Hey there - thanks for watching - if you have come to the comments to make mention of the music, I'll save you the trouble and yes, I know the music on this video is too loud and monotonous, several people have already informed me. I hope that didn't take away (too much) from the messages Im trying to share with you. As I learn, I hope to get better at editing. Thanks - Chris
Yup, content is great, but I had a trouble to hear you over it. Especially to understand word acoustic. Many times I had to put back, as I couldn't hear and understand what you were saying. Music was too distracting. English is not my first language, I would appreciate subtitles, if possible. Good luck with spreading your knowledge, I can see, that you truly understand human nature, and environment we're living in.
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
I hate loud background music! It is too distracting! I always feel like they don't feel they are saying anything important so they want to distract from what they are saying. I stopped the video as it was too annoying!
My sister very carefully designed her kitchen, spent a moderate fortune, and eliminated her pantry closet. Oy! She elected to add a corner cabinet lazy Suzanne in which you see the food from the top, and bend over to retrieve it. No…!
Would you please do a video on windows. I feel like it’s a jungle out there. So many have said I should rip out my 100+ year historic windows with aluminum storms. I won’t be doing that. But 50% of my house has replacement windows, aptly named, as they need to be replaced. Any guidance appreciated.
lot of vloggers big mistake is background music is louder than their talks. keep it simple it's not an advertising and English learners can't catch your words even your audiences tired too
Great video Chris, aka my hallway-loving, door-hiding brother! Thought some timestamps might help people out: 0:45 - Bathroom/Powder Room locations 2:36 - Proper Depth and Width of Home 3:56 - Views 5:55 - Roof Forms 6:53 - Sun and Daylighting 9:02 - Storage 9:55 - Acoustics 12:20 - Furnishings & Access 14:38 - Kitchen Pantry 16:05 - Correctly Prioritizing Finish Materials
So glad you mentioned the roof design. I've been looking at house designs and I've been horrified at all the messy roof lines. I'm sure the designers think they're 'interesting' but they look like a hot mess! And yes, they'll be a nightmare to maintain and replace.
Absolutely! - I don't know who originally thought those jumbled roofs would look good, they have certainly taken over in a certain style of home, hopefully people will realize there is a better option.
The idea came from attached townhomes and McMansions in order to break up the big box look, to make it look like an old time mansion that was added on to over the years.
Yes, function over form! Every time! This is what always drove me crazy on all those HGTV shows. It was all about the cosmetic aspects of a house and not the actual function of the house. So load baring walls were knocked down, storage eliminated, and banks of windows added! Yes, I'm looking at you Chip and Joanne! I've lived in Texas. I know what a bank of windows will be like in the heat of an August day. It will render that room unusable. So it's so important to be practical and not just think of that instagram photo. How you will actually be able to live in a house ( and not just whether your family/friends are impressed) is so important.
I agree with everything you have said here, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I absolutely agree with too much glazing in hot climates, especially on the sides of the house that receive direct sunlight. That is just bad / lazy design
Excellent suggestions and I appreciate the fact that you talked about building science toward the end (prioritizing air sealing, using a rain screen behind the siding, etc). Those are vitally important points in the build that most people would skip or skimp on to afford the more expensive fixtures and eye-catching items that could be upgraded at a later time.
This is just plain wonderful. So intelligent! We renovated our house and never gave a thought to acoustics. It's not a problem, because we're quiet people, but we should have thought about it. I agree with you about the fancy roof on McMansions. I call them "witch's cottages."
Thank you for raising this very important and crucial point that what goes behind your drywall and the material that determines the performance of your house is so much more important than for example your stone countertops (which can be changed at ant point down the line) and other superficial items in your house. Unfortunately a lot of builders don't want to bother with these critical details and even more unfortunate is that most consumers (home owners) are not aware of these details and important criteria.
I live in an old home and don’t have a powder room. But the bathroom is nicely tucked away off the hall (builders took these things into consideration back in the day). What I like to do when I have company is have music softly playing in the bathroom. This gives guests the impression that whatever they’re doing in there can’t be heard outside the bathroom and actually makes the bathroom more soundproof. Guests feel comfortable and relaxed.
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
You pointed out some really useful things to consider when designing a home, things I don't think I would have thought of. I bought a already built home and wish I had seen this first, just to give me other things to think about. Thanks!
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.
*My 3 big mistake list.* 1) Never turn a bathroom into a hallway that leads to a clothes closet. 2) Never have one bathroom service in two bedrooms unless the bathroom door is in the hall. You do not want to connect two bedrooms via a bathroom. 3) Never make a kitchen part of the living room or family room. If you do, you will smell all the kitchen smells and listen to the refrigerator and dishwasher motors. Your big entertainment room with a television and stereo should be acoustically isolated from other rooms. Do not make the living room/ family room into a hall that must be walked through to get from one side of the house to the other.
Good list, I think #2 could be made to work if it is done so thoughtfully - and if the purpose of that bathroom is only to serve the two bedrooms and there is plenty of other bathrooms for guests, etc. #3 is a big one, if people only realized how cooking affects air quality they would probably want it completely isolated.
I agree with the Jack-and-Jill bath. I think the only time it might, just possibly, work is if there are same-sex twins who have separate bedrooms and WANT to share a bath between them. But they have to realize that - hey - you're sharing time at the mirror as well as the shower. I sure didn't like sharing a bath with my sister, let alone mom and dad. Which leads to one of MY house-mistakes. Never have more than 2 bedrooms to 1 bathroom. If you have four bedrooms, there should be 2 bathrooms in addition to the master.
I’m over 60 and I no longer want to carry laundry up and down from top to basement. I wish a laundry/linen closet was on the second floor. Yes, having an ensuite in the master bedroom is nice, but I would give that up for a convenient laundry
Big YES on acoustics. We bought a new home a about 10 years ago that had a big entryway that led directly up to second floor. With hardwood floors and reflective walls, we could hear EVERYTHING downstairs when in the upstairs bedrooms. It was a primary reason we sold the house!
Totally agree with last point! Trying to do deep/moderate energy retrofit on an older home is SO hard where I am! To find a contractor to do the unseen, but extremely important things necessary in climate zone 6 usda zone 4 is almost impossible-they give lip service, but then want to do outdated, 30 year old techniques so the can hire untrained labor and can hide sloppy work . When the homeowner is more aware of the building science, there is something seriously wrong! Not having outrageous heating and cooling bills, having a draft free, well balanced HVAC, a house that doesn’t leak or stink, one that breaths and drains well-PRICELESS! Everyone here wants to sell some lick & stick curb appeal look for resale instead of helping us obtain carbon neutrality and age in place! So sick of it! I wish it were easy to hire New England or Canadian building companies to do work in the Midwest! They need the competition!
I absolutely agree! The good thing is there is momentum over the past 5-10 years and more people (homeowners, contractors, and architects) are all getting on board with trying to do things better. Just because it has been done the same way for 25 years doesn't mean that its correct. Feel free to reach out if you need help finding a good contractor. While Im not in the midwest I am part of a large network of architects from all over and I could reach out to see if anyone has any recommendations.
We designed our new build to have our half bath at the end of our laundry room at the furthest corner of the home where there is also a door to the outside. Easy to reach if you need a quick break from being outside and far from everything inside. Best spot!
I've lived in many homes/apartments over my lifetime and learned the importance of storage. Master really should have walk-in closet. Secondary bedrooms need closets that don't have "dead ends". In other words the entire length of the closet needs to be accessible. There needs to be a large pantry as well as a large linen closet that can hold all the necessary bedding. That would be all the sheets, extra blankets, pillows, etc. There should preferably be coat closets at each exterior door. Bathrooms should have their own towel/toiletry storage. Laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms. Nothing more annoying, or to my mind dangerous, as having bedrooms on the 2nd floor and laundry in the basement. Carrying laundry baskets that limit your ability to see where you are walking up and down 2 flights of stairs is inherently dangerous. Last, but not least, a utility closet for mops, brooms, vacuum, cleaning supplies, etc. And don't get me started on kitchens! Or "open concept" ugh.
Wow, greta tips! Had an architect design my last huge 5400 sf house 17 years ago, and still ended up with a powder room in the transition from foyer to kitchen! Right where everyone stood at parties:(. Thanks for great tips for this design! Downsizing, and prepping for architect interviews, and looking for strategies to multi-use rooms, looking forward to more of your videos!
Great video. We were literally designing a floor plan last night for a new build and we spent hours trying to make the bathroom location work so it is tucked away. Also, appreciate you talking about the light. My husband has an app that shows the sun’s path so when we are looking at lots we can see the exposure to various rooms. I agreed 100 percent about the messy roof lines. It seems as we drive around and look at new construction the roof lines have gone crazy. We like some peaks, but generally the classic roof lines look best. We will need to hire an architect but for now we are using floor plan software to get our ideas/desires in place. PS. I didn’t even notice the music. I was focused on the content.
Thanks for your kind words and I would suggest that if you plan on hiring an architect, don't go too far down the path of using a floor plan software - I often see people get too fixated on one thing or another and they put the blinders up, and might miss out on opportunities that they didn't even consider. Instead spend your time documenting how you and your family live in your home - your daily, weekly, yearly routines. Things you like and things you don't like, be specific. Gather some inspirational images, but don't go overboard with that either, write down what it is you like about an image
Excellent presentation. It is a pleasure hearing from a building designer with real-world experience. You know what needs to be done, but then you need to get the client to listen. That can be a problem. After the house is built they come back and say "I wish I had listened", a little too late??? 😂❤
Cool! Thanks for showing plans and pics. Appreciate the points to consider. My dream house will definitely be a collaboration with an architect. THEN comes the interior designer. I know what I like when I see it, but couldn't put it together myself. Moving into an apartment, we had issues with the turn in the stairs and the queen box spring - until I suggested to the guys that they should tilt it the other direction. It worked just fine. Call it the X factor!
I would say if you are going to hire an interior designer along with an architect then hire them concurrently - or hire the ID just after the schematic design phase. The best projects come from collaboration and if your ID is not on the same page as your architect then you can get overlapping styles. Not every project needs a separate ID though, almost always the architect works on the "interior architecture" (we are not talking about decorations here) Stairs, in apartments or houses either need to be wide or a straight run. I have seen too many multifamily projects or small houses where there isnt enough room to move furniture in and out of.
Great advise! Sound control? You nailed it. You left off one of my don'ts. Windows are getting too big and too many. Floor to ceiling windows are expensive and the view they offer is limited by what the ground looks like right next to the window. Oversize windows can create drafts in winter and hot rooms in summer. They consume needed wall space for furniture or art. Bedroom windows should start 48 " up from the floor and only 1 large window is needed by fire code. Picture windows need to actually frame a nice view. Bay windows need to be limited to areas where sitting in front of the window is planned like breakfast rooms. Dark areas can be illuminated with roof mounted solar tube lights. Every window does not need to operate for ventilation. Fixed windows are more energy efficient and cost less. Rooms with too much sunlight will make you want to wear sunglasses indoors. Sun light angles can help or hurt you. Large windows with direct Southern & Western exposure are not needed as much as large windows on the North wall because there is no direct sun. Plan your windows very carefully & you will get the most bang for the buck.
Thanks! and I'd say for the window size it all depends. It depends on style, climate, orientation, quality of window installed, roof overhang, context (view, neighbors, etc) anticipated furniture placement, etc.
@@n3architecture Yes. Thats 7 important considerations. Each deserves it's own lesson. The home buyers budget is #8. More bang for the buck is what great architects do best. We are big on energy efficiency because it increases comfort and saves on energy bills. Windows can be a huge part of that but the cost of great windows can be a deal breaker on limited budgets. Smaller but higher quality windows, that are well placed, are easier on the budget. Most customers love the look of big glass so your job is very hard.
In my rental apartment, my bedroom is on the southeast corner. There are two windows on each exterior wall, for a total of four. It feels way too open to the public, as it were; as though there is more window than wall. Oh, and the view from the living room window wall? That would be the dumpster. My guess is that no architects were involved in the planning of this complex. It was all the builder, who didn't have a clue about design. 🙂
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.
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.
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!🙏🏻
Im glad it was helpful, stay tuned for more tips. You might also want to watch the series of videos where I am designing a custom home for more things to think about. I also have a podcast 'The Home Design Academy' which may have some things that could help and a book I published about what to expect during the process of building a new home. n3architecture.com/resources There are also tons of other resources out there - check out contractor Matt Risinger and the others on his Build show on RU-vid - lots of great information. Good luck with your project.
Really enjoyed watching this video. Your first point about bathroom placement resonates. I've a similar one that is hard for me to understand. I prefer a house plan with living and sleeping spaces separated. On top of it, security is paramount to any homeowner. I do not understand why architects keep coming up with plans that have bedrooms facing the street (less sense of security) and often next to the foyer (awkward). It looks so random that plans often have a den/office/dinning area on one side of the foyer and a bedroom on the other side. We live in a cookie-cutter starter house, but it took us a while to find this because many listings had a bedroom upfront.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and the tips. I also prefer separated living and sleeping spaces. As a note, the vast majority of single family homes (at least in the U.S.) are not designed by architects and the overwhelming majority are not designed for a specific site. Plans that are mass produced are generally not taking into consideration how people actually live. On top of that, in the realm of generic homes there is a lot of copying going on. People get stuck on a style or an idea and then replicate it, even when it doesn't make sense. If I had to guess I would think the office/den on one side of the foyer originated with an idea of someone working from home and having people not walking through their entire house plus the need to support the often overly complex roofs that come down on either side of the foyer, hence a need for a room on each side. Copy and repeat is what most do with homes.
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
Thanks, I am glad you found it helpful. Where are you located / building? I have an architect colleague that designs custom homes specifically for musicians that I could put you in contact with if you are interested. Feel free to send me an email at chris@n3architecture.com - Along with the videos I post here, you might also find some helpful resources here. www.n3architecture.com/resources
What we love about our build choices... 1. Invest in top quality structure and triple pane oversized European windows, even if that means going smaller, but keep ceilings at 9' or higher. 2. Insulation between ALL inner walls for less sounds going through walls. 3. Keep a RR in a corner of the home where you can reach it from outside without having to walk through the home, but far from everything inside. 4. 4ft wide hallways and stairs at minimum when possible. It will help keep walls clean as well as move things around easily. 5. Instead of two front doors, try one oversized pivot door. (Awesome choice we love) 6. If you enjoy the open concepts of kitchens with living, but hate the kitchen noise going into the living room, consider ceiling to floor glass pocket doors that hide into the wall/s when you want the separation. The glass keeps it feeling open, but keeps noise level in kitchen. Then open back up when entertaining. 7. Hiden pantry in kitchen that also goes into an oversized laundry/mud room with a RR. We tend to stay on the first floor most of the day, so our laundry is best on first floor with a laundry chute on second. This way, we aren't running up and down the stairs checking on laundry. 8. Glass doors in the kitchen leading to an "outdoor" dining room atrium for those winter months. Enjoying the beautiful snow days outdoors without the cold. In the summer, open the glass up for cooler feel. (Seriously consider sun when placing an atrium. Ours does not get direct summer south sun.) 9. Don't build according to what others live like or like. Build what YOU love and how YOU live. 10. Don't be house poor. Stay inside a healthy budget. No matter how nice, the home will become your nightmare if you can't afford it with taxes and ghost costs included.
You made great choices and there is a lot that anyone reading can gain from reading your comment and following your examples, especially the last one! Thanks for sharing.
Every single thing you listed is exactly why I hate my current house and why I'm hiring an architect to design the new house. I have an east-facing bay window in the breakfast nook and a west-facing window in the dining room, which are connected by the same walkway through in the kitchen, so no matter which room you're in, you're being blinded while you eat. I have a living room in the middle of the house that has no direct windows; it's always twilight. Furthermore, you have to walk through it to get to the kitchen from any of the bedrooms, which means no matter where you put the furniture, you're always walking into it. On top of that, while sitting on the couch facing the only wall where a tv can go, you can see both the master bedroom and the guest bathroom. The only upside is that the lot is glorious with minimal building restrictions, the property was reasonably priced because the house is terrible, and we knew when we bought it that we'd be tearing it down and replacing it anyways.
Well that sounds like a mess, was it added onto over time? From your description I can see this as a house filled with haphazard small additions. Sometimes you can find a great price on an amazing lot that has an existing house like this. Good luck on the project of building a new house and defiantly keep this list of things you hate handy to tell the architect that you hire.
@@n3architecture I'm quite certain a wall that created a privacy hallway was removed in the name of "open concept," and now it's a little too open. I think the east-west issue was something the builder didn't consider. The dark, sunken living room with no windows was an intentional design choice. I associate that with being very late 70s and early 80s. Lol - at least we don't have an issue with the sun on the tv screen!
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
In fact I specifically want a bathroom right next to the front door. I don't care about guests - I don't have people over that often. But I care about being able to clean up without going into the house. This is mostly my dogs, but not just them. If I'm dripping wet, I want to dry off before walking into the house.
New sub here: love the content. Glad to read you've heard the messages about the music :) It would also be great if you could use text to summarise each point please. I often take screenshots of important info, which saves me from making notes.
If you need to put your toilet near the entry, specify an acoustic door. And wire the light switch or motion sensor to the ventilation fan. So if the room is in use, smells are removed. In New Zealand every toilet must have mechanical ventilation.
This is an excellent list with breat things that don't get enough thought. I just wish the music wasn't so annoying, makes menot want to watch more of your videos. The irony is that i am typing this while listening to ypu excellent comments on home acustics being an issue!
Well, I'm an architect and not a professional video editor. As you can see many many people commented on the volume of the music in this video, which I learned from and newer videos do not have the same loud volume. I'm glad you enjoyed the list though and hope you stick around for more.
Very true, if the entryway isnt open, or if the toilet is tucked around a corner or down the hall a bit than it's a much better solution. Sometimes the better spot is near the entryway, rather than open to a space where people might be gathering.
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
What if not doing an open plan? I want my kitchen and living rooms separated with a fireplace should I still have a view to back yard? Is it better to think for the future for halls, doors and bathrooms how wide should they be for like walkers and wheelchair? Where is the best place to put the mic? I've seen them in the island and the pantry.
You do not have to have an open plan if you don't want to, and many people do not like them. When thinking about views I would suggest you consider what rooms you will be spending the most time in and where would you want that view. (each person will have a different answer) Also consider where the sun is in the morning vs. the afternoon in relationship to these rooms and your daily routines. If you like to wake up and have a cup of coffee early in the morning but putting your living room would mean that your kitchen does not get direct sunlight - that is something to consider. I would always recommend planning for accessibility - walkers, wheelchairs, etc even if it is not an immediate need, you never know what will happen in the future. Plan on 36" wide door for wheelchair access. (entry, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc) but also make sure there is enough clearances to the sides of the door so a wheelchair could be rolled up and access the door handle. Each state has their own regulations and guidelines that your architect, contractor or interior designer could help you with. For the placement of a microwave - or any other appliance - this is a personal decision, there is no one right or wrong answer. Some things to consider - How often do you use it? Will there be accessibility limitations in the future? (because you mentioned wheelchair access, I might avoid placing the microwave up high) Are you the type of person who doesn't mind appliances out on the counter, or the type of person who would want everything tucked away? I would recommend you discuss these with either your architect, interior designer, contractor, or kitchen designer.
Great video - thank you. We are currently designing our retirement home and I am happy to say we considered much of what you shared. I am concerned about acoustics though. I would have liked to have seen some solutions in your video. My husband is hard of hearing (genetic) and will become more so. Loud rooms are difficult. Our designed kitchen is open to the family room with a shed (skillion) roof 10’ on one side and 16’ on the other side to side. We had planned luxury vinyl tile flooring for all but the bedrooms. After watching your video, I am rethinking it. Is there an architectural solution for “hard” surfaces being more noisy in a large room?
If you have area rugs, furniture with fabrics and pillows and window treatments you should be ok. There may be times when it is loud, such as if there are a lot of people in the space, or young children. Usually the spaces that get the noisiest have those conditions + a second floor loft space that is open to the main living area below. If, once you move in, you find it to be too loud you can look into residential acoustical treatments many of which can be mounted on walls or ceilings.
Your videos are great! I've been really zeroing in on #5 - the home in relation to the sun. Its tough finding home styles that do this well when the home faces the street to the east. I'm in the northeast. Optimal sun for heating (and joy) means the widest part of the house runs from front to back in my case to capture all the southern sun during winter, south is the side of the house. Particulalry with a roof that gives southern exposure for solar. I've been lookjng at traditional 2 story styles that have the gable in the front, (so you have southern roof exposure) with the garage roof line perpendicular. Curious of you have any go to examples for a house that makes good use of the sun when it has an east facing street.
Here are some things I would consider: 1.) Do you want your primary bedroom to receive morning sunlight or do you prefer to sleep later and have the room be darker? I would probably locate the primary bedroom on the north side of the house in this situation either way - but you can control the light by having more or less windows on the side that faces east vs. west (or north) 2.) What spaces do you want the most daylight in? Locate those on the south end of the house if you plan it correctly (and if you want an open kitchen / living / dining - you could have that entire space be open and have windows on the east, south and west. 3.) Use overhangs to control / block the summer sun vs. letting the winter sun into the space 4.) Garage and any other space where light isn't a priority I would locate to the north side of the house 5.) Proximity to neighbors on the south side. If daylight, and privacy are important to you, a conventional house that looks like everyone else's might not be the best route. There are many ways to configure a house and they don't all need to be boxes with front door facing the street and the sides being windowless walls. (not saying you are doing this) Where in the Northeast are you located? I am in MA and my projects are pretty spread out - feel free to contact me www.n3architecture.com/get-started
@@YSLRD Yes, like a repairman or if someone is there to pick someone else up. It could be many different situations. What if someone came with someone you know, but you don't know that someone. Anyways, yes, I wanted a bathroom at the entrance so that no one has an excuse to be snooping around my house. LOL
Never build overhangs like everybody does make them come out about 4 feet so your walls and windows don't get wet and rot. make downspout water travel over 10 feet from house to keep sump pumps from turning on. For storage check codes your crawl space can be 6 feet or more before you get taxed on a basement. build your house so it won't burn down. If pouring concrete foundation wait until concrete is dry and apply hot tar.
All good points. The large overhangs also prevent splash back and will help to keep your exterior finishes clean. Although depending on the orientation of the roof, if the overhang is too large you may block winter sun from entering into your home and warming the house passively. I would also point out that each municipality will be different in how they tax basement spaces so it is best to check with each city or town before hand.
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.
The stairs and entry are particularly poignant because I worked as a medic for years. Consider egresses if you ever need to get a gurney out of your home. I can't tell you home many people got grumpy because we had to move all their furniture or scuffed their walls because we had to get a family member out. Also the injuries I and my colleagues sustained over that time trying to get people out of narrow spaces that didn't allow for proper lifting techniques.
Hi Chris, I just fired my quite famous architect for not listening. And som of what you mention here is what I told her and she ignored. Sunlight, acoustics, view… I wish you’d taka a look at our drawings 😢
What if the width of your house is more than 30 feet, but the windows on the south site are very large (a passive solar type of design)? Isnt that sufficient for lighting?
@@ezdeezytube it all depends on many factors. Where is the house located, what type of trees and other vegetation might be blocking the sunlight, is it an open plan or smaller rooms, are the windows taller or short and wide, and of course what is the use and the desired level of light. There is no one right answer.
There are tons of books and resources available but it would be helpful to understand more about you and what you are looking for. Are you a student who is looking to study architecture? Are you a homeowner or future homeowner looking to DIY a design? Are you a developer who is looking to create better housing? If its the first (student) then I would recommend taking your time and learning / immersing yourself into the design process and solid principals of design and not get too focused on "layouts" If you are a homeowner or developer or along those lines - it takes a lot to create a good design and my best advise would be to hire a professional.
@n3architecture Your video is very very interesting but I had to cut it off because of the useless music which was too loud and too noisy for me, dommage...
Yes - you could use softer materials in certain spaces - While you might not want carpet in your main living space, it does help with the noise - you could use carpet up in the loft area. Any other fabrics would help - drapery, furniture, etc. Then you could use an acoustical treatment either on the walls or the ceiling (or both) - there are a few nice options that look like spaced out wood slats that absorb the sound. Using these panel systems will help with the noise and also look really nice. Here are a few options. www.thewoodveneerhub.com/ www.luxewall.com/ www.slatpanel.com/
Great information! Please consider dropping the monotonous, repetitive, cloying background music. I wanted to watch all the way through but I just couldn't take it.
I'm not an architect but it was my dream to become one. Now I have desgined a house but I'm not really sure if it's designed correctly. is there any ways I could figure that out. I'm talking about the size of the house. the place of walls and doors and widnows.. Is there any ways I could figure that out? or can anybody help me with that.
Immediately have a different view about point one. What's your problem with having a powder room near the front door? That's the place where it will be bothering others the least. Plus easy to think about 'going', before you leave the house. In my country about half of the houses have the powder room next to the entrance. Hasn't bothered anyone ever. It's not that people actually use it, when their guests arrive... Guess you only create 'mansions', with room to spare. Don't visit Europe. Please.
That is an opinion I have never heard before. Usually stairs that require turning are more difficult to navigate for people who may have limited mobility. If you are talking about the amount of stairs needed to climb before a break, then the stair could be lengthened with an intermediate landing, just as long as there is enough length in the plan to accommodate that extra space.
@@n3architectureIt's too easy to slip and fall down too far down a straight flight. I like open stairways with a switchback, but I had no problems with a queen box springs (the largest) in one that was only open up top with a turn. Kids decide to try to jump.down them, or try to ride boxes down them, or someone slips and falls. My neighbor ended up with foot surgery at 40 falling down a straight flight. My dad was okay apart from some bruises falling down a switchback (only half a flight) at 65. Fell a lot less far.
IMO, you should never be able to see the back door or through the house from the front door. It far too easy to map a house for robbery, I like to have a partial wall or a mud room at the front door, sorry but you don't get to see the beauty of the home until you are invited in.
I do NOT want stone countertops; I LIKE Formica. I wish all homes were well designed. YES, build a good "envelope", then change counters later, if needed!! Developers buy up the available land, and then fill it with poorly designed and poorly built houses. Home buyers have little choice. Why are builders allowed to 'design' if they are not trained?? A good floor plan is a must!
That is a good question with a complicated answer. It really depends on where you are located, some jurisdictions require a licensed architect for everything, others (most) do not for single family and 2-family homes up to a certain square footage.
