Great Compositions: The L-Shaped House Plan

This simple and efficient vernacular form opens to the private yard with a framed view of an old growth tree. A large hung sliding "barn" door opens the entire wall and living space up to the view and connects to the adjacent porch providing a covered place to sit. This house achieves very big ideas on a budget.

Two traditional wood shingle clad domestic forms are connected by a modern glassy L-shaped loggia defining a stepped lawn and patio. The use of contrast as the linking element here with a lighter color extends the light of the sky to the ground and allows the "two houses" to remain deferentially scaled to the outdoor room.

Now imagine for a moment if a linear reflecting pool was added on axis at the center of the lower lawn merging the earth and sky at the connecting loggia.

Large windows and openings permit a direct connection between indoor and outdoor terrace living space with a mix of hardscape, planting beds, pools, and trees. As the previous example, the two wings in this house are each scaled appropriately for the outdoor space they serve, and material contrast is used to distinguish living space from sleeping space.

Smaller single story plans are also well suited to define an outdoor room. The size of the outdoor space is a function of the height of the house. A lower roof line here works well with the intimate proportion of this dining terrace. The soft plantings and translucent glowing patio doors are a nice compliment to the hardness and mass of stucco walls.

And, it doesn't get much better than this! Who doesn't dream of a sunken fire pit? There is nothing to add or take away from this composition. Every major space in the house has a view to this private sanctum made possible by the L-shaped plan nestled into the site.

The L-shaped plan is a great way to make a statement of about entry. The garage is easy to access and connects to the main house which is set back into the site and aligned on axis with arrival. This house conveys a clear sense of direction and purpose in a traditional style.

Here, the house occupies the edge of a hill which appears to slope down towards a lake. A courtyard is made possible by the shape of the plan, which, like the previous example, has a connected garage to the side of the main entry. A change in height and roof shape mark the "hinge" connection at the inside corner.

Pools are often the reason for using the L-shape concept. Living and sleeping spaces are allowed direct access and views, and the pool is protected and made private by the configuration of the home. Many towns require a pool to be fenced and separated, but the configuation of the house can achieve this need and at the same time, make the pool a focal point of landscape design and reflection for the architecture.

Notice here how the link between the two wings is the lowest roof line of the L-shaped plan. This is the masterstroke because it allows more of the sky to be reflected in the pool, and each element is scaled, as in a previous example, to the outdoor space it serves.

The vertical chimney acts as a punctuation mark terminating the axis of the terrace stair, while the horizontal linear window wall is mirrored in the length of the pool. There is a clear sense of purpose behind each element of the home and landscape.

More: Artful and Efficient L-Shaped Home in Austin
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