Architect, Chris Novelli creates custom residential architecture for clients who do not want a cookie-cutter solution. For people who understand that good design and energy efficient sustainable construction methods can increase the quality of their lives.
A bathroom off the mud room isn't a bad idea. I generally don't like for bathrooms to be off the foyer, though. The foyer is your statement entry into the house and should be appealing and bathrooms just aren't. So if you're going to have only a single half bath on the ground floor, I'd consider either placing it in a hallway away from the view of the living spaces, or I'd put it off the mud room. Personally, I'm fine with houses that are excessively deep or wide, so long as the rest of the layout is sufficient to compensate for the lack of natural lighting. I can always design in a suitable amount of artificial lighting into a design, but sometimes you can't get the layouts you want in narrower house designs with better light penetration. I do like the idea of an entry view that allows you to see all the way through to the yard behind the house. Makes it feel both intimate by making the space seem smaller, but also expansive because you're seeing out into the yard and nature. The house designs I'm seeing little segments of do look rather charming. I disagree a bit on the roof forms. I actively prefer houses that have some character to their roof designs. A house with a single ridge roof just looks weird and dull to me. Should you add complexity to the roof just for the sake of it? Absolutely not. If it doesn't serve a purpose then don't include it. Dormers should be functional. If you've added additional hip and valley structures then it should be because they were necessitated by an extension from the main body of the house, etc. Though my beef with simple roof designs is more or less a beef with simple house designs more than anything. If you're trying to cram everything into a simple square or rectangular structure to save on roof and wall complexity, then the spaces tend to become difficult to design efficiently or creatively compared to a more free-form design that you have to figure out a roof structure to suit after the fact. I'd much rather end up with a slightly complicated roof design with more visual flair than have to compromise on layout efficiency or aesthetic layouts. Just avoid a bedroom that is east-facing with lots of windows unless you want to put a light-blocking coating on the outside of the windows. Been there, done that. Such a bedroom gets excessively bright and excessively hot in the morning. Storage is so absolutely vital and I find it legitimately offensive how little some architects and home design studios seem to consider this feature. You should take the opportunity to add storage wherever possible in a home. A coat closet off the entry foyer is fantastic, but can be substituted for a cabinet or coat rack/bench/shoe cubby piece of furniture if the space simply isn't available in the budget. Hall closets, linen closets, pantries, broom closets, and other general purpose storage are all quite important and it's useful to consider not only the placement but the necessary size of each of these. I've seen way too many floor plans that are decently large, in the 2400-3000 sqft range, where there just aren't any general purpose storage, the pantry is too small or absent, etc. Like, I can understand if you don't have hall closets and entry closets in a sub-1000 sqft 2 bedroom 2.5 bath house. That's a compromise necessitated by the small footprint of the house. But when you're designing larger houses where you can spare some square footage, I'd rather make the spaces more functional than just make them larger. I absolutely agree about modern home designs being acoustic nightmares. They don't use sound dampening drywall, the flooring is typically a laminate or engineered hardwood, so it doesn't absorb any sound either, and the openness of the living spaces make for a very echoing house design. Personally, I love carpet. It feels nice to walk on, it absorbs sound well, and it can get quite a bit dirtier before it becomes legitimately uncomfortable to walk on barefoot. I also don't particularly care for excessively tall ceiling heights. a 9-10' ceiling is comfortable. Anything up to about 12' is still acceptable. But some of these vaulted ceilings and two-storey spaces are just excessive and become a challenge to heat and cool properly, among other problems. If I were speccing for my dream home then it would absolutely include sound dampening drywall and interior insulation and doors so that people hear less of the noise from other parts of the house once they close the door to a room. It's also one of the reasons why I like this modern trend of separating off the master suite from the other bedrooms and separating the other bedrooms from each other with bathrooms. Anything to provide that little bit of separation from potential sources of noise. I also dislike open lofts in the first place. I'd rather just have a separate space. Ooh. I like this. People already forget to design around potential furniture placement, so there's rarely a chance that they plan for the ingress and egress of the furniture in the first place. Basically, if your doorways and hallways are the minimum required by code then there's a good chance that it'll be an absolute pain to move furniture into that house. Also, on a side note, there are exterior doors available which feature a side light that can be opened like a French door to allow for things like appliances to be more easily moved into the house. Just make sure to buy one that features top and bottom locking bolts to ensure that it can function securely when you don't want it to open. A pantry is really a necessary feature. Ideally that space isn't shared with the laundry either. My favorite house designs feature a pass-through pantry with an additional butler's pantry with a bar sink which is accessible to the dining area or living space. This way it can function as a wet bar or a conveniently accessible place to store snacks. I will also never say no to a pantry designed to be large enough for a separate freezer. It can be a chest freezer or an upright freezer or refrigerator, but having an extra cold box in your house will rarely seem excessive if you've ever visited someone who has one. This is particularly true for people who like to host gatherings at their place, since it provides an excellent staging ground for pre-prepared foods, desserts, dishes, etc. so you can just toss them straight from the fridge onto the counter or into the oven without inconveniencing yourself by cluttering up your regular fridge with such things. Fundamentally, a good house design will always be a good house design even if the finishes are cheap. But even the most expensive finishes cannot save a bad house design. Functionality is not dependent on the quality of the finishes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My personal addition to this list: if you're designing a luxury home and the home owner can already afford to consider a 2500+sqft floorplan, don't skimp on the bathrooms. You want to know what true luxury feels like? It isn't finish quality or excessively large rooms. It's the ability for every single person living in the house to be able to go poop their guts out at the same time after the family gets food poisoning. My ideal is somewhat outside the norm, but I like to have all of the bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms with an additional half bath on every floor with a living space. Install a magnetic vent filter on the bathroom and leave the door closed if it doesn't get used often, then you won't need to clean it very often. But on those rare instances where everyone needs to go all at the same time, there's no more luxurious feeling than knowing that this isn't a problem. I've even seen crazy designs where the master suite features his and hers 3-piece bathrooms. I saw a design for a 4 bedroom 4.5 bath house that actually had what amounted to 5.5 baths because of this excessively luxurious master bath setup. And that house wasn't even excessively large at 2400sqft. Obviously there were compromises, but that amount of luxurious functionality is hard to beat. Another thing of note: bonus spaces like upstairs home theaters/rec rooms or basements are less likely to be utilized if there are no other features on that floor that allow them to function as additional living spaces. A wet bar with a mini-fridge and a microwave can dramatically improve the utilization of an upstairs theater.
1. Locating bathroom/powder room near the entrance, kitchen, dining or living room 0:47 2. Having your house too wide/deep 2:35 3. Not thinking about the views 3:57 4. Complicated/overdone roof forms 5:55 5. Not designing for the sun and daylight 6:53 6. Not thinking about the storage you actually need 9:03 7. Not thinking about acoustics 9:55 8. Not thinking about how furniture is going to be moved into a space 12:19 9. Not giving enough priority to a kitchen pantry or back-of-the-house kitchen 14:38 10. Prioritizing finish materials over the performance of your house 16:05
So if i go to an architect and i already have the land. Could they also help me to find the right location for the house? I was considering these steps as we are self employed and wanted to build things while we have a job here: 1 purchase land and start paying off 2 install driveway and excavate building area 3 install septic & potentially well / or already run electrical/water/internet lines depending on price With a 5 acre property and water at street when does it make sense to use public water or well? I would like to have electrical lines underground. So trench needs to be layed anyways Thanks for advice
Do you design homes based on feng shui or any type of flow? We are currently living in a house and it doesnt matter where you put a bed in any bedroom you always run into the bed when entering the room or youre blocking a window... So annoying.
Great video, Chris! I'm a big advocate for the EntreArchitect community and have recommended it to numerous clients and friends from small architectural firms.
Wow. Fantastic work. It's very spooky as we're in the early stages of remodelling our family home a very similar (incredibly boring) 1980 Garrison colonial in Norfolk MA. Although we were not able to increase the footprint of the home, we are adding on a new modern entryway and extending a single story element upward with a front gable to create a new suite and gain a much needed 2nd bathroom. Replacing all existing ugly double hung for larger casements and adding arch detail to the new gables with triangular picture windows. Adding wide siding and cedar sections on the new gabled areas. Could not agree more with what you said about modernising the cookie cutter mass produced colonials. We are a British family and cannot understand why buyers do not want to embrace modern housing styles. I liken it to the "Mock Tudor" look that Brits tried do so from the 1950's to the 1980's in UK.
I asked my architect about the expected cost per square meter in my region. He answered it fairly quickly (based on his current ongoing projects) but immediately said "I always tell people to calculate 10% more, but because your land is about an acre big, add 20-25% more. You'll see why."
Yes prices are always going up so the cost of the current projects which may have been designed and bid out 6 months to a year ago will be less than costs in another 6-18 months. That and having a contingency built in allows your budget to absorb unexpected hits without having to cut things out or reduce quality. The comment about larger land could relate to additional site work that will be required. Especially early on it is better to estimate high and not go to your max budget.
@@n3architecture that's what my friend said as well. He just moved into his new house and he could talk for hours about the things he'd do differently now regarding expenses.
@@cruztube23 I always say it is best to put money into things that cannot be easily upgraded later. So better exterior wall envelope / insulation over nicer countertops as an example.
A few weeks ago I've decided to build a new custom house and as a rookie you can only imagine how I'm overwhelmed by all those details I need to consider. This video helped me so much because there are a few things that I wasn't even thinking about at all, but now are on my list. I'll meet my architect in a few days, I've written so many things that I wanna show him. But I haven't thought about for example bathroom placement, furniture installing, glare on TV, importance of a bigger pantry etc. So, THANK YOU for your valueable advice!
Good luck on this upcoming project and I am glad this video helped. However, if you are just getting started you don't want to get into the details too early. The first steps should be site analysis, programing and a conversation with your architect about how you want to live in your home. One of the best things you can do right now is to create an outline of your daily routines. What does mornings look like, afternoon, weekends, holidays, what is the first thing you do when you come home from work, how do you put groceries away or do laundry. All that stuff right now matters more to establish the layout and flow of the home.
@@n3architecture you just awesome! You're right and I'll do exactly what you said. I'll try to be a client that's not too annoying to work with 😁 it's in my nature to immediately get into every detail, but I'm aware that it's better to be lead properly than to worry about everything. Thank you!🙏🏻
Although I have not been to TEACAM yet, I can say that this group is absolutely authentic. People are friendly and interested in what is happening with you and your business.
Chris, you nailed what this community is all about. Thank you very much for doing this and being a part of it. As a member, I can attest to what was said in this video. This community has been an enrichment for my career and a place where you can come together to discuss ALL aspects of our work. I especially love that we can cheer each other on and take pride in seeing not only our firms grow, but others as well.
If anyone watches this video and signs up for the conference let me know here in the comments and we can meet up for a drink or coffee. See you in Nashville! Attend the Annual Meeting: entrearchitect.com/annualmeeting Join the EntreArchitect Network: entrearchitect.com
Currently looking into floorplans (might be buying/building in the next couple of years), and so many of them have 2 of my pet peeves. A stove in an island or in a coutertop facing a living area. There's nothing to keep splatters (grease, etc) from going into the living area. And a laundry room in the middle of the house with no easy venting to the outside for the dryer.
This is always a dilemma of purchasing stock plans online. Most of the time it is not exactly what you want and more often than not you won't actually be able to build with the plans purchased as they contain minimal information. Then there is the spec home route which could be nice but your options are limited. You may want to watch this video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dKTPgD7_1k8.html
If anyone watches this video and signs up for the conference let me know here in the comments and we can meet up for a drink or coffee. See you in Nashville! Attend the Annual Meeting: entrearchitect.com/annualmeeting Join the EntreArchitect Network: entrearchitect.com
If anyone watches this video and signs up for the conference let me know here in the comments and we can meet up for a drink or coffee. See you in Nashville! Attend the Annual Meeting: entrearchitect.com/annualmeeting Join the EntreArchitect Network: entrearchitect.com
As a longtime EA member, I can testify that all you presented is factual, and that my architectural business was turned around thanks to all I've learned and implemented from this AMAZING community of Architects!!!!
Storage: Utility/mechanical room, pantry, well placed coat closet, linen closets with pass through into bathroom. 4ft hallways and 36" doors, and double front door without blockage upon entry. Forego the 8K$ viking range, buy a very nice 3500$ range and put the 4500$ to deploying Aerobarrier during dried in Framing stage to ensure an airtight/water tight envelope; also you can upgrade appliances incrementally but can get things used if need be or items that have a blemish in an unseen area for 50-70% off much of the time.
@@n3architecture had a client who wanted to take this approach, my GC and myself were discussing doing it right the first time. She was adamant that given her budget she wanted to spend the money making it look expensive. My GC told her, “if you cannot afford for it be expensive they you won’t be able to afford to fix it later nor will you be able to afford the energy bills… so I hope you can afford lots of blankets while you shiver and that looking at shiny things literally warms your heart.” I damn near died laughing. The GC put her in contact with an interior designer he knew and she ended with good looking finishes that were well below the premium price point without the chic brand names. She later thanked him for being so upfront
Avoiding cheap contractors does not get to the root of the issue. It’s more important to vet your contractor thru referral process. Since most general contractors hire subs for all their work, to insure quality workmanship it’s important to give list of subs that you don t want builder to use in building your home. To insure quality materials a list of every material used in building the house should be reviewed with general contractor in putting together their bid on the house.
I would argue that if the person giving the referral is not themselves an expert than the referral does not carry as much weight. I have talked with many people who have said what an amazing job their contractor (or architect or____) has done only to walk through the house or see pictures taken during construction and see pretty obvious mistakes. Yes, get referrals, but take them with a grain of salt. Most quality GC's will use the same team of subs for their projects whenever possible. This is not only because the sub gives a good price but also because the sub does quality work. The work of the subcontractor also reflects on the reputation of the general contractor. If a GC does not have a good network of subs that is a red flag. Your point of having a list of subs not to use is valid, but again it depends on who generated that list and if they are actually qualified to judge the work other than something looking good. Making sure that quality materials are used on the project is also part of the architect's job. If someone is using an architect for their new home or renovation than the architects plans will (should) have all the requirements. All contractors would be bidding off the plans which become an instrument of service in the contract between client and contractor. If a contractor is not bidding off of the materials and systems noted on the plans and just doing whatever they want that is a clear and obvious sign that they should not be the contractor for the project. To get back to your fist statement - you are correct if you avoid cheap contractors does not automatically mean that your project will be done correctly and it also doesn't mean that a smaller contractor just starting out without the resources available that larger firms have is bad. The point I was making in the video is that if you receive multiple bids and your only determining factor is who has the cheapest price, you are more likely not to achieve the desired results.
The only experience I have with a central vac system is in an old friend's house from high school. His family seemed to like it. But I have never lived in a house with a central vac system, nor have I designed a house where the client wanted one installed. I don't have any info on if they are good, or bad, convenient or a hassle.
My aunt has a central vac. She has several plugs throughout the house too attach the vacuum. She stores the hose in the mud room. Its just hanging on the wall. Theyve lived in that 3 story house for over 20 years and I believe it has never failed. Never asked how they clean it though
regarding acoustics, do u consider drywall a hard surface? mitigation tips? our great rooms will look like your pic less the loft area. just an open bridge on each side. Would insulation in the walls help? excellent content.
Yes, drywall is a hard surface and it will bounce sound around the room. Insulation inside the interior walls helps for sound transmission between rooms. (I would recommend Rockwool) There are other things you can do as well to help sound transmission between different rooms - staggered studs, mounting the drywall onto resilient channels rather than directly to the studs, sound board under the drywall, etc. For controlling sound within a large open room look to implementing sound absorbing materials where you can - area rugs, fabric furniture, window treatments, etc. You can also install sound absorbing finishes such as Acoustical Wood Slats, these are strips of wood that are mounted over a black sound absorbing material, they look good on an accent wall, behind a tv or even mounted on the ceiling. Here is a brand I have used in the past. www.thewoodveneerhub.com/collections/decorative-slat-wood-panels?gadid=626363648769&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzva1BhD3ARIsADQuPnXGDJ-FT3I9RRw29-HOk1MqIepTJc34auApic9bgUkRd4OY6m4JWOwaAh_pEALw_wcB
I enjoyed your vid and guidance it will help immensely. Suggestions1) for a list of 10 things insert a transition slide with the # and title. i like to go back yo specific areas. this will help me find things. include the full list of titles at the end.
Thanks for watching and Im glad you found it helpful. As you can tell I am not a video editing expert and this was one of my earlier videos. Thanks for the tips.
Yes all of these points (and more) would apply to a renovation project as well. I have worked on several projects that are outside of my general region and in other parts of the country. That is all possible you just need to evaluate the pros and cons and to find the right people to team with for your project.
Thanks for being so thorough… I read it all. Q. Are you working within the ICF foam for electrical etc, or framing with 2x next to the exterior walls for that?
As of right now we are utilizing the foam for any wiring, all plumbing and hvac are kept off the ICF walls. They may consider adding strapping to the inside to give a space to run wires without having to cut into the foam.
I can NEVER pee when someone has a powder room in the entry. You can always hear the sink turn on from the outside, the flush etc and it makes me tense. Putting it beside the pantry and near stairs is so genius for soundproofing.
