The right architect can unlock the potential of your existing home or turn your dreams into three dimensions in a brand-new house. Three practices with experience of doing both share their advice on how to get started
What are the most common mistakes – by architects and clients – when a home is being designed?
Andrew McAvoy, director, founder and principal architect, Retool Architecture, Glasgow:
People make lots of mistakes: having no respect for regional culture, local skill bases or materiality; not spending enough time at the start working through different options; not spending enough time on site; letting computer design rule the process; not thinking about climate, environment, energy, habitual behaviours, sensory awareness; forgetting that architecture is not a raw construction process – where it is good, it will always stem from the unselfconscious process of consideration, thought, poetry and a sense of nature.
David Blaikie, founder, David Blaikie Architects, Edinburgh:
Building a home is an exciting dream and, for most, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Getting a clear understanding of all the costs involved from the very beginning, and undertaking good financial planning, is critical to stopping it turning into a nightmare. Once you’ve chosen the architect you want to work with, I would strongly recommend employing a quantity surveyor with experience in one-off, private home projects to prepare a comprehensive cost plan covering every aspect of the process from drainage to door handles. Only then will you know the true cost of your build, which will go a long way to avoiding stress and disappointment at a later stage.
What is the secret of successful home design?
Andrew McAvoy: Intuition and slow process.
David Blaikie: The secret of a successful home design is communicating your aspirations and dreams to your architect, and allowing them to create a rich and rewarding setting for you and your family to live and grow up in.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Building and Renovating Guide 2019-Ausgabe von Homes & Interiors Scotland.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Building and Renovating Guide 2019-Ausgabe von Homes & Interiors Scotland.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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