House design, what is the purpose of this design?

[Tod osier]

We bought this house in WY last year and we are super happy with the house and lot, but there are some head scratchers that we run across from time to time. We have never had a house with a more modern design like this and wonder why it is set up this way. We didn't buy the house for the house, so much as we bought it for the lot and view, but we are happy enough with what we got.

Here is the space I'm wondering about, above the guest bath and guest bedroom. The blue arrow points to an exterior door that goes to a large unheated storage space above the garage. Access is through an attic ladder in garage.

Is it just a poorly integrated space? A design feature we don't understand?


It is a large space and partly finished, the living space is modest, so it would be nice to utilize what we can, even if for storage.


Other end of the main room looks great for putting mounts. If there ever was a place designed for a mountain lion pouncing on a bighorn, that is the spot.


The views we bought it for.

 

[sierracharlie338]

No clue on the space. I’d finish it out the way you want and utilize it since currently it is wasted space. Design seems odd to me as well.

Man what a view!

 

[sram9102]

Anyway to bump the wall out some and run some stairs? Would make both storage areas easier to access.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

 

[Dos Perros]

I looked at the inside pics and then the outside pics and really my best advice is to pour yourself a cocktail and start thinking about where you're going turkey hunting this spring.

 

[Tod osier]

Anyway to bump the wall out some and run some stairs? Would make both storage areas easier to access.

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

Yes, something like that I think. Barring some epiphany on how the space was designed to be used, I was thinking about a spiral or other space saving staircase. The peak is pretty low there, but if the staircase hit at the peak it would be good.

 

[Tod osier]

I looked at the inside pics and then the outside pics and really my best advice is to pour yourself a cocktail and start thinking about where you're going turkey hunting this spring.

Unfortunately, I'm sitting on the East coast right now earning that last bit of retirement money .

 

[Wheels]

Is it a manufactured home?

 

[IdahoElk]

Are you by Pinedale? Beautiful property.

 

[Mt Al]

Awesome view!!! Not sure if the house was designed by the previous owner, but some 'homeowner designed' homes have bizarre features that make zero sense, create freezing pipes, whatever. Got a few in my house.

I agree w/the above: decide what you want and make it happen, whilst pouring that cocktail and enjoying the view

 

[Tod osier]

Is it a manufactured home?

It is stick built on site. We got the truss quote when we bought and given the diversity of trusses, they went to a lot of trouble to get what they wanted. I'm more of a simple guy, I kinda prefer a square box with a gable roof.

Here is a shot of the outside.

 

[mt terry d]

Stupid architect (<redundant) .

I'd wall it off and store your christmas decorations in it
Then it'll make a great place for a couple nice muley mounts.

Pretty spot for sure .

Oh, and I'd add a wood stove.
I think there's a running feud between laBarge and Big Piney as
to which is the coldest spot in the lower 48

 

[Tod osier]

Are you by Pinedale? Beautiful property.

Yep. Good eye.

 

[Wheels]

It is stick built on site. We got the truss quote when we bought and given the diversity of trusses, they went to a lot of trouble to get what they wanted. I'm more of a simple guy, I kinda prefer a square box with a gable roof.

Here is a shot of the outside.
View attachment 642943

That's interesting, I wonder why they would have built it with that dead space above the rooms. Apparently they had a plan in mind, or not...
Nice spread!

 

[GSPHUNTER]

It was designed to make you ask, what's this for. It works just fine.

 

[Tod osier]

That's interesting, I wonder why they would have built it with that dead space above the rooms. Apparently they had a plan in mind, or not...
Nice spread!

Thanks, above the master suite there is a closed off insulated sheet rocked room as well - it is accessed via a scuttle hole. Lot of storage that isn't very convenient there as well.

 

[Tod osier]

Stupid architect (<redundant) .

I'd wall it off and store your christmas decorations in it
Then it'll make a great place for a couple nice muley mounts.

Pretty spot for sure .

Oh, and I'd add a wood stove.
I think there's a running feud between laBarge and Big Piney as
to which is the coldest spot in the lower 48

Thanks, that was my other thought to close it off. A partial partition in that opening to hang mounts and to block the sight line into there for storage. It is rough getting into there, tho'. The attic ladder is a tall one, since the ceiling in the garage is 12 or 14'. We aren't getting any younger and I'd like a good way to use that space above the garage.

We have the stove, right in the middle of the main room there, the pics just didn't show it.

Postal address is Big Piney, so yes plenty cold.

 

[mt terry d]

I can relate to "not getting any younger". That little spot isn't easily accessible regardless of how you approach it and I doubt you want to lose any living space by adding a stairs or ship's ladder to get there. You're not going to be putting anything up there that you want to use often.
I'd write that cubic footage off and look into better utilizing your garage space or putting up a little shed for extra storage if it's needed.

 

[Beendare]

The first pic looks like an area to pick up warm air from the ceiling and return it back to the house. Does it have a register up there?

 

[Tod osier]

I can relate to "not getting any younger". That little spot isn't easily accessible regardless of how you approach it and I doubt you want to lose any living space by adding a stairs or ship's ladder to get there. You're not going to be putting anything up there that you want to use often.
I'd write that cubic footage off and look into better utilizing your garage space or putting up a little shed for extra storage if it's needed.

I hear you, the space that I'm really looking for easy access to is the enormous unheated area over the 2 car garage and this little space we are talking about is an access point that might be better than the attic ladder. I'm just thinking about this, I mostly wanted to see if I'm stupidly overlooking some great intended use of this area.

 

[EastHumboldt]

It is stick built on site. We got the truss quote when we bought and given the diversity of trusses, they went to a lot of trouble to get what they wanted. I'm more of a simple guy, I kinda prefer a square box with a gable roof.

Here is a shot of the outside.
View attachment 642943

Took me a minute to see all the deer in the shot.

Design wise my guess is they were after the vaulted ceiling look. They did not think it through all the way and couldn’t quite figure out how to finish that one end by the kitchen. Is there a way to install a pulldown attic ladder into the hallway behind the kitchen? It doesn’t look like there’s enough headroom for a stairway in the dining room, but there’s more headroom over the hall area, …correct?

The other thing to think about if you’re considering storage in that area is dimension of the joists? Depending on the span, If they’re 2 x 6 or more you’re probably OK. If they’re 2 x 4, they’re pretty much just enough to hold up the sheet rock and you don’t want to be stacking cases of ammo on them.