Mansion Project - Still Alive

The Mansion Project is still alive. Stay tuned this week for rendering of the oval office, as well as preliminary sketches of other areas of the business suite.

In the meantime, be a part of the design process.  Please take the poll on the right hand side of this webpage and help me determine the materials and trim for the oval office.  The final renderings will be based on your suggestions!  I appreciate all of your comments!

More construction to follow!

Oval Office - Initial Sketches

It has been a busy weekend, but I wanted to share with you an initial technical illustration of the mega-mansion's oval office.  The ceiling detail is yet to be completed (stay tuned).

The room is truly "White House oval office" inspired.  At the far end of the room sits the executive desk.  A massive set of windows frames the desk, providing ample natural light.  Maintaining symmetry in the room, a pair of french doors provides access to the private terrace.  Bookcases (foreground) match the symmetry of the french doors.  A set of doors lead to the private (executive) bathroom, and on the opposite side of the room a set of doors lead to a wet bar leading into the conference room. 

There is also a sitting area, complete with sofa, and chairs to make the room more comfortable and inviting.

The trim work in the room is rich and "heavy" giving a sense of power and authority. This is softened to some degree by the curved trim above the french doors and around the bookshelves.

I am undecided about what direction I will go with respect to materials in the room.  I do like the soft, pale colours used in the White House Oval Office, but also think dark wood panelling would make a bold statement (I am wondering if I should reserve the wood panelling for the library/study).

Perhaps I'll try to set up a poll.  Let me know what you think of the project thus far!

Inspiration - The Oval Office

Arguably the most recognizable office in the world, the oval office represents the epicenter of world power, yet has an elegant, welcoming feel.  Sitting at the "head" of the room is a magnificent desk, framed by the large windows behind.  An inviting sitting area in the foreground  provides a venue for more intimate conversations.

What mega mansion would be complete without its own oval office?

I have begun work on the "business center" of the home.  As opposed to the white house's "west wing," the business center in this mega-mansion occupies a large part of the "east wing" (ground floor). 

The crowning glory of the business center will be the mansion's very own "oval office," which lies outside a generous reception hall.  The office will have its own private bathroom.  Doors lead to a private terrace, perfect for entertaining business guests.  There is a passage way (containing a wet bar) leading from the office to a large, fully equipped conference room, complete with motorized projection screen to deliver multimedia presentations. 

"Public" lavatories and an informal lounge finish off the business suite.

The nearby east wing staircase will allow access to entertainment features on the lower level (as well as the catering kitchen) and the guest suites on the upper floor.  Adjacent to the business suite on the ground floor is a large apartment suite suitable for the most distinguished of business guests.

I am still finalizing the design.  Preliminary sketches will come soon!  Stay tuned!

As always, comments are more than welcome!

Family Kitchen - Rendering

Due to a technical "glitch," the project has been on hold for a short while. 

Things are back up and running smoothly, and I am in the process of rendering some views of the family kitchen.

I have taken into consideration many of the comments, and appreciate all of them!  Again, the family area (including family kitchen, breakfast (informal dining) area, and family room) is meant to be a space for the household family to convene.  It is not meant to be an area equipped to cater to a large group.  As such, I believe that the family kitchen is well equipped for this purpose.

Features include:

• a double range/oven
• double refrigerator
• 2 professional dishwashers (adjacent to the dish sink)
• large dish sink on eating island
• prep sink on centre island
• ice maker (adjacent to prep sink)
• trash compactor (adjacent to prep sink)
• wet bar
• built in microwave
• built in espresso machine
• warming drawers opposite the double range

The adjacent breakfast room (renderings to follow) also has a number of storage spaces/cabinets. 

These aforementioned features are more than enough to prepare most of the meals that I can create with my limited culinary skills!  However, for those more "adventurous" the catering kitchen (lower level) will feature many of the amenities that "Oakland homes" has suggested, so again these comments are very much appreciated and will be put to use.

For the ceiling, I have lowered the overall height from 12' to 11' to give the room a more intimate feel.  I have added ceiling detail as seen in the rendering.  I can envision circular track lighting housed within the recessed circular area in the ceiling.

Please let me know what you think.  I have also had fun over the last day or so (technical glitches aside) of designing the adjacent butler's pantry, with access to a staircase, dumbwaiter, and service elevator leading to the caterer's kitchen.

Stay tuned.

Family Kitchen - Update

Thanks to Grrrowler/David for their comments...this is the "updated" family kitchen.

I really appreciate that a sink/dishwasher across from the double range/oven could be a conflict.  As a result, I have placed a prep sink in close proximity to the double refrigerator and the double-range/oven, but now positioned at the end of the island (out of the way of kitchen traffic).  Adjacent to the prep sink is a trash compactor and ice-maker.  This leaves the bulk of the central island unobstructed for meal preparation and baking. 

I have moved the dish sink to the 'other island' (the "eating island") and have added two dishwashers adjacent to the sink. 

I have also decided to add a built-in-microwave oven to the left of the wet bar, as well as an espresso machine.  I have decided to keep the wet-bar as is (with some modification from the previous sketch), and have added space for wine bottle storage.  On the central island I have also placed ample space for plate storage, but the breakfast room will be surrounded by cabinets for china. 

There will be a catering kitchen, on the lower level, with access to the butler's pantry, which connects the family area (kitchen, family room, breakfast room) to the main (formal) dining room.  There will be a staircase leading to the catering kitchen, as well as a dumbwaiter which will allow easy passage of food to the formal dining room.

Please check back soon for updates! Thank you for all of your architectural expertise and comments.  It is extremely useful!  Please continue to provide feedback.

Once I have completed the ceiling detail for the family kitchen, I will begin to provide renderings of the family kitchen.

Family Kitchen - Initial Sketches

Just to make sure you know that I am still diligently working on this project:

Here are some initial sketches of the family kitchen.  At the rear of the room sits a double-wide range/oven.  The right door leads to a pantry, while the left leads to the west (front) gallery of the home. 

On the left wall is a double refrigerator, a wet bar, and storage cabinets.

There are two islands: the central island with a fully equipped sink, and housing the dishwasher and numerous cabinets.  The other island features an area for family dining and an expansive workspace for meal preparation.

The ceiling detail is yet to be completed.  The kitchen overlooks the family room and the informal family dining (breakfast) area.

Details will be finalized soon!  Please check back!

Family Kitchen - A Teaser

Thank you to all of you who have supported this project so far. 

I wanted to share with you the initial workings for the family kitchen.  I spent the last several hours on this bit of cabinetry.  The colours and exact specifications are subject to change, as the project will evolve over the next several days.

Kitchens are not only meant to be functional, but if designed properly can also be considered a work of art.  The craftsmanship in the cabinetry defines the space.  In my part of the world, kitchens are often the place where company gathers, making it even more important that the space is aesthetically pleasing. 

Please feel free to send me your comments.  I realize this is but one bit of cabinetry, but more will follow in the very near future.  Just wanted to keep you sufficiently interested!

The mansion is expanding...stay tuned!

In addition to creating a few more renderings for the Great Room, I have begun work on an open-concept family living area in the west wing of the home, consisting of a family living room, family kitchen, and breakfast/informal dining area.

Be sure to check back soon for updates.

The Great Room

The Great Room is centrally located in the home.  Its dimensions are thirty-five feet by twenty-six feet (35' x 26'), plus piano alcove (with a total square footage of just under 1000 square feet).  The piano alcove is elevated six-inches (6") from the main floor to add definition to the space (perfect for a nine-foot Steinway concert grand piano). 

The ceiling is twenty-three feet (23') high, and the detail within the ceiling is meant to reflect the grandeur of the room.  Recessed lighting gives the impression of a "starry night."   The stars are reflected in the opposing ten-foot mirrors adorning two massive fireplaces on opposite ends of the room. 

The two round windows give the great room somewhat of a "nautical" feel, perfect for an ocean side landscape.  Beneath these, two sets of french doors provide access to exterior entertaining, and flank the piano alcove.

The room is lavishly appointed with strong trim accents (fluted pilasters), appropriate for the scale of the room.  The fireplaces are trimmed with luxurious black granite, and the floor is composed of a polished limestone.

Entry to the room is via three large doorways, leading from the central gallery.  Curved balconies of with wrought iron balusters allow a bird's-eye-view of the room from the second floor central gallery.

 

The Great Room - Fireplaces

What mansion would be complete without fireplaces.  In fact, the Great Room has two!

These are no ordinary fireplaces.  The mantel ledge sits at five-feet, four-inches tall (5'4"), with an overall width of eight-feet, four-inches (8'4").  A set of fluted pilasters sit atop the fireplace, topped with a rounded lintel, transforming the fireplace ensemble into a two story structure.  A large mirror (which itself is over 10 feet tall!) reflects light, contributing to the sense of vastness of this room.

When designing fireplaces, it is important to consider the scale of the room.  Fireplaces that are too small make the room look awkward and paradoxically "stick out like a sore thumb."  The great room, with its thirty-five-foot width (35') requires a large fireplace as a complement.  In fact, this room is on such a large scale that two fireplaces (one at each end of the room) have been included. 

The days of using fireplaces as a primary source of heat may be gone, but preserved is the function of providing a venue for engaging conversation.

The Great Room Ceiling - Don't forget to look up!

Never neglect what's above your head, or the power and statement that a well crafted ceiling can make.  It screams, "these people thought of everything."  It's one of those details that separates exquisite from ordinary.

In this case, you'll have to look WAY up, as the Great Room boasts a twenty-three foot (23') ceiling height. 

Recessed lighting sets the mood.  The circular pattern in the center of the ceiling is meant to be a reflection of the circular windows above the french doors as well as the curved balconies (providing a vantage point from the second floor gallery).  This could be home to a magnificent chandelier or left as is for a more simple, elegant statement.

Welcome! Introducing: the "Mega-mansion."

Please join me on a journey of achitecture and design.

I have been designing houses and structures as a hobby for a number of years, and despite not being a professional architect like to believe I'm not "half bad." I have recently started a new project, a "mega-mansion. " The exact square footage is yet to be determined but is guaranteed to be 50-60,000+ square feet. This is no "cookie-cutter McMansion."

I thought it would be interesting to share the "construction" process with fellow enthusiasts.

I have been diligently working on the basic plan, and am ready to start "building" the home room by room. I will be posting photos, renderings, elevations, and detailed specifications along the way. Be sure to check back soon for updates.

Your comments are welcomed! Through your feed-back, you can participate in the design of this mega-structure!