When a person decides to have his own house built, the first step that he should do is to hire someone to prepare an architectural design that would meet his needs and wants. Home designs, however, are not solely about how big a room should be or where the front door should face. It also covers the strength of the structure, functionality of each part of the home, materials to be used, and all other factors that make up a home. In other words, architectural design covers every minute detail of home construction, thus it can only be done by someone who has an intensive background on engineering, math, science, and design.
The two basic principles that are followed in architectural design are form and function. Form deals with the actual design of the home, such as its shape, height, and patterns. Great architectural house designs aim to achieve a good balance between these factors. For example, if the idea is to build a home that has a modern look, then all its rooms and parts should be designed to meet that criterion. You cannot have a west wing that has a Victorian architecture and attach it to the rest of the home that has modern windows, doors, and finishes.
Functionality, on the other hand, deals more with the purpose for which the structure is built. This means that if the plan is to build an office building that can house twelve offices, therefore, it should have twelve units or more. If the house to be built is located in an area that is prone to tornadoes, then it should be strong enough to withstand this type of peril.
So many other elements are considered when preparing an architectural design, such as where the windows should face, how high the ceiling should be, where should the kitchen be placed, how many bathrooms should there be, and many more. Hence, it is important that the architectural designer communicate well with the homeowner, so that he can combine both the ideas of the owner and the structural standards that the house should meet. He can then conceptualized a unified version of all these elements and ideas, and present it to the homeowner in diagrams and drawings. The designer may also prepare an architecture interior design if it is within the scope of his expertise and if the owner demands it.
Architectural house designs have limitations, though. One of which is the cost. No matter how grand the designer’s ideas may be yet if the owner has set a budget for the house construction, then the designer will have no choice but to meet that budget.
If you are planning to have your home built, it is best to work with an architectural designer who has long years of experience behind him, while at the same time adapts to modern advancements in architecture. His experience can bring in additional ideas to your own, which can improve the final design of your home. The use of modern design ideas and technologies, on the other hand, are focused on building energy-efficient homes, which can be a great advantage for you in the future.
