The Design Process

Lists of features and relationships:

• A simple list of rooms with specific criteria that are important to you such as:
  
  
  1. Size - such as 12 feet x 14 feet or 240 square feet or the bedroom needs to be large enough for a king size bed, a sitting area and Aunt Pearl's antique dresser.
     
     
  2. Relationships - such as - Should the Master Bedroom be at the opposite end of the house from the kids rooms or Should the Master be right next to the nursery. Should the Master be on the first floor. Should the kids rooms be upstairs or maybe in the walk out basement.
     
     
  3. Amenities - I want a window in the Kitchen directed at our beautiful view of the valley. Or I don't want to see the neighbors trash cans.
     
     
  4. Features - How many sinks in the Master Bathroom? A shower?, A tub?, A tub/shower? or Both?. Special Kitchen requirements - Sub Zero or conventional frig, conventional stove or separate ovens and range top. Island? Penninsula? Etc.
     
     
  5. Likes and Dislikes - Any other notions you may have about what you like in a home or dislike. It could be something you have seen or something you have now in your home.
     
     
  6. Proposal After reading all of your material and asking pertinent questions we can estimate our time to design your custom home and give you a proposal and fixed fee to do the design.
     
     
  Write Your Own Architectural Program
  
  

Choose one of our plans to modify

• Our Web site has a wide varitey of plan types and styles. Any one of them can be a great starting point for a custom designed plan.
  
  
  1. Choose Base your choice of plan on any number of criteria such as: Size, number of floors, number of bedrooms, style, or maybe you just like the geometry of a particular plan.
     
     
  2. Revisions - Either print the plan and mark changes on the copy and send it to us with comments or simply email us with your list of changes.
     
     
  3. Redesign - Pick one or more plans and let us know what features of each one you would like included in your new custom design.
     
     
  4. Proposal - We will discuss your proposed changes with you and once we get a pretty good idea of what is involved we can give you a proposal and firm fee for doing the revisions or new design.
     
     

Collect Pictures and Plans

• Maybe you have seen a plan that appeals to you or a picture in a magazine that you like. These can be used to convey your ideas to us.
  
  
  1. Be Flexible Keep in mind that we can't plagarize a plan, but you can use a plan to tells us you like a certain Kitchen layout or Master Bath concept. You will have to be flexible with this approach, because we will surely need to deviate somewhat from the layout you give us in order to make the concept work in the new custom plan.
     
     
  2. Compatibility All exterior styles don't work with all plan layouts and vica versa. For instance, it is difficult or impossible to put a simple roof on a complicated plan. Roof lines, second floors, gables, valleys and other features need to be designed to function properly, be practical to build and to look good.
     
     
  3. Be specific If you send us a picture, make sure you tell us what feature in the picture interests you. Is it the front porch you like, or are you attracted to he roof lines, or maybe it's the stonework. Some pictures can be used simple to convey a general feeling or broad style concept.
     
     
  4. Be Flexible I just want to stress this point one more time. Sometimes preconcieved ideas can conflict with each other.
     
     
  5. Proposal We will look at what you send us and probably have questions. Just like in other methods above, once we understand what is expected, we can give you a proposal to design the house.
     
     

Send some Sketches

• Sometimes the best way to convey an idea is to make a rough sketch of a layout you have in mind.
  
  
  1. Don't worry about detail We will use our skills to layout a plan that works and includes the features you have sketched. The sketch is just another means of conveying your desires to us.
     
     
  2. Be Flexible A plan that is too explicit will be hard to modify if we find items that don't fit or don't work. We take into account accurate size of fixtures, appliances, stairs, hallways, doors and wall thickness.
     
     
  3. Try to draw conceptually We will work out the details. You will use the sketch primarily to explain relationships of rooms, features to include, and general sizes of rooms. We will add doors, windows, fixtures, appliances, cabinets, etc.
     
     
  4. Revisions Once we have laid out a plan accurately there will be opportunity to revise or tweak the plan.
     
     
  5. Proposal We will look at what you send us and probably have questions. Just like in other methods above, once we understand what is expected, we can give you a proposal to design the house.
     
     

Construction Plans include all of the technical detail to describe the design to your builder and subcontractors for them to build the home. The plans are designed to conform with the Uniform Building Code and its sub specialty codes. At a minimum all of the plans include: