A Positive Experience Regarding London Architects
Designing a house, even in its simplest form, is the process of creating a number of needs and desires ("We need three bedrooms... we would like a two-car garage"), identifying the parameters and constraints, ("Our lot is only 60 feet wide" or "We only have two hundred thousand to spend.") compiling a list of priorities ("A separate Laundry might be more essential to us than having a Study"), and after that making a series of decisions and compromises that satisfy the needs while staying within the established constraints. A residential architect is trained to help the future homeowner through these daunting tasks by utilizing his specialized experience and skills.
By creating a well-organized floor plan early within the design stage, the architect can present questions to the property owner and help them to make decisions for a far more efficient and cost-effective house plan. As an example, spatial progressions can be studied, like moving from the Garage in to the Mudroom then in to the Kitchen, could be preferred reviews over at inedmi.edu.co walking straight into the Family room from the Garage. Spatial relationships could also be examined, for instance, keeping the public spaces like the Family and Dining Rooms grouped together, as well as the bedrooms, bathrooms, and office spaces in more private zones. How the Kitchen connects to the Dining room, Breakfast Nook, and even a Hearth Room will also be very important factors to study at this stage of the design. An efficient floor plan will minimize hallways and underused spaces, which eliminates wasted square footage that cost money to build.
After the plan is established, the architect will study detailed drawings of the vertical and spatial dimensions of the home. For instance, this may very well be the first time that the homeowner can envision interior features like the fireplace and surrounding bookcases and windows, cabinetry, detailed trim like columns, art niches, and crown moulding. They are going to see spatial drawings showing 2-story foyers and rooms with vaulted ceilings. These drawings also help in the selection of materials; "Should the fireplace surround be drywall, wood, stone, or brick?" All of these questions assist the residential architect and client to visualize and appropriately develop every space and surface for a more complete and satisfying home design.
Exterior elevations may also be developed, helping the homeowners envision what their home shall look like from the outside. What style is the house? What is its presence from the street? Does it have a bold roofline, or does it blend in with the surrounding landscape? What are the most appropriate materials for the house's style? Which materials will be the most cost-effective or most durable? They are all necessary design questions that must be answered, and will only be addressed by quality, detailed elevation drawings showing all exterior facets of the home.
The detailed drawings produced through the residential architect could also save money for the client. Completely executed drawings will resolve more details on "paper" and may also minimize costly errors and "do-overs" made within the field by the contractors. The architect will usually drive the structural design of the home, making an effort to coordinate the structural framing with all of the other systems of the home; like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and the interior and exterior skins. And then finally, an excellent set of construction drawings communicates better information to the bidding contractors, enabling them to confidently price all facets of construction, rather than just inflating their prices to cover all of the unknowns.
The residential architect might help with the difficult process of turning the homeowners' dreams and desires into a functional floor plan, incorporating all the desired spatial, interior, and exterior design features with an eye towards budgetary limitations. By asking design questions early along the way, knowing materials, the latest construction technologies, and providing a detailed group of construction drawings, the architect can facilitate a more cost-effective bidding process and eliminate expensive construction mistakes within the field. All of these lead to a better final product and also a satisfied property owner.
