Any budding architects out there ? house plan help needed

[LOAM]

I only really have a couple of questions, my plan oservations are worthless without knowing what context the building is in, so;

1. What is your build budget ?
2. Whilst you say this in 1 acre, what precedents are there, is it part of an approved development that restricts your design.
3. What input have you had with your Architect with regards this plan, it seems to me that your not entirely happy with it as your asking for opinion on a public forum.

What I will say though is to reiterate whats been said, the dining room is remote from the kitchen to the point where you wont use it, you wont traipse food through the hall. No family bathroom will actually reduce the value of your home regardless of how many rooms have en-suites, like a fireplace and kitchen the bathroom is a focal point.

 

[rupsingh]

Right I've had a look at the plans and the thread so here are my thoughts initially at least.

1. The house is for 6 people? Your parents, yourself, your brother and your two wives plus any future kids correct? If so are your parents really in need of all that dressing space, that's assuming they get the master bedroom. If they don't get the master do you or your brother get the master and its enormous dressing space? Perhaps consider 3 more equally sized bedrooms on the 1st floor. Moving to 4 beds sharing 2 en-suites on the 2nd floor.

2. I'm still concerned about the distance and layout of the formal dining, I would rather it was nearer the kitchen and was located after the formal living room. I always have my guests in the lounge prior to having dinner and then again afterward. Going to the back of the house then the front and then the back again and then the front for them to leave seems a little odd.

3. Would definitely have a second guest/family bathroom, there seems to be an empty room on the 1st floor at the front which would be suited?

4. More of a personal thing but i much prefer straight stairs unless space is a particular constraint. The narrow treads created as the stairs turn the corner make it difficult for two people to pass easily. Perhaps a habit of your architect from designing smaller estate houses??

5. I would always try for a wider garage if at all possible as moving one car to get to the others is a pain. If you only have one car or do not regularly garage them then this may not be such a concern. I also feel the location of the garage is robbing you of some vital width. If the house were of a modern style then a built in garage on the ground floor would have been fine. A separate garage might be a better solution and sits nicely with this style of house. Also consider building over your currently placed garage for more space.

6. I like the cloakroom idea, but also consider a front porch/entrance hallway for a similar function.

7. I'm no sure about the snug, a feature i like in my own house is the guest bedroom on the ground floor, consider the snug with a sofa bed?

8. A pet hate of mine which you wont even be at the stage of yet. If your roof line is white don't go for black gutters and downpipes, just because older houses have black cast iron downpipes doesn't mean you should try to recreate this on a new build with plastic.

1) The garage cannot be located forward of the main house as per planning constraints. Its the same reason why the garage cannot be built over. see the attached site plan

2) The snug has been designed for a future ground floor bedroom if ever needed

3) A entrance porch is planned internally in the hallway

4) The dining room needs to be moved point take onboard

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[rupsingh]

I only really have a couple of questions, my plan oservations are worthless without knowing what context the building is in, so;

1. What is your build budget ?
2. Whilst you say this in 1 acre, what precedents are there, is it part of an approved development that restricts your design.
3. What input have you had with your Architect with regards this plan, it seems to me that your not entirely happy with it as your asking for opinion on a public forum.

What I will say though is to reiterate whats been said, the dining room is remote from the kitchen to the point where you wont use it, you wont traipse food through the hall. No family bathroom will actually reduce the value of your home regardless of how many rooms have en-suites, like a fireplace and kitchen the bathroom is a focal point.

1) approx 400 - 500 k
2) it is not part of a wider scheme, but we do have fairly strict planning constraints
3) the architect has taken our input plus has included what needs to be done to get it through planning

 

[LOAM]

3) the architect has taken our input plus has included what needs to be done to get it through planning

And yet in your own words your not wowed by it. It seems that the scheme has become watered down to "pass planning". Its a fine line but your Architect is appointed to please you, not the planners.

Did your brief lead him to design the building or has he told you this is what will gain planning approval ?

Also, I'm concerned about your budget 500K for 6000sq/ft seems very low. At the very very minimum for a decent finish I would say you would be wise to allow £110/sq ft

Also, you may have already answered this and i've missed it but it this chap an ARB registered Architect ?

 

[kylew]

My advise, is talk to your Architect it is in there work ethic to produce a design to your brief. So if you are not happy with something then make it clear to them. Also did your Architect spell garage wrong on the drawing? and I personally dont think it is appropriate for you to take advise off a forum on such a thing as a house build its not like knocking together a pc.

I wouldn't take English advice from you, not because this is a computer forum, but because your English is poor.

Get my point?

Just because this is primarily a computer forum doesn't mean that there aren't experienced people with other interests and areas of expertise around.

I've got about 3 years of experience working in an architect drawing office, for example, I did a huge amount of work in that time and completed a good few projects that I was very pleased with.

You yourself didn't offer much in the way of good advice, yet you're telling rupsingh to ignore every one else's advice? Come on.

 

[Sinque]

If you got the labour for free then that house would only cost 5k to build!

 

[keyser87]

mate theres a reason it takes such a long time to become a fully qualified architect, I wouldn't ask budding enthusiasts whos only knowledge might come from watching an episode of Grand Designs.

Head over to pushpullbar.com for some genuine, decent, experienced input.

 

[LOAM]

5K ? the rear elevation glazing will cost quadruple that alone

As for experience, Been in Architecture since 1990, am working in an RIBA registered practice whilst finally studying for my part 1 so I feel happy offereing advice based on nearly 20 years experience.

Whilst pushpullbar will put him in direct contact with Architects both qualified and training from around the world, they aren't going to be able to change his design for him anymore than we can. The bottom line is, he doesn't like it anyway so that's the first thing he needs to address with his current appointment. If that doesn't come to an agreeable conclusion then its time to consider looking elsewhere.

 

[blackapache]

Got bored of revision, heres my little input... dont laugh!

 

[Sinque]

5K ? the rear elevation glazing will cost quadruple that alone

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18091627

Read the stupidity

 

[kylew]

mate theres a reason it takes such a long time to become a fully qualified architect, I wouldn't ask budding enthusiasts whos only knowledge might come from watching an episode of Grand Designs.

Head over to pushpullbar.com for some genuine, decent, experienced input.

Don't be so insulting.

I've got about 3 years of experience working in an architect drawing office

Yeah, I've just watched grand designs, that's all.

Funny, the "senior architect" in the place I worked was and is a complete and utter joke, despite having around 30 years experience.

 

[LOAM]

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18091627

Read the stupidity

oh god, sorry lol

 

[Stupot_]

Did your brief lead him to design the building or has he told you this is what will gain planning approval ?

This is basically it.

Ask yourself that question and if the answer is the latter, then maybe it's time to drastically re-think what you need and how it can be achieved.

 

[ichabod crane]

I wouldn't take English advice from you, not because this is a computer forum, but because your English is poor.

Get my point?

Just because this is primarily a computer forum doesn't mean that there aren't experienced people with other interests and areas of expertise around.

I've got about 3 years of experience working in an architect drawing office, for example, I did a huge amount of work in that time and completed a good few projects that I was very pleased with.

You yourself didn't offer much in the way of good advice, yet you're telling rupsingh to ignore every one else's advice? Come on.

No my advice was to speak to his Architect, that is what he needs to do. This is just a public forum I don't read back everything I type, but there would be no chance I would let any of my drawings leave the office with mistakes on!

And it may not have come across this way but I am sure there are plenty of skilled enough people on this forum to comment, but I do not think it is the place to do so. He has appointed a professional and is not getting what he wants from them. He needs to relay this to his Architect and get it resolved or go elsewhere.

 

[k3wt]

"Well experienced" means nothing to be honest. I know of a "well experienced" architect who is a complete and utter joke.

I'll throw something together on cad shortly just to give my personal ideas on this build.

I do think that those drawings look very unprofessional though, especially the ones you emailed me.

My advise, is talk to your Architect it is in there work ethic to produce a design to your brief. So if you are not happy with something then make it clear to them. Also did your Architect spell garage wrong on the drawing? and I personally dont think it is appropriate for you to take advise off a forum on such a thing as a house build its not like knocking together a pc.

oh dear. i am totally not convinced that those drawings are produced by a qualified 'architect'. for a start he cant spell. then theres the fact that theres no line weighting on any of the plans...and that topo. drawing - location plan is a right hash up - the way the North arrow is kinda 'stuck' on for a start. Any qualified architect would be ashamed to show that to a client

 

[rupsingh]

oh dear. i am totally not convinced that those drawings are produced by a qualified 'architect'. for a start he cant spell. then theres the fact that theres no line weighting on any of the plans...and that topo. drawing - location plan is a right hash up - the way the North arrow is kinda 'stuck' on for a start. Any qualified architect would be ashamed to show that to a client

I used paint to put the north line on!

 

[ichabod crane]

I used paint to put the north line on!

Even so, as has been said they seem poor drawings.

 

[rupsingh]

After taking into account the comments on here, I decided to have a play around myself, any feedback on the following?

[/URL][/IMG]

 

[Stupot_]

Staircase doesn't work, considering the size of the hall the foot of the stairs is cramped, and blocked when the hall door is open.

How light is the side of a house? Any trees, fences? The dining roon might be a bit dark just being along the side and not having a north aspect.