Porch design help

[Vijay]

Hi Guys,

 

Really need some help and opinions on my porch design as I'm hitting a brick wall with it.

 

I have a lobby/porch that comes out from the house by 2138. It then has an open porch of 788. So 2926 in total from the house. The total width is 2640 with a door opening of 1890 (which would include door and 2 side glass panels)

 

From the front it looks like the attached drawing where you can see it will have oak timbers to finish it off.

 

The issue I am having is with the enclosed lobby/porch and in particular, the triangle part above the doors. I am thinking it might be a nice feature to have in glass and it would possibly let more light into the hall. The triangle above the front door would be approx 1813 across the base and approx 831 high. The triangle above the second door would be the same base, but would not be a complete triangle, as the tip would be at the landing joist level (in the attached where the landing joist is in yellow and shape of the triangle would be in red). Hope that makes sense

 

In my head I'm thinking of something like the attached pic but obviously with a single door and not quite as wide.

 

I am building the lobby/porch in ICF, the same as the house so part of the envelope. I saw the door in grey with side panels and really liked it, so it's the possible choice for my front door and I will have the glazing in 3g. I can't get my head around what I would do with the second door, do I just treat it as an internal door?

 

I appreciate any thoughts on this

[joe90]

Not the same as yours but this is how I broke up my “triangle “

 

 

[Ed Davies]

What's your question about? The windows or the doors?

[AliG]

Personally I think it is not worth the hassle.

 

The overhang in front of the door will stop almost any light getting into the window and that would go even more so for glass above the door from the porch to the hall.

 

It would also not look quite right, looking at your pictures, the porch with the black double doors may have a window above, but there is no over hang. I think people can naturally tell when something isn't right and it would seem odd to have an extra window obscured by an overhang.

 

I think the quadrilateral window may also look very odd from inside where there is no obvious reason for it being that shape. I think this window would provide no useful light and really wouldn't do it.

 

I suspect that you are thinking about this as you want more light into the hall.

 

By far the best way to do that would be a glass front door and vestibule door. Looking at your drawings, one looks solid and one looks glass, I would go with the glass if this is your issue.

 

 

 

 

 

[Vijay]

2 hours ago, joe90 said:

Not the same as yours but this is how I broke up my “triangle “

 

 

 

 

I assume it's a vaulted ceiling too?

 

1 hour ago, Ed Davies said:

What's your question about? The windows or the doors?

 

Both. Opinions on the glass triangle above both doors and then what sort of door would be used as the second door, internal or external?

 

1 hour ago, AliG said:

Personally I think it is not worth the hassle.

 

The overhang in front of the door will stop almost any light getting into the window and that would go even more so for glass above the door from the porch to the hall.

 

It would also not look quite right, looking at your pictures, the porch with the black double doors may have a window above, but there is no over hang. I think people can naturally tell when something isn't right and it would seem odd to have an extra window obscured by an overhang.

 

I think the quadrilateral window may also look very odd from inside where there is no obvious reason for it being that shape. I think this window would provide no useful light and really wouldn't do it.

 

I suspect that you are thinking about this as you want more light into the hall.

 

By far the best way to do that would be a glass front door and vestibule door. Looking at your drawings, one looks solid and one looks glass, I would go with the glass if this is your issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it's actually more hassle to do it in ICF because of the way it's been designed - as in getting a rebar for the lintel above the front door.....................

 

As well as letting in light, I thought it might be a nice feature as it would just be brick otherwise which in my head doesn't look very nice above a front door. The second door would obviously be plaster boarded so that's not really an issue in terms of looks.

 

Excuse the ignorance, but what's a vestibule door?

 

 

 

 

[Temp]

I'm not sure an oak framed porch is right for the house. I think something modern in glass might be better. Flat glass roof, glass wall on the left. Open at the front or a glass door so you can still see the existing front door. Probably not what you want but that was my first instinct.

[joe90]

2 hours ago, Vijay said:

I assume it's a vaulted ceiling too?

 

 

Yes, clad in pine.

[epsilonGreedy]

36 minutes ago, Temp said:

I'm not sure an oak framed porch is right for the house.

 

 

I agree with this. The OP's question can only be answered properly in relation to the overall style of the whole house.

 

Perhaps a modern take on the Georgian front door would work i.e. a segmented square fan light above the door & side windows with a simpler flat roof porch? 

[Vijay]

1 hour ago, Temp said:

I'm not sure an oak framed porch is right for the house. I think something modern in glass might be better. Flat glass roof, glass wall on the left. Open at the front or a glass door so you can still see the existing front door. Probably not what you want but that was my first instinct.

 

Absolutely no chance on that even if I wanted to. Style is an arts and crafts style house, so very traditional is what the planners want. I haven't got any issue with the front part of the porch (the open part), it's just the lobby/front/second doors and glass above I'm struggling with  I've attached a front elevation drawing

 

52 minutes ago, joe90 said:

 

Yes, clad in pine.

 

Are you happy with it as a feature or wish you went with anything else?

Edited October 7, 2019 by Vijay

[AliG]

4 hours ago, Vijay said:

Excuse the ignorance, but what's a vestibule door?

 

 

A vestibule is a small hallway before the main hallway, in Scotland we tend to only call a porch something added onto a house after it is built.

[joe90]

36 minutes ago, Vijay said:

Are you happy with it as a feature or wish you went with anything else?

 

Completely, very “cottagey” which is our whole design ethos.?

[Vijay]

16 minutes ago, AliG said:

 

A vestibule is a small hallway before the main hallway, in Scotland we tend to only call a porch something added onto a house after it is built.

 

I'm common from London and have only ever heard of a porch lol In that case, I have a vestibule, which then has an open porch covering at the front

[AliG]

I think that technically a porch probably sticks out and a vestibule sticks in.

 

We can probably get an official view from an architect for £200+VAT.

Edited October 7, 2019 by AliG

[Temp]

Looks like I misunderstood. I thought one of the photos in the OP was a house to which you were adding a porch!

[Vijay]

47 minutes ago, Temp said:

Looks like I misunderstood. I thought one of the photos in the OP was a house to which you were adding a porch!

 

Nope, the drawings are of my house and the photos I found online that were just examples of what it could look like 

Edited October 7, 2019 by Vijay