Dermot Bannon is remodeling your house, what would/wouldn't you allow him to do?

debok wrote: »

Do whatever he wants, what's the point in paying to get him in if your not going to listen to him

But why become an architect if you dont listen to your clients? They are there to serve you and help you make the best building that suits your needs, not just force their vision on you. Push and pull from both parties is best

Kye Fancy Molecule wrote: »

I have no idea who Dermot Bannon is.

Edgy.

Sad really but I'm addicted to Room to Improve. Sunday night wouldn't be the same without watching people go €20 grand over budget in the first 5 minutes of the programme and the ones with notions and 15 page wish lists-that weapon from a few series ago!... but seeing their ideas come back down to reality with a bang after a visit from the QS :pac:

I would:

allow him to redesign the house. Where the rooms should go to maximise light, orientation, maximising space, designing rooms in a way I may never have though of, ceiling heights...all the things a good architect would help with when coming up with the basic design that I don't have the skillset or training to do most effectively myself. I'd like a set of drawings from him, but the rest I'd want to have control over.

I'm not a huge fan of a lot of formal architecture and his clean contemporary minimalist style is a bit much for me -had to live with that for years in another country, but there's some elements I would like. I love high ceilings and his ideas of bringing the outside in. I love also that he brings so much light into his houses-lots of beautiful big windows and full height sliding patio doors, and he always wants to maximise a beautiful view.

I wouldn't have him design my kitchen...I like colour and more traditional country style wooden cupboards! and there may be one or two white rooms but not the whole house like he does.

Actually same for all the house. I mean most of his houses looks nice but I prefer more classic and quirky pieces that won't look dated in 5 years time, and lots of colour. For me a home is a reflection of my own style and taste, not a show house for the latest in interior fashion and design.

There'd be no inside courtyards. And no pergolas!

Only one thing to his credit, at the first client meeting he finds out the house’s southern aspect and builds around this. The amount of lazy architects that ignore this in a country with such very poor light is incredible.

But like every architect on the planet with better insulation and windows available, he designs large open plan and high ceilings spaces. Why not create a cozy and economical house, when by comparison in winter his constructions must be impossible to heat. The cost of energy is going through the roof.

Tell him I insist on an American fridge. The biggest money can buy.

Is he doing it for free?

Yes. Let him carry on.

No. Ask him if he has Kevin McClouds (Grand Designs) number, as I show him the way out.

Greentopia wrote: »

But you know what to expect if you get someone like Dermot Bannon-white cubes, double height spaces etc etc. so why would anyone want him designing their house if that's not what you want too? architecture is a visual art form as well as having a practical purpose, and design is a creative process. Hence why we have famous architects like for example Hundertwasser who's work is so highly regarded and distinctive.

You wouldn't ask him (if he were still alive...) to design a modernist pared down Scandinavian style home because that's not what his signature style was.

Designing a beautiful building is how they leave a legacy behind like any artist.
Just as you wouldn't try and dictate to a visual artist what colours to use on their painting or what materials to use, so you wouldn't try and make an architect do something that was completely against their design ethos and aesthetic.

All architects have their signature style and when you choose an architect you buy into that aesthetic. It's not like choosing a block layer for example where a brick wall is a brick wall no matter who does it.

That's why you have to do your research and choose an architect whose style is similar to what you want for your own house.
Of course there should be some give and take and listening to what the client wants, but ultimately if you're not prepared to buy into their trademark designs then you might as well find someone else, or design it yourself

I know what you're saying but I don't think all architects are necessarily at the artist end of the spectrum, I don't think Dermot Bannon is at a level where he is an architectural genius and should be given a free reign.

If I was getting Michelangelo in to paint the ceilings I'd leave him at it, if I was getting my local painter and decorator in I'd be telling him exactly what I want done.

In the same way, if I was getting a average architect in I'd be giving them a brief, listening to their professional feedback and then agreeing a plan. However if I was getting a talented architect in my brief would be very ahem... brief and I'd be excited to see what solution he would come up with.

looksee wrote: »

I am doing work on a house at the moment, quite a lot but it doesn't involve any actual building so I am working with tradesmen. So far I have had two architect/engineer type people suggest that I should open the wall between the kitchen and the living room. Fair enough in theory. The problem is finding a builder to replace the door lintel in a supporting wall. I wouldn't be happy having my handyman/carpenter make holes in a structural wall and what do you think the chances are of finding a builder - any builder, probably one I don't know anything about - to just do that one small job? So the doorway stays.

It's relatively easy in practice too. If ur engineer and architect are suggesting it surely they can give you a drawing. Any decent tradesman could do it even without a drawing

kneemos wrote: »

Tell him he can use any colour except white.

And grey! All his designs seem to be completely lacking in colour. Everything is usually either white or some shade of grey. So sterile and boring.

Deleted User wrote: »

Greentopia, I'm not sure why, but I find myself strangely attracted to you. Coherent posts, detailed; with more than a two line response. An avatar of a woman, to boot. I hope we never meet, as you could never live up to being the woman I picture you to be.

Ah shtop...I'm blushing... thank you, you're very kind. Here's to never meeting then! *clink of glasses*

Deleted User wrote: »

I can honestly say, my extension looks very much like a Dermot Bannon project (albeit, it was on budget and possibly not finished to the same high end standard of his work).


It's a flat roof extension, white walls, white gloss handle-less kitchen, large sliding door, lots of greys, glass internal doors, track lighting, etc.

Ticking a lot of his boxes there alright! I think as long as you got good tradespeople to do the work and you're satisfied with how it turned out then there's no reason why it wouldn't be up to the same standard.

You'll see some of his projects where it's all local labour used-Joe and Mary's house in Borrisoleigh last week for example, and it looked every bit as good as any of the other houses built with outside labour.

Deleted User wrote: »

So I reckon if I was hiring Dermot Bannon we'd get on great together. However, as per the TV show, there'd have to be a single thing on the agenda that I wouldn't like, that he'd try to force through. But sure; I'd end up loving it in the end anyway (and claiming that I didn't understand his vision for it, until it was done) so it's all good. :pac:

It wouldn't be good tv if everyone agreed 100% with what he wanted, and he sometimes comes round to agreeing that the client was right with what they wanted and he was wrong, so he's not completely intractable and unwilling to countenance differing opinions.

He doesn't charge for his services on the show either apparently so I wouldn't be inclined to argue too much with someone offering such a service for free if it's the kind of look I was going for anyway.

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

more of a Grand Designs man myself

budget runs out in the first six months, builders leave, heavily pregnant wife in tears staring out the window of a damp mobile home on site as the broken husband turns his hand to stone masonry

I prefer the builds where some new age hippy builds a hobbit home from old tyres, straw and mud for the cost of a fancy fridge.