House Designs For Sloping Blocks

Houses built on a sloping plane can pose certain problems in their construction and overall look, and yet there are ways to make them attractive and habitable in a very good way. Sloping block homes in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as in Queensland and other areas where the hills are prevalent and other land may be scarce, are common.

In the coal county of Sydney, that was the predominate situation in the 30s and 40s when many homes were built, and in more modern applications, a sloping terrain can be an architect's defining moment.

Homes can be built to accommodate sloping ground just like any other type of terrain, as the rooms in the home are situated to conform to the shape of the ground. In one home in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, a home that faces the street sits on top of a 45 degree slope with the left side of the house featuring the kitchen and a bathroom at the lowest level, and a series of stairs leading to the upper levels of the home going up the slope to the right.

The middle level houses a living room area along with a master bedroom and bathroom and the upper floor holds another two bedrooms and a bathroom. This house was build right into the side of a mountain in the mid 1930s when the coal industry was thriving in the area.

This is where creative house designs for sloping blocks have created homes where the first thought is that a home could never be built there. The Tamaqua home puts that supposition to bed, as the same family has lived in that house, and now the third generation is still there.

One positive factor when pondering how to build a home on a sloping block is that you really have the opportunity to create a visage for a spectacular view from that vantage point. Homes in these particular areas are going to be located in positions to take advantage of a view because they will be higher than the home just below them, affording them a good view.

With the more advanced construction techniques available today as opposed to fifty or sixty years ago, there can be much more in the way of innovation applied to the planning and construction of sloping block homes. Creative designs can lock rooms onto rooms that jut out into open air, but can be made structurally sound with trusses, braces and steel platforms that were unavailable back in the day.

Exciting house designs for sloping blocks can really get interesting when you consider all of the architect firms and contractors who seem to thrive on the challenge. If the slope is not really too steep, it is possible to create a level floor plan across a considerable space, with rooms and other living areas just below the plane, and on upper stories.

Most experienced builders who specialize in house designs for sloping blocks advise potential homeowners to steer clear of "cookie cutter" designs and spend a little extra to have your plans designed for the specific terrain where you are going to build. Each plot of land is different, and you will want your new home to reflect its own position on the planet.

Pick a builder who will take the time to work with you down to the finest detail, as you will not know all of the possibilities until you are confronted with them, and your builder is the best person to help you with that.

So, don't despair if you are confronted with the possibility of a sloping plot of land that is too good to pass up for the view. Explore the possibility of a design that fits the land, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results.