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The field of drawing custom house plans is a crowded and competitive one. There are many architectural and design firms out there vying for a “piece of the pie.” However, if you look closely at examples of their finished product, you will find huge differences among them. The better ones offer quality designs and highly detailed plans.

Drawing a good set of custom home plans involves integrating many different concepts and ideas into a solid and usable working plan. Many designers are able to come up with a unique or interesting preliminary design, but fail to deliver when its time to detail the house structure. They draw a pretty picture but have little or no understanding of how to translate that nice design into a working plan which the builder can understand.

Having been in the business for more than 30 years, we have seen a large number of house plans which looked good at first glance. However, upon closer examination, many of these plans were found to be lacking large amounts of needed information. If a house plan is not easy to navigate or is not thoroughly detailed, then the builder is left to guess at the designer’s intentions. This often means that he will “pad” his bid to make sure that he covers any unknown construction costs that may arise.

One item to look for when evaluating a house plans’ quality level is the number of structural sections which are shown on the plan. Highly detailed sets of plans will always cut lots of sectional views through the house to show every different roof framing situation. This might mean that 10 or 12 (or even more) sections need to be drawn for a large house plan. And even a small house plan should include 3 or 4 sections minimum. However, many home plans available today (especially plans purchased through inexpensive plan directories) cut corners in this department and only show one or two house section views. This means that the builder will have to guess at the rest of the house framing.

Another item which is often missing or lacking in a set of house plans is comprehensive and accurate dimensions. We have always strived to provide more than the minimum amount of house dimensions so that it is easy for the owner and builder to layout a home on its building site. We will even calculate point to point dimensions (using trigonometry) for homes which have lots of odd angles to them (as opposed to a simple rectangle layout). Not all architects or designers will go this “extra mile,” so it pays to check these things out beforehand.

Every set of custom house plans includes several items which need to be blown up and detailed for further clarification. If a set of plans does not provide additional close-up drawings (for things such as beam connections, deck railings, stairway construction, etc.), then it is not a complete set. It is very easy to cut corners during the planning process. But the end result will be higher costs for the home owner – and lots of frustration for the building contractor.

There are some architects and designers who seem to think that its the responsibility of the building department to check and catch any omissions. But the best of the breed takes it as a matter of pride to produce the very best plan and design they can. It is the only way to build up a loyal clientele and to get referrals for future work. And that vote of confidence from former clients makes all the difference in the world.

Steve Minkler
http://Minkler-House-Plans.com

You’ve decided you want to build a new home. Where do you start? First, we suggest you purchase your land, as this will surely impact the design of your home. Second, start putting your ideas together before visiting your architect.

Start with a vision of your new home. Is there a certain architectural style you prefer? Colonial? Cape? Saltbox? Farmhouse? From there, start with the basics in home design. How many bedrooms will you need? Do you want a Master Bedroom with or without a Master Bathroom suite? Will it be located on the first or second floor? If this is a vacation home which will become your retirement home, you may prefer to have the main rooms located on the first floor for easy access in later years. Do you want a large, eat-in kitchen or a separate dining room?

Are you planning to entertain small or large groups of people in your home? Is a cathedral Great Room on your list of priorities? Will you need a living room or media room separate from your Great Room? Do you have a specific hobby or interest that requires a separate room or area?

Compare all of these areas with your current home. Does the space you have now fit your needs? Write down the measurements of your space and then mark whether or not the space is adequate. Wherever possible, look for areas to reduce the living space. For instance, if you have a large laundry room now and you only really use half of the space, mark it as a potential space saver. Anytime you reduce the square footage of your new home you will save money in initial material costs, but in energy costs over the life of the home as well.

A home fulfills many purposes, but it can also satisfy numerous personal, aesthetic, and emotional requirements that can be difficult to describe in words. In starting to imagine your home design, it will help your architect if you identify and communicate how you want each space to feel. How?

You may find it a challenge to explain how you want a room to feel. Start by doing some simple exercises. Pick up a home magazine or imagine a home you are familiar with. Find a room you like. What do you like about it? The way the afternoon sunlight casts shadows within the room? The room’s intimacy or its abundant space?

Think about other spaces you enjoy – the park, the library, your friend’s home. How does the space make you feel? What creates that feeling? Be specific, and write down what you like about it. For instance, you might write, “I like how the room’s color tones change as the sun sets” or “I love how the outdoors is brought inside”. These small realizations will help the home design to evolve from a floor plan to a custom home that is an extension of your life philosophy.

Do this for each room in your home design. It is also helpful to describe what you don’t like about certain floor plans, rooms, or space. For instance, if you are not fond of having to walk through your closet to enter your Master Bedroom, document this. Perhaps you like the great room in a magazine photo but you don’t like the television being the center of attention. Or, you may like the space but find it lacks the intimacy you’re looking for in your home – a cozy corner where you can chat with another couple, a well-lit reading area, or a secluded spot for your cell phone chargers, mail and telephone. Keep all of your notes together. Cut out full pages or small photos that describe your likes and dislikes. As you go through this process, you can update your thoughts with text and photos. Eventually, you will come to a good understanding of what you want your custom home to look and feel like. Bring your notebook to your first meeting with your architect. Starting with your vision in hand will expedite the design process while guaranteeing success.

Your custom home architect will spend time with you to guide you through this process and will translate your ideas into a preliminary design for your consideration and review. The result will be much more than a home with a standard floor plan – you will have a custom home design that matches your philosophy and lifestyle, a reflection of who you are, your dreams and aspirations.

About the Author: Jeremy Bonin, a principal partner of Bonin Architects & Associates, is an award-winning green architect and the author of TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home. With a special interest in sustainable design and green homes, structural insulated panels (SIPs), as well as timber frame construction, Jeremy incorporates renewable energy practices where possible, including geo-thermal, solar, radiant heat, and energy-efficient foundation systems.

A little over a century ago – largely as a result of the American Centennial Exhibition in 1876 which reawakened the American people to its colonial past – there began a popular Colonial Revival craze in design and architecture. Colonial home plans follow the style of the Revolutionary War period, which in turn were imitative of the medieval English architectural style. This style is referred to as Georgian after the English King Georges who reigned from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, at the time when this building style emerged in both England and America. This style is formal, rigid, and symmetrical, but often with a façade above the door and overhead supported by columns or pillars. These structures are typically two-storied, rectangular or square in design, with the length of the building parallel to the street. Steep roofs with gables crown a symmetrical façade which has a large central doorway and evenly-spaced windows on either side. The central fireplace and chimney were necessary to provide heating and cooking facilities in the original colonial design. Usually the entranceway opens into a hall which leads from the front of the house to the back, and gives access to the downstairs rooms on either side. This basic plan can be and has been modified to incorporate decorative features such as elaborate front doors with crown pediment decoration, sidelights and overhead fanlights; side porches and sunrooms; and porches with multiple columns. Interior decoration ideally consists of actual colonial antiques and handiwork, or reproductions of same; and modern fixtures are designed to blend in with the eighteenth century style.

Since the nineteenth century craze there have been several waves of revival of English colonial architecture in the U.S. The original revival after 1876 favored the eclectic style with embellishments such as columns. However the modern colonial style relies more heavily on authenticity, in the mode of such research based historical attractions as Colonial Williamsburg. In the twentieth century colonial architecture has taken on an increasingly scholarly and less embellished turn, such as the elimination of columns. Today’s 4 bedroom space saving colonial house plans not only incorporate modern conveniences, but do so in a style more congruent with true colonial architectural style than the nineteenth century version. On the other hand, the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial celebration added another element to the craze, combining the basic colonial plan with the ranch style home design popular at the time. The result was typically a single-story white frame structure with wood shake roof and motifs such as drums, cannons, or eagles affixed to the façade. The past few years has seen another colonial revival in the U.S., this time with more of a British empire or Anglo-Caribbean feel to it. Note that colonial revival architecture has always been more popular in the eastern and Midwestern U.S. rather than California or the Southwest, where Spanish house plans are more congruent with local history and tastes than the Georgian prototype.

Nowadays colonial home plans come in two styles: the revival style typified by 4 bedroom space saving colonial house plans; and also the contemporary style which incorporates traditional English and Spanish house plans with modern additions and decorative features.

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