need some information about architect things

[MOTHERLODEDAVE]

My hat goes off to you Lew....in my book there is absolutely nothing worse than remodeling....I'll take a new home any day!
and swinging a hammer ain't that great...I'm 61 and it hurts, so I only do it when I have nothing else to do, and I want to impress the young bucks, but I don't do it too long! Now I spend most my time trying to figure out CA, and that's not so easy. The manual really stinks. Good luck to you.

[harv]

I cant resist tossing in my 2 cents.

I love designing homes. I have done it since i was in grade school. I am a retired 66 yo medical doctor. I designed my office, and my home (with a designers help). I finally got to do a neighbors home from scratch and did the drawings with Chief.

Women (my wife) have many ideas and much input in the design of a house. It impresses me, however, that many (?most) women have no conception of space and cannot visualize in 3 dimensions. This is where Chief is great. Being able to show furnished interior space is a godsend. Furnishing rooms also prevents some errors, especially if there is owned furnishing that will be moved to a new home.

Here in Michigan there are rules (code) for everything! and following code usually produces an overbuilt structure. One exception i have found is flooring support. i have seen a few homes whose floors felt like trampolines. Anyway, here you can build if your plans are approved. above a certain number of sq. ft. you need an architects stamp.

Roof trusses and flooring systems are done by specialized firms with engineers and or engineering programs . Is it that way in Norway?

I have found the book, Fundamentals of Residential Construction by Allen Thallon very useful and interesting. I also learned a bunch by watching the 65 yo builder/contractor do my neighbors home. He was old school, build it once right and you dont have to come back and do repairs He specified 2x4 studs that were more knot free and therefore straighter in the long run. He also used plywood in the floors where most would use osb panels. It cost all of 3000.00 in a 300,000.00 home and in my mind was well worth it.

I have been following this forum for a couple years and figure everyone here is smarter than i am.. but here are some generalizations that may be interesting.

I try to design a home that will be easily modifyable for handicapped access ie wide doorways (including garage), easy ramping of entrance ways, stairs that will accommodate a chair lift, etc.. I rarely see that discussed.

I try to keep hallways to a minimum but plan a house for traffic flow and how the interior space will be used. ie family visits, entertaining, home office, hobbies and physical conditioning.

I draw all doors at full swing including ovens, dishwashers and refrigerators. this prevents some embarrassing design problems, like my brother-in-laws built in over that when opened left no room for walking around and therefore you have to twist and bend from the side to access it!!

I like to have stair risers be 6 to 7 inches rather than the standard 7.5 inches. They are much easier to climb when the knees start to crunch.

It seems to me that most homes are designed to look pretty to the neighbors and many of the windows face the street, giving a wonderful view of the neighbors homes and drives.
I would rather use that money to add decks and landscaping that will enhance livability of the home. this is one tough area to balance out.

Another thing that drives me wild is ceiling heights the same throughout the house, sometimes covering 12/12 unused attic space with flat ceilings.

I don't think full drawings are needed for plumbing and heating in most homes as most subs know how to efficiently do that work. However, electrical wiring is easiy to mess up. (I have also run into some pretty brainless electricians) A detailed specification of switches, outlets and circuits is needed especially for computers, entertainment centers, shop or hobby areas, outdoor lighting (can you change lightbulbs without having to hire a commercial rig etc. and expansion capacity if areas are going to be finished in the future.

Areas that will have shelving attached should have a backing plate or stud placed on center for support.

Window walls should be built with cleaning and sun shades in mind.
(We almost bought a home with a two story southern window wall which was gorgeous the first time we saw it on an overcast day. We went back in full winter sun and trees without leaves and it was painful. Cutains or blinds would have had to be motorized, keeping them clean, impossible, and cost a fortune.)

Just some of my thoughts. Any rebuttals or comments would be appreciated.

Harv

[Al Launier]

If you want to be a true architect, that is a subject all unto itself and requires the education, training, and experience noted above. However, if you want to combine some architectural license with design development and drawing creativity, then this also is another subject unto itself. I subscribe to the latter in the following manner.

First off, I'm retired, have a BSME, handyman skills, and had a fair amount of drafting experience in my earlier days. Perhaps most importantly, is to align yourself with a "reputable" local builder, one you can trust and interface with when the situation warrants. This is the basis from which I started to design homes, using Chief Architect 5 at the time, now CA9.54.

Frankly, you can develop a portfolio of a house design(s) to demonstrate your ability to conceive and draw house designs. Be thorough and comprehensive with your portfolio to demonstrate your competence. This can then be presented to various builders to solicit their reaction and their willingness to acccept you as their person (or one of their persons) to work with in developing the designs they will build to. However, in this regard, you also have a responsibility to be confident and certain of the character and integrity of the builder you eventually sign on with. Fortunately, I was able to convince the builder, a very highly regarded local who built my house, to take the risk with me as one of his house designers. We've been working together since 1997.

Our agreement is such that we discuss the design concept he wants, after he has obtained this from his client, or what he wants in a spec house, and then I take it from there to put things down on paper using CA. Through a series of follow-up reviews, depending on the complexity, I develop the design through to layout and send the print files to a local printshop via emailfor the builder to pick up and to settle the printshop account. The builder's name appears on the drawings and he assumes full responsibility for all aspects of the design. If he has any concern about the structural design, or building code, etc, and this is based on his experience and skills, he'll use a licensed PE to certify the design.

Works well for me.

Good luck.

PS I should add that I do this purely as a hobby to keep the mind active and the learning process moving forward.