Designing
Imagine, it's been a long day. You are tired and laying in bed thinking of the day's activities. Sleep does not come easily because you are excited. You look around the new room - your room; so vivid in your recent dreams but now so real in fact. The coffered ceilings, the perfect built-in video area that your spouse designed; the smells; more exciting than the "new car" smells that you have experienced. Everything about the home is perfect. The bathroom, patterned after that resort where you spent your honeymoon, the window with the view; the parlor just like grandma's home in Michigan. You always loved that space - and its associations. The kitchen is the best you have ever had; designed and built based upon your study of the experts, your own experiences as well those of Aunt Betty's. Every nook, every cranny, every detail is just as you and your loved ones wanted. No compromises, not this time. It's exactly what you want.
Four times I have had this experience. I must say that to say these were fulfilling would be an understatement. I could even liken it to the birth of my kids. Not in the exact same category but the similarity is quite real. And like all hard-won goals, these have been pinnacles of my life. The truth is that many experience this feeling - many have. You may have as well - and if you have you know of what I speak.
I am certain that many wonder how difficult this is to achieve. Some may wonder if it is even possible. Please trust me when I say that it is absolutely obtainable. It is well within many, many people's means to be able to achieve a custom built home; a habitat which is their own space - created for them or by themselves alone.
Today may be one of the best times to do this.
So What is a Custom Building?
Custom building is the action of designing and constructing a home precisely and uniquely to one's own taste.
It is one of the last industries where the creation of such uniquely individualized products is economically feasible. Other industries, today, rely upon duplicity of effort, in the form of mass production, to keep prices of various items to a level of affordability. Few could afford a car or computer or radio or any of the myriad of items available if each item was custom designed and built for the user. Actually mass manufacturing is a key to our material success in this society but it, inherently, must be guided by mass appeal.
A custom designed home, however, is a unique kind of product. even though it is designed and built entirely to the specs of an individual it can be actually achieved, quite realistically, for a cost quite similar to that of the existing, mass-appeal units. Why? It is simply because most homes are built in the same way; regardless if they are designed for mass appeal or alone for an individual. And, since homes tend not to depreciate too much, newer homes can commonly be built for cost very similar to purchasing those already built. Isn't that interesting? It turns out that building can commonly be of similar cost. Yet it would likely have much greater value - at least to the first owner. Since the owner is attempting to recover his costs to build, when he sells an upscale, custom home, he will usually choose costs similar to the cost if you actually had it built it yourself. And that is not to mention the savings if you did your own contracting.
Now, pay attention here. You will find model homes or predesigned floor plans can and are modified in limited ways. These are commonly called custom homes but this is a misnomer. Actually, these are "customized" homes or models. This could be considered a form of "custom" it is more similar to getting to choose the color of your car or if you want leather or cloth seats. This would not really be custom, as defined here. Homes where you have a few limited choices of modifications are "customized" homes.
Custom homes, as defined here, are homes uniquely designed and built. These are not homes from stock plan companies. These are homes that are designed for you.
This is an experience and something that is quite within reach of many, however there is much to know if you want to avoid the pitfalls. It is advised that before you venture into this adventure of a lifetime, make sure you obtain a good understanding of the process so that you will not fall into some of the traps that can exist.
It is something you may well think you deserve. If so, you should go for it. Happy Building!
All of us have it. It is a human trait. In my opinion it is too often reduced in importance by folks who insist that everything is simply a rearrangement of what we have already seen. In my opinion this is completely untrue. If it were the case then one would have to ask the question, "Where did it start?". If all creation is simply the result of what we've seen, then was what we see created? If that was also the rearrangement of preexisting data then the question would continue right on back and actually become a bit ridiculous.
In my opinion all of us create. We create uniquely. It gives us the greatest joy of our lives. Regardless of the creation - as long as it is ethical, it feels good and is good.
I am fortunate to be in a field where creation is part of the package. An engineer and designer considers creation his or her stock in trade. As I have said in other articles, if you are lucky enough to do something which causes the clock to spin (meaning that you loose the sense of time - and actually forget that time is passing) then you're a lucky person.
I've dabbled at many things - one is animation. In 2008 I decided to make a little animation, right after the Summer Olympics of that year, defining the term "tectonics". Most folks know the mostly commonly used meaning which is a geological term describing the movement of large plates along the surface of the earth. However look the word up and you will see that it has an entirely different meaning as well. Likely the meaning I am talking about is a more senior meaning from which the geological term derived.
Some might think it is corny - but I've included it on this page - upper right.
The setting was actually created in my CAD program. The other settings, the stadium, the Greek building and the pyramids were brought in an scaled from Google 3-D. I learned a lot about 3-D while making this animation.
Want to talk briefly about hiring a draftsman or designer who is not a registered Engineer or Architect.
There are many very excellent designers who are very capable in training, experience and natural talent to design you a beautiful home. I want to be on the record stating that I endorse this action and think you can make an excellent choice and decision if you wisely choose such a talent.
I work with a few folks are are not registered professionals yet whom I consider to be extremely fine designers. Over the years we have worked up an excellent rapport and trust. I've grown to trust their work and will gladly seal their drawings after a few tweaks here and there.
If these folks have designed many projects they generally have worked up a successful menu of details that will pass engineering muster. Sometime, when working with a draftsman/designer for the first time, there are a few more back and forth issues at the beginning. But these are largely ironed out over time and it becomes an excellent mutual endeavor.
I've written in other articles my views and opinions of the DOT.COM E-plan world out there. These are a different situation entirely and hiring a designer/draftsman is a far better choice, in my opinion. These "stock" plans are often incomplete, void of required details and are always unsealed and can't be used to obtained permits in Florida and many other areas of the country. The problem with these folks is that getting revision is very expensive, very time consuming and quite commonly impossible. With a locally hired draftsman (drafts person actually :-)) a professional Engineer can at least work with a human being and get the plans adjusted to the required standards so he can place his seal. Normally, too, he or she, the Engineer,will want their name somewhere on the drawings.
The Engineer protects his professional position by taking control over certain aspects to the plans which meets the strict requirements of Chapter 471 (the Florida Statute which governs the engineering profession).
While the Engineer Designer is an expert designer, I am always happy to work with talented and skilled designers (non-Engineers) who are experienced, have good communication, and are professional in attitude. They often produce excellent work.
So if you have found a draftsman designer, and would like to work with the Engineer Designer to review and make sure the plans meet structural muster, go for it.
Put us in contact and I will be happy to lend my own skills to the project.
Let's face it, design and construction is a team sport.
