Falling in love with a hillside lot happens for only one reason – that view! So how do you go about building your dream home on a hillside. According to the architects at Opoplan, there are a number of options open to you, but it really comes down to how badly you want to build there and how much you have to spend.
In different parts of the world, people have been building on sloped sites dating back hundreds of years. On the island of Santorini in Greece, cave homes with all modern conveniences are now in demand as tourist accommodation, and in Austria ski chalets have traditionally been built on stilts on the mountain side.
Depending on how steep the slope is, you may need to invest in some expert advice as online houseplan options may be limited and even if you do find something that looks suitable, it may not be practical to build on your lot.
The most common approach is to ‘cut and fill’ where you level the area where you plan to build. While this may be a more cost- effective approach, it lacks imagination and turns what could be a real wow-factor building into something quite mundane. Perching your house on stilts or pilings is a good option that will make your home appear to float above the landscape, while a cantilevered building makes a really strong hillside statement.
When you’re building your own home, dreams and imagination are not in short supply, but money can be an issue. If you really want to build your forever home on a hill or mountain side, consider a split-level home designed for your lot. As an automated virtual architect, Opoplan has the technology to help you get a custom house plan designed for your lot at an affordable price. Try it now.
