Home Over Hangar

by KenRisley on August 4, 2014

house over hangar As a hangar home designer, I  occasionally get requests for a hangar home to be built on top of the hangar. Interestingly enough, I've not seen many of these actually built. In my own neighborhood of over 50 hangar homes we do not have a single instance of a hangar with a home on top. But throughout the Internet there are many pictures of such projects. I don't know the actual percentage of hangar homes that are built which use this format but I suspect that is a relatively low number. This may be changing. Here is one example of a home that I see popping up on the internet. As I understand it, it has not yet been built. But it is an appealing look. You might notice that the hangar does not appear to be very wide - and this is a duplex. home over hangar Placing a home over the hangar can be an excellent idea if faced with a tight (ie. small) building site. If properly designed, these types of structures can be efficiently build utilizing a relatively small ground floor area for relatively large usage space. But on the negative side, these types of projects can look boxy. There are remedies (see below) but the nature of these structures tend to lend to a heavy "over/under" look. They also tend to force the hangars to be relatively small due to structural challenges which I will describe below. They can also quickly push the height restrictions since hangars need to be relatively tall and with the addition of a home on top can push some zoning limits. Another disadvantage is that the cars and the living area are on separate levels forcing one to use either stairs or an elevator to get up to the living space. Even two-story homes associated with hangars have a lower living level which will contain the kitchen and common living areas which is quite convenient for bringing in the groceries, accepting guests etc. It can be awkward having guests climb stairs to find the front door. If one is looking for a two-story home it is essentially impossible to do over a hangar because it will bring a height of much higher than many local zoning requirements will allow. Plus it will look very much out of balance. The main structural challenge with a home built over hangar is that since we do not want any types of structural posts inside the hangar the hangar must be spanned by a beam of sufficient size to handle the loads. This tends to restrict the size of the hangars, either in width or depth. A reduced depth can allow us to bear the structure of the upper home on both the front and back walls and not create problematic floor joist spans. A reduced width will allow direct use of shorter structural members, again, reducing the span problem. While beans can be easily designed to carry the required loads, the  problem is, what we call in engineering, "deflection". Deflection is the tendency of a beam to drupe or bend downward as a result of the weight that it is bearing. This, in itself, is not a problem and can be controlled but it can lend to a phenomenon called "bounce". If the beam is not "stiff" enough it can cause the floor above to vibrate and bounce as a result of any type of standard human traffic. I've been in structures where this had not been properly accommodated, and could feel the floor moving and bouncing with just a few children running from one end of the structure to the other. The beams were "strong" enough to be safe but not "stiff" enough to prevent the bounce. "Stiffness" is a function of many factors but the beam depth is a big one. The key solution to reduce bounce is to design the beam to maximize its depth. Its depth has to be significant compared to its length. The longer the beam, the deeper it must be. There are ways to do this. A beam can directly be chosen due to its substantial depth but this can be an architectural challenge in that it might protrude quite a bit into valuable spaces. Another way is to "skin" a strategic wall in the home above and letting it act as a deep beam unto itself. This can be cleverly designed and can certainly handle the situation. In these types of beams, depth is more important than weight. If one is looking to have as living quarters above the hangar, the easiest solution is to build a smaller hangar, either in depth or width. If an owner is happy with the hangar size such as this, it can be an excellent way to proceed. To handle the boxy look one can add facade features as well as design outcroppings to add interest. In my experience, the majority of hangar home owners like to have their homes look like a typical residence and to de-emphasize the overwhelming effects of the hangar. With good architectural design this is relatively easy to achieve. It is easiest to achieve when the home and hangar are spread over a larger site which allows the architectural elements of the hangar and the home to gracefully blend. Personally, this is my favorite way to attack such a project. If you are looking to build a hangar home, certainly do not hesitate to consider every option available. An experienced hangar home designer can surely help. Whether you choose a side-by-side hangar home structure, or choose to place the home over the hangar, an excellent solution can always be found. See Additional Articles on this subject. Home over Hangar Arrangements.

How Hangar Home Architecture Is Changing

by KenRisley on June 25, 2014

Parking an airplane on your residential property might seem like a pipe dream. In reality, however, hangar home architecture has seen major advancements over the past few decades. This has allowed people to store aircraft in, under and nearby their abodes. This is one of the most unique lifestyle choices out there. Fortunately, skilled teams of engineers and designers are making it possible for consumers to get original layouts and design options that are best-suited to their needs and intentions. This means that there is a much greater array of property features that can be included into these projects. In times past, it was often necessary to keep aircraft parked in a field or hangar nearby the home. These required a much greater amount of space and they lacked the clean aesthetics that are so appealing to most modern consumers. Although this extra space might be readily available, many homeowners are eager to appropriate it for other purposes. This is actually the basis of the designs for many modern hangar homes. People want efficiency and clean aesthetics. As a result, they are often seeking realistic design strategies for consolidating their storage so that more use can be gained from the structures they create. For instance, hangars can be designed for accommodating planes, boats, ATVs, cars and many other recreational and everyday vehicles. Hangars can also be used for both plane storage and aircraft (or other) maintenance. These structures can be used to create the ideal workshops for plan enthusiasts. Thus, if your like working on your plane or have other major hobbies and projects that you wish to tend to at home, your hangar home designer can create a design that provides ample room for a diverse range of activities and needs. This level of usability will also free up more living space for the preferred activities of other household residents, so that a single hobby is not dominating the majority of the available space. Compliance with airport regulations is essential.These are often covered in the Home Owner's Association documents.  It is also vital that these structures adhere to all local building codes. Depending upon the size of the craft and the need for hangar space, codes can actually be more lenient than people expect. Working with the right hangar home designer will allow property owners to discover all of the best strategies for lowering their costs and simplifying the necessary project approval processes. These efforts will make it possible for homeowners to invest more time and money into their projects overall so that they are getting more impressive structures with greater levels of convenience and usability. Adherence to basic rules concerning soundproofing will make the property more enjoyable overall. This is especially true when planes will be parked within or beneath the actual living structure. Safety regulations are also vital and these help consumers to meet all requirements for the essential home and hangar insurance that must be bound when investing in these structures. Fuel storage and usage can be a factor as well and building plans must be cognizant of the needs of fire protection among other things. With the right design team on board, getting a functional and attractive design will prove all too easy.

The Requirements For Hangar Home Architecture

by KenRisley on June 18, 2014

Ever want to park your airplane right in your own hangar at your personal home? Fortunately, the latest innovations in hangar home architecture have made this quite possible. These projects require seasoned teams of engineers and architects who have a keen understanding of all relevant building codes and airport regulations. There is a lot that homeowners must comply with if they are to establish feasible, functional designs. Not only must their improvements be structurally sound and capable of safely accommodating any craft that they wish to store, but these must additionally comply with local soundproofing guidelines and guidelines for storing planes as well as fuel storage. Bearing these things in mind, many property owners are also seeking cutting-edge architecture that is wholly unique. There are currently a number of hangar homes across the world, each with their own daring looks. Rather than seeking to replicate these, consumers often hope to borrow a few of their ideas while incorporating many of their own. All building is custom and starting out with a custom design is important to assure that one gets all that he or she can from the process. For instance, some of the more basic designs in these properties allow for plane storage off to the side of the home. This is often the most practical storage solution as it allows greater maneuverability on the part of the pilot. Getting the aircraft onto and off of the property is no major challenge. A separation between the hangar and home can also remove the family from possible smells that can occur if one is doing building or renovation projects. The other option is to store the plan inside of the home or beneath it by elevating the home. In these instances, windows and walls should be sufficiently soundproofed for enduring all of the related vibration and noise. An experienced designer/engineer will know how to adhere to the intended budget for a project while incorporating all of the desired and essential structural and aesthetic features. Some homeowners require that these designs be capable of serving several different purposes. They want more than a hangar for storing their planes. For instance, they might have a range of recreational vehicles and equipment that they wish to place here as well. Boats, ATVs, auto fleets and other products can be safely and efficiently stored in a single place. This is often helpful for maintaining a clean and sleek property exterior while maintaining a broad range of hobbies and recreational activities. Another way in which hangars can be used by homeowners is by turning a portion of them into comprehensive workshops. This is a common request as it allows pilots and plane enthusiasts to conduct airplane projects from their own abodes. These can include all of the tools and amenities that are essential for making upgrades and repairs to aircraft. With each design, there will be a number of unique considerations that must be made. This is why it is considered "custom design". There are many details and points that will need to be considered. This is why it is extremely important for homeowners to carefully choose their design teams. This will allow them to get a functional and acceptable blend of convenience, usability and aesthetics.