Architectural Review: A Contemporary 2-Story Home with an Open Plan and Main-Floor Master (2,669 sq ft, 3 Bed)

Contents

• Floor Plan Analysis
• Exterior & Material Palette
• What Works
• Points to Consider Before You Build
• Six Facade Directions
• Regional Fit & Climate Notes
• Estimated Cost Breakdown
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sources & References
• Why Plan 16947WG Earns a Short-List Spot

Floor Plan Analysis

Main Level

Second Floor

The main level is organized around a central open-plan core. The foyer drops you past a powder room and an open stair to the two-story family room, which reads as the emotional center of the house: ceiling volume, rear-patio sightline, and a full bank of windows on the rear wall. The kitchen anchors one side with an adjacent breakfast nook, and the dining zone sits across the great-room axis. The primary suite is tucked to the opposite wing on the main level, giving it the privacy a second-floor owner would ordinarily get, with dual walk-in closets and an en-suite with separate tub and shower. A proper mudroom/utility bay buffers the 2-car garage from the kitchen, which is a real strength. Upstairs, a short hall beside the open-to-below family room connects two secondary bedrooms sharing a full hall bath: a 13-4 x 13-4 room with a walk-in closet and a 10-6 x 13-6 room with a reach-in. The layout delivers exactly what its target buyer expects: single-level living capability with two additional private rooms for kids, guests, or a home office.

Exterior & Material Palette

The primary elevation runs a contemporary envelope with clear Prairie-school DNA: a low-pitched hip roof with deep horizontal eaves, mixed-material cladding, and an emphasis on continuous horizontal banding in the windows. The roof material reads as standing-seam metal; Englert UNA-CLAD or Sheffield Metals in Matte Black or Dark Bronze is the right spec for this envelope. The facade alternates wide planes of light stucco with stacked stone veneer at the column bases and ground-level knee walls, which gives the mass visual weight without crowding the composition. Tall window groupings at the stair tower and the two-story family room wall are the signal that the plan was designed around natural light, not just natural light added as an afterthought. A saturated-color front door (the original rendering shows a warm terracotta; a darker navy or charcoal suits the markets covered here better) serves as the single high-contrast accent.

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What Works

The main-floor primary suite is what makes the plan work for so many households. Aging-in-place buyers, empty-nesters and dual-income couples who want the upstairs zoned for kids or an office all get a full-function master on the ground floor. The two-story family room supplies genuine architectural volume, with 18–20-foot ceilings and a sightline up to the second-floor hall that most 2,700 sq ft plans cannot match. The rear patio, reached from the breakfast nook and the master suite, is wide enough for a proper outdoor living room instead of a token concrete pad, a real advantage in Southern and Southwest markets.

The smaller decisions show careful design. The utility room between the garage and the kitchen gives the garage entry a proper landing with laundry counters, whereas plans that squeeze the garage-to-kitchen transition into a narrow hall age poorly. The primary suite has two walk-in closets and the larger upstairs bedroom has its own walk-in, a detail that matters at resale; the smaller upstairs bedroom makes do with a reach-in. The powder room sits off the foyer on the public path rather than awkwardly inside the primary circulation, the kind of choice that separates architect-designed plans from builder-adapted ones.

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Points to Consider Before You Build

The two-story family room is both the plan's showpiece and its main engineering task. An open-to-below room carries sound in both directions, so if the upstairs rooms become a homework zone or media space, factor in acoustic drywall (Type X with Green Glue viscoelastic damping) and consider rugs, heavy drapery or ceiling-mounted acoustic panels; IRC 2021 Chapter 11 performance criteria and ASTM E413 sound transmission class (STC) ratings are the place to start for real numbers. The HVAC is equally demanding. A 2-story room with 18–20-foot ceilings behaves very differently from a single-story equivalent, so you will need zoned HVAC with two thermostats at minimum, return-air grilles at floor and high-ceiling levels to deal with stratification, and ceiling fans rated for 16-foot-plus mounting. An honest ACCA Manual J calculation will show the family room at 1.4–1.8x the per-square-foot cooling load of a standard room.

The tall glass needs careful specification. In cold climates, IECC 2021 Section R402 prescriptive U-factor tables apply, and the large window wall in the family room will strain the envelope calculation unless the windows are U-0.30 or better; in climate zones 4–7, expect to specify Marvin Ultimate Low-E3 coated triple glazing or Pella Lifestyle Series to pass. The tall vertical stair window grouping looks great in renderings but creates thermal-bridge and wind-load concerns in coastal counties, where ASCE 7-22 wind-borne debris rules in Wind Zone 3/4 may require impact-resistant glazing at $45–$85/sf more than standard IG units.

Bedroom count is a market question. Only 3 bedrooms at 2,669 sq ft is a deliberate choice, but in Lowcountry and Austin or Nashville submarkets where 4 bedrooms is the entry standard at this size, you may want to ask about a fourth bedroom upstairs, which on this plan means flooring over part of the two-story family room. Discuss that change with the designer before the plan is finalized rather than after permitting.

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Six Facade Directions

The six variations below are our own editorial proposals, not official elevations sold by Architectural Designs. The stock plan ships with the primary contemporary elevation. These directions are the conversations worth having when choosing which language the house should speak.

Direction 1: Warm Modern / Japandi

Vertical Western Red Cedar or thermally-modified pine siding at 1x6 reveals over a light-stacked-stone veneer base. The hip roof runs standing-seam metal in Matte Black. In the rendering the window frames are slim and light; Marvin Ultimate in a black-clad finish would tie them to the roof instead. The entry path is a raked-gravel dry garden with 3-inch-thick flagstone stepping pavers and a single Japanese maple 'Bloodgood' or a black pine as the specimen tree. This direction lands best for buyers in Charleston, Naples, or the Austin Hill Country who want the plan's Prairie genetics softened into something more organic.

Direction 2: Minimalist Stucco with Mediterranean Accents

Real three-coat ASTM C926 cement stucco (not EIFS) in BM Simply White OC-117, with a light-grey standing-seam roof and warm walnut-toned entry and garage doors. The landscape goes formal: 24-inch broom-finished concrete pavers in a grid, clipped boxwood hedges at 22-inch spheres, and a single 'Arbequina' olive in a Campania concrete planter, usually counted among the more cold-tolerant olives for Charleston and Savannah in Zone 8b. Works in Naples, Scottsdale, 30A, and any market where Mediterranean has local precedent.

Direction 3: Rustic Modern / Mountain Contemporary

The rendering wraps the upper walls in warm, cedar-toned horizontal boards, so the low-maintenance match is James Hardie Aspyre Artisan V-groove siding in a stained-wood finish; painting the same boards BM Kendall Charcoal HC-166 gives a darker, cooler version of this direction. Dark stacked slate or split-face bluestone veneer wraps the column bases and knee walls, and the hip roof is dark-bronze standing seam over black-frame Marvin or Pella windows. In the image the planting sits in smooth concrete raised beds along the walk, filled with spiky yucca, agave-like rosettes and fine grasses above a river-rock swale; Corten steel (A606-4) beds are the rustier alternative, planted with Muhlenbergia capillaris pink muhly, 'Blue Sentry' Yucca and tufts of little bluestem. Asheville, the Highlands-Cashiers corridor, mountain-modern Colorado and the design-forward pockets of Nashville are where it fits most naturally.

Direction 4: Industrial Modern

Weathered Corten A606-4 steel panel sections alternating with stone veneer base. Standing-seam metal roof in Matte Black, black-frame steel or aluminum windows (Crittall-style from Portella if budget supports it). The landscape runs sculptural and sparse: Corten planter beds of fountain grass edged in river rock, with rusted steel sculptures along the walk; a Yucca rostrata cluster would suit the same beds. This direction reads strongest in Austin's design-district infill, East Nashville, Denver's RiNo, and architect-led custom builds rather than production subdivisions. Plan for Corten's first-year runoff with a 4-inch drip ledge or gravel collection bed to prevent staining of adjacent concrete.

Direction 5: Coastal Contemporary

Pale stone and pale walls set the tone. In the rendering the upper walls read as smooth light panels above whitewashed stone; for a coastal build we would clad them in James Hardie HZ10 HardiePlank lap siding factory-finished in BM White Dove OC-17, or keep the smooth look with fiber-cement panels, and run white-washed Eldorado limestone veneer on the column bases as drawn. The roof is light-grey standing-seam metal, and the white-frame windows are impact-rated, which Wind Zones 3/4 require under ASCE 7-22. Turquoise is the only strong color, used on the front door: BM Galapagos Turquoise 663 or Farrow & Ball Vardo No. 288. The landscape leans Lowcountry-to-Florida coastal, with Sabal palmetto (palmetto palm) at the edges, small fan palms beside a shallow reflecting pool, 'Limelight' panicle hydrangeas in white pebble beds and tall plumed grasses, for which Muhlenbergia capillaris is the softer native substitute; the drive reads as crushed oyster shell or a shell-toned aggregate. Mount Pleasant, Kiawah, 30A, Naples and the Florida Gulf Coast are the markets where this face of the house looks most at home.

Direction 6: Urban Modern / Moody

Hardie Aspyre siding in BM Wrought Iron 2124-10 or SW Tricorn Black SW 6258 sets the dark body, with stacked stone at the column bases; the rendering uses a warm gray-brown ledgestone, and split-face basalt or honed charcoal limestone would push the house darker still. The roof is Matte Black standing seam over black-clad Marvin Ultimate windows. The warmth lives entirely in the interior lighting spilling through the glazing: 2700K fixtures with warm-dim control, seen from the curb after dusk. Planting stays dark and low, with purple smokebush and black mondo grass in the image and 'Black Lace' Sambucus or 'Midnight Magic' heuchera as alternatives, a dark asphalt or charcoal concrete driveway edged in pavers, and lawn kept to a small panel. It appeals to the urban-modern buyer in East Nashville, West Austin, Atlanta's Buckhead, and Charlotte's Myers Park.

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Regional Fit & Climate Notes

The coastal markets need the most specification. In Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Savannah, Direction 5 (coastal contemporary) is the obvious fit, with HZ10 Hardie, impact glazing to Wind Zone 3 requirements, and a raised foundation or crawlspace to meet floodplain requirements on waterfront lots. On Naples, 30A and the FL Gulf Coast, Directions 2 (Mediterranean-leaning stucco) and 5 (coastal contemporary) both look native. Real three-coat stucco outperforms EIFS in wind-driven rain, which makes it non-negotiable south of Orlando.

Inland, the plan's Prairie roofline helps. In Austin, the Hill Country and San Antonio, Directions 1 (Warm Modern/Japandi), 3 (rustic-modern) and 6 (urban moody) all work, and the roofline aligns naturally with Hill Country limestone and cedar vernacular. In Nashville, Franklin and Brentwood, Directions 3 and 6 sit comfortably beside the rustic-modern and urban-moody custom homes found in Nashville's infill neighborhoods. Atlanta and Charlotte align with Directions 2, 5 and 6, matching the contemporary custom work in Buckhead, Virginia-Highland, Myers Park and Ballantyne, with Direction 6 reading especially sophisticated in these urban-adjacent markets.

Mountain and desert sites call for regional materials. In Asheville, Highlands-Cashiers and Upstate SC, Direction 3 (mountain-modern) is home ground, and real stone veneer at the column bases with a dark-bronze metal roof looks authentically local rather than imported. In Scottsdale, Phoenix and Palm Desert, Directions 2 (Mediterranean stucco) and 4 (industrial-modern Corten) fit the desert-modern vocabulary. Factor in high solar load there by specifying a high-SRI roof coating and Low-E3 on surface 2 for the tall stair-tower glazing.

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Estimated Cost Breakdown

Below are estimated turnkey build costs for this plan in seven Southeast/Southwest submarkets, with a standard spec baseline and a premium spec tier. They are editorial estimates informed by NAHB's Cost of Constructing a Home data for 2,500–2,800 sq ft new construction, not quotes. Excludes land, sitework beyond 200 linear feet of approach, and lender/loan fees.

Median Southeast Turnkey Build $515,000 Range: $425,000 to $780,000

In Charleston / Mount Pleasant, SC, the standard-tier allowance is $475,000 to $560,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $620,000 to $780,000. For Savannah / Hilton Head, GA-SC, the standard-tier allowance is $455,000 to $540,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $595,000 to $745,000.

In Asheville / Upstate SC, the standard-tier allowance is $430,000 to $510,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $565,000 to $695,000. For Nashville / Franklin, TN, the standard-tier allowance is $470,000 to $555,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $615,000 to $770,000.

In Atlanta / Charlotte metro, the standard-tier allowance is $445,000 to $525,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $585,000 to $720,000. For Naples / Gulf Coast FL, the standard-tier allowance is $495,000 to $585,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $650,000 to $830,000.

In Austin / Hill Country TX, the standard-tier allowance is $485,000 to $570,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $625,000 to $790,000.

Key line items for this specific plan, where it differs from a comparable single-story build of similar square footage:

For Foundation (slab + full-basement option), the standard-tier allowance is $28,000 to $42,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $45,000 to $78,000. For Two-story family room framing uplift, the standard-tier allowance is $8,500 to $14,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $16,000 to $26,000. For Standing-seam metal roof (low-slope hip), the standard-tier allowance is $32,000 to $48,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $55,000 to $82,000.

For Exterior Hardie + real stone veneer mix, the standard-tier allowance is $45,000 to $62,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $75,000 to $115,000. For Stair tower + 2-story glazing package, the standard-tier allowance is $18,000 to $28,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $34,000 to $58,000. For Zoned HVAC (2-zone minimum for 2-story), the standard-tier allowance is $18,500 to $26,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $32,000 to $48,000.

For Main-floor primary suite premium fixtures, the standard-tier allowance is $18,000 to $28,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $38,000 to $72,000. For Kitchen + breakfast nook cabinetry/appliances, the standard-tier allowance is $42,000 to $65,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $85,000 to $165,000. For Rear patio (12 x 24 ft covered + open extension), the standard-tier allowance is $14,500 to $24,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $32,000 to $58,000.

For Approach landscape + hardscape, the standard-tier allowance is $22,000 to $38,000 and the premium-tier allowance is $55,000 to $95,000.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this plan suited for aging in place, given the main-floor master?

Yes, with one caveat. The primary suite on the main floor and the fact that the whole public-living zone, kitchen, laundry, and mudroom are all single-level means the plan supports long-term single-floor living; the upstairs becomes optional space for guests, grandkids, or an office. The caveat: the front entry has porch steps in the stock elevation. For full aging-in-place spec, redraw the entry approach as a barrier-free 1:20 slope ramp, widen the master bath door to 36 inches, and add blocking in the master-bath walls for future grab bars at 33–36 inches AFF per ADA 4.26.3 guidance. This is $3,500–$8,500 in added cost if done during framing versus $14,000–$28,000 as a retrofit.

How hard is heating and cooling a two-story family room in practice?

Manageable with correct design, problematic with builder-default spec. A two-story family room at 18–20-foot ceilings is on average 1.4–1.8x the per-sq-ft cooling load of a standard-ceiling room, and ACCA Manual J done honestly will show this. You'll want a 2-zone HVAC system minimum (one thermostat for the main level, one for upstairs), return-air grilles at both floor and high-ceiling levels to handle thermal stratification, and a ceiling fan rated for 16-foot-plus mounting. Budget $18,500–$48,000 depending on tier versus $12,000–$18,000 for a comparable single-story-only system. If you spec mini-splits instead of central forced-air, the load handles even better, but pay attention to the sightlines: mini-split heads in a formal family room read as clinical.

Can a fourth bedroom be added upstairs?

Yes, with some redesign. Because the only open area upstairs is the void over the family room, you'd need to floor over part of that two-story volume, add a closet (IRC 2021 R304 requires a minimum habitable room size of 70 sq ft with no horizontal dimension less than 7 feet, and closet depth minimum 24 inches), and verify egress meets IRC R310 (24-inch clear window opening, 5.7 sq ft net opening, 44-inch maximum sill height). In practice, this is a $12,000–$22,000 change if done pre-permitting and a $28,000–$55,000 change post-construction. Discuss with the designer during plan purchase.

What's the realistic build schedule for this plan?

Two-story contemporary builds of 2,600–2,800 sq ft in the Southeast run 8–14 months from permit approval to certificate of occupancy. Foundation and framing take 10–16 weeks, dry-in (roof, windows, exterior wrap) another 4–8 weeks, rough mechanicals 6–10 weeks, drywall through paint 8–12 weeks, and finish trades 8–14 weeks overlapping. Weather delays add 4–8 weeks in the Charleston/Savannah/Gulf Coast region during storm season. In Austin/Nashville the schedule averages slightly tighter because winter is less disruptive to framing and concrete cures.

Is the "Prairie-influenced" roofline going to date badly?

No. If anything, Prairie-roofed contemporaries have aged better than the peaked-gable “modern farmhouse” stock of the 2015–2022 cycle. Low-pitched hip roofs with deep horizontal eaves are a design vocabulary traceable to Frank Lloyd Wright's 1900s work and continuously referenced in contemporary residential design for over 125 years. The stock elevation's proportion and window banding land it firmly in that lineage rather than in a trend-chasing pocket. Pair it with an understated material palette (Directions 3, 5, or 6 above) and it will read well in 15 years.

How much does a crawlspace vs slab foundation add?

In the Charleston/Savannah coastal zone, a raised conditioned crawlspace is often required, not optional, on waterfront lots to meet FEMA NFIP base-flood-elevation requirements. Expect $18,000–$32,000 over a slab-on-grade baseline for a properly vapor-sealed, encapsulated crawlspace (per IRC R408.3: Class I vapor retarder, sealed perimeter, positive drainage). In inland Austin, Nashville, or Atlanta, a slab-on-grade is the default and a crawlspace or basement is a $24,000–$78,000 upcharge depending on depth and drainage requirements.

What's the most common change buyers request to this kind of plan?

Three changes are typical for plans of this type: (1) adding a 4th bedroom over part of the family room volume (discussed above), (2) adding a covered-screened porch extension off the existing rear patio, typically 12x16 to 14x20 at $24,000–$58,000 installed, and (3) upsizing the kitchen island from the standard to a 10–12-foot “gathering” island, which requires minor layout redraws and runs $6,500–$14,000 over the base kitchen spec. Asking the designer for these three changes during plan purchase saves significantly over mid-construction change orders.

Does the plan work as a single-story if the second floor is left unfinished?

Structurally yes, practically no. You could frame and drywall the second floor with the bedrooms and bath roughed-in but not finished, saving $28,000–$55,000 in finish costs. But you're still paying for the full foundation, full framing of both floors, the two-story family room (which requires the second-floor structure to be built anyway), and all mechanicals to be roughed through. Net savings is typically 8–12% of total build cost, rarely enough to justify over simply choosing a different single-story plan in the 1,800–2,200 sq ft range.

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Sources & References

1. International Code Council. International Residential Code (IRC) 2021: Chapters R303 (habitable space), R304 (minimum room areas), R310 (emergency escape and rescue openings), R408 (foundation). ICC Publications.
2. International Code Council. International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2021: Section R402 envelope requirements, R405 whole-house performance. ICC Publications.
3. American Society of Civil Engineers. ASCE 7-22: Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings: Chapter 26 wind loads, Section 30.3 wind-borne debris regions. ASCE Press, 2022.
4. Air Conditioning Contractors of America. ANSI/ACCA Manual J 8th Edition: Residential Load Calculation. ACCA, 2016 (current printing).
5. ASTM International. ASTM C926: Standard Specification for Application of Portland Cement-Based Plaster. ASTM, 2020.
6. ASTM International. ASTM E413: Classification for Rating Sound Insulation (STC). ASTM, 2016.
7. James Hardie Building Products. “HZ10 Engineered for Climate: HardiePlank Installation and Specification Manual.” James Hardie, 2024.
8. Federal Emergency Management Agency. “NFIP Technical Bulletin 1: Openings in Foundation Walls and Walls of Enclosures.” FEMA, 2008 revision.
9. U.S. Access Board. "ADA Accessibility Guidelines Section 4.26 Handrails, Grab Bars, and Tub and Shower Seats." Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board.
10. Remodeling Magazine. “2024 Cost vs. Value Report: South Atlantic and East South Central Regions.” remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2024
11. National Association of Home Builders. "Cost of Constructing a Home, 2024 Report." NAHB Economics.
12. U.S. Department of Agriculture. "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 Revision." USDA Agricultural Research Service.
13. Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. "Clear VG Cedar Grade Specifications and Finish Guide." WRCLA, 2023.
14. Architectural Designs. Plan 16947WG full specification documents and floor-plan technical detail sheets. architecturaldesigns.com/house-plans/16947wg
15. The Layered Homes editorial notes: 2026 new-construction plan reviews for the Charleston, Savannah, Nashville, Atlanta, Asheville, Naples, and Austin markets.

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Why Plan 16947WG Earns a Short-List Spot

Plan 16947WG is one of the stronger stock two-story contemporaries in this square-footage range, provided the acoustic, HVAC and glazing points above are handled. The main-floor master is the decisive feature; everything else (the two-story volume, the upstairs overlook, the patio connection, the utility-room buffer) adds up to a layout that rewards the buyers who prioritize single-level-capable living without giving up the upstairs square footage for kids, guests, or work-from-home flexibility. The Prairie-influenced roofline ages well, the envelope accepts six different facade directions without strain, and the turnkey build cost lands in the achievable range for the Southeast markets covered here.

If you're comparing this against other 2,500–2,800 sq ft plans, the flexible 2-story country craftsman runs a similar two-floor logic with more expansion potential but less architectural volume. The 2,866 sq ft split-bedroom modern farmhouse hits a comparable buyer profile with a single-story layout instead of a two-story family room. For buyers leaning harder into indoor-outdoor living, the 3,877 sq ft modern farmhouse prioritizing outdoor connection is the larger-square-footage sibling. And if the two-story family room volume appeals but you want to push the envelope further, the three-story coastal contemporary shows how the same vocabulary scales vertically for raised lots. The plan you commit to should come from a short list of three or four that all work, not from a single one you felt you had to love. This plan earns its spot on a serious short list.

By The Layered Homes editorial team