Custom Homes, an Architect’s Perspective
The term custom home is used by many different professions from builders to architects in varying ways. I would define a custom home as a unique residence that is designed by a design professional and is built for an individual client’s specific needs. There are many different approaches to creating a unique residence, from home builders with catalogs to architects with sketch paper.
The Process
The sequence below is how I understand the custom single-family home design process. It is important to note that designing a custom home with an architect should entail a close relationship and a strong sense of trust. You should think of an architect as your closest advisor and representative, always acting in your best interests during the design and construction of your home.
If you are looking for a true custom home that is specific to your lifestyle, habits, and aesthetics the best place to start is with an architect. The first step in the custom home process is finding and reviewing potential plots of land. It is ideal to select an architect before you buy a plot for your home, architects are experts at assessing the potential of a site. The selection of the site is important because this impacts your homes relationship to views, sunlight, shadow, vegetation and privacy for example. Bring an architect in from the beginning to assist with this critical part of the process.
Once the plot of land is selected the next phase is to begin the design and planning process for the home. As a client it’s great to bring your own expectations regarding home size, room count and any other preferences. As you move through the design process the architect will work with you directly to produce studies, drawings, 3D models and images to ensure the design of your home is meeting all your needs. Additionally, during each phase of the process I would typically keep an updated construction cost estimate to ensure the project is on budget. I pride myself in understanding the costs of materials, construction, and labor. Throughout my custom home design process, the budget and the bottom line are essential. A quality design can be produced while simultaneously remaining within a limited construction budget.
Once the design is finalized the architect will create a series of drawing and specifications, that include every detail of the home down to the selection of the bathroom fixtures, wall paint, tiles and light fixtures for example. A comprehensive and detailed drawing set is very important, this will eliminate surprise costs and expensive changes during construction. In other words, you should take your time with the planning of a house, a good architect will make sure the drawing set is complete and ready for bidding.
The next phase is to search and select a home builder/general contractor for your custom home. The drawing set and specifications will be issued to home builders for bidding, this is the moment that the home builder/contractor will provide their proposed cost for your home. It is typical to issue the drawings to three home builders to ensure a competitive bidding process, after interviewing and reviewing the prices you can then select your preferred builder. Variations can exist where a builder is brought into the design process earlier, to provide estimates and to consult on detailed construction costs.
What an exciting moment, now the home builder will begin to construct your home based on the design drawings. During the construction phase your architect will visit the construction typically once a week for meetings with the home builder to ensure the home is following the design intent. No matter how detailed the drawings are there are always questions to be solved on-site and architect is your mediator and representative when these issues arise. Once construction is complete you move into your custom home, where every design decision responds to the needs of you and your family.