CharlieKLP

Arts and crafts is less symmetrical I guess. You would not find a gable with 4 different shaped windows on it though. Just my opinion but you can get an easy win by simplifying the window panes.

It’s certainly not the worst thing I’ve seen. I would say it was basically functional. It’s so easily fixable, if you wanted it to be actually nice. I think what’s sticking out at me first is the windows. They really don’t match with the size of the rooms, and the form of the house. There are way too many sizes and shapes of window. On the rear there are 4 windows, with 3 different shapes and sizes. Then you have the doors. On the front the bay is the wrong proportion of window. Either have two, or have three openings. The doors have 4. It’s just a mess to look at. Usually when you have a gable, it’s nicer if there is some form of symmetry within the gable. Otherwise you get a lop-sided feel. The second thing I don’t like, what is the style? And the proportion of the gables, the porch, just looks stuck on. Did an architect do this? If so it’s poor. If you did it yourself I think that’s not bad. i suppose I should ask, what do YOU think about it? Are you happy with that. Do you think you could love this house?

Oh no sliding doors are fine. But as long as you can see out without looking through your dining room. In general I’d rather sit in the area with windows. I’ve seen lounges with only skylights, that is awful.

I don’t know what the trend is for Living rooms with no windows, it seems like the standard on this forum. This isn’t so bad as it’s sort of got a window in the distance, but it needs to stop.

look out for him kicking tyres down at the Audi garage this weekend.

oh yes, you need it only at the side of properties I think?

You need planning permission for your outbuilding since it’s a conservation area, that’s designated land right? It doesn’t mean they will say no, just that you need to tell them and it’s not just permitted development.

I don’t like your chances of a new dormer in a conservation area. Worth a go, do you have a planning consultant helping you?

I love a renovation. Much better for the planet, sorry it’s tricky though! What have you come up against?

What stage are you at?

I really like it, looks like a really nice pizzeria. I’m joking genuinely it looks awesome, cool ceiling. I’ve no idea how you do that structurally.

I would be annoyed if my other half made a choice without consulting me, but I also am easy going. It’s not really gender split from what I have seen in practice. The one time I noticed the husband was allowed total ‘free choice’, they got divorced just before they started building and he realised why that was, in front of me during a meeting, it was awkward. (she was having an affair and they ended up living next door to each other).

Lmao love that show, Place in the Sun? Jeff and Linda are looking for a villa for 10k in Spain, Jeff is a fat man with a big red nose, Linda is a leathery skinned woman, they are both civil servants. they are shown a villa with sea views and a pool. ”it’s a bit too Spanish for us”. voiceover tells us Jeff and Linda are still looking. End credits.

Well no, but I ordered that book @Thedreamer recommended and it looks like a start. While I’m never going to charm anyone, I certainly am very happy to talk to people about design. Also, I’m helped by a lot of ‘non pushy’ type sales and marketing people. Maybe we just need them to sell the design side more. Being sales types, they don’t understand or care for the *value* of design, only material and tangible things.

Thanks Indy, by the way I was not thinking directly about your thread when I made this thread at all and in no way meant to drag you in. I would like to improve my customer experience irl, and I also get more out of the process if I am able to give more input. I really think that’s a great point. You have to sell the idea. Now I am the worst salesperson there is, I tell people quite brashly what I think. It’s certainly something I’m working on! To make them think the good ideas are theirs is a skill I only seem to manage in work meetings and with my family lol. also thanks again for taking the criticism so well, and you know, sticking with your guns I do respect that and hope it pays off genuinely.

That’s a good idea. I do try to slowly show ideas through sketches but maybe focusing on that is the solution. People can be more a part of it that way too. But like you say, people go too far into it and make decisions before knowing the options. I think because designing houses is exciting!

My idea would be to start from the brief and plot, and then you get the massing, style etc… that would usually result in a nicer house than a plan drawn by someone who didn’t know the scale and how to think of the elevations while drawing a plan. I know I have to draw what they ask for, but I’d rather they asked for what they wanted rather than designed it themselves. That’s the question here. I’m not asking them to build my dream house, I’m asking them to let me design their dream house for them.

I don’t have contempt for anyone no. I’d just like to design nice houses for people, and I’m not sure why they don’t want that. as for real world experience, I have indeed designed and built a lot of houses. Not sure why that’s relevant or why you want to question my professional experience, I think everyone would like to improve. my question is how do I get people to value the input of a designer, or are you saying don’t bother.

I wasn’t really saying ‘just beautiful’, I meant the whole thing really. I’d like people to do as you say there, just come to me with ideas and requirements. Not with a scaled plan they did themselves. These don’t usually have a good understanding of function or form either. I don’t have a problem taking anything and turning it into a functional and nice looking house, but I can’t take a ready drawn plan. If I get the chance to sketch, then it’s fine I can do that. Nobody seems to want to let me sketch things.

I’ve had maybe 1-2 that I thought were a decent start, but I just think people don’t have the understanding to design a 3D object like a house. You have to think about the walls and stairs lining up, and that’s pretty rare if I’m honest. I’m happy to work with people and I don’t change things for the sake of it. If they are happy with a design they have done I give it to a technician to make it work instead.

thanks saveasteading, good points. Just to clarify though, I get paid the same at the end of the day so I don’t mind what people actually spend on the service. All I really want is people to allow me to design for them, rather than copy their designs. I’d like them to listen to me when I say it won’t get planning, and I’d like them to see that it matters where you put windows make nice spaces. I see that as valuing design. The process of designing is important in my opinion, where you start from the brief and plot, and then develop in sketches together. I think if you start from a customer sketch it’s usually the wrong start. id like people to value that. Not sure how to.

sometimes I think if we charged extra for an architectural design service, people would listen a bit more?

I’m sure you’re a lovely cook! But I don’t think the cost is the problem, as I say, people can have a designer or they can draw it themselves, it costs the same where I work. my question would be, if the design is cheap, do people assume it’s got no value?

I’m the only architect at a firm, there are no partners. Yes I’ve designed a lot of houses. I don’t consider myself the arbiter of good taste, I consider myself a trained architect.

lol aah no that’s the worst, I want people to value design.