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Tag: Architecture (Page 2 of 3)

House Extension in Wexford – Drinagh – SketchUp Animation

 

This extension was mostly inspired by the existing roof and all the triangular shapes it creates.

13.61_Existing_and_Proposal

 

The existing house is a 2 storey detached house built in Wexford, Ireland in 2005.

The proposal aims to provide a bigger dining space and a living room that is connected to the kitchen while taking advantage of the solar path and the garden views.

The use of simple volumes and materials contributes to the contemporary design we want to achieve.

 

 

Our proposal blends well with the existing house while providing a modern edge. The new extension gives a new personality to this house.

 

See more animations here.

 

Do you have a similar project? Talk to us today!

 

House Extension in Wexford – SketchUp Animation

 

We are very excited about this small project!

House Extension in Wexford

 

The existing house is a bungalow built in Wexford, Ireland during the 70’s and currently with a BER rating F.

The proposal includes an extension with a mezzanine floor overlooking the sea and an extensive reconfiguration of the existing layout. The form of the existing bungalow influenced the design of the new extension. The use of simple volumes and materials contributes to the contemporary design we want to achieve.

 

 

We have been adopting the principles of sustainable construction from the very start. We will continue seeking opportunities to minimise energy/water use and waste production. We will be looking at upgrading the existing fabric of the building to achieve a more energy efficient house. And we aim to specify sustainable construction products and green building materials throughout the process.

 

Do you have a similar project? Talk to us today!

 

The Dream Home…??…

A must read if you are thinking to hire any professional other than an Architect to design your house.

___________________

Dear Potential Client,

I was delighted to get your call saying that I was highly recommended by a contact of yours. You said you wanted to build a house.

I arranged to meet you and I showed you my portfolio and we talked about the different stages involved in designing and building a house. You said to be delighted with my work and asked for my fees. I said I would have to look at the complexity of the project and I would then send you a fee proposal.

Site and brief

Your site was very challenging, with a big slope and fantastic views. I was excited with this project. Your requirements were not unusual and your likes/tastes would certainly help to make this a great project – a dream home!

Image: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Fee proposal and the waiting game

I sent you my fee proposal and I waited. And waited. And waited. I rang you and you didn’t answer the phone. I rang you again and I left a message. And I waited.

Surely, these decisions are not easy and I totally understand that. So, I waited. Eventually you replied saying that you have decided to give the job to someone else.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Disappointment

I was disappointed but deep inside me I thought that you had appointed the other architect that you had mentioned to me and I felt that you would be in good hands anyway because he is a good professional.

Shock

Last week I was flickering my notes and came across our meeting. I decided to kill my curiosity and have a look at the County Council website to see what fantastic project my colleague had designed for you (so I thought!).

I was shocked to find out that you end up hiring an engineer to design your dream home. An engineer?! To me it was like seeing a Paediatrician performing a Heart Surgery. What a shock!

I had a look at your house drawings and I was perplexed to find out that your dream home looked like a bunch of terraced houses in a suburban setting. …So disappointing!

 

I could not identify any of the likes/tastes you shared with me on our meeting, your house looks massive, bulky and out of context. The volumes are boring and lack originality. The house does not sit well on the site and completely disrespects the site topography and landscape 

At this stage, I wanted to know if the planners had approved your project. I kept browsing the file and came across some letters from TDs in support of your application.

I never quite understood why these letters are needed in a planning application but this is not the 1st time that I’ve seen projects with these type of letters being granted (I’m also aware, at least in one case, that this support is paid).

Honestly, I was hoping to see a refusal at the end of the file but that didn’t happen. Your project, surprisingly, got planning permission granted with some minor comments to its scale and bulk.

My social role as an Architect

My first reaction following this ‘discovery’ was to talk to you and tell you that that is not your dream home, it’s a badly designed house and not good architecture.

Image:Scott Liddell / morgueFile.com

 

You are probably blind to see this and I would look like a pretentious Architect if I was to make you aware of the above.

So I stayed quite and I decided to write this letter hoping to help someone in a similar position.

I thought for a while if there was a quick fix for your problem, but I couldn’t find any… I feel repelled to help you but the only solution I see is to redesign the all house, and I doubt you would do that now.

I’m sure that you will soon realise that saving a few €€€€ was not worth. After all you are building a house for life, it should be right, beautiful, in harmony, functional and fit your requirements, while blending with the landscape (if not improving it). It should be a piece of art, something to be proud of, something special, something UNIQUE! I feel sorry you didn’t get that.

Image: jdurham / morgueFile.com

 

 

Check out the 10 reasons why you should hire an Architect.

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