Patrick Hansford Associates Residential Design Journal

The Farm - Schematic Design

2009-09-26T19:02:27Z

We have completed the charrette with the Owners. We have returned to our office and developed the ideas generated during the charrette into rough concepts. If you remember, we developed three ideas for The Farm.

Generating these multiple ideas quickly allows our clients to look at as many ideas as possible for their project. From these rough concepts, we work with our clients to develop the schematic design. By definition, the schematic design will begin to define the spatial qualities, materials, and construction methods for the project. The drawings generated during schematic design are not suitable for construction, but a quality contractor can typically use the schematic design to begin developing a construction budget. It is the responsiblity of the Owner to contract with a contractor to construct the project and provide assistance in developing budgets. We can provide general costs, typically based on a square foot basis or a item-by item basis. Currently we are seeing additions being constructed for $100 to $120 a square foot. A standard kitchen renovation can start at $30,000 and go as high as $60,000. The cost in kitchens is the cabinetry, countertops (granite typcially) and plumbing/electrical. Costs are not necessary for materials as much as for labor. It takes great skill to do an addition where the new floors align with the exsiting floor. You need to find the right builder who specializes in additions and renovations.

The schematic design is the when we start generating drawings on the computer. We show the existing plan of the house and the walls, doors, windows and so on that will be removed; commonly called a demolition plan. We also show the new work in plan form. We also begin to provide exterior elevations. Depending on the complexity of the project, schematic design drawings may include a building section.

A few comments about architectural drawings. Many people have trouble “reading” architectural drawings. A floor plan is a top view of your house with the roof removed. If you can imagine hovering above your house in a helicopter and you could remove the roof....... that’s a floor plan. An exterior elevation is what the front, side and back of your house looks like if you were standing across the street or in your neighbor’s yard. Architectural drawings are two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects, in our case a house. We develop a variety of drawings to represent this complex 3-D object. The contractor will eventually use these drawings to construct your house.

Back to the project at hand........

The Owner’s have reviewed the rough concepts and decided to use Concept A with a few changes. There is nothing wrong with that and it is quite typical. If fact - we encourage this type of input from our clients. Remember - INFORMED DECISIONS. The design will continually be refined throughout the design process.

One decision that has been made is the existing fireplace is to be removed. It does not work and the cost to repair the flue is outside of the budget. There are still a few questions about the lay-out of closets and the front entry........ So we have provided two more concepts based on removing the fireplace.

Some of the changes include eliminating one of the closets on the first floor and making it a computer cubby. This will allow Mom to monitor activity as the children get older and begin to access the internet. The cubby might have shelves intitally to allow for toy storage, but as the children get older, the shelves can be removed and a countertop installed at deck height. This allows for some flexibility.

The general plan of the Master bathroom has been approved. The client has some questions about window placement and possible relocating exisitng windows that are being removed as part of the project. We will look into these issues and provide some ideas for the Owner to review.

Remember - nothing is cast in stone, flexibility is the key word..... particularly on our part. We need to remove our ego from the process and provide sound advice based on our experience. If we feel something is not the best solution, we need to demonstrate this to the client. The process is not about us doing everything the client wants........ we would not be providing good service if we did not inform our clients of our opinions.

Here are the two concepts for the first floor at Schematic Design and the Master bathroom. The exterior elevations have begun to be developed and those are also provided to the clients. Compare them with the photos of the existing house.

The completion of the Schematic Design is another pausing point for our clients to review the design and to respond with questions. Typically, there are still changes requested by the Owner, but as time goes by, the changes are less and less, but focused more on details rather than large concepts.

Next time - We take the comments from the Schematic Design and begin to develop the construction drawings. Guess what...... design decisions are still being made.

The Farm - The Design Charrette

2008-05-02T23:43:29Z

We have scheduled our first meeting with the Owner. This meeting is the design charrette. The charrette is the part of our process that separates us from other architects and certainly from residential designers.

A charrette is when an architect or designer develops a design for a project in a condensed period of time. Charrette is a term used extensively in architectural education and is synonymous with “brainstorming”. The term is thought to have originated at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris during the 19th century. Charrette is derived from the French word for “cart” or “chariot”. According to architectural legend, students at the Ecole would work furiously to complete their work as a cart was pushed passed their desk. The students had to place their completed project in the cart as it passed or the work would be considered late and not be accepted.

We conduct a charrette with all our residential clients. The task typically takes 2 -3 hours. Everyone is allowed to pick up a pencil and draw their ideas. The purpose of the charrette is to quickly look at different ideas. It works best for additions and renovations. It allows our clients the opportunity to express their ideas and to discuss the pros and cons in an informal setting.

The process reduces our design time by letting our clients participate in the actual design process. They can see very quickly why a particular idea should not be pursued. Any number of things might eliminate an idea. Structural concerns., roof lines, circulation, cost issues, or conflicts with existing site conditions. You might not add on the one side of the house due to the septic system. The clients might want to preserve a view after seeing an idea on paper.

The intent is to look at all possible ideas at the beginning of the project. No one wants to get the project build and wonder why they did not do something else. Typically its your mother-in-law or that know-it-all “friend” who ask why you didn’t do it this way or that way..... Our clients can respond, “We looked your idea and these where the issues that were left unresolved by that approach.”

The drawings produced during the charrette are free-hand and rough to say the least. It is all about getting as many ideas out on the table for review and discussion. Paper is cheaper than studs. We use the base drawings created at the beginning of the project to overlay our design ideas.

Here are what charrette drawings typically look like .....

We try to develop 2, 3, even 4 ideas during the charrette. We take those rough sketches back to the office and develop them to a level that can be reviewed. These “rough concepts” are drawn to scale and are typically quickly drafted with felt markers.

Here are the three ideas developed for the Farm.

Concept One creates a large walk-in closet for coats and a second closet for toys. The existing fireplace, which needs repaired, is removed. A porch providing shelter for the front entry is created and a formal foyer is defined. Views are opened to the long entrance drive for visual control.

Concept B keeps the existing fireplace as a cost savings idea. Note that much less closet space is provided and visual control of the entrance drive is obscured.

Different master bathroom arrangements were developed. Concept B keeps existing plumbing fixtures in their current location, while Concept A and Concept C (not shown) completely rework the bath area and provide a more contemporary arrangement of fixtures.

These drawings are presented to the client for further review and discussion. Typically one design is selected over the others with modifications. Sometimes we end up with a new design concept melding ideas from the various concepts. Again - the intent is to provide our clients with lots of opportunities to have input during the actual design process and to allow them to make informed decisions.

In this case, obtaining visual control of the entrance drive onto the farm became important, as did providing plenty of closet space for toys and coats. The master bath was designed to allow two work parents the ability to share the bathroom each morning and evening.

Next time - We take the selected Concept - Concept A in this case - and develop the schematic design, including building elevations.

The Farm - Starting the Project

2007-12-27T00:45:15Z

In my second installment, we began to introduce our design process and we were going to follow a project through the design process........ well, that project is still on hold from the Summer. So I have decided to move forward with another project.

As stated before, I have developed a design process that provides our clients the ability to be actively involved in the design, plus the process provides them lots of information during design. Our process affords our clients the ability to make informed decisions. Or simply stated......

Architecture is a process that allows our clients to make informed decisions.

The Project - The Farm

This project is small, but complex. The Owners are a young couple with two small children. They purchased the property over three years ago. The property is a rural farmstead with a house and two barns. The Owner rents the tillable land to a local farmer and is preserving the wooded areas of the property in their natural state.

The house is a one and a half story wood frame structure with complex roof forms. Stylistically, the house is something of a cross between a Cape Cod and a Tudor. The house has had a variety of improvements and modifications. Some good, some not so good.

At some point, the original entrance to the house was closed off and moved to a rear porch. The house presently does not have a public face.

The master bedroom is located on the second floor. The master bath occupies a dormer. The bathroom is small and the tub is located under the roof line. You can use it as a tub, but forget about the shower - unless your under 4 foot tall.

The Owners have requested our assistance in developing a new public entry to the house and to design a new master bathroom.

Homework - Zoning Requirements

Before our first project meeting with the client, the project starts with us conducting some basic research and a little footwork. We have to research the local zoning ordinance for building setback requirements, allowable lot coverage, allowable height, and in some locations, allowable materials. For the project under consideration - a residential renovation in a rural township - this required contacting the Township Zoning Office.

The existing house is well within the building setbacks for the property and there will be no zoning code issues to address.

Homework - Base Drawings

The second thing we need to do is field measure the house. Field measuring and drafting the base drawings allows me to get a good sense of the house. I can start to see how spaces and elements of the house relate to each other. In this case, there are a variety of roof forms. Just our luck, every roof has a different slope. We will have to work extra hard to make any addition look natural.

Here are the some of the base drawings for this house.

Now its time to schedule our first meeting with the Owner. This meeting is the design charrette. The charrette is the part of our process that separates us from other architects and certainly from residential designers.

The Quiet Retreat......... Finished for the Holidays

2007-12-01T00:46:31Z

Construction was completed a few weeks ago and we finally got a chance to visit The Quiet Retreat this afternoon. As you can see from the photos, the Owner have a few things left to complete such as hanging pictures, getting furniture out of storage, and planting grass. Landscaping and grass will have to wait until Spring.

The Owner is doing her own interior design and she has nice taste. The colors are a Craftsman palette. They are warm and change throughout the day. She is using a wonderful mix of modern craftsman pieces and family antiques. Christmas decorations are throughout the house. I’m sure Santa will find his way to the “New House”.

The wood sunscreen (Trellis) on the West elevation controls light in the Master Bedroom. The Owner says she is loving the Master Suite with its variety of spaces. It provides a quiet retreat at the end of a busy day raising two active children. The secondary entrance into the Master Suite allows the Husband to leave for work without interrupting a sleeping Mom.

Enjoy the photos and compare them to the before’s posted in the previous entry.

The next entry will begin to document a small entry and Master Bath addition.

The Quiet Retreat

2007-09-01T22:24:45Z

To keep somewhat of a regular schedule of journal entries, I am going to discuss a project that is currently under construction. Our services are complete. The project went through our normal design process that I will be documenting on the Ranch I discussed last entry.

The existing house is situated on five acres of land. It is in a rural setting located on a very quiet road. The family has four members. Mom, Dad, a preteen daughter and a young son.

According to our client, the house was designed and built by the original owner, who was not a professional builder. It was built in 1964. It is a split-level house with a basement. To say that the property itself is the asset and not the house would be an understatement. However, we are seeing a lot of people currently wanting to stay in their present location and upgrade the house to meet their needs.

This house is a prime example. The property is secluded and development will not come here. A quarry is located across the street and its operations are long since closed at this end of the road. It is nicely landscaped and closed to the public. The rear of this property opens out onto pastures.

Here is the existing plan of the house. (Blue indicates existing elements in our drawings, while black indicates new work)

This client has looked at a lot of new homes being built in the area. For much more money, they could get a house the same size as they presently own without the land. It is not hard to see why they chose to stay and remodel. They have lived in their current home for some time and have built up equity. For about half the cost of a new home, they are nearly doubling the size of their living space.

A quick note - There are three bedrooms on the top level of the house. The bedrooms will get minor upgrades in finishes and new windows, but not much else. The former living room/kitchen level is being converted into a Master Suite with connections to the outside. When this house is complete, it will be a four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house.

The focus of the new project was to make this house function better as a family home. A new larger kitchen that opened into the living spaces as a requirement. The living spaces actually being connected to the exterior was a requirement.

The entry has been relocated to be the focus of the new design - instead of the garage door. The entry is emphasized. The former entry will be closed and a new trellised porch will provide Mom and Dad a quiet place to begin or end their day.

The former garage has been converted into a new entry and support spaces. A small music room (or as Sarah Susanka would call it- an away room) and computer alcove will allow Mom to enjoy a book, but have auditory control of the Great Room.

The Master Bedroom will be a real Master Suite with a sitting area, the trellised porch, a large private bath and a walk-in closet. The basement below is unfinished and made this a natural and inexpensive location for new plumbing. (informed decisions)

The rest of the photos are befores and current state of construction, which should give you an idea of the new forms and features of the house.

Preparing the project......doing my homework..........

2007-08-24T11:55:55Z

As I stated in my first entry, I am going to follow one of our residential renovation projects from the beginning of design through construction. This will not happen over a couple of weeks counter to what many people think. What takes a few episodes on This Old House actually takes months...... six to nine months. Unfortunately, television either never shows the design process. Hopefully you will get a better sense of that process by following a few of our projects. Here is the first project. A simple ranch house from the late 1960's -early 1970's.

Over the years, I have developed a design process that provides our clients the ability to be actively involved in the design, plus the process provides them lots of information during design. Our process affords our clients the ability to make informed decisions. Or simply stated......

Architecture is a process that allows our clients to make informed decisions.

It is that simple. I don’t need a big mission statement about how wonderful we are or how we improve the built environment with every stroke of our Sharpie marker. Isn’t that inherently understood with the profession of architecture. Does the Post Office really need to state they will deliver your letter efficiently and quickly when you drop it in the mailbox. That’s the basic charge of being a letter carrier. Same with architecture and architects. Our portfolio of work speaks for itself.

Before our first project meeting with the client, the project starts with us conducting some basic research and a little footwork. We have to research the local zoning ordinance for building setback requirements, allowable lot coverage, allowable height, and in some locations, allowable materials. For the project under consideration - a residential renovation in a rural township - this required contacting the Township Zoning Office.

Every community has its own zoning ordinance and every community is different. A simple phone call to the zoning inspector will get the information we need. With over 20 years of experience, I know what questions to ask.

The zoning information will help us as we begin to design. The existing house for this project is located close to the North property line. Any addition will need to respect the side yard setback.

The second thing we need to do is field measure the house. In this case, the entire house. This project will be a fairly large and complex addition and renovation. This isn’t just adding a great room. We also created a simple massing model of the existing house. The massing model will be used to study the addition as it relates to the existing form and massing of the house.

Field measuring and drafting the base drawings allows me to get a good sense of the house. I can start to see how spaces and elements of the house relate to each other. In this case, there is a large void behind the existing fireplace mass. That could either create problems or opportunity. We have located services and mechanical equipment. There is a lot of information here that we will now have easy access to for developing the design.

Here are the base or the existing drawings for this house. We completed the base drawing within ten days of the contract being signed, which was the middle of July.

Now its time to schedule our first meeting with the Owner. This meeting is the design charrette. The charrette is the part of our process that separates us from other architects and certainly from residential designers. This meeting as already been postponed twice by the Owner. So as you can see, the schedule is already beginning to lengthen.

My next entry will include some construction photos of another house renovation/addition we presently have under construction.

START WORK HERE...................

2007-07-27T12:50:17Z

Welcome to the journal of Patrick Hansford Associates documenting our Residential Design Services. The intent of this journal is to allow readers to see some of our current residential projects under design and construction. We feel we have developed a unique design process for our clients that allows them to make informed decisions. We hope this journal will allow you to understand our design process and how we provide our services for the typical project.

Maybe we should let you know a little about Patrick Hansford Associates. I am Patrick Hansford and Patrick Hansford Associates is my firm. So......... I will quit the third person narrative and make this journal a personal conversation. Before starting my practice in 1994, I worked for small firms (four people or less) and large firms (over 500 people). I enjoyed both experiences. I enjoyed working for the small firms because the relationship with the clients is more personal. This probably is the main reason I continue to provide residential design services.

Typically, Architects quit working on houses once they get established. They want to work on large commercial projects, which is the work that typically wins design awards. I’ve been involved in those types of projects..... seen my work win a few awards..... big deal. Maybe at my age, I don’t need my ego stroked anymore. Quite frankly, our work is about our clients, not our egos.

The first thing I tell potential clients is that we are Architects, not “residential designers” or “draftsmen”. There is a big difference in this distinction. Architects are licensed professionals who have attended and graduated from an accredited Architecture program. This means they have completed either a 5 year Bachelors program or a Masters program in Architecture. After graduating college, Architects must complete a two to three year internship under a licensed Architect. Internship is followed by taking and passing the Architects Registration Exam (ARE) to be legally known as an Architect. The ARE is a multipart test. Prior to computers, the ARE took place over four days, about 12 hours a day, and involved 13 sections covering structural design, materials/methods, site design, planning, contracts, building systems, building design and so on. Once we receive our professional status as a Registered Architect, we are bound by a code of conduct administered by each state government. We also must complete continuing education requirements to maintain our license. It normally takes someone 8 to 10 years to become an Architect.

To call one’s self a “residential designer” requires no formal education, no formal training, and there certainly is no code of conduct or continuing education requirements. They are typically tied to a builder and serve the builder as their client, not the home owner. So you have a big decision to make....... Do you hire a non-licensed person who typically does not have an extensive formal education and will address the builders concerns not yours or someone who has made the personal sacrifices to become an Architect and is concerned about your satisfaction? You are getting ready to make the largest investment in your personal life, who do you chose? We think the choice is clear.

I have been designing residential projects for over 20 years. I worked on the 14,000 SF private residence for a Fortune 500 CEO and I have designed a small 900 SF house for Habitat for Humanity. I am currently designing a master bathroom renovation. It’s a cliché I know, but..... No project is too large; no project is too small.

I do not work for home builders on custom homes or additions/renovations. I provide our services directly to the home owner. I worked for a local architecture firm that provided residential design services. Those services were managed by a partner who was not a registered architect. I watched project after project be driven by the builder, not the home owner. Builders would review and change the design before the homeowner ever saw the design. The builder would constantly remove items from the design, even when the item was specifically asked for by the home owner. When I started my firm, I vowed never to allow the builder drive the project.

To be fair, I have provided design services for production houses for several developers. But in those cases, we are designing for the mass market and the house was to be replicated several times within a single development. Buying a production or mass produced house is a great way for many Americans to get into the housing market. I own several of our production house designs and will be posting them on our website in the near future. I hope to offer them as a stock plan to the public.

However, in our custom work, our focus is the home owner. I hope you enjoy this rare peak into the process of designing, constructing, and renovating houses.

My next Journal entry will be the start of a project for a family of four who have just purchased a house on acreage. They plan on renovating and adding to the house to meet their needs. I invite you to follow the process here at Patrick Hansford Associates. The location of the project and the name of the client will be concealed to protect their privacy.