Ever wonder How do architects design a house? There are so many attractive house design you can see around you, just like any work of art, the process is long and the reward is satisfying to all architects. This is a showcase open to the public eye. A portfolio that can speak of itself. 

How do Architects Design a house?

The design process is the same for all, it goes to 4 key stages;

The Schematic

The Design Development

The Contract stage and

The Construction stage

Some architects offer their services up to the contract stage, where they assist their client hire a qualified contractor to build the house they designed. This is the regular service of an architect. But the rise of market competition, a scheme has been formulated to allow architects to build their designs, otherwise known as the Design-Build scheme.

How Is The Design Of A House Done?

The house design is done at the Schematic stage where ideas are first introduced by the client. There may be some inspiration they got from another house design. More often, clients come with different design references and ideas. 

As the client discusses his ideas, the architect in turn makes a visual interpretation of all those ideas together. The appropriate design is carefully analyzed based on many consideration, the design, however is being translated into a hand sketch. As shown below. Having a good sketch can get your client’s approval very quickly. 

This can be a series of meeting with the client to discuss further some of the requirements to build the house design proposal. A 3d model and 3d renderings can go further with the visual presentation.

The Planning process

Sketches are initially done at this stage of the planning process. This will start the story telling process in architecture. In theory, every line that the architect draws will tell a story. Every strokes and every line means a lot. Here’s how the story goes

The floor plan composition

While there are sets of exterior design character the client brings, the architect put it all together with the plan layout first. The manner in which spaces are arranged. This is key player in influencing the style of architecture. But this is done with the intention to solve the circulation pattern where the movement of people living and the functionality of each spaces are analyzed. 

There are different process in doing the plan layout;

Determine The Space Requirements

The architect will list all space requirements need in the  design of a house. This will match the client’s space requirements and the number of his family members. This will lead to the arrangement of the plan that will coincide with the other space requirements needed to function as a family’s dwelling place where they can inter mingle with common spaces like the living spaces, dining areas and play areas. 

Group The Spaces According To Classification

Spaces are classified as public, private, semi private or semi public. It would be easy to group the spaces with these classifications. Which one that requires much privacy within and which one is a semi private. This part of the analysis will go deeper into knowing the family’s activities and personalities. Dad and mom may have different preferences as well as the children. Mom’s usually owns the kitchen, so the different arrangement should be considered with the personality of the person using it most though the whole family shares the space together. As well as the living areas, that can be supported by an adjacent terrace and the traffic flow pattern as a connecting link from outside to inside of the house going to different places of the house like the kitchen and dining to the bedrooms. 

Functional Grouping - Arrange The Plan, Size of Spaces And Shapes

The space classification will be converted into a sketch of spaces that will be arranged according to Functional groupings, circulation and functionality, Sizes and Shapes that will affect traffic flow and accesibility of each spaces according to its related functions.

 A Space diagram can help identify which spaces needs to be in a certain group from private, semi-private, public and semi-public 

There are other factors that will affect the layout. The outside factors are the

• Sun orientation
• The terrain or slope of the site
• Vegetation or existing trees inside the lot
• Adjoining lots

Balloon Diagram

Before heading to the plan layout, the space allocation can be done in the process called balloon planning. This will guide the architect and the client in their decision making process. As part of the evaluation process, the architect will inform the client about the manner of arrangement and why it should be in that arrangement, as it is discussed, the client can give their inputs if the tupe of arrangement will be suitable and comfortable to all members of the family,  if the arrangement is satisfied, then it will progress to the Floor plan Layout. 

Floor plan layout

The floor plan layout is used in two distinct uses;

• Prepare for design development
• Prepare for construction

At this stage the plan layout should be developed in such a way that it will fix all sizes of the space. The basic framework will be drawn to create the outline of the plan. The grid line will serve as a guide to align all walls both exterior and interior. This will give a better means to calculate the total floor area of the house being designed. The placement of doors and window can also be done at this stage. 

The major factor in deciding the budget requirement of the house will be more or less accurate. So the architect can provide an estimated budget per square meters. The design of a house is also determined if the client’s idea will be possible to achieved. With the design idea in mind, the architect can create a new and unique design solution. 

The Plan layout is developed further as the architect prepares another step of the process in designing which the exterior design of the house. 

Exterior Design

 After doing the floor plan layout, the next step is to do the Exterior Design. This is a two-dimensional drawing that will show the 4 sides of the exterior layout of the house. The Plan is a visual respresentation where you will see the top area of the plan and determine the layout in relation to the activities of the end-user. While the Exterior Design is the beatuty and austhethics of the house. The exterior design represents the identity of the client and the character of the house. It can be characterize according to the influences of the different styles of architecture representing different periods. The level of details will determine the different styles of architecture.

The Influences Of Styles In Architecture - The Building Envelope

There are many factors the architect will do the design, most of the clients' requirement are exterior design or the general outlook of the design. The different styles in architectural design such as Mediterranean, Classic, Modern or Contemporary are some of the significant styles obvious in any house design, just to name a few. These styles were derived from the different periods in the history of architecture. The design features are characterized by the details of architectural elements like;

• The Design of Roof and its Shape, 
• Height and Details of Gutter Sections. 
• Detailed Design and Shape of Windows and Doors
• Wall Treatment and 
• Details of Moldings

The different types of roof

Depending on the style and functionality of the house, the different style of roof arrangement will affect the exterior design of the house. It can be a high pitched roof, gable or flat roof. 

Gutter sections represent character and styles in different periods of style in the history of architecture. The style and proportion are considered in terms of functionality and proportion. 

Doors and windows represent styles as well, the size and shape can give different character to the design of a house. It can be a casement type or sliding, full glass window and doors. 

The wall treatment can give a major impact on tge design. Painted walls or with patterned finishes. This will be decided with the clients budget requirements. 

Lastly, the mouldings and accessories required by the design especially in classical styles and other periods in architectural styles.

The Perspective Views 

Part of the architects design process which plays a very important role in getting the design commissioned is the visual presentation. The presentation of the design can be explained by the architect in his design presentation. This presentation explains the full aspect of the design from evaluating the interpretation of space to space relationship according to the peresonality of the end-user. The arrangement of the plan will be influenced by their activities. Generally, the main functions are the Living Room, Dining, Kitchen and the Bedrooms. How they will be arrange will be different based on the preferences of each end-user. This will affect the arrangement of the spaces, sizes, shapes and the adjacencies. The perspective view is the ultimate visual presetation to impress the client, However, the challenge is to maintain the overall style of the house exterior regardless of the changes in space requirements. The shape of the plan can be based on the initial space allocations but it may change eventually after it has been presented to the client but may require to maintain the exterior design.

Here are some examples of the perspective views;

 

Hope you enjoyed reading, please comment below and share your thoughts. 

The Schematic Design Stage

The Architects first Design stage | The Schematic Design | 

This is the initial stage in the practice of Architecture. Before an architect presents his design, he makes an analysis to the design requirement and present a design solution in response to the client's requirements. There are other things that the architect should look at whenever he is doing a design scheme.

There are different styles of presentation at this stage. The perspective view is the architect's impression of the design. The graphic styles are the architect's tool in conveying his ideas . Aside from showcasing his artistry, the design solution goes beyond that. The perspective is what will make the client understand the whole concept of the design. Plans, however, are essential drawing requirement to justify the whole design presentation.

At this point, The client and the architect should come up with initial agreement of the architect's scope of services. May have some probable construction cost of the project where the basis of the Architect's fee is determined. The size of the project will also be determined with the budget costs so that the design will not overshoot the budget.




The Different Presentation of Styles

First impression last. The presentation of the design is dependent on how well you can present the project in different styles. This is one of the discipline an architect should possess or improve to be able to communicate his design properly.

Here are some of the styles done;

1. Sketches are presented on the next appointment with the client. These sketches are the result of the architect's careful analysis of the design solution. It will start with the idea as to what would be the client's perception of what they want to achieve.

2. Manual Renderings and Digital prints

on multiple media, this is the type of presentation done in water color, acrylic, markers as shown below. 

A photo montage is a manual and digital renderings using an actual photo and photoshop software to edit the rendering. 

From this old sample of manual rendering in pen and ink, you can see the drastic change in the design presentation of projects in architecture.

3. 3D Renderings are computer generated renderings. 3d models are done with 3d softwares like 3D Studio max, Sketchup, Autocad 3d, Rhino, Revit and many more.

4. 3D Animations - There are more highly sophisticated 3d animations but in this example, as it is still in the schematic stage, the design and 3d presentation are still being developed. This is done in sketchup to show the overall size and shape of the proposed structure.

Posted by 3dartrender on Sunday, February 18, 2018

There are several ways the architect can do to achieve a design to the client.

For exterior outlook, here are some of the ways to generate the design ideas;

• It can be a design inspiration from any existing design and modify some of its features.
• it can be a metaphor of  shape coming from observation to nature. Like a Seashell, a spider web, ant hill, or to any object that may relate to the context of the design requirement.
• It can be an analogy to any historical building that may be a good basis for a representation of the design and function of the structure you are designing.
• It can be a response to a particular situation that will help solve a particular problem of a client. Like a disabled person who wants to have a multi-level floors without necessary using stairs and lifts. A circular design with ramp can influence the building envelope.
• It can also be an influence of the natural land terrain.

The Schematic design stage is the analysis stage where all aspects of the design is considered, aside from the technical consideration that will influence the design approach. The architect then gives the professional advise as to the Cost of the project.

The Fee of the Architect in this stage is part of the whole fee broken down into the different stages of the design process. It comes usually about 10% to 20% of the architects fee. If the architect's fee ranges from 7% to 10% of the construction cost, The Schematic design fee is determined by computing the 20% of the agreed architect's fee of 7%  to 10% of the construction cost.

For more detailed explanation about the breakdown of fees, see our blog on How do architect's get paid? - a case study


If you have any comments and questions, you can do so by typing  your questions on the comment box below. I would love to discuss further.

Exploring new Ideas for House Design | The Design Process

Introduction

This one is another response to a design request of a longtime friend. She would like to see her initials in her own Dream home. As I continue to explore my thoughts in composing a new design with the initials DFA, i thought of making a sketch that will speak of the same approach done in the previous post.

As a design exercise, house design are limitless. you can explore new ideas for house design with the initial requirement of exterior design that would bear the initials.

As a Design request, I came up with this design. More options come into play but this one may be appropriate in my initial design study.

The design concept will now be tested if this will be acceptable or not.

Let me walk you through the design process of an architect in terms of creating new design for a prospective client. 

The Design Process

The Design process started from a presentation of a previous design that somehow got the attention of an old friend. made a request to do similar approach to her dream house.

Then the conceptual design of the exterior. Though this process may not seem to be the normal, while developing design composition, the size and shape of the house is already being considered so as to look like a functional house design. As part of the test, this design will be presented to see if it meets the expectation of the client.

The next stage is to present this to the client and see the feedback or the impression so that the space plan will follow afterwards. 

What will be the arrangement of the spaces?  

 

The form of the building layout will dictate the spaces within. I will share the approach to planning the spaces within the house of this design and the previous one. The intention is to show you the different approaches to creating a space for the built in size and shape of the house.

 

Space planning is one of the aspect of studies and architect should master. To create the spaces required and group them according to the level of privacy from public to semipublic to private spaces. In house design, public spaces are the entrances, living and dining areas. while semiprivate can be a guest hall while private spaces are the bedrooms and the toilets.

 

 The outline of the plan is the outcome of the space planning analysis. The spaces are organized in such a way that they interact with one another based on the needs of the client. This image shows the different areas within, as we are dealing with the exterior design, architects build the design composition based on the outline of the building. This will cover the spaces within which will be an opportunity for interior designers to do their own design proposals. 

The building envelope is the outcome of the design composition. There are different ways to approach the exterior design, The Spaces defines the form, following the standard sizes of every element within and without. The major elements in exterior design are the placement of windows and doors. According to building laws, there are also certain requirements to follow for the minimum areas required for window openings. This is to achieve light and air ventilation.

The structural components form the structure as well. This are all tied up together to make a rigid and strong structure, withstanding natural calamities and disasters such as flooding, earthquakes and storms.

The ground floor and the upper floors follow the same grid of the structural components. The massing study in the creation of the 3d model is a good starting point to evaluate the design composition of the house. 

The overall design composition of the plan is now complete.

Watch out for the next post to explain the Space planning approach.

The design composition

 

The form shall be so mix together so as to create a design that will look like a house, sizes and shapes are proportionately considered while choices of building material shall be well placed to balance the texture and the identity of shapes forming the whole design and make the design requirement stand out - that is to show the initials of the client.

Somehow, these approaches made me finish the initial design concept of this house.

Comment below is you have some thoughts about it and I would be very glad to explore new ideas for house design till my next design challenges will come. I will keep sharing my thought about it to help you get more information about my house design experiences.

Thanks for taking some time reading my blog.

Personalized House Design

The trend in architectural design | what is a personalized house design?

House Design is also a trademark you can make to give you a unique and personalized design. Creating a character of Architectural Design that is more so functional.

Would it be wonderful to welcome your visitors in your lovely home with this type of design?

Here's an example of a personalized House Design. It bears my initial LRD which is very obvious. I showed the sketch to my wife and she told me, "the letters are prominent". Then i replied "that's the real intention of the design".

As a bold move, one of the greater challenge as an architect is to go beyond the norm of designing a house. Make it more personal.

I believe this is the challenge to every architect/designer. You can play around with ideas that can be translated into the sketch and make a wonderful composition unique to individual.

How to find Architectural Design Ideas?

This is one of the method you can do to find more design ideas. As I shared this thought in my previous blog, this method may be very limited because it is personalized. unlike other means, ideas can be general.

Some people find this very good because you will create a design approach that is so unique. imaginations will work so well with the goal in mind. Clients would love it because it is a design that is personally designed for them will bear their own signature, a seal of ownership.

What are the constraints?

As you are designing a house, forms play a very important role in showcasing the design intention that will make it very obvious in creating the building envelope. The spaces should be well thought in such a way that it will function well as a house. There are no constraints as to considering the whole process of designing a house. All areas of study are well considered so that you will know the limitations needed to avoid while developing the design.

The design should not be over design and should still appear to be a house.


Modern Design

This is one of the best advantage of a modern design. The form can be put together in a composition that will depict a house design. The contrasting of colors through the use of outdoor building material will help you achieve what you want to achieve. As a designer, you can still incorporate traditional design by combining materials and shape that will compliment your design. It may serve as an accent rather to break the monotony of the design.

For your comments and suggestions, please let me know your thoughts through the comment box below. I would love to hear from you and develop this thought and bring out more design principles as a guide for all architects and designers.

Combining Architectural Style

Discussed in my previous blog about Finding Architectural Design ideas, many of you who are actively involved in Architectural Design will be challenged  by your client about creating new designs that will require combining two different styles, the old and the new architecture. This term is simplified as Bisociation.

I thought of exploring this thought and find more practical examples to show so that we can see how to achieve this. What are the criteria we can formulate to guide you through the process.

Two different styles into one.  This is a creative means to come up with a unique architectural design ideas. In terms finding design solution as to the form and style, we need to identify the major and minor.

Here are some of the tips, hope this will help you create more innovative ideas in your design project.

1. Create a major and a minor style of architecture - Blending the two or three architectural styles is a bold move which create an old and new architecture design relationship. Just like composing a song, this would be very difficult to achieve if you don't know how to blend things together. Establish an architectural style to create and determine which one is the major and the minor. 

What will be your blending ratio so that the style will compliment rather than compete. Establish 80 - 20 percent ratio or 70 - 30 up to 60 - 40 percent. Obviously, 80-20 sets the standard to make a clear and dominant style to the least dominant style. While others will give us a subtle blending that will be discussed in tip number 3.

2. Linking the old and the new - The best way to create and decide which architectural style you should pick is in the old style. Linking the past to the present will give you a nostalgic design. People will appreciate the style in terms of catering a structure for different ages. 

In most cases, this is what we call the Transition Period, where you bring new ideas with the old. As in the music, the choice of old song to new melody brings a good composition.
Architectural designs are inspired by the past designs. Setting the trend in architectural design will give you a competitive edge in the public eye. More so, creating your identity and reputation to be the leader in setting the design trend in architecture.

3. Don't over design, keep it simple - in as much as you want to set the trend, remember to keep it simple. Some design may be trendy but won't last longer. Avoid over designing, Make your architecture simple and functional. Consider the construction methodology and cost. Some combination of style can be in the form and shape, color and harmony, contrasting of patterns, size and proportion. List all the things that you need to combine and blend it all together into a single yet simple composition.

4. Find a theme from a previous architectural design trends - as mentioned earlier, finding design from the past is a good idea but you need to consider the design trends in the contemporary. this may go further by observing the design trends in the community and stick to the theme and introduce a new style. 

This will somehow condition the public to the new design trend you are introducing.

In achieving a good architectural design composition, Simplicity and balance will top it all.

Hope you enjoyed reading my post and if you have some comments or suggestion, you can comment below. I would love to explore new tips to achieve this.

Some helpful Book resources I recommend:

This is an affiliate program in Amazon, buying from this site will give me a little commission. I would appreciate it if you do. Other than that, this is a highly recommended book to help you get a better understanding of how you can formulate design ideas and with that, you can combine architectural styles in your Design practice.

The author of this Book Francis D.K. Ching is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Washington and a registered architect. He is the author or coauthor of numerous architecture and design books, including Architectural Graphics; Building Construction Illustrated; Architecture: Form, Space, and Order; A Visual Dictionary of Architecture; A Global History of Architecture; Interior Design Illustrated; and Design Drawing. James F. Eckler is the Architecture Program Director of the Marywood University School of Architecture. In addition to teaching, Professor Eckler is actively engaged in research concerning the culture of place in the urban environment and architecture's role in the development of community. He is also the author of Language of Space and Form.

If you are and architecture student and is looking for some resources, Here's another book of Francis D.K. Ching and James F. Eckler

The Introduction to Architecture. All in one place so you will not be hovering over the internet. Learn and get resources from our recommended section.