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Posted by Michael Bulatovich on June 19, 2007, 8:45 am
>> arthernan...@excite.com wrote:
>> >I am an engineer, and also a handy-man. And recently I decided to
>> >embark myself into designing my own house. Now that I stated my very
>> >ambitous general objective. I will try to downplay it. The house I
>> >would like to have would be 1200 to 1400 square feet, hopefully it's
>> >small size will reduce the complexity.
The two are not related.
>> >I am also looking at this as a
>> >learning opportunity, and at least on the learning end of it I do
>> >intend to spend a lot of time and do a lot of reading. That way even
>> >if I end up buying my first house I would still have gotten something
>> >positive from the process.
>>
>> >Now about my likes and dislikes.
>>
>> >I prefer spatious living areas and high ceilings,
Ka-ching!
>> >I do spend a great
>> >deal of time in the kitchen, and I would like to incorporate it into
>> >the main living area. I would say I like modern style houses and lofts
>> >but I do not like the modern decoration. I do think that there might
>> >be some modern furniture I might like, just not everywhere. Minimalist
>> >aproaches are also not my taste. I would like to have different
>> >elevations in more than one room.
>>
>> >The good thing is that I am proficient in using CAD programs.
Most people over estimate the value of this, and underestimate the value of
thought.
>> >Are there any general architecture books that anyone could recommend?
>> >Maybe some web links?
Being an engineer, I'd guess that that the kinds of insights in Christopher
Alexander "A Pattern Language" would be helpful. You have to know how far to
take his stuff, but there's gold in that book for the novice designer,
IMHO.
>> >Comments and advice are more than welcome.
>>
>> Hire an architect and then build it yourself. A decent architect will
>> sit down with you and design according to your desires, pointing out
>> things that might conflict with familiar felicity and the like. For
>> example, a kitchen in a great room or living room brings smell and clean
>> up issues to your relaxation space..
>
> For 1200 to 1400 square feet I do not know if I can afford an
> architect. I was hoping to pay anywhere from 150K to 190K.
I charge more than that to *design* a house ; )
> I am a person that really likes to explore all options and take time
> to do it. Seems cheaper for me to learn a bit of architecture than for
> an architect to get to know me.
Good luck with learning a "bit of architecture" in time for your project.
You might be right, but you might also pay for your mistakes in a variety of
ways. It depends on what you choose to include in you calculations, and how
well you do.
> One thing I am considering is to plan 2 diferent furniture layouts for
> the main living space, one for entretaining, and the other for
> everyday living. That would allow me to reuse space, but it would
> involve moving furniture every now and then. Where I am going to find
> an architect willing to discuss these options with me? And if he was,
> how much would I need to pay him?
The first guy I worked for as an intern demanded that every residential plan
I showed him had two viable furniture layouts to go with it. If I couldn't
come up with two good ones, I needed a good excuse as to why it couldn't be
done. I still continue this practice 20 years later. I see ridiculous plans
in the real estate section every weekend... poor suckers.
How much an architect charges varies with locale, experience, skill, the
market, his current work load and celebrity. Did I leave anything out?
--
MichaelB
www.michaelbulatovich.ca
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