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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    6

    Self Taught Home Designers?

    I have been reading textbooks on architecture/home design. I am wondering if there are any CA users that are self-educated in home design that design professionally or as a side job? Anybody?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 1999
    Location
    Austin, Texas, USA
    Posts
    6,117
    I do twenty to thirty custom homes per year. My University training was in Music Performance, I never lost my affinity for Music but found a professional home using Chief Inc software to help visualize Architecture for others. Most of the homes I design are directly with the owners of Home Designer Software but many if not all of them also use Chief Architect Premier or Home Designer software, at least initially. So I help others get their desires into a format that can easily be shared with other building and financial professionals, that is my niche.

    DJP

    David Jefferson Potter

    Chief Architect ® Trainer, Beta Tester, Draftsman, Author of "Basic Manual Roof Editing" and Problem Solver
    Win7 Ultimate x64 & XP Pro x32, 500 Gb Samsung SSD
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    Chief 7-X6, Home Designer versions 7-2014
    3101 Shoreline Drive #2118, Austin, Texas 78728-4446
    Office Phone:512-518-3161
    Main E mail: david@djpdesigns.net
    Web Site:http://djpdesigns.net
    My You Tube Channel
    Help is just an e mail or call away!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Picton New Zealand
    Posts
    43
    Interesting Question/Topic
    I started out as an electrical engineer, shot deer, chamois, thar and pigs on foot and from helicopters for a living for 7 years. Did electrical marine work in between. Was an area electrical inspector for a short period. Worked for an Nth American Co as a development engineer for 8 years, got sick of travelling, so gave that up. I was alway interested in the construction industry so started out in a small way, built up my brand and expanded into high end residential as well as commercial. During this period I worked with some very interesting and predominate architects, a lot of the work was quite complexed and complicated and so I become more heavily involved with the design side, in the end I was providing the architects with full construction drawings as in a some cases they didn't have the on site knowledge to make things work, in the end I was providing a design and build service. In the early stages of this process it was draughting machines and pencils, got sick of the smudgy paper then moved into CAD which I taught myself, started with a basic program, tried others, had CA since V10 now have VX5 which I think is very good, easy to use, suits most of my needs except for a few fiddle arounds. Been using CAD programs for 18-20 years, still learning, still not an expert. I have be accredited by the NZ DHB and are now a qualified licensed designer, as are architects.

    I had the construction company for 26 years and are now semi retired, now doing design work mainly for residential new builds and alterations providing the complete package, concepts, full design, building consents and project management.

    I still enjoy doing the design work as it keeps you in touch with the industry and people, takes the boredom out of sitting on the back of the boat dangling a fishing rod, walking through the bush looking for a deer or walking up a river fly fishing for a trout, Yer right!

    In the past 5-7 years the construction industry has gone through some major changes in NZ, now every one that is involved with the construction industry, professional or qualified trades people have to be licensed, many are finding it to tough and are moving on, the good ones are staying.

    The construction industry has become more than just hammer and nails, its a profession now, if you keep up with the speed of the ever increasing changes you can make an enjoyable and rewarding profession out of it.

    I have really enjoyed my time in the construction industry, designing and building is another form of creative art, starting with a few materials which are basically formed from clay, stones, trees, metals etc, it gives one the ability to create, form, interact, stand back and look at where you have come from and where you are going.

    PS. I haven't had a job selling bread yet, maybe in the next life, I'm sure the job could be moulded into something

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    4,874
    I don't think anyone here is really self taught, They learned it from somebody over the years. What I found out is some things you learn are wrong, and that's how we learn.
    Perry
    P.H. DESIGNS L.L.C.
    Eastvale Calif.
    Alienware, liquid cooled
    Ver 10-"X6 x64 SSA
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    Nvidia GTX780 3GB.
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    40" led monitor

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Picton New Zealand
    Posts
    43
    That's correct, to qualify it, I have learnt a lot from this forum I hope that's where I haven't gone wrong

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Arroyo Grande, CA
    Posts
    5,312
    I'm sure this will add to my unpopularity here, but I see a whole lot of unnecessarily bad design on this forum. It is a good place to learn how to use the program, but very little of that teaches you how to DESIGN. It's like expecting the instruction manual for a chop saw to teach you how to create a beautifully executed miter in some crown molding.

    Bryce Engstrom: Architect, LEED AP
    www.engstromarchitecture.com
    Chief X6 Beta
    Sketchup Pro 6, Free 8, Thea Render, Lumion
    Chief to Kerkythea & Thea Render Converter

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Arroyo Grande, CA
    Posts
    5,312
    Not true. Fundamental design skills can be, and are, taught successfully. That doesn't make you the new Frank Lloyd Wright or Frank Gehry but it can make you at least a competent designer. We're not talking about abstract expressionism here, we're talking about tangible things like floor plan flow and function, scale, balance, composition, proportion, proper access to natural light, responding to local environments, sustainability, etc. Quality residential design is not just in the "eye of the beholder". It can be quantified.

    Bryce Engstrom: Architect, LEED AP
    www.engstromarchitecture.com
    Chief X6 Beta
    Sketchup Pro 6, Free 8, Thea Render, Lumion
    Chief to Kerkythea & Thea Render Converter

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Carmel, California
    Posts
    1,355
    If you believe that good design can not be taught you need to visit an architectural school and see the first year work vs. the 5th year work. The benefits of design and art school are tremendous. Especially a studio environment where you can experience the creative process of many people instead of only one (you).

    Can you be self taught and competent? Maybe. Can you be self taught and great? Doubtful. Can you be self taught and mediocre? With effort.
    This is not to say that design school is a guarantee of being very good but it certainly betters your chances of getting beyond competent.

    Based on the range of design work that I have seen posted on this forum, there are absolutely some people more qualified than others to judge what is good and what is bad. Residential design is primarily not subjective. The sculptural aspect of certain designs may be subjective but space planning, flow and proportion are not. Things like line and form are more towards subjective but trained designers will often be on the same page in regards to these things.

    There will always be extreme outlying exceptions to the self taught rule. Craig Ellwood is a modernist example of this. He was an engineer and builder with a great sense of aesthetic and became the designer.
    alan lehman - Lehman Design Studio - Carmel, CA
    www.LehmanDesignStudio.com
    vX5 with the latest patch
    Intel i7-3770k cpu @ 3.5ghz, 16gb mem., Win 7, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660
    "No rest for the wicked or the freelancers."

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Olympic Peninsula, WA
    Posts
    1,883
    Quote Originally Posted by sutcac View Post
    ... That doesn't make you the new [] Frank Gehry
    .

    I would not call Mr Gehry a skilled designer, but obviously many do. I totally agree that good design can be taught, but the teacher may be a university, job experience, or fine observation.
    Kind Regards,
    Dave Pitman

    Current Version: X5
    System
    Win-7 64 bit
    Intel i7 930 (2.8 ghz x 4)
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    12 gb ddr3 ram

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 1999
    Location
    NH
    Posts
    353
    Used to, but very little these days due to the economy that hasn't fully recovered. Most of the builders around here are getting by with remodeling projects, plus re-sales dominate the market.

    I started with CA5 back in 1999 & used their VHS cassettes (16 of them & I still have them), plus the manual to learn. Subsequently upgraded to CA6, CA9.5 and CA10 which is my latest version. It's been a good ride, but with the market as it is & my age I don't expect to be working with CA much longer, if at all for local builders.
    Al

    As I age I find I'm losing my memory... and that is a load off my mind!
    CA 10.08a
    Previous User of V5.0, 6.0 & 9.54 ... I think?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Picton New Zealand
    Posts
    43
    Quote: ("I believe the word here is talent" - "you have the talent or you don't")
    Architecture, design, art or what ever you want to call it

    Who taught the great painters and artist over time?, I believe they may have been "self taught", most of them couldn't afford to own a donkey, horse and cart, go to day care, school, college or dare I say it "art school"

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    4,874
    or dare I say it "art school"
    Hey, my major in college started out "ART" but I changed it to Architecture. I didn't want to starve to death my whole life.
    Perry
    P.H. DESIGNS L.L.C.
    Eastvale Calif.
    Alienware, liquid cooled
    Ver 10-"X6 x64 SSA
    WIN 8.1 PRO 64 bit
    Nvidia GTX780 3GB.
    i7 920 2.67-- 12 GB Ram
    40" led monitor

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Picton New Zealand
    Posts
    43
    Toughen up three meals a day of porridge doesn't cost much

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    2,112
    Quote Originally Posted by michaeljames View Post
    Who taught the great painters and artist over time?, I believe they may have been "self taught", most of them couldn't afford to own a donkey, horse and cart, go to day care, school, college or dare I say it "art school"
    To whom are you referring? Rembrandt? Michelango? Virtually all of the great painters and sculptors spent a significant period of time as apprentices to other painters and sculptors. Pick someone you think is "great" and do a search for their background on wikipedia. You will find that virtually NO ONE was "self taught." Well, maybe Grandma Moses was self-taught, but I would not put her work in the same category as Rembrandt or Michelangelo.
    Richard
    ---------------
    Richard Morrison
    Architect-Interior Designer
    X6 Premier, Win8 64
    http://www.richardmorrison.com

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    2,112
    The definition of "self-taught" apparently only means "didn't get a degree in architecture." Let's take Michael Scott, for example. From his wiki entry:

    "Scott became an apprentice for the sum of £375 per annum to the Dublin architectural firm Jones and Kelly.[1] He remained there from 1923 until 1926, where he studied under Alfred E. Jones. In the evenings after work, he also attended the Metropolitan School of Art and the Abbey School of Acting, taking minor parts in Abbey productions. On completing his pupilage he became an assistant to Charles James Dunlop and then had a brief spell as an assistant architect in the Office of Public Works."
    Richard
    ---------------
    Richard Morrison
    Architect-Interior Designer
    X6 Premier, Win8 64
    http://www.richardmorrison.com

 

 

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