Unit 5 Real-World Unit Projects

Problem Solving in Life Skills: Design That House

Task | Process | Guidance | Resources | Conclusion

Task

Create a scale drawing of the layout of a house given a specific amount of square footage. Then locate the prices of different types of carpet. Then choose the type, color, and amount of floor coverings to put into your house.
Create a presentation that includes a blueprint with the measurements you will have gathered for your house.

Process
1a. First, create a scale drawing of a house. You can use a computer program or make your drawing on a piece of grid paper. Your house must meet these requirements.

Its total square footage must between 1,500 and 4,000.
You must have at least three rooms whose shape is not rectangular. For example, you could have a room shaped like a parallelogram, triangle, hexagon, or circle.
All room dimensions should be labeled.
Your drawing must include windows, closets, doors, and any additional details.
You must include a scale on your drawing.

1b. Use the Internet to find different carpets, their prices, and available colors. You have no set budget. You must purchase the following:

at least 2 different types of floor carpeting,
at least 3 different colors of floor carpeting, and
carpeting for your entire house.

    2.  Create a blueprint of the house you are building. Include the scale and actual measurements of your dream house on the blueprint. You will present this to the class.

Guidance
    1a.  To review how to calculate the area of shapes, see the textbook.
    1b.  To review how to create a scale drawing, see the textbook.
    1c.  When purchasing carpeting for your house, calculate the area of each room to know how much carpet you will need. The table below will help you in organizing your numbers.

Room	Area
Room #1
Room #2
Room #3
Room #4
Total

2. To help create your blueprint of your dream house, look on the Internet to find examples of blueprints.

Resources
Use the internet to research key words such as floor plans, blue prints and scale drawings.

Conclusion
Congratulations on a job well done! Some day you will get a house of your own, and it will be your responsibility to make decisions about the type of house that you want and need. An understanding of area and formulas is important when buying a new house. The challenge you have just completed is one that people all over the United States face everyday!