Designing Your New Build Home

There are all kinds of factors that go into designing your new build home. 

The real estate focused factors include square footage, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, desired special features, the type of parking or garage, how it fits into the neighborhood; essentially the items you see on a typical sales listing. 

There are environmental factors that affect choices like siting, materials performance, façade, roof style, exterior finishes, incorporating transition elements, and appropriate use of outdoor spaces.  

There are also the practical factors of basic building method, mechanical and utility equipment, foundation style, and infrastructure.  The technical aspects of designing your new build home will require a designer who understands wood frame practice and structural requirements.

Your designer, builder, and engineer will help you with those choices.  Some won’t typically be open to choice; land developers may have guidelines to follow, your builder will often have a set of building specifications they provide, the building codes of your region will dictate minimum standard practices and materials, and availability of some products will determine cost and usability.  Other choices will be available as options that will progressively develop a more advanced home, things like energy efficiency, technology, security, and future adaptability.

The factors that are most personal for you form the early vision of your home.  These are connected to lifestyle, aesthetics, and finish. These are the items that express your personality and values, your creativity and aspirations.  How you plan to use the home will determine how the designer proceeds, so be willing to express your desires and be open to advice and suggestions that are offered.  A collaborative solution will bring your ideas and their experience together for a successful house design, concept to completion. 

During the process of residential design, I consider all the choices and desires in subsets: space planning and detailing, architectural expression, and interior decoration.