Custom Home Design - The Design Brief

Where do you start to design a custom design home? The Design Brief.

Do you know what you want? Do you know what you need? These are two very different questions with very different answers. No matter what your budget is, you will have to get clear on this. You will have to come up with a list! We in the design profession refer to it by the more fancy term of "Design Brief" and it can consist of a scratched out list on the back of an envelope to a 30 page doccument with magazine inserts, sample plans and paint swatches.

The more complete your Design Brief is, the easier it is to come up with suitable custom home design solutuions. Some people like to keep their brief very open, leaving it to the designer to miraculously come up with the perfect design. Whilst those with finely honed psychic powers can acheive this task, it really is akin to trying to shoot a moving target in the dark. It is a process that leads to high expectations from a client - especially if the designer has been foolish enough to promise such a miracle - and usually ends in disappointment.

Having a good Design Brief does not mean that you have to come up with a plan as such, that is the designers job! But feel free to express your own creative talents if you want to start working up a preliminary plan. Thumbnail sketches are good! No-one expects you to be an architect. A plan doesn't have to be to scale, it is important to just get a concept of the sort of spaces you will need. A bubble diagram with labelled circles for rooms is a good starting point.

I describe the design process to my clients as being like doing a jigsaw - they provide the individual pieces and I put it all together for them to creat the overall picture. Custom home design does not necessarily translate as "over the top" and expensive. I've designed many modest homes that have been a perfect blend of bringing the functions you need with some special features to make a home unique, individual and a reflection of the client's personality.

Your brief really needs to consist of some basics: Types of room, Room sizes, Vehicle accommodation, How you want spaces to interconnect, Overall house size, Budget, Outdoor areas, Other structures, pools etc., Special needs or hobbies to be catered for, Furniture sizes, .......the list can get as detailed as you like. Include your "wish list" items but realise that budget will dictate how much you can include in the final home design. Remember designers are usually very visual people, so the more pictures you have to communicate your ideas, the better.

If you are thinking of building a new home, I recommend doing some more background research on the home building process. A great resource can be found at www.house-n-home-building.com.

House Plans

Why just choosing a house plan "off the shelf" might not be the right thing for you.

When you start thinking about building a new home, most people come across, or go looking for house plans. Builders use floor plans in their advertising as a great marketing ploy to get you to contact them. Often you will see a pretty plan, and some overall dimensions - enough information to get you interested, but not too much detail so you have a reason to contact them for more.

There are some very appealing house plans, that have lots of features, nice room sizes, clever planning ideas and a stylish facade - but it may not be the right plan for you.

When clients come to visit me, it is often with the plan they have cut out of the newspaper or printed off the internet. It's very nice, it might be the size they want, but they have given very little thought to how it best fits their site, budget, living needs and lifestyle.

It is also very tempting to see a house plan where you love the facade, and thats what grabs you, but assume you have to have the floor plan that goes with it. Its a little bit like putting the cart before the horse. I treat the facades as if they are the icing on the cake - the plan itself is the generator of the forms and one plan can be "dressed up" in any number of ways. Focus on the floor plan first - worry about the looks later.

The next issue is whether you go to a designer or archictect to draft you a plan or search for the right one in the plan magazines or online plan companies. Either way you can acheive an acceptable result - it just depends on your budget and your degree of individuality that you want expressed in your home. There are some very good "off the shelf plans" it really is a matter of weeding your way through the myriad of options to be able to identify the one best fitting your needs.

Having said that, my bias is obviously towards a paln that is customed designed for each individual client. I can really tailor a design to a families specific needs and desires and create a functional and unique home that is suited to a particular site, climate, neighbourhood streetscape and budget. I have seen many attractive homes with stunning floor plans that a well intentioned home owner has chosen with great care - but it is totally wrong for their site and may completey ignore the benefits of passive solar design, and good orientation.

Consulting a professional - whether that is an architect, building designer or draftsperson will definitely give you the advantage of receiving advice about your specific situation. You probably have more faith in a doctor diagnosing your illness when you feel a bit sick, than relying on your own limited expertise - the same goes for building a new home. You will have greater peace of mind that you are making the right choices if you have sought professional advice.

I'll expand on these issues later and discuss the essential homework you must do before you start looking for a plan.

Till then....

P.S. If you are thinking of building a new home, I recommend doing some more background research on the home building process. A great resource can be found at www.house-n-home-building.com.

House Plans

Welcome to my Blog

Do you want to avoid the traps and pitfalls that many naive home builders fall into when looking for a block of land, a house plan, an architect or a builder?

I have been working in the building industry for the last 14 years, designing and building customs homes for over 2000 clients. During that time, I have been amazed and concerned that many people are not really informed of the building processes, have no clear idea of what they want or need in terms of space and design, have unrealistic budgets and are generally unaware of all the options that are available to them.

I have specialised in showing my clients the benefits of:

• choosing the right site for their home,
• appropriate construction types for their climate,
• flexible, efficient and inviting living spaces,
• energy efficient and environmentally sustainable design,
• stylish facades, that complement the neighbouring streetscape,
• cost effective building that doesn't blow the budget
• .....and much, much more.

It is often said that building or purchasing a new home is one of the single most expensive purchases in our adult lives, yet some people spend less time on researching their options than they would if they were buying a sound system, a computer or a new car!

Your home will probably be the most important and valuable asset you acquire. If designed and built with good design principles and quality construction - it will grow in significant capital over the years.

My intention with this blog is to help as many people as possible become a bit more "clued up" on what really goes on in the building industry, and to give you the right questions to ask any building professional you come in contact with, and what the right answers should be.

Feel free to ask any questions relating design, house plans and home building. I will check this page regularly and reply promptly,

Cheers