4 Residential Design Issues Clients Should Address Early

Posted on: 23 September 2020

Tackling a residential design project means dealing with a lot of moving parts. You won't be able to get everything lined up early, but there are major benefits to addressing certain problems as soon as possible. Let's look at four such concerns that clients working with a residential architect can deal with early.

Engineering Concerns

It's challenging for an architect to determine what can or can't be done on a property until the potential engineering problems are known. Hire a professional to conduct an engineering survey so you can make sense of where on the property things might be remedied.

Likewise, be realistic about which areas ought to be avoided altogether. For example, if there's a hydrological problem that could wreck a building's foundation within a couple of decades, try to steer clear of it.

Design Choices

Working with a custom residential design firm on a project gives you a chance to turn your imagination loose. You don't need to nail down every design decision at this stage.

However, you should make some broad choices about what sort of design principles you want to use. For example, do you want an open floor plan or something with strongly delineated rooms? Also, you'll want to choose a basic style, such as creating a house that's modern, contemporary, traditional, or transitional. While the design choices will largely be fleshed out during the interior design process, it'll be a lot easier to make things visually consistent if you're thinking about them at the architectural scale.

The Surrounding Space

It's easy to get caught up in the design work that goes into a residence. However, you'll also want to think about the space that surrounds your new place. If the building is in a dense urban setting, for example, you'll want to design a house that blends in with the surrounding structures while also making a personal statement. At the opposite end of the scale, a house with an extensive landscape around it should celebrate what makes the region beautiful.

Practical Choices

Custom residential designs afford you a chance to think about a range of practical issues. For example, this is an opportunity to address energy-efficiency concerns in a way that will save you money in the long run. You should look at everything from the pipes in the house to how the rooms will use natural light. Likewise, you can implement a host of features that address your practical needs, such as closet space and storage.

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