So you have finalised a plot for building a new home. Now comes the critical stage – of constructing it. But wait…!! Have you designed it? I guess you might have done sketching the plans in Microsoft Paint or Excel.. or bookmarked a 1000 pictures on the internet! Isn’t it!? You think you could now talk to your local Mason and explain him the scheme?
Logically this is the only way of going about constructing your home, atleast that is what 90% of the people do. Let me tell you… It might be slightly intimidating to connect to an Architect, but the effort will be highly rewarding in the end. Generally, it is difficult to find an Architect… 1. As there are not many of them, and 2. That they don’t operate from Malls. The easiest way might be to ask a few contractors or through colleges of Architecture in your vicinity.
Lets assume you have appointed an Architect – This blog will help you understand what you could ask or expect out of him, either ways the idea is to equip you with the understanding of what a house can do for you!
- Expect the house to fulfil your spatial requirements.
- Expect it to be physiologically comfortable in all types of climate and times of the day.
- Expect a house to provide you with the best views of the outside.
- Expect it to keep you safe & secure.
- Expect it to enhance Culture, Communication, Peace and Well being.
- Expect it to keep you visually stimulated.
- Expect it to indulge your senses with a variety of experiences.
- Expect it to last a lifetime or two!
A house can do all this and more. Designing the house is an exercise in putting all these together in an Aesthetic and Economical way. Larger issues like Environment, Sustainability, Energy, Water etc. can also be addressed by appropriate design.
The common mistake made by many people is that they look at images of existing houses from the internet as reference of how their house should be. No two people are the same, if you consider their families… there is a one in an million chance that their perceptions will ever be same. One might manage to successfully copy an image, but in the near future realise that their requirements and lifestyles are not suited to it. Leaving apart the tangible physicalities of geography, climate, location.. no context is the same. Every house is custom built, then why does it have to ‘be’ the same? I guess if people appoint Architects and give them a comprehensive brief, their original requirements will become an exciting challenge and basis of a house with a unique character and personality.
With all the above in mind,
- Prepare exhaustive lists of your requirements and aspirations.
- Prepare diagrams (doodles) of relationships between your functions.
- Prepare a realistic idea of your budget and long term plans.
- Prepare a list of your habits and traditions.
- Prepare a list of seasonal activities that you might want to organise.
- Keep provision for a little extra for the uncertain future.
- Prepare a statement of principles that you might want to adopt as a concept of your house.
An Architect will add more and elaborate upon these requirements and brief. Your discussions with him should delve on the following step-by-step:
- Overall ‘planning’ of the site, which addresses the relationships with contexts inside and outside the plot.
- Energy saving techniques and technologies.
- Water collection, Storage, distribution, disposal and recycling.
- Location and relationship of various spaces and activities within the house.
- Form and Geometry of the Plan, to ensure clean spaces and proportionate volumes.
- Building material and technologies for construction.
- Interior Layout with Electrical & Plumbing delineation.
- A ‘mood board’ to help visualise the finishes and colours of the house.
- A detailed estimate of the building with materials and Quantities.
- Drawings and models to help visualise the building better.
Further, the Architect will guide you to finalise the contractor. He will visit the Site to check progress and quality of material & work. He will also validate the bills submitted by the contractors, vendors and material suppliers.
Hope this Blog helps you with a better insight of Design and the Design process for making a house.
(To Understand the overall process of House Making, please click here! )
Wishing you an exciting Design process!
Cheers.