don’t have to be an architect to make the sun work for you, not against you.
- If you have your living room windows facing south or southeast you get soft warm light all morning and afternoon.
- Place garages, laundry rooms and pantries on the west side to block that harsh, scorching late-afternoon heat.
- Design generous roof overhangs or deep porches that shade your house from the high summer sun but still let the low winter rays heat your floors.
The Creation of a Natural Flow Outside
When you design a home with the environment in mind, going outside doesn’t seem like leaving the house. It’s like moving into a different room. You want the transition from your inside space to outside space to be seamless and natural.
Consider transition spots:
- There is a deep back porch to sit on, drinking coffee, listening to the rain, dry and comfortable.
- A stone patio is accessible through the straightforward sliding doors, making it easy to host guests outside.
- A simple fire pit area built into a natural curve in the yard provides a comfortable spot to relax without feeling contrived.
Selection of Earthy Materials
The materials you select for the exterior of the building can either make it blend in with the trees or make it stand out like a sore thumb. It just seems very strange to have a super-modern, shiny box sitting in the middle of thick pine woods or a quiet meadow.
Have a look at the offerings of nature in your area. Warm wood siding or soft metal roofing with local stone helps the building feel right at home. It gives the whole property a peaceful, grounded vibe that feels like it’s been there for decades.
From Challenges to Benefits
Nearly all land has a handful of spots that seem a bit tricky to start. It could be a steep ditch or a stony place where nothing grows or an awkward bunch of thick brush. It’s easy to see these spots as big problems, but they are usually where the best design ideas come from.
A walkout basement with amazing natural light can easily be created on a steep hill side. A rocky outcropping can be the anchor for a beautiful stone retaining wall or terraced garden. Once you get over the idea that your land has to look like a flat suburban lot, you can really start building something special.
Bringing It Home
It requires a little more time to design a home around the property. It entails taking your time, seeing how the seasons change the soil, and paying attention to what the property has to say. But it’s totally worth taking that time. You get a house that feels peaceful, comfortable and really connected to the wildness outside.
