Several Important Facts That You Should Know About Architects Services
Designing a house, even in its simplest form, will be the process of creating a list 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 is more crucial that you 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 overwhelming 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. For instance, spatial progressions can be studied, like moving from the Garage into the Mudroom then into the Kitchen, could be preferred over walking into the Living room from the Garage. Spatial relationships could also be examined, for example, keeping the general 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, Full Post and even a Hearth Room will also be extremely 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 could possibly 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 will 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 far 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 will be the most appropriate materials for the house's style? Which materials are the most cost-effective or most durable? They are all necessary design questions that must be answered, and may also only be addressed by quality, detailed elevation drawings showing all exterior aspects of the home.
The detailed drawings produced through the residential architect could also save money for the client. Thoroughly executed drawings will resolve more details on "paper" and can also minimize costly errors and "do-overs" made in the field by the contractors. The architect will most likely drive the structural design of the house, working hard to coordinate the structural framing with all of the other systems of the house; like plumbing, electrical, HVAC, as well as the interior and exterior skins. And lastly, the best group of construction drawings communicates better information to the bidding contractors, enabling them to confidently price all aspects of construction, rather than just inflating their prices to cover all of the unknowns.
The residential architect will certainly assist with the difficult process of turning the homeowners' dreams and desires in to a functional floor plan, incorporating all the desired spatial, interior, and exterior design features through an eye towards budgetary limitations. By asking design questions early along the way, knowing materials, the latest construction technologies, and providing a detailed set of construction drawings, the architect can facilitate a more cost-effective bidding process and eliminate expensive construction mistakes in the field. All of these lead to a better final product and a satisfied home owner.
