New build plans - opinions, suggestions and feedback welcomed!

[saveasteading]

13 minutes ago, AliG said:

the chimney in the middle of the roof,

Got me looking again, as I have had a few designs to take over where chimneys were not above fire places, in two different positions according to different views  and other space anomalies.

This doesn't happen if the cad programme is in 3d.

 

This may have occurred here too. The isometric does not tie in with the cad drawings (one chimney has disappeared, which perhaps you have already mentioned.)

 

And I just noticed that the tapering lean-to.  This sort of detail is usually functional, to squeeze an extension into a tight space.

I think it is here intended to provide quaintness, but it has no internal  wall under it so needs a very big beam to support both roofs and the upper floor. Also columns to support the beam, will spoil the lines in or out.

The living room needs other steel beams too, which will intrude below the ceiling.

I suggest the lean-to is omitted as it will be stunningly expensive floor space that could easily be elsewhere.

 

h18Ant   I am being philistine again but my usp is understanding value and buildability, and I hate to see projects go wrong, and it is better to have an achievable project than cut quality and scope  later.

 

Before committing to a metal barrel, have a word with the cladding producers to see if any are prepared to bend to that radius, and a joinery or steel fabricator about the barrel structure.

 

I would ask your architect very bluntly if they have considered how this is built, to please show any columns and beams that may be required, and do they know a source for the barrel structure and  cladding, and for the tapered bricks for the chimneys (which are more conventional on the cad drawings),  and does it fit with your budget (they may say yes but it will be your risk).

[CharlieKLP]

I’d also take this design and give it to a good technician for a look over before planning. It’s lovely and full of ideas, but some of them need to be sorted out and priced.

 

I really love design in general, but it’s worth nothing if it can’t be built.

 

 I also don’t believe in curved roofs, they are architect dreams. 

[saveasteading]

12 minutes ago, CharlieKLP said:

curved roofs, they are architect dreams. 

Except nissen huts and the modern farm equivalent....very cheap for keeping the rain out, but not appropriate for housing.

 

 

[ETC]

I’m afraid that I do not like this design. I think the floor plan is quite restrictive and the elevations are over fussy with detailing that will be difficult to do and expensive to build. It looks quaint but the rooms could turn out quite tight. You rightly said that you’d like built in furniture rather than loose furniture and I don’t think this should be difficult to achieve.

 

I think you might be best suited with something a bit more contemporary and simple to build. I don’t see why - with a little imagination - you couldn’t get the number of bedrooms you would like to have.

 

If you like the barrel roof - use a barrel roof over the whole house - it’s quite agricultural and visually appealing but expensive to build and if not detailed correctly could be noisy.

[CharlieKLP]

I do like the ideas that are in it, but they are missing some grounding.

 

The more I look at the angle, the more awkward I find it. These are things I would have done before my dreams were ruined by reality, you can tell the way they haven’t made the WC doors open outwards for building regulations that they are creative, but inexperienced.

[h18ant]

Hi all, thank you so much for all of your feedback, it is massively helpful.

 

We happened to have a session with the architect yesterday and we have made the house deeper front to back which has in turn allowed us to sort out the master ensuite and bedroom sizes. We will now be able to get 5 bedrooms we think and feel that we should be pushing for that for sure (as we said, this is to be our forever home), and we need to get it right. We have made the utility room and rear hall all one to make the space more usable, we have also made the window bigger (not sure why it was so small) and I think that the angles section at the back of the utility room may become a plant room or similar perhaps, one to ponder. The units in the utility room are just indicative at the moment so one side will be a bench and boot/shoe storage etc for sure. The rest of the furniture in the house is all indicative as well. I have taken your advice on board and we will move the beds around and make everything more realistic. We will also be able to make the sitting room/snug a bit bigger which will be much better also we feel.

 

The pantry piece is about trying to maximise the space on site (due to it narrowing northwards) and my wife is an avid baker so we need a lot of storage for her 'kit', that said, it may be a poor design and we need to rethink it, which we will.

 

Thank you also for the concern raised over the structural complexity, cost and viability of the design, this is something I am now digging into further and challenging the architect on.

 

One other thing to mention is that there is an existing basement that runs under the right hand side of the house (under the sitting/snug and living area), there will be a door down to this under the stairs, instead of a cupboard, if that makes sense! It will give us a bit more storage/a usable room also we envisage.

 

I appreciate everything that has been suggest and said, many thanks for your help so far.

 

Ant

[saveasteading]

On 08/02/2022 at 07:20, h18ant said:

an existing basement that runs under the right hand side of the house

This is Engineer territory. Get the feasibility checked now before committing further. If I recall you are putting 2 storeys on instead of one, and the condition of the basement needs checking.