Good building design begins with...
- Practicality - to take advantage of views, solar path, natural vegatation and prevailing breezes
- Thermally - to employ principles of environmentally sustainable design, include passive solar design and maximizing human comfort
- Acoustically - to block traffic noise and to isolate noisy in-law & basement suite areas within the building
- Technically - by use of modern materials, innovative technologies & systems such as photovoltaic roofing panels, ICF Insulated Concrete Foundations and the BC hallmark, the pressure equalized rainscreen wall system
- Financially - because many of todays modern materials, systems and techniques can save you money by spending a little more upfront when compared with traditional materials, systems & techniques.
Your Requirements - Establishing a list of your needs and requirements, your wishlist, is essential to the overall success of any project. Looking for a secondary, in-law or basement suite. This includes consideration for the relationship between different rooms to one another as well as to outdoor spaces. Also, a full understanding of your budget and the amount of money you can afford to spend is very important.
Municipal Requirements - Consideration for all municipal and national regulatory requirements is very important component of what we do. Today, these can be very complex and includes things like proposed use, zoned set backs, height limitations, floor space ratios (FSR), building envelope and energy efficiency. Zoning considerations are a must for those individuals looking for secondary and basement suites.
The Design Concept - Once all of these steps have been completed, it is time for one or several design concepts to be prepared. This is usually a series of schematic sketches and overlays showing the approximate layout, a preliminary floor plan and a general elevation or 3D massing sketch.
Concept Revisions & Design Development - Following presentation of the concept and after you have had time to absorb the ins and outs of the solution proposed, the concept will then be discussed and adapted taking in to consideration any changes you require and repeated again until we are all satisfied with the overall design solution. It's detail will then be taken to the level to document the individual finishes, construction methods, building materials ect.Once you are satisfied with the preliminaries design concept, further design elements will be ‘developed’ until the ‘building permit application’ drawings and contract documentation (sometimes referred to as ‘working drawings’) are completed.
These documents are critical as they will:
- tell the builder exactly how to construct the building in detail and thus ensure the desired quality.
- allow all builders who are tendering on your building to quote for exactly the same thing.
- form part of your contract with the builder. For this reason, it is particularly important to engage a professional to design and document the project properly.
- Actual drawings & details often included are:
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- Site plan
- Floor plans
- Structural layouts
- Floor finishes layout (For large projects only)
- Roof plan
- Numerous Sections @ 1/4"=1'-0" scale
- Elevations 1/4"=1'-0"
- Drawn and table window and door schedules
- Reflected ceiling plan
- Electrical layout plan
- Details @ 1/2"=1'-0", unusual details ect.
- Interior design @ 1/4"=1'-0" bathroom, ensuite & laundry design and specifications
- Interior design @ 1/4"=1'-0" Kitchen design and specifications
- Interior design - For any other built-in details like bokshelves, bays entertainment units.
