Residential Construction and the Design Process

Construction & Contractors Blog

With advancements in construction technology, design software, and even architectural preferences, residential constructions have become more and more dynamic. Gone are the days of the mundane box-like structures many people opted for in building designs for a home. Today, shopping for building designs is as easy as the click of a button, or the choice of a photo online from multiple design styles. Whereas these advancements have made the building design step of residential construction quicker and far more dynamic than ever, it is also becoming quite a slippery slope that can leave many with regretted choices. Not knowing the correct way to approach the design phase of your home could leave you stuck with several unpleasant features of your home. When buying a building design online especially, work closely with your contractor paying attention to the following:

Lot size and locations

It is important to choose a building design factoring in the size of your lot. While any design can be made to fit the sizes you have, it is not always prudent to force designs on size. Large spanning designs are suitable for equally large lots and vice versa. When choosing a design, specify the size and see if your option designs would be suitable. Having your English cottage house crammed in a narrow lot may leave you with a "sore-to-the-eyes" house. The same should be said with locations. Some house designs are just preferrable for some locations. Look at your environs and see how your choice of design fits in the background.

Materials

While it wouldn't be strange imagining just about any construction material being shaped into whatever designs you want, the above is never a good idea. When choosing a building design, you should consult your contractor on the materials to be used. Based on your budget and choice of material, you can then favorably choose the design that will best work with the materials you have. Some designs, for instance, are best brought to life using steel or wood, whereas others demand the strict use of brick or concrete.

Fittings

Many people take building designs as simple floor plans that can be made to accommodate just about any fittings you desire; the truth may be a little far from this. It is important to note that designs also feature other parameters. Your designs will determine some of the fittings suitable for your house. So when shopping for either designs, or fittings such as cabinets, fixtures or other appliances you want, make sure the design chosen appropriately suits your intended fittings and the other way around too. A design, for instance, may limit you to certain spans of cabinets, or weights supported by a column hindering the placement of certain appliances and fittings upstairs.

28 March 2017