Archive for July, 2009

House Plans, Floor Plans, Home Plans: What Are They?

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Custom House Plans, Luxury Residential Designs:

What Do They Mean?  What Are House Plans? What Is It That Your Residential Architect Actually Creates?

There is a lot of slang used to describe what it is your architect creates for your home.  Some people refer to them simply as “plans.”  Others say floor plans or house plans.  Rarely does anyone say what the legal description is: Schematic Design, Design Development & Construction Documents, per the AIA (Amercian Institute of Architects).   That is a mouthful, so I guess it is no surprise that the public at large has invented shorter phrases to describe what it is architects do when they create the design and construction documents for a home.

Drawings are usually produced on computer these days.

Drawings are usually produced on computer these days, regardless of whether you call them house plans or construction documents, and it takes a lot of skilled human design involvement.

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House Plan Design: Myself or an Architect?

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Should  you attempt to create your house plan design yourself?  Or Hire a Pro?

House Plan Design and Your New Home

I have had several clients that have come to me and confided that they have spent the last year, two years, or even three years trying to get around the expense of hiring a competent, legitimate actual licensed architect to create their house plan design for their custom home.  They usually say something like “I had a prefabricated home company create a house plan design for me for “free” during the last couple of years…”

“So, how’d that work out for you,” I would ask.

house plan design

House plan design by a real architect is best.

“It was a joke,” was the last response I got (verbatim).  You really can’t expect some company to provide you with a house plan design or anything else for “free” and expect that something to be very worthwhile.  Usually, those companies have existing old house plans lying on a shelf somewhere and if you want a very little portion of them tweaked, some kid from the back room who might know a little about a computer drawing program may modify a little corner of it for you.  But even that kid doesn’t work for free; that company has to pay him something to be there.  Who pays for that?

(C)Copyright 2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Anyone is hereby licensed to Link to this article from your website, from the anchor text on your website of: House Plan Design.

One way or the other, the costs of your house plan design get back to you, either hidden in some material charges or administrative fees; it’s there somewhere.  And what about the results?  How can someone with so little experience, training, or licensing come anywhere near the design results of a seasoned, registered architect who has been designing custom homes for decades?

DIY for Your House Plan Design?  Perhaps You Might Want a Real Residential Architect for Your Custom Home Project.  It is More than the Floor Plans

Here’s one thing I have learned in life: nothing is free.  You get what you pay for.

Those people wanting real architectural design services have come to me saying the same thing.  And they have paid for their “free” services from others with wasted months or years of their time.  How much is your time worth?  How much would it be worth to you to have your house plan design 2 or 3 years faster than with some questionable approach?  Many prefabricated home companies have one mission: sell materials and dump them in your driveway.  An independent architect whom you engage to design your home has an entirely different approach: to help you satisfy your objectives.  Generally, if you’re happy, he’s happy.

(C)Copyright 2005-9 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Eagle Mountain Aerie Designed by Randy Soellner Architect

(C)Copyright 2005-9 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Eagle Mountain Aerie house plan design created by Rand Soellner Architect

I have had other clients arrive with a hazy, not-to-scale floor plan sketch, proclaiming that “We’ve designed it all.  All you need to do is finish it up!”  How many people other than myself have seen the sign hanging in the car mechanic’s garage that says: “Rates: $50/hour.  If you help: $100/hour.”  There is no architect anywhere on this planet that can really use your sketches.  He has to start drawing on his own, properly documenting every corner, nook, and cranny to exact dimensions and angles, usually on a computerized drawing program to create your real, usable house plan design.  And he has to be thinking about what all those corners look like when the elevations are created, and how to support that form logically, simply, and economically.  It usually costs less if you let the professional do his own work.  And there is a lot more to designing your home that just the floor plans.

Tell Your Residential Architect What You Want in Your House Plan Design

Sure, tell the Residential Architect what you want, then let him do his thing.  Professionals trained and experienced for decades normally will have excellent ideas that you simply don’t have the experience to consider in a house plan design.  It’s sort of like trying to tell your neurosurgeon how to access your brain and what he should do once he gets there.  So instead of attempting to be your architect’s superior describe your lifestyle.  List your preferences of materials and colors and finishes.  Mention your hobbies and desires for number of people in each space and how you have always dreamed of a very large kitchen with a huge island of granite and a view dining room with a fireplace.  Your architect needs to know those things.  Hire the professional whose work you like the looks of.  Most designers have a main style.  Get the guy or gal that creates homes with an appearance that delights you.  Stay away from those people whose work leaves you flat.  They won’t be able to change much just for your one project.  Stay away from architects who design medical centers and other such things on a daily basis, because they aren’t residential designers.  Find those luxury residential architects who make their living, day in and day out, designing the kind of home in which you want to live.  That’s your guy.  House plan design should be his middle name.  By the way, Rand Soellner’s website name actually is: HomeArchitects.com.  That speaks of a commitment to his trade.

Custom Home Plan Design – What Sort of Drawings Are Involved?

The house plan design of Rand Soellner Architect.  There is a lot more to it than just floor plans.  (C)Copyright 2004-2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reseved Worldwide.

The house plan design of Rand Soellner Architect. There is a lot more to it than just floor plans. (C)Copyright 2004-2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reseved Worldwide.

There is a lot more to residential design than mere floor plans.  The phrase “house plan design” doesn’t really adequately explain what is involved.  What does?  Site plan(s), building code requirements (the current IRC (International Residential Code) book comes in a 4″ thick binder), site requirements for sewage, potable water, driveway, guest parking, garage access and back-out space, building setbacks, landscaping requirements, ARC (Architectural Review Committee) requirements, the floor plans, building sections, wall sections, details, energy requirements, structural requirements and connections, framing, roof plan(s), finish schedules, door schedules, electrical plans, cabinetry plans and elevations, administrative requirements like indexes and abbreviations and site maps, and more!  Whew!  That’s why home architects earn their money.  It is a lot to do.  And we haven’t even talked about what the architect can do for you during bidding and construction.  That’s a subject for another article.

Here’s a related article called: Why You Should Use A Home Architect.

Contact Information:

Rand Soellner Architect
www.HomeArchitects.com
randsoellner@earthlink.com
828-269-9046

tags: house plan design, home architects, house plans, cashiers architects, highlands architects, asheville home design, brevard house designers, atlanta, hendersonville, rosman, etowah, jackson hole, denver, orlando, jacksonville, charlotte, tallahassee, canada, lake mead, san franciso, sedona, custom home designers.

Best Home Architects

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Looking for the Best?

(C)Copyright 2006-9 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Photo by Megan Miller.  Falcon Cliff Lodge Designed by Rand Soellner Architect

(C)Copyright 2006-9 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Photo by Megan Miller. Falcon Cliff Lodge Designed by Rand Soellner Architect

If you are looking for the best home architects in the world, this press release may be of interest to you.  While there are various firms to consider, this release focuses on one particular custom residential architectural company, and mentions another firm and their stylistic trends.  Rand Soellner Architect is one of the best home architects on the planet, per Internet page rankings.  This ranking changes daily, but Soellner can almost always be found on Page 1 of Google search results under a variety of home architect terms.   Why is this?  Rand Soellner Architect really enjoys what he does and people like the attention to detail he gives each project.  Custom house plans are his specialty (not just mountain designs).  His work always appears timeless, yet is somehow fresh and interesting, which is why so many people believe he is among the best home architects.  Rand Soellner’s designs capture the spirit of the mountains of the Blue Ridge-Appalachians, the American and Canadian Rockies, the Andes, the Himalayas and Bavarian and other European terrains.

(C)Copyright 2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  Anyone is hereby licensed to Link to this article from your website, from the anchor text on your website of: Best Home Architects.

Rand Soellner’s residential designs are among those of the best home architects in the world.  Soellner’s clients come from all over the planet and he has received inquiries from Australia, Canada, America, Brazil, Sweden, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Poland, Africa, Britain, Ireland, Russia, India, and other locations covering all continents on Earth.  It is with enthusiasm, passion, and genuine interest that Rand Soellner undertakes each and every project.  Even though clients often want a particular design or a previous series of Soellner’s, they usually desire custom modifications, and that is what makes each project unique, along with the site adaptations made necessary by each client’s site situation.  Other clients have such unique requirements that a totally custom plan, “from scratch” design, is necessary and Rand Soellner is delighted to create these special estate homes, after taking careful note of the client’s detailed program information.   It is the best home architects who listen well to their clients before they begin designing.

The best home architects put there "everything" into their designs.  (C)Copyright 2003-2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

The best home architects put their “everything” into their designs. (C)Copyright 2003-2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Who are the Best Home Architects?

If people reading this article wonder who decides who are among the best home architects and who are not, perhaps it might be fair to take a look at what book and magazine publishers are including high quality home design work in their publications.  For instance, Images Publishing wanted the best home architects in the world to be included in their recent book: House With A View, about mountain home design.  This is a thick, full-color book, published and available through Amazon.com and other major outlets.  Why is this mentioned here?  Three of Rand Soellner’s home designs are featured in this book, along with other leading architects from around the world.  Images Publishing had the idea of producing a book that showcased the residential designs of the best home architects from around the planet.  No other architect in the book has more projects than Soellner included in the volume.  Soellner’s company was delighted to have been selected to participate and be recognized as being providers of high-quality house design services on a global level.  Soellner’s house designs are also included in a variety of other magazines around the country.  Please see the Publications section of this website for more information.

Best Home Architects for New Luxury Home Designs

The best home architects can design in the flatlands of Orlando or in the steep mountains of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  This just happens to be one of Rand Soellner's designs in the Orlando area.  (C)Copyright 1996-2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

The best home architects can design in the flatlands of Orlando or in the steep mountains of the Blue Ridge Mountains. This just happens to be one of Rand Soellner's designs in the Orlando area. (C)Copyright 1996-2010 Rand Soellner, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Planning a luxury home is much more than just floor plans.  Most people are more familiar with floor plans, hence the term: House Plans, which is meant to encompass a package of documents that are taken to the building department to obtain your building permit.  The best home architects know that there are many more documents and preparations required.  In the programming phase, for instance, Rand Soellner AIA has a discussion with each client, during which he uncovers and notes all of the particulars concerning the desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms, kitchen size and features (don’t forget that huge center island), number and type of vehicles in the garage(s), outdoor living, grilling and dining areas (most complete with fireplaces, roof and screening), hobby-craft-sewing areas, dog rooms (yes, we have had quite a few requests for this), walk-in pantries, sleeping porches, outdoor stairs, elevators, laundries (yes, often plural), family rooms, lofts, bars, dining (and special view dining areas), recreation rooms, stairways (sometimes merely  functional, other times large and ceremonial), site planning with motor courts, guest parking, backup zones, well, electrical, sewer and other utility locations.

There are other designers with other styles also considered at the top of their game.  Among the best home architects are Gwathmey Siegel & Associates, noted for their use of white, clean surfaces, grids and storefront glass framing and tile.  For those wanting ultra-modern architecture, they would be a good choice.  They also design ultra-modern commercial facilities for those people seeking a cool, contemporary, ultra-clean look with little texture.

Now then, one might believe that all of the best home architects in the world design only mansions.  Not so.  Yes, Rand Soellner does create his share of large homes, but he also creates modest residences and small cottage designs.  The smallest to date is about 390 heated square feet.  He also has designed compact 2 bedroom/ 2 bathroom guest homes of only 1,000 heated square feet.  He has other smaller homes in the 1,200 – 1,400 – 1,800 – 2,300 – 2,700 sf categories.  He has other homes in the 3,500 sf size, 4,500 – 5,700 – 6,200 and a few in the 10,000 – 16,000 sf size.
“It all depends on what the client wants,” explains Soellner, “the best home architects will help their clients create their desired dream home designs .”

Contact Information:

Rand Soellner Architect at: 828-743-6010  or E-mail: rand@homearchitects.com or website:  www.HomeArchitects.com For your new homes or for renovations, we provide Floor Plans, House Plans, Home Plans, and complete documents for your home design.

( *per Google organic searches 2006-2009)
tags: best home architects, luxury residential architect, mountain architecture, cashiers nc architect, highlands, glenville, lake toxaway, asheville, brevard, lake mead, chicago, denver, ontario, orlando, atlanta, boulder, yuma, sedona, tucson, glade springs, west virginia, georgia, rocky mountains.