Building with Style: Revising a Builder’s Plans for His House

A friend who is a builder recently sent me sketches of a house he had designed and proposed to build for himself on a large lot. The site measured about 250 feet north and south by 500 feet east and west, with the road on the east and a nice view to the west. He asked that I show him no mercy in my criticism. I agreed, hoping he meant it. He had designed a house that suited his needs and responded nicely to the site. The living room, study, and two of the three bedrooms faced the western view; the kitchen faced south to get morning sun, and the corner dining room faced both south