What is an Architect's Role in The Custom Home Design Process?

To make your dream home a reality, a custom home builder and architect work together as a team. The builder is the one who puts up the structure, but what many don’t fully understand is the important role the architect plays in the custom home design process.

Step 1: Selecting and Purchasing Land

The first step in building a custom home is finding a building site. An architect can provide input on available properties. With your goals in mind, he or she can evaluate a lot’s potential and spot any problems that might require a compromise in design.

After you purchase land, the architect can refer you to a qualified surveyor and soil engineer for the site survey and tests required prior to pouring the home’s foundation.

Step 2: Detailed Description of the Home’s Requirements.

Once land acquisition has been finalized, the architect prepares a written description of the project’s requirements, which includes the following:

• Detailed list of rooms and room sizes.
• Outlined traffic flow from room to room.
• Notes regarding which rooms have optimal views, morning sun, or afternoon heat.
• Special requests from the client, such as solar heating.
• Style considerations and preferences.

From this list, the architect can estimate the size of the home and prepare a building cost estimate. Then, if estimated costs exceed the budget, he can offer suggestions regarding possible cost-cutting design modifications.

Step 3: Preliminary Design

Once the size and cost estimations have been determined, the architect visits the building site and prepares a site analysis. He considers the neighboring homes, site restrictions, and character of the landscape. With all of that in mind, he prepares a sketch showing the location of the house and driveway access. He also begins putting together the layout of the interior of the home that will eventually become the plans used by your custom home builder.

Step 4: Design Development

During design development, the architect provides concept sketches for the buyers to review. Based on their feedback, the design is refined until the concept aligns with the buyers’ vision. At this point in the custom home design process, the architect begins the final design drawings. The concept sketches are drawn on a larger scale and include details such as structural and mechanical considerations.

Step 5: Construction Documents

Finally, the architect prepares the final CDs (construction documents, or plans). This includes the architectural plans and other related documents needed by a custom home builder to accurately quote the project and eventually construct the home.

• Site Plan
• Foundation Plan
• Floor Plans
• Exterior Elevations
• Building Sections
• Details
• Framing
• Roof Pans
• Interior Elevations
• Mechanical and Electrical Layout Sheet
• Heat Loss and Energy Calculation
• Written Specifications for Materials and Workmanship

As you can see, the role of the architect in the custom home design process is just as important as a custom builder. Without proper planning the project cannot run smoothly or within budget.

Sheffield Homes works with local architects to build custom homes in the Denver Metro area and in northern Colorado. Call us to find out how you can begin the easy process of owning your dream home.