Abstract:
A hybrid residential and commercial building. The building includes two or more ground floor single-story units configured for commercial use that each have a front facing entry for providing access to each individual unit. The building further includes two or more multi-story units configured for residential use situated above the ground floor units, wherein each of the multi-story units has a dedicated rear facing entry. The building has a front side facing a public street and a rear side facing a private courtyard area. Additionally, the individual ground floor units are separated by removable demising walls, which allows a business to expand by combining adjacent units. The hybrid residential and commercial building provides an economically efficient alternative to current building types that are restricted to a single type of use by providing for both residential and commercial use within a flexible ground-floor space while providing dedicated residential units directly above.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/258,728 filed on Nov. 23, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to building arrangements. Specifically, the present invention provides a building having both commercial units and living units with separate entryways situated on opposing sides of the building for independently accessing each space. 
         [0003]    It can be prohibitively expensive for an entrepreneur or other business owner to start or maintain a business venture due to the combined expenses of maintaining both a place of business and a residence. The duties involved with running a business often require the business owner to work late and to spend many hours away from their home. Extended work hours lead to a poor work/life balance, which can negatively impact the personal life of the business owner as the business owner attempts to balance work with the other aspects of their life. 
         [0004]    Several strategies have been proposed for maintaining a comfortable work/life balance. One solution is to provide dedicated times for work and relaxation. This solution may be effective for normal working individuals, but does not consider the difficulties that may arise for entrepreneurs. While most jobs allow for downtime, an entrepreneur often must manage finances, answer phone calls and emails, and complete various other tasks that would normally be spread out to be completed by several employees. 
         [0005]    Another strategy for maintaining a healthy work/life balance is to live closer to the workplace. However, it may be prohibitively expensive for an individual to afford a residence if the workplace is located in an area with high property values. A similar strategy is to work out of a home office. However, it may be awkward and undesirable for a business owner to have customers or other strangers in their homes. 
         [0006]    Most of these strategies focus on separating the work life and home life of an individual. However, for many entrepreneurs, their work life and home life are intertwined, as running a business often requires working at odd hours. These solutions further fail to recognize that an entrepreneur may lose business opportunities in their downtime. In light of the above, there is need for a hybrid residential and commercial building that allows business owners to avail themselves to customer traffic and enjoy a private personal residence in the same unit, thus providing a means for maintaining a comfortable work/life balance for even the busiest entrepreneur or business owner. It is further desirable to provide a unit dedicated solely to residential use situated directly above a unit dedicated to both commercial and residential use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of building plans now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a hybrid residential and commercial building configured to provide business owners with a living space situated directly above their commercial space, wherein the living space has a private dedicated entry on a side of the building opposing the commercial space entry. The hybrid residential and commercial building comprises a first one-story unit and a second one-story unit adjacent to the first one-story unit, wherein the first one-story unit and the second one-story unit define a first level. A second level situated above the first level is defined by a first multi-story unit and a second multi-story unit. Each one-story unit has its own dedicated business entry positioned on a front side of the building that faces a public street, and another residential entry facing a rear side of the building. Each multi-story unit has its own dedicated entry positioned on the rear side of the building opposing the front side, wherein the rear side of the building faces a private pedestrian walkway or courtyard. The hybrid residential and commercial building provides an economically efficient alternative to current building types that are restricted to a single type of use by providing business owners with a combined business and residential space on a ground floor, and another residential space situated directly above their combined business and residential space. 
         [0008]    One object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid residential and commercial building that allows business owners to maintain a residence in the same unit as their business, allowing occupants to both live and work in the same space simultaneously. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid residential and commercial building wherein the ground floor hybrid business and residential units are separated by removable demising walls, allowing business owners to expand their business by combining adjacent units. 
         [0010]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a residential space situated directly above a hybrid business and residential space, allowing business owners to expand into to the additional residential space as their residential space needs grow. 
         [0011]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hybrid commercial and residential building wherein an occupant of a solely residential space can expand into a hybrid business and residential space in order to connect their work environment directly to their residence, eliminating the need for the occupant to go outside to move between the different spaces. 
         [0012]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the front of a diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the rear of a diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  shows a plan view of the first level of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a plan view of the second level of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a plan view of the third level of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  shows an elevational view of the front of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  shows an elevational view of the rear of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the hybrid residential and commercial building. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as a building used for both residential and commercial purposes. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0022]    As used herein, “unit” in the context of a “one-story unit” or a “multi-story unit” is an enclosed structure capable of being utilized as a self-contained residential dwelling and/or commercial space by one or more individuals. As used herein, an “access way” is a structure or mechanism for obtaining entry to a unit, e.g., a foyer entry, a stairway, an elevator, or a lift. Further, it should be understood that each “one-story unit” is configured for both residential and commercial use and each “multi-story unit” is configured solely for residential use. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there are shown perspective views of a diagram of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. The building  111  includes multiple one-story units situated at street level and multiple multi-story units situated thereabove. In the illustrated embodiment, the one-story units include a first one-story unit  112 A and a second one-story unit  112 B adjacent to the first one-story unit  112 A. The first one-story unit  112 A and the second one-story unit  112 B define the first level  122  of the building  111 . The shape of the first level  131  is preferably rectangular. In alternate embodiments, the building  111  may include additional one-story units adjacent to one another. 
         [0024]    As mentioned above, the one-story units  112 A,  112 B are configured for both residential and commercial use. Each of the one-story units  112 A,  112 B includes an entry situated on the front side  117  of the building  111 . The front side  117  of the building  111  faces a public street  201 . The portion of each one-story unit  112 A,  112 B configured for commercial use is situated toward the front side  117  of the building  111 . This ensures that businesses occupying the one-story units avail themselves pedestrians and motorists traveling on the public street  201 , increasing the business&#39;s exposure to potential customers. 
         [0025]    The one-story units  112 A,  112 B further include an entry  121 A,  121 B situated on a rear side  120  of the building  111  facing a private pedestrian walkway or courtyard  202 . This entry  121 A,  121 B provides direct access to the portion of the one-story unit  112 A,  112 B configured for residential use. In other words, the portion of the one-story units  112 A,  112 B dedicated to commercial use is situated toward the front side  117  of the building  111 , and the portion dedicated to residential use is situated toward the rear side  120  of the building  111 . The location of the rear side  120  of the building facing the pedestrian walkway or courtyard  202  ensures that occupants of the one-story units  112 A,  112 B have a private entrance to the residential portion of their space. 
         [0026]    The building  111  further comprises a first multi-story unit  113 A and a second multi-story  113 B adjacent thereto, wherein the first multi-story unit  113 A and the second multi-story  113 B are situated above the corresponding first one-story unit  112 A and the second one-story unit  112 B. Each multi-story unit  113 A,  113 B is configured for residential use. In the illustrated embodiment, each multi-story unit comprises at least a first story defining a second level  118  of the building  111  and a second story defining a third level  119  of the building  111 . Thus, the one-story units  112 A,  112 B define the first level  122  of the building  111 , the first story of the multi-story units  113 A,  113 B define the second level  118  of the building  111 , and the second story of the multi-story units  113 A,  113 B define the third level  119  of the building  111 . In alternate embodiments, the multi-story units may comprise additional stories defining additional levels, and no claim is made regarding a specific maximum height restriction of the multi-story units  113 A,  113 B. The perimeter of the first level  122 , the second level  118 , and the third level  119  are coextensive with one another such that the exterior walls of the first level  122 , second level  118 , and third level  119  are coplanar. Additionally, the first level  122 , second level  118 , and third level  119  individually and in combination have the same geometric shape, such as a rectangular cuboid. 
         [0027]    The building  111  further includes a plurality of entries for providing access to the units. The first one-story unit  112 A includes a first entry  115 A and the second one-story unit  112 B includes a second entry  115 B. Each of the one-story unit entries  115 A,  115 B provide access to the commercial portion of their respective one-story units  112 A,  112 B. The first and second entries  115 A,  115 B are situated on the front side  117  of the building  111 , which as previously noted faces a public street  201  in order to increase a business&#39;s exposure to potential customers. 
         [0028]    The building  111  further comprises a third entry  116 A for providing direct access to the first multi-story unit  113 A and a fourth entry  116 B for providing direct access to the second multi-story unit  113 B. The third and fourth entries  116 A,  116 B are situated on the rear side  120  of the building  111 , which faces a private walkway  202 . The third and fourth entries  116 A,  116 B provide private entrances to the multi-story units  113 A,  113 B, which are configured solely for residential use. The private walkway  202  may be part of a courtyard, common area, or other type of private outdoor space that is separated from the public street. 
         [0029]    In the illustrated embodiment, the building  111  also includes a fifth entry  121 A and a sixth entry  121 B, both of which are situated on the rear side  120  of the building  111 . The fifth entry  121 A and the sixth entry  121 B provide direct access to the first one-story unit  112 A and the second one-story unit  112 B, respectively. The fifth and sixth entries  121 A,  121 B are utilized as a private entrance to the residential portion of the first and second one-story units  112 A,  112 B for a business owner, as the fifth and sixth entries  121 A,  121 B face the private walkway  202 . This allows the occupant to maintain a separate private entry for their personal use in addition to the public front-facing entries that customers use. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-7 , there are shown plan and elevational views of the first level, second level, third level, front side, and rear side of an illustrative embodiment of the hybrid residential and commercial building. The first one-story unit  121 A and the second one-story unit  121 B defining the first level  122  are separated by a common demising wall  125 . The demising wall  125  is removable so that a business owner can utilize adjacent one-story units  121 A,  121 B simultaneously as a larger open space should the business need room to expand. Additionally, each of the one-story units  121 A,  121 B include one or more interior walls  126  that are removable, which further allows business owners to open up the interior space of the first level  122  in order to meet particular space or organizational needs. 
         [0031]    As previously mentioned, the first and second entries  115 A,  115 B are disposed on the front side  117  of the building  111 , and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth entries  116 A,  116 B,  121 A,  121 B are disposed on the rear side  120  of the building  111 . In the illustrated embodiment, the fifth and sixth entries  121 A,  121 B provide access to a portion of the first and second one-story unit  112 A,  112 B configured for residential use, wherein the residential portion is separated via an interior wall  126  from the portion of the unit configured for commercial use. It is envisioned that the business owner will utilize this separate residential space as a private office or as a sleeping area. Additionally, each of the third and fourth entries  116 A,  116 B, which provide entry to the first and second multi-story units  113 A,  113 B, include an access way  127  that provides individuals with a means for reaching the second level  122 . In the illustrated embodiment, the access way  127  is a flight of stairs. However, other access ways  127  may be utilized, such as an elevator, a lift, or the like. 
         [0032]    The first and second multi-story units  113 A,  113 B defining the second level  118  each include a deck  131 A,  131 B. The decks  131 A,  131 B are coextensive with the second level  118  and are situated on the rear side  120  of the building so that they provide a private outdoor space for residents. In an alternate embodiment, the decks  131 A,  131 B may be coextensive with the third level  119  of the building. The interior of each multi-story unit  113 A,  113 B can be configured it a variety of ways, and may include a number of rooms common to a residential space, such as a great room  132 , a bathroom  133 , a kitchen  134 , a bedroom  135 , and the like. Additionally, the access ways  127 A,  127 B continue upward past the second level  118  in order to further provide access to the third level  119  of their respective multi-story units  113 A,  113 B. 
         [0033]    It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect o the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0034]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.