Ostën Boen Designs

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Sustainable Organic Architecture


Helpful tips for home building

Here is a helpful list of information to have before meeting an architect.

  1. Have the property in your possession. (Each custom design partial evolves around the site).
  2. Legal documentation of the property. (Recorded lot or plat drawing with dimensions and legal description or Survey).
  3. Budget for the project. (This number is used in the design process to determine approx. square footage and the amount of detail to be used, based on what one is willing to spend).
  4. A list of the clients needs:
    1. Type of floor plan. A open floor plan or a more traditional closed plan? Handicap accessible? Slab on grade, frost footings, full basement, or walkout?
    2. Number of bedrooms and approx. sizes. Preferred location based on access and sunlight.
    3. Living room size and special consideration such a vaulted ceiling, fireplace, number of pieces of furniture, entertainment center or not, and view.
    4. Kitchen and dining. Easy access to each other? Breakfast bar and type (high/low)? Specialty appliances?
    5. Entry issues such as a grand sense of entry or smaller. Lots of closets? Or perhaps a main entry and a secondary entry going through the laundry room and preferred location.
    6. Bathrooms size and location.
    7. Family/entertainment rooms. Types of entertainment and functions of the room.
    8. Preferred brand of windows? A certain style. Type of construction, log, framed, timber or something unusual like poured concrete, stucco or extreme.
    9. Green and sustainable architecture or not.

Any information that will help the design process and to get your ideas incorporated into the final construction documents will be helpful. You may want to keep a folder of clipped ideas from magazines that you like, showing colors, styles or room arrangements.