The Solstice is a simple cottage home styled after our Dakota house plan, but with a larger first floor and the master bedroom on the east to capture the morning sun. The great room is vaulted as well as the upstairs rooms which adds character along with the dormers. The front of the house is designed to face north leaving the back facing south which maximizes privacy in the abundance of south facing windows.

The Solstice is a simple cottage home styled after our Dakota house plan, but with a larger first floor and the master bedroom on the east to capture the morning sun. The great room is vaulted as well as the upstairs rooms which adds character along with the dormers. The front of the house is designed to face north leaving the back facing south which maximizes privacy in the abundance of south facing windows.

First Floor

The front entry can be a large foyer or small music or away room as well as an airlock entry for cold winter days. The master bedroom, great room, large dining area, and spacious kitchen will be full of sunlight year-round, yet shaded from direct solar gain in summer. The woodstove or fireplace hearth is in the center of the home for equal distribution of heat. The second floor balcony over looks this area. The laundry is near the kitchen and side entry, yet you don't have to walk through it coming and going. Like our other plans, there are many special nooks tucked in.

Second Floor

The stairs with a large half-round window lead up to the second floor. There are three bedrooms and a bath making the area great for kids, guest, and studies and the walk-in attic storage is easy to access. For the bedrooms there are many small closets tucked under the eaves instead of one large one.

Garage Option

The two car garage with a tractor, workshop, or south greenhouse space connects directly to the home with a small covered stoop which could be enclosed.

Construction Info

The great room and upstairs have vaulted ceilings while the rest of the first floor has 9' ceilings. With its simple shape, this house is well suited to be constructed with SIPs (structurally insulated panels) should you wish to substitute them from the stick framed walls and ceiling. The thermal mass is designed to be primarily in the tiled concrete slab floors, but with the optional brick or stone walls, the house could still be comfortable over a crawl or basement.

Modification Ideas

Since these ideas may affect energy performance and structural integrity, they should only be undertaken with professional assistance. - Add a wrap-around front porch across the front for cool summer evenings and a country look. - Add a full daylight basement with bedrooms if your lot slopes to the south and eliminate the second floor.

Read more about the drawings available for various Sun Plans.

For this plan, the following are included: