websites for good house plans

dufferman

i was looking for websites with good modern plans, does anyone know any good irish/british sites, iv googled it but all i get are these outragous american houses.thank you

paudie2005

www.plan-a-home.ie

jay28

www.irish-house-plans.ie

MeatProduct

www.holistichouseplans.com

Quazzie

A well planned modern house can only be planned by an architect. The best houses are site and area specific, and therefore cannot be bought off a website as these are all generic plans. My suggestion would be find a plan/layout/style you like then present it to an architect to let him alter them appropriately to your specific needs and the requirements of your site. This probably isn't the answer you wanted but the truth is that its the right answer. Whilst you may find a plan on a site that you think is ideal they will very rarely stand up when compared to a well thought out design by an architect.

btw just to add I am not an architect and am in no way associated with any so I'm not trying to drum up business by this response.

ben bedlam

Quazzie2002 wrote: »

A well planned modern house can only be planned by an architect. The best houses are site and area specific, and therefore cannot be bought off a website as these are all generic plans. My suggestion would be find a plan/layout/style you like then present it to an architect to let him alter them appropriately to your specific needs and the requirements of your site. This probably isn't the answer you wanted but the truth is that its the right answer. Whilst you may find a plan on a site that you think is ideal they will very rarely stand up when compared to a well thought out design by an architect.

btw just to add I am not an architect and am in no way associated with any so I'm not trying to drum up business by this response.

I knew it was only a matter of time until we had the predictable "Get your house designed by an architect" post.

sydthebeat

ben bedlam wrote: »

I knew it was only a matter of time until we had the predictable "Get your house designed by an architect" post.

...and your point is??.......

Buying from a book / website serves a particular niche market... thats all.

if you want a site specific original design go and get it designed....

Quazzie

ben bedlam wrote: »

I knew it was only a matter of time until we had the predictable "Get your house designed by an architect" post.

It is the best way. I know its more expensive but unless you are very lucky to get a house that suits I don't think them websites work. Fair enough tehy do supply good quality drawings of generic house but personally I would prefer a house that is tailored to my needs.

I designed my house because I am technically minded and have a knowledge (although limited) based in construction and AutoCad so this gave me an ability to do it. Not everyone can do this, and for those that can't I suggest an architect for a modern plan as requested by the OP, or an Arch tech/Engineer for a more standard house.

Architects spend years studying and restudying house design and for a truly modern design they are the only people that can do it. I know if I was about to make the biggest investment of my life I would want to make sure a) it was done right and b) it was done how I wanted it, not how some draughtsman thought was a common denominator amongst the public, and at the end of the day that is what you buy off these sites. Nothing more, nothing less.

I know its not nice to hear the same response but the reason you hear it is because its the best one, probably more so in this case as from my understanding of the OP an architect designed house is what she is looking for. This she will not get on any site.

MeatProduct

House plans sites are good for getting ideas and the like. A plan can be purchased from such a site and then be customised by a local architect/engineer that is familiar with the local codes and requirements. However it can be hard to work with architects on a design that they did not come up with............

Nick

bauderline

Yes, I would agree that your house plans should be drawn up by Architect with a view ensuring the design takes note of the specific features of its location.

However the house plan sites are very useful for getting ideas about the layout of your house and how you might want it to look.

When you go to hire an Architect you should have a solid brief for the layout, design and specification of the house and it is then up to them to provide realistic plans taking into account your brief, your budget, and site specific requirements / features.

In my opinion an Architect's job is to advise and assist you with the design of your home... not dictate it.

P.

sydthebeat

bauderline wrote: »

In my opinion an Architect's job is to advise and assist you with the design of your home... not dictate it.

P.

huuummm.....

im not sure i would agree with this... not the way its worded anyway...

an architect should definitely not 'dictate' anything... but they should be allow enough scope to design the form, mass and shape of the dwelling.

as far as a clients input into 'design' goes, a good architect should be able to tease out what they are into and not into...

There is a certain market out there who only want 'plan-a-home' type dwellings .....****(is plan-a-home the new bunglow bliss?)****.....
so its fine for them to come in with a pre-concieved design... the architect in this case can either decide of 'draw it up' or refuse the work based on principle....

however, a client should also respect the skills of the architect... if they like his design they should allow him to produce an original design, based on their brief,... not the other way round.. ie produce their design based on regulation and policy.....

MeatProduct

bauderline wrote: »

In my opinion an Architect's job is to advise and assist you with the design of your home... not dictate it.

P.

I agree, I've seen it far too many times. An architect just throwing a template at a client and making a few changes. Sure this is not across the board but it's far more common than it should be. A house is a very personal thing and that should be reflected in the design. I have only encountered a few architects to successfully achieve this balance between the clients needs and their own expertise to mesh in creating the perfect space for that client.

Nick

MeatProduct

These guys are quite impressive, www.houseplans.com, they have a massive selection. Downside is that they are US-based but I reckon if you like one of them just get your local architect/engineer to fix it up for you.

Nick

Slig

Just had a brief look at that site. I have no problem with somebody buying a plan off the net, its a wasted oppertunity but its not my call.
What I will say is that those houses are all very American which poses a few problems.

1. You wouldnt drive a cadillac as a daily drive in this country, they are impractical in both running costs and size. Its the same with american houses. They are very big with much larger rooms than necessary.

2. The style of the house, people would laugh at you for walking around with an elvis style haircut, the planners would take the same approach if you submitted one of these houses for planning. They don't conform with the design guidelines of any county.

3. American houses are mostly timber stick built or post and beam, very lightweight. These systems allows for alot more flexability with projecting bays, roofs and glazing but at the loss of mass and ruggedness. Alot of these features would have to be lost in order to build in the traditional Irish blockwork cavity wall, especially as insulation thickness increases.

If you are buying from a website make sure that the design conforms to local vernacular styles or fits into the site. Choosing a house design isnt like choosing a t-shirt. It will affect the landscape for years to come and everybody will have to look at it. The experience of living nextdoor to Graceland can soon wear thin.

MeatProduct

Slig wrote: »

2. The style of the house, people would laugh at you for walking around with an elvis style haircut, the planners would take the same approach if you submitted one of these houses for planning. They don't conform with the design guidelines of any county.

Lol, very good. I take your points there Slig, but that site has a lot more than just conventional American style housing however it is generally geared for the US market. I do know that Holistic House Plans are based in Ireland cause a good friend of mine built one of them recently and he went and had a look at a bunch of them already built around the country before he bought one.

I don't know about the first two sites listed on this thread, anyone know of anyone who has built one of them? There does not really seem to be a huge rescource for house plans on the web, I had thought more search results would be coming up. Kingspan looks reasonable but a tad on the expensive side for building.

Nick

sydthebeat

MeatProduct wrote: »

www.holistichouseplans.com

i can vouch for this architect, he is from laois and has some quite beautiful designs.
His way of approaching a design is unique.

aodh_rua

sydthebeat wrote: »

i can vouch for this architect, he is from laois and has some quite beautiful designs.
His way of approaching a design is unique.

I was looking through them - and he seems to have some very interesting designs. I see he says that the construction cost seems to be higher than normal - I wonder if any of you have experience of such a build?

ThePiedPiper

Have a look at www.centuryhomes.ie too. They've a selection of house plans and layouts there that are all useful in terms of getting ideas.

I'd be of the opinion that you should have some idea the general size, shape and layout of house you want before going to an architect. That's how we did it and were happy. My sister in law has tried the method of talking to the architect and letting him come up with a plan based on this. That hasn't worked so far and the plans and ideas given back by the architect aren't what she's looking for..

justflow1983

The houses on http://freegreen.com/ were all designed by a friend of mine, who also has a pretty steady practice designing high end custom homes with his company.

Its US based, but they are all meant to be low energy designs. They're generally smaller and its an interesting mix of styles. The plans are free too.

Its not terrible to get a plan off a website, they generally were designed by an architect at some stage. The biggest problem with them is that they don't take into account things like construction types, climate, and building regulations. If you just hand them to a builder, he'll just do it in the cheapest way possible and you might end up with a damp, cold, crappy building that looks loosely like the plan you got. You're better off having a professional design a house that suits you specifically and also conforms to local building practices and regs... The comments above about style are very important too, since an Irish architect will be the most likely to design a house that will be approved by Irish planners

I wouldn't assume that the US ones being designed for timber frame is a problem. There are plenty of timber houses built in Ireland, and its a very good way to build... I lived for a while in a timber frame house that was built in 1892 and was solid as a rock and extremely warm.

ECO_Mental

Being in the middle of designing my own house at the moment with an Architect I can assure you that this is the best way to go by far.

What are you going to spend on these plans up to €1000 for a set of drawings of the internet. You have to look at it this way, what are you going to spend on your new sofa's for your house €3-4000. Then when you sit down on them after everything is built you realize that the view is facing the wrong way..... I managed to get one of the leading architectural firms in Cork to get me up to planning drawings for €4000+VAT. But I could have got cheaper €2-3000 and still with proper established firms.

Anyway what I am saying is that from the first site visit my money was paid for. I had always envisaged my house being set in one particular corner of the site and he took one look at the site and said NO and walked me down to the other corner and said it should go here. I would have never thought of placing it anyway near that particular corner but it worked, better views, more privacy, better shelter, perfect.

I think Architects priced them selves out of the market over the past few years they were their own worst enemies. They were only interested in the big housing estates and couldn't be bothered with the hassle of one offs but they are paying the price now... They are begging for work at the moment I interviewed 5 Archs late last year and got prices off all of them. Two years ago you would have been lucky if you got one or two back.

My advice don't scrimp at this stage, what is an extra 1 or 2 K when you are going to €100k's on the build. The price of a leather sofa. Also go in with a general idea of what you want 4 beds kitchen open plan let them do the work and come up with the ideas. You can get two pigeon holed on what you want . A fresh look is what you need.

I am not an Architect

onq

The whole profession could do with more clients like you ECO_Mental.

Its great to hear from someone who's had a positive experience with their architect and who feels they are getting value for money.

We've never turned down work, from housing estates to compliance work, commercial schemes to house extensions.

Its the only way to go - it keeps you on your toes and stops you being bored.



ONQ.

justflow1983

ECO_Mental wrote: »

I think Architects priced them selves out of the market over the past few years they were their own worst enemies. They were only interested in the big housing estates and couldn't be bothered with the hassle of one offs but they are paying the price now... They are begging for work at the moment I interviewed 5 Archs late last year and got prices off all of them. Two years ago you would have been lucky if you got one or two back.

Architects weren't necessarily overcharging for their services. The reason that an architect who does large scale work would be unlikely to do a house or extension has to do with the way that their overheads scale. A sole practitioner working from home doesn't have to charge very much to cover their expenses, and you don't need much overhead to do houses. When you are set up for large work, your fee structures change by necessity.

When you end up doing larger projects, it needs a project team of architects, technicians, and other support staff. They need to buy more advanced design software for €2000 to €7000 per person per year, plus all the other stuff that any office uses. The computers are higher end, they have to pay for private indemnity insurance, solicitors, accountants, and tech support. We even have a research assistant to keep us up to date on the technological front. Large format printers require expensive paper and maintenance contracts. Even with that, the majority of the people in the company would be making less than €40,000 a year, some as low as €25,000, which isn't really much for a college educated professional who works long hours.

I'm not saying that some architectural services probably couldn't be cheaper in some cases. Many practices in Ireland got drunk on the Celtic Tiger like everyone else. But generally architects aren't in this game to get rich, and their fee reflects the fact that it can take a long time to work out a good design, and that they are charging for their skill and experience. The less they charge, the less thought and time you're getting.

Sorry if I went too far off topic, the rest of ECO_mental's post is absolutely spot on. You get a lot of value from having a trained professional design and administer your build, even if it sometimes feels expensive up front. They also will be able to foresee most of the things that could send a project off the rails, meaning that you are going to get a much more painless building experience.

JuniorB

Ref the use of a professional to design your house, an old saying from a neighbour of mine comes to mind ... if you want mass said - use a priest.

My tuppence worth .. before you go near a designer do the following:
- Buy yourself a measuring tape. Start to have a think about the room sizes you would like. Measure up all your friends etc kitchens, living rooms and esp bedrooms. Stand in them and visualise your own home, needs. This will give your designer a good starting point from a size perspective.
-Start looking at house and home type mags and get a scrap book together with stuff you like. This will give the designer a feel for your taste.
-Take photos of outsides of houses you like... your house should be designed from the inside out but again this will give them a feel for your style.

We used a professional and are delighted with the outcome.. it took the guts of a year but it was mainly small changes.
Best of luck..

MeatProduct

Looks like Michael Rice has been busy designing Eddie Hobb's extension, here's a link to the article in The Sunday Times: http://www.bioarchitecture.ie/article-sunday-times
That's quite the endorsement.

Nick

Toplink

I'd like to add my two pence....

Get a reputable architect. I found out the hard way and I have a nice house but its not anything near what it could be. I have a beautifull site and I am not using it fully.... Pity.

My only consulation is that I still have an extension to build in about 2/3 years and by god i wont fcuk that up!

JuniorB

MeatProduct wrote: »

Looks like Michael Rice has been busy designing Eddie Hobb's extension, here's a link to the article in The Sunday Times: http://www.bioarchitecture.ie/article-sunday-times
That's quite the endorsement.

Nick

From the graphic used in the piece that looks ridiculous. Was the article published on April 1st?? Every man to his own I suppose..

MeatProduct

Toplink wrote: »

I'd like to add my two pence....

Get a reputable architect. I found out the hard way and I have a nice house but its not anything near what it could be. I have a beautifull site and I am not using it fully.... Pity.

My only consulation is that I still have an extension to build in about 2/3 years and by god i wont fcuk that up!

It would seem that Eddie directly engaged Michael Rice in this instance rather than opting for an online house plan.

Nick

Mellor

Has this got planning yet?
It hadn't at the time of printing.

i agree its idiotic.
and a "bioarchitect", :rolleyes:

I had to laugh at the ignorance og the architect describing that house as sustainable, environmentally friendly and other catchwords.
recycled materials mean little when you are building an extension that doubles the area to 560sq.m

sydthebeat

well, ill definitely stick up for michael Rice here, hes a local architect and his work is very original and definitive. he employs a stringent, holistic method of "sacred" architecture to his designs and ive never yet heard of a client who wasnt impressed by his method of work or his end products.

"bioarchitecture" is most definitley not a catchphrase, nor does it reflect a similar attempt to "greenwash" services like others proessionals try to do.

imitation

The only thing I would do with online house plans is get a baseline for what sort of house I would like. When your self building your options are endless too, if you pick some cookie cutter house then your denying yourself. Id also imagine you'll have a fair job getting planning if it doesn't fit into what the local planners idea of what should go in the area.

As for Eddie Hobbs house extension, it looks horrible. The large traditional house just doesn't go with the round contemporary structure, not that you can see much of the house anyway. In my books an extension should complement a house, not try and constrict it like some giant boa snake. And how eco friendly is 6000sq ft of house anyway.

ECO_Mental

ECO_Mental wrote: »

I think Architects priced them selves out of the market over the past few years they were their own worst enemies. They were only interested in the big housing estates and couldn't be bothered with the hassle of one offs but they are paying the price now... They are begging for work at the moment I interviewed 5 Archs late last year and got prices off all of them. Two years ago you would have been lucky if you got one or two back.

Its official guys the Celtic tiger is back..... I take back all what I said previously. Just got back the quote from my Arch to finish my house out detailed dwgs tender etc etc €15,000+VAT!! not including any engineer or QS.

Don't know what to say really????

sinnerboy

He saw you coming :D:D

ECO_Mental

Yeah, but also saw me walking out the door as well:)

sinnerboy

Mellor

sydthebeat wrote: »

well, ill definitely stick up for michael Rice here, hes a local architect and his work is very original and definitive. he employs a stringent, holistic method of "sacred" architecture to his designs and ive never yet heard of a client who wasnt impressed by his method of work or his end products.

"bioarchitecture" is most definitley not a catchphrase, nor does it reflect a similar attempt to "greenwash" services like others proessionals try to do.

I wasn't commenting on him in general, just that paticulat design. Which imo is none of the above. I really hate the attempt to tie it to irish architecture via reference to a crannog.

Also, wasn't dismissing bioarchitecture, just in this case due to the scale, materials, interaction with the original.

observer2u

ECO_Mental wrote: »

Its official guys the Celtic tiger is back..... I take back all what I said previously. Just got back the quote from my Arch to finish my house out detailed dwgs tender etc etc €15,000+VAT!! not including any engineer or QS.

Don't know what to say really????

ECO - what does the 15,000 include. Is it design, planning, detail design, tender, Site Management, and signing off certs.

If it does include all this, I think that is a fair sum to ask personally.

If you think about it, the work involved last over 18 months from start to finish and they are required to have PI insurance for 7 years. Car insurance for 7 years would be no far off 15k!

I understand there are architect's would do the same stuff again and again and will do 5 site visits over a 5 months build phase and there is no doubt that they should not be paid they money you talk about but then again there are architect who draw and supervise every detail, help clients to pick tiles and floors and kitchen worktops, they are on site every week of a build. None of this even mentions the design aspect of a build.

I would think that it would be good to consider what exactly you are getting before you talk about architects not being value for money. Perhaps you got a quotation off one of the more involved architects and as such 15k would be money well spent!

imitation

observer2u wrote: »

I would think that it would be good to consider what exactly you are getting before you talk about architects not being value for money. Perhaps you got a quotation off one of the more involved architects and as such 15k would be money well spent!

I think thats a fair point too. Theres also a big difference between a straight forward house off the plans and something custom made. Was there a chance he was quoting you for more work than you wanted ?

ECO_Mental

Observer,

I have already paid the Architect €4000+VAT to get me to planning and I am very happy with this even though I could have gotten it a lot cheaper with established firms. Anyway the €15000+VAT was to do up detailed tender drawings, tender the project, tender review etc stages 5 to 8 on the RIAI scope of works.

Now my house is approx 2600sq ft and is about 6-7 miles from the firms office so isnt that much trouble to get to. Its going to be timber framed so a lot of the construction drawings are going to be done and I am not looking for him to pick the tiles or the paint.

In my opinion paying €19,000+VAT to an Architect for a 2600sq ft one off house in the current climate is F**king madness. That could be 10% of the total cost of the house with build prices as they are now.

I have sung praises about Architects on this site before as I would recommend any body who is about to build a house to got to an Arch. Also I did called the firm just to clarify the quote and make sure there was no misunderstanding and the impression I got from him he really didn't want the work.

But anyway I called another Architect after this and he quoted me €7500+VAT for the same amount of work...... nuff said

sinnerboy

EM on the face of it it is difficult to argue that you have not done the blindingly obvious right thing

BUT - if you can now ( or maybe you already have ) -

ask both architects to put you in touch with previous clients . Try to get a sense of the time and attention each gives to their project . It is entirely possible that the services are not equal .

I'm not trying to confound you or anything like that and I hope your project proceeds well to completion .

observer2u

ECO_Mental wrote: »

Observer,

I have already paid the Architect €4000+VAT to get me to planning and I am very happy with this even though I could have gotten it a lot cheaper with established firms. Anyway the €15000+VAT was to do up detailed tender drawings, tender the project, tender review etc stages 5 to 8 on the RIAI scope of works.

Now my house is approx 2600sq ft and is about 6-7 miles from the firms office so isnt that much trouble to get to. Its going to be timber framed so a lot of the construction drawings are going to be done and I am not looking for him to pick the tiles or the paint.

In my opinion paying €19,000+VAT to an Architect for a 2600sq ft one off house in the current climate is F**king madness. That could be 10% of the total cost of the house with build prices as they are now.

I have sung praises about Architects on this site before as I would recommend any body who is about to build a house to got to an Arch. Also I did called the firm just to clarify the quote and make sure there was no misunderstanding and the impression I got from him he really didn't want the work.

But anyway I called another Architect after this and he quoted me €7500+VAT for the same amount of work...... nuff said

ECO

Thanks for the details. I agree that in this instance that is on the more expensive side of things.

Isn't it mad how are architects are so far apart in their fees. An Accountant or solictor would be the same everywhere as they value their professions but architects undercut and undermine each other so regularly. Obviously is the guy is too high he's too high.

The point I was trying to convey to the others that read this meassage board is that 15-20k for architectural services (even for one off houses) can be seen as a reasonable sum if they are doing everything. Will wouldn't dare get involved in finishes - some wouldn't have it any other way. I guess a client needs to know which architect they are after!

heinbloed

Design follows energy.

Here a video on solarhouses as they're build on the continent:

http://www.sonnenhaus-institut.de/downloads/video/solarhaus-video-en.html


For the fee of € 20.000 - as mentioned by ECOmental- one can expect architect quality as shown in one of these projects.
Or two of them.

sinnerboy

ECO_Mental wrote: »

But anyway I called another Architect after this and he quoted me €7500+VAT for the same amount of work...... nuff said

Sorry to labour this point ... not necessarily "the same amount of work"

It may appear so only - try and find out

ECO_Mental

Sinner,

I hear what you say, but the second Arch I contacted is currently working for a colleague in work who is doing an extension(I know its different than an entire house) but he came recommended by my colleague who is the most anal retentative person you can imagine for specs and procedures(I know he broke my heart for two years:(:()) and he said this guys is thorough.

Anyway my point is if you employ a person to do up detailed dwgs, tender etc there is a certain standard that has to be achieved. Construction details have to show dpc layers etc etc.

Now how much more detail and work can you expect for an extra €7500. Picking paint colours and tiles should take an hour or two, same with the flooring. Maybe an extra few hours on site every week I just cant see where the extra €7500 of work is?

ninjaBob

I think it may simply be a case of people valuing their time differently. There may be no difference between the services for an extra €7500. Just one architect values their time more highly than another.

Will23

ECO_Mental wrote: »

Now how much more detail and work can you expect for an extra €7500. Picking paint colours and tiles should take an hour or two, same with the flooring. Maybe an extra few hours on site every week I just cant see where the extra €7500 of work is?

I'm sure there are a lot of interior designers and architects out there that will tell you that 'picking paint colours and tiles' takes a little more time than an hour or two. (get samples, do research, write specification, look at contractors alternatives, look at colours, how they work in the space and together etc...)

you may be right in saying he didnt seem like he wanted the work, and so priced himself out of it to avoid it. he may just be too busy right now, remember a lot of good architects become just as consumed, and most likely more so, than the client/owners do!

My final comment would be that a lot of architects will produce the tender drawings, which can be extremely detailed and time consuming depending on the complexity of the design, and project manage the job, look after programme, costs, quality, administer the contract, attend weekly site meetings, etc..

I guess i agree with the previous posts above, in that without knowing the detail of what both are offering, the costs and level of service cannot truly be compared.

Will.

ECO_Mental

I think we will leave at that lads,

I suppose the biggest disappointment is that I cant afford to continue with my architect and have to go to another who mightn't have the same vision. I paid over the going rate to get the initial design and planning application because I liked their ideas and I would have been willing to pay a bit extra again to keep them involved but not 100% more:(

keep on trucking
EM

Will23

i hope it all works out great in the end man, and you get that vision you're looking for!

Will.

Mellor

observer2u wrote: »

Isn't it mad how are architects are so far apart in their fees. An Accountant or solictor would be the same everywhere as they value their professions but architects undercut and undermine each other so regularly.

Accountants' and solictors' rates vary hugely.
Of all professions, these were two vry bad examples.

galwaytt

ECO_Mental wrote: »

........ Its going to be timber framed so a lot of the construction drawings are going to be done

...just a note: with the best will in the world, an arch's idea of construction drawings isn't enough. The only actual structural drawings you can use, and your architect detail out, are from the TF company. It is they who design and certify your frame - no point in an arch drawing a TF detail that won't stand scrutiny by the structural guy. We have had this issue on a site, ourselves. Consider: a single room, 13m long, about 6m wide, and 4.5m eaves. One gable end completely glazed. Now, to support the roof, along the ridge line, needed.........a single beam, simply supported (ends). Arch gives 'construction' drawings showing an, effectively, 9" x 3" ridge beam. Structural guy nearly started laughing. Calcs called for a 600mm H x 240mm W Glulam beam. Arch now goes nuts, claiming the scale of the beam 'ruined' his vision......:rolleyes: Long story short, truck from Austria arrives, 600mm beam fitted, Arch quit's over it. The way I see it, only 1 guy in the room had the power, or the capability, to state what was required - and it wasn't the arch. We've had similar, but not as extreme, and easier resolved issues, too, but the principle is the same. Arch's design, Engineer's.....engineer. Make sure what you have is executable, and how.

JuniorB wrote: »

- Buy yourself a measuring tape. Start to have a think about the room sizes you would like. Measure up all your friends etc kitchens, living rooms and esp bedrooms. Stand in them and visualise your own home, needs. This will give your designer a good starting point from a size perspective.
-Start looking at house and home type mags and get a scrap book together with stuff you like. This will give the designer a feel for your taste.
-Take photos of outsides of houses you like... your house should be designed from the inside out but again this will give them a feel for your style.

We used a professional and are delighted with the outcome.. it took the guts of a year but it was mainly small changes.
Best of luck..

Excellent idea. Another one is the dining table. Set it out, put your chairs at it. Then allow to walk behind the (occupied) chairs, without having to squeeze by. Add in furniture on walls (if there is to be any). That's the min size of your dining room/area. Anything else is squashing.

Slig wrote: »

......What I will say is that those houses are all very American which poses a few problems.

3. American houses are mostly timber stick built or post and beam, very lightweight. These systems allows for alot more flexability with projecting bays, roofs and glazing but at the loss of mass and ruggedness. Alot of these features would have to be lost in order to build in the traditional Irish blockwork cavity wall, especially as insulation thickness increases.

If you are buying from a website make sure that the design conforms to local vernacular styles or fits into the site.

A couple of things, there: there is no limitation in building features using technology we have on this island. 30% (iirc) of all new houses here are timber-based, for a start, so the same details can be done here. However, the sometimes garish US appearance, I agree, needs pruning. My floor plan came from the US, but I chopped off all the US bits, arch-head windows, etc etc, and used 'local' style and materials for the facades. I liked, and kept, the layout (tweaked a bit), and the general flow, internally.

ECO_Mental wrote: »

I think we will leave at that lads,

I suppose the biggest disappointment is that I cant afford to continue with my architect and have to go to another who mightn't have the same vision. I paid over the going rate to get the initial design and planning application because I liked their ideas and I would have been willing to pay a bit extra again to keep them involved but not 100% more:(

keep on trucking
EM

very deflating, I agree, but in the grand scheme of thing's, you'll look back on it later as.......'educational' !

Mellor

galwaytt wrote: »

an arch's idea of construction drawings isn't enough. The only actual structural drawings you can use, and your architect detail out, are from the TF company. It is they who design and certify your frame - no point in an arch drawing a TF detail that won't stand scrutiny by the structural guy. We have had this issue on a site, ourselves.

tbh, you are comparing chalk and cheese.
On the sizing of the beams, of course the arch has no say.
The engineer is lacking jsut as much in other areas imo.

In my opinion, neither set of drawings are good enough to build off as they are not complete, the structural drawings are great up to a point, but they lack the final detailing.


Now, whose drawing might incorporate the best and import and bits from all sets, hmmm...:cool:

archtech

Mellor wrote: »

Now, whose drawing might incorporate the best and import and bits from all sets, hmmm...:cool:

lol it would never be an AT by any chance