A dwelling and lookout on the Vey estuary
An imaginary building. It was never drawn by hand: it is written as a short design in a language of levels, rooms, walls, openings and roofs, and the sheet above is generated from that text in your browser — plans, elevations, dimensions and all. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom.
blueprint: 0.1
title: The Cartographer's House
subtitle: A dwelling and lookout on the Vey estuary
notes:
- All stone to be quarried by moonlight.
- Lookout glazing to face the estuary on every bearing but the house.
- Map room floor to be laid level to within one grain of sand.
drawing:
theme: ink
elevations: [south, east]
levels:
- { id: ground, label: Ground Floor, height: 3.4 }
- { id: upper, label: Upper Floor, height: 3.1 }
- { id: lookout, label: Lookout, height: 3.0 }
masses:
- id: house
width: 12
depth: 8
walls: 0.4
levels: ground..upper
roof: { type: gable, ridge: x, pitch: 42, verge: { east: 0 } }
floors:
ground:
layout:
split: x
parts:
- { room: hall, size: 3.4 }
- split: y
parts:
- { room: map-room, label: Map Room }
- { room: kitchen, size: 3.0 }
openings:
- { door: entrance, room: hall, side: south, style: arched, width: 1.2, at: 0.62 }
- { window: hall-w, room: hall, side: west, at: 0.7 }
- { window: map-s, room: map-room, side: south, style: sash, count: 2, head: 2.6 }
- { window: kitchen-n, room: kitchen, side: north, at: 0.72 }
- { door: d1, between: [map-room, hall] }
- { door: d2, between: [kitchen, hall] }
features:
- { stair: main, room: hall, along: west, from: south, to: upper }
- { fireplace: range, room: kitchen, side: north, at: 0.28 }
upper:
layout:
split: x
parts:
- { room: landing, size: 3.4 }
- split: y
parts:
- { room: bedroom }
- { room: study, size: 3.0 }
openings:
- { window: landing-s, room: landing, side: south, at: 0.62 }
- { window: bed-s, room: bedroom, side: south, style: sash, count: 2 }
- { window: study-n, room: study, side: north, count: 2 }
- { window: landing-w, room: landing, side: west, at: 0.7 }
- { door: d3, between: [bedroom, landing] }
- { door: d4, between: [study, landing] }
# A low link (a "hyphen") keeps the tower clear of the house roof.
- id: link
width: 2.4
depth: 3.0
walls: 0.35
levels: ground..upper
attach: { to: house, side: east, align: south, offset: 1.0 }
roof: { type: flat, parapet: 0.3 }
floors:
ground:
layout: { room: gallery }
openings:
- { window: gallery-s, side: south, width: 1.0 }
- { arch: to-gallery, between: [map-room, gallery], width: 1.1 }
- { arch: to-tower, between: [gallery, tower-base], width: 1.1 }
upper:
layout: { room: bridge }
openings:
- { window: bridge-s, side: south, style: arched, width: 0.9 }
- { window: bridge-n, side: north, style: arched, width: 0.9 }
- { door: d5, between: [bridge, bedroom] }
- { door: d6, between: [archive, bridge] }
- id: tower
shape: circle
diameter: 8
walls: 0.5
levels: ground..lookout
attach: { to: link, side: east }
roof: { type: cone, pitch: 62, finial: true }
floors:
ground:
layout: { room: tower-base, label: Instrument Store }
openings:
- { window: slit, style: slit, bearings: [30, 110, 160] }
features:
- { stair: tower, kind: spiral, diameter: 2.2, at: [0.6, 0.4] }
upper:
layout: { room: archive }
openings:
- { window: archive, style: arched, width: 0.8, bearings: [45, 135] }
features:
- { stair: tower-2, kind: spiral, diameter: 2.2, at: [0.6, 0.4] }
lookout:
layout: { room: lookout }
openings:
- { window: lookout, style: lancet, width: 0.9, sill: 0.8, head: 2.5, bearings: [0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 315] }