Perhaps not surprisingly, our design has been affected by that common malady: feature creep. It is too easy to say "Let's get this nicer appliance", or "Let's add a smart electronic control system to the entire house", or "We should add another room for guests". But every addition has an impact, and must be carefully considered.
We started with a good idea of the activities we wanted to support and a rough size target based off of where we live now and sample floor plans from an earlier project. Functionally, we aimed for a master suite and two other bedrooms; a laundry/utility/craft room; an office; a kitchen fit for two cooking together; a large dining and entertaining space; a comfortably-sized entry; space for guests; a library; and a media room. We hoped to overlap functions in shared space and fit it all in 2000 sq. ft.
That was unrealistic (building on a slope didn't help). We managed to accommodate most of these functions, but with stairs and landings and making sure all the rooms were large enough, we ended up at 2700 sq. ft. While it is larger (and therefore more expensive) than we planned, we decided it was the right layout and size for what we wanted. We dropped the guest room (but left room for a future expansion), since we don't need a guest room until the other bedrooms are fully occupied.
Detailed design presented similar trade-offs. We eliminated some kitchen niceties and kept others. We opted for a cheaper (but still nice) oven and chose a nicer gas stove. We chose slightly nicer faucets and sinks and upgraded our wood flooring. However, we simplified our exterior siding, and may decrease the built-in shelving and case-work from what we had planned.
We try to find a good balance between adding and simplifying. We keep the things that are most important to us and eliminate the nice-to-have items. We are happy with our choices so far, and we have yet to feel like we've made a significant compromise just to reduce costs. (One principle we have kept in mind is that some things, like built-in shelving, are easy to add after the house is built; while others, like plumbing, are difficult.)
It has helped that Yuval has been up-front with us about the costs. We can't say we are happy about the rising cost, but we understand how it relates to our choices (such as increasing the size). With most of the quotes in and a final budget set, we are at a slightly lower per-sq.ft. cost than the early estimates. That helps us feel confident that we will strike a nice balance between extra cost and getting what we want.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thoughts on Collaborative Design
Design is collaborative. Our collaborators bring the skill, knowledge, and experience we lack. This has helped to refine our vague or unfinished ideas into a finished design that is truly brilliant (or so we think).
Our main collaborator is Yuval, the head of YS Development. He has helped us with all parts of the process. He found and verified the land long before we looked at it. He has relationships with the city, architects, designers, financing, vendors, labor, and more. He shepherded the permits through the city, and is overseeing the entire process from beginning to end. He has lead the design process and contributed significantly. He knows materials and vendors, has a taste that largely matches ours, and is familiar with construction constraints and good design practices for all parts of the house.
Our architect is Markus, with Whitney Architecture. He has done all the sketches, drafts, and final plans for our house. He was deeply involved with the structure and layout of the house, and brought many good ideas. He combined our desires with the constraints of the property to produce something that fits our needs delightfully.
Anne is our color and materials designer. She has a great eye for color/pattern/material combinations and has helped us refine our ideas into a specific palette of materials. She has suggested some themes we hadn't thought of and has helped to make details and finish just as interesting as the structure of our house.
Working with these professionals has its ups and downs; it can sometimes feel like a balancing act. Ultimately this is a business transaction, and we have made sure our agreements clearly state what each side provides in the transaction. But a process like this is all about personal interactions. Having good working relationships and getting everyone excited about the project is important. It makes meetings interesting and engaging, it provides a constant flow of insightful ideas, and everyone tries to make sure the design is as good as possible.
We are sometimes challenged working with people who have different perspectives and working styles. Everyone has provided great input and is good about listening to our ideas and feedback, but we sometimes have difficulty communicating. Sometimes our requests are unusual or couched in non-standard terminology. Sometimes what we want just can't be built. Sometimes we communicate the idea, but mis-communicate the priority (resulting in both under and over prioritization). The result is that sometimes we feel like important things are missed or misinterpreted. We have usually resolved things to our satisfaction, but the frustration and delays during the process are annoying.
There is quite a bit of compromise, especially in collaborative design. Budget, physical feasibility, and city housing codes would restrict us even if we were doing everything ourselves. Involving others brings in other limitations. The professionals are familiar with certain materials, products, vendors, and techniques that they prefer to use. Going with something they are familiar with will almost certainly have a better result than something new or untested; but it does place limits on what options we have. There are also differences of opinions that must be resolved. While we as owners have the last word, we are influenced by what others think. If they are skeptical or unenthusiastic about an idea, it can be much harder to integrate it into the whole. Fortunately, constraints often lead to a better design. Limiting our options helps prevent the paradox of choice from overwhelming us. Choosing something that is well-known and liked by the professionals provides more certainty that the finished result will work well.
Working with others has its set of challenges, but it is also valuable to have professionals involved. Our design is a lot richer and more sound for getting help with the areas in which we are weak and inexperienced.
Our main collaborator is Yuval, the head of YS Development. He has helped us with all parts of the process. He found and verified the land long before we looked at it. He has relationships with the city, architects, designers, financing, vendors, labor, and more. He shepherded the permits through the city, and is overseeing the entire process from beginning to end. He has lead the design process and contributed significantly. He knows materials and vendors, has a taste that largely matches ours, and is familiar with construction constraints and good design practices for all parts of the house.
Our architect is Markus, with Whitney Architecture. He has done all the sketches, drafts, and final plans for our house. He was deeply involved with the structure and layout of the house, and brought many good ideas. He combined our desires with the constraints of the property to produce something that fits our needs delightfully.
Anne is our color and materials designer. She has a great eye for color/pattern/material combinations and has helped us refine our ideas into a specific palette of materials. She has suggested some themes we hadn't thought of and has helped to make details and finish just as interesting as the structure of our house.
Working with these professionals has its ups and downs; it can sometimes feel like a balancing act. Ultimately this is a business transaction, and we have made sure our agreements clearly state what each side provides in the transaction. But a process like this is all about personal interactions. Having good working relationships and getting everyone excited about the project is important. It makes meetings interesting and engaging, it provides a constant flow of insightful ideas, and everyone tries to make sure the design is as good as possible.
We are sometimes challenged working with people who have different perspectives and working styles. Everyone has provided great input and is good about listening to our ideas and feedback, but we sometimes have difficulty communicating. Sometimes our requests are unusual or couched in non-standard terminology. Sometimes what we want just can't be built. Sometimes we communicate the idea, but mis-communicate the priority (resulting in both under and over prioritization). The result is that sometimes we feel like important things are missed or misinterpreted. We have usually resolved things to our satisfaction, but the frustration and delays during the process are annoying.
There is quite a bit of compromise, especially in collaborative design. Budget, physical feasibility, and city housing codes would restrict us even if we were doing everything ourselves. Involving others brings in other limitations. The professionals are familiar with certain materials, products, vendors, and techniques that they prefer to use. Going with something they are familiar with will almost certainly have a better result than something new or untested; but it does place limits on what options we have. There are also differences of opinions that must be resolved. While we as owners have the last word, we are influenced by what others think. If they are skeptical or unenthusiastic about an idea, it can be much harder to integrate it into the whole. Fortunately, constraints often lead to a better design. Limiting our options helps prevent the paradox of choice from overwhelming us. Choosing something that is well-known and liked by the professionals provides more certainty that the finished result will work well.
Working with others has its set of challenges, but it is also valuable to have professionals involved. Our design is a lot richer and more sound for getting help with the areas in which we are weak and inexperienced.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thoughts on the Design Process
Pre-construction work comprises more than design, but design is where we have spent most of time and effort. We are learning as we go, but we started with some useful skills and knowledge.
We came prepared. Erika has read quite a few house design books. We strongly recommend A Pattern Language, Patterns of Home, and The Not So Big House. Although we lack practical or professional experience, having basic understanding of what is good and bad in a house (and why) provides benefits: we had an idea of the rooms we wanted, their purposes, and their connections and chose a basic layout pretty quickly.
We know our tastes and needs. For example, we knew that we wanted a particular (and peculiar) layout for the master suite. We knew it would work well for us and were firm about getting it into the design. We don't always know exactly what we want (especially on materials and colors), but once we find something we like, we commit quickly. Jeff's inspiration for the upstairs bathrooms needed some refinement from Anne (our color designer) and Yuval, but we knew the result fit our tastes. Because of our confidence in our choices, we haven't wasted time revisiting or regretting the choices we have made.
We are organized. It can be hard to keep all the design tasks straight. Yuval keeps us on track and makes sure we make decisions on schedule. Generally, we work on decisions in advance. We chose appliances well before they were needed which made them easy to integrate into the kitchen design. Months ago, we spent a weekend choosing all the plumbing fixtures because it was fun. Yuval mentioned that we are among the most organized of his clients. Organization helps us make decisions early and lock them quickly. When it comes to process, we feel comfortable that we will be ready for whatever is needed next.
We have similar tastes. We find ourselves attracted to similar colors and materials and designs. When our opinions diverge, we only have one strong opinion (usually...), and can reach a choice that satisfies us both. This streamlines decision making. We don't agree perfectly on everything. We've had debates and even some arguments, but after a discussion of the trade-offs, we nearly always come to a conclusion we are both happy with.
Design has been fun. Being deeply involved in the creation of our own house has increased our appreciation of home design. Most spec-built houses would require many more compromises in taste and value. Our house will feel more comfortable and intimate to us because of how deeply we have invested in it.
We came prepared. Erika has read quite a few house design books. We strongly recommend A Pattern Language, Patterns of Home, and The Not So Big House. Although we lack practical or professional experience, having basic understanding of what is good and bad in a house (and why) provides benefits: we had an idea of the rooms we wanted, their purposes, and their connections and chose a basic layout pretty quickly.
We know our tastes and needs. For example, we knew that we wanted a particular (and peculiar) layout for the master suite. We knew it would work well for us and were firm about getting it into the design. We don't always know exactly what we want (especially on materials and colors), but once we find something we like, we commit quickly. Jeff's inspiration for the upstairs bathrooms needed some refinement from Anne (our color designer) and Yuval, but we knew the result fit our tastes. Because of our confidence in our choices, we haven't wasted time revisiting or regretting the choices we have made.
We are organized. It can be hard to keep all the design tasks straight. Yuval keeps us on track and makes sure we make decisions on schedule. Generally, we work on decisions in advance. We chose appliances well before they were needed which made them easy to integrate into the kitchen design. Months ago, we spent a weekend choosing all the plumbing fixtures because it was fun. Yuval mentioned that we are among the most organized of his clients. Organization helps us make decisions early and lock them quickly. When it comes to process, we feel comfortable that we will be ready for whatever is needed next.
We have similar tastes. We find ourselves attracted to similar colors and materials and designs. When our opinions diverge, we only have one strong opinion (usually...), and can reach a choice that satisfies us both. This streamlines decision making. We don't agree perfectly on everything. We've had debates and even some arguments, but after a discussion of the trade-offs, we nearly always come to a conclusion we are both happy with.
Design has been fun. Being deeply involved in the creation of our own house has increased our appreciation of home design. Most spec-built houses would require many more compromises in taste and value. Our house will feel more comfortable and intimate to us because of how deeply we have invested in it.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Thoughts on Custom Home Design
We're about half-way through building our custom home, and it has been a bit over one year since we started this project. The process has taken longer than we expected, and has produced some unexpected challenges. Permitting and major parts of design are done, and construction will be starting shortly. It is a good time to reflect on the process so far. We'll provide some general thoughts here, and explore some other areas in more detail in future posts.
The process has been hard at times. Our schedule was already full with our regular jobs and frequent activities with friends and family. We've sometimes had to stretch to fit design into our schedule. Permitting complications and delays, both before and after submission, have put us significantly behind schedule. With those and some of the other difficulties, we've felt discouraged and frustrated at times, with that frustration sometimes turning into arguments. We started to semi-seriously look at homes to purchase when things were really grim.
Through it all, we've always return to a positive view. Our design fits us better than anything we've seen for sale. As it has slowly come together on paper and in our minds, we've become more realistic about what our house will and won't be. It won't be perfect, but we like how the design is turning out.
The thought of turning that design into a physical structure intimidates us. We've been planning and designing, in some form or another, for over a year. But so far it has all been on paper. Once construction starts, the design will be locked; we can't add another room or rearrange things. As it progresses, more and more details will be fixed in place. So we have to hope that things will turn out how we hope, and that we don't have too many regrets once it is done.
But our hesitation is mixed with excitement. Whenever we visit the house currently under construction, we see the potential of our own. We will finally see the physical realization of what we've spent so much time and energy designing.
We are only half-way through, and there is still lots left to do. We have plenty of design details to decide on, and we'll spend quite a bit of time following the construction progress. We'll drastically increase our spending, and it will probably be a bit of a shock to spend so much money so quickly. Despite everything so far, we're looking forward to the next stage of our house.
The process has been hard at times. Our schedule was already full with our regular jobs and frequent activities with friends and family. We've sometimes had to stretch to fit design into our schedule. Permitting complications and delays, both before and after submission, have put us significantly behind schedule. With those and some of the other difficulties, we've felt discouraged and frustrated at times, with that frustration sometimes turning into arguments. We started to semi-seriously look at homes to purchase when things were really grim.
Through it all, we've always return to a positive view. Our design fits us better than anything we've seen for sale. As it has slowly come together on paper and in our minds, we've become more realistic about what our house will and won't be. It won't be perfect, but we like how the design is turning out.
The thought of turning that design into a physical structure intimidates us. We've been planning and designing, in some form or another, for over a year. But so far it has all been on paper. Once construction starts, the design will be locked; we can't add another room or rearrange things. As it progresses, more and more details will be fixed in place. So we have to hope that things will turn out how we hope, and that we don't have too many regrets once it is done.
But our hesitation is mixed with excitement. Whenever we visit the house currently under construction, we see the potential of our own. We will finally see the physical realization of what we've spent so much time and energy designing.
We are only half-way through, and there is still lots left to do. We have plenty of design details to decide on, and we'll spend quite a bit of time following the construction progress. We'll drastically increase our spending, and it will probably be a bit of a shock to spend so much money so quickly. Despite everything so far, we're looking forward to the next stage of our house.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Construction Contract
Another milestone has been reached! We signed the construction contract with YS Development.
The contract specifies the responsibilities of both sides, the fixed price of construction, the start date and timeline, and the penalties that apply if either side fails to meet their obligations. YS Development has a base contract for their projects. Our final contract integrated terms from the standard AIA contract and others terms suggested by What Your Contractor Can't Tell You into that base.
We waited this long to finalize the contract because we needed a cost. Yuval worked hard to get quotes from vendors that were as close to accurate as possible; a fixed price contract needs to be based on reliable data. The final number was close to the target we had aimed for. We included a bit extra for small changes and contingencies for some small items that need to be finalized. With the quotes in, the price of construction could be locked, and the contract signed.
This was one of the easier pieces of business we've dealt with, and now that it is settled construction can start in earnest (well, once we finalize financing).
The contract specifies the responsibilities of both sides, the fixed price of construction, the start date and timeline, and the penalties that apply if either side fails to meet their obligations. YS Development has a base contract for their projects. Our final contract integrated terms from the standard AIA contract and others terms suggested by What Your Contractor Can't Tell You into that base.
We waited this long to finalize the contract because we needed a cost. Yuval worked hard to get quotes from vendors that were as close to accurate as possible; a fixed price contract needs to be based on reliable data. The final number was close to the target we had aimed for. We included a bit extra for small changes and contingencies for some small items that need to be finalized. With the quotes in, the price of construction could be locked, and the contract signed.
This was one of the easier pieces of business we've dealt with, and now that it is settled construction can start in earnest (well, once we finalize financing).
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Permits Issued
We finally have city-approved permits for building our house! The last sign-off happened a couple weeks ago, but it took an additional week to finish processing everything and get the permit set ready to issue. If you are curious, you can view the online history/status of the process by the city.
Brent, the project manager, scanned the corrected plans into a PDF and made copies to work from. The official permits must remain on site, but they would get too tattered if they were the working set. The official set is usually kept safe in a box and work is done off the copies.
We should be starting construction shortly. Yuval has started prepping the site (getting a survey, staking the boundaries, and removing trees that will be in the way). Excavation is scheduled to start within a few weeks, maybe even by the end of the month. The last thing we're working on is getting financing fully approved and closed. Soon we should have regular status updates with pictures of construction!
Brent, the project manager, scanned the corrected plans into a PDF and made copies to work from. The official permits must remain on site, but they would get too tattered if they were the working set. The official set is usually kept safe in a box and work is done off the copies.
We should be starting construction shortly. Yuval has started prepping the site (getting a survey, staking the boundaries, and removing trees that will be in the way). Excavation is scheduled to start within a few weeks, maybe even by the end of the month. The last thing we're working on is getting financing fully approved and closed. Soon we should have regular status updates with pictures of construction!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Permitting and a Trail
We haven't forgotten about this blog; it's just that things have been moving pretty slowly since we submitted the permitting documents a month and a half ago. We've worked on non-design topics; construction contract, budget, and financing have been the biggest items. We'll talk about some of those a bit more in a future post, once things are mostly settled there.
The biggest blocking piece was the permit from the city. The initial review finished in about a month, and resulted in a request for some revisions. The building reviewer wanted more notes and details on the plans, along with some extra structural engineering for the foundation. At the same time, Yuval decided to revise the foundation to reduce expense. The original design had a slab-on-grade garage, and it required a large retaining wall on the west edge of the garage (i.e., lots of pricey concrete and steel). The revised design modifies the foundation to follow the slope of the land, and uses concrete supports under the garage. The garage will be framed with thick wood with concrete poured on top.
But the major hurdle was trail requirements. When the land was initially divided into the smaller lots for building, Bellevue required some improvements to the land. They wanted the unofficial dirt trail down the hill developed into a real trail with pedestrian and bike lanes and some landscaping. Yuval worked with them, and they changed the requirement to a trail easement, with the development to be done by the city at a later point. Our lot has the easement on it (a 15' foot strip along the south edge). It made our land a bit narrow, but we were able to work within the confines. We weren't too worried about having a trail there, because the neighborhood seems fairly quiet. It would be a huge benefit to us, since it leads down to a lot of shops and buses.
While reviewing our documents, the city told us we needed to do the trail development as part of construction. The trail will be nice to have, but we weren't counting on the extra cost. The hill we're on is steep enough that it will have to be stairs. We're guessing that over 150' of stairs and railing would be significantly more expensive than a bit of sidewalk.
This requirement surprised Yuval too. He represented us (since we now own the land), and did all the work of talking to the city about the issue. Eventually, a legal review found that Yuval had a special agreement with the city for this issue, so we do not have to develop the trail. Instead, we'll work with the city to design it and construction will happen later.
Current status: The revised permits are under review. Since the trail issue has been settled, the main work from the city should be the building review. They know we are on an expedited schedule, so we're hoping the permits will come through fairly soon. And after that, construction!
The biggest blocking piece was the permit from the city. The initial review finished in about a month, and resulted in a request for some revisions. The building reviewer wanted more notes and details on the plans, along with some extra structural engineering for the foundation. At the same time, Yuval decided to revise the foundation to reduce expense. The original design had a slab-on-grade garage, and it required a large retaining wall on the west edge of the garage (i.e., lots of pricey concrete and steel). The revised design modifies the foundation to follow the slope of the land, and uses concrete supports under the garage. The garage will be framed with thick wood with concrete poured on top.
But the major hurdle was trail requirements. When the land was initially divided into the smaller lots for building, Bellevue required some improvements to the land. They wanted the unofficial dirt trail down the hill developed into a real trail with pedestrian and bike lanes and some landscaping. Yuval worked with them, and they changed the requirement to a trail easement, with the development to be done by the city at a later point. Our lot has the easement on it (a 15' foot strip along the south edge). It made our land a bit narrow, but we were able to work within the confines. We weren't too worried about having a trail there, because the neighborhood seems fairly quiet. It would be a huge benefit to us, since it leads down to a lot of shops and buses.
While reviewing our documents, the city told us we needed to do the trail development as part of construction. The trail will be nice to have, but we weren't counting on the extra cost. The hill we're on is steep enough that it will have to be stairs. We're guessing that over 150' of stairs and railing would be significantly more expensive than a bit of sidewalk.
This requirement surprised Yuval too. He represented us (since we now own the land), and did all the work of talking to the city about the issue. Eventually, a legal review found that Yuval had a special agreement with the city for this issue, so we do not have to develop the trail. Instead, we'll work with the city to design it and construction will happen later.
Current status: The revised permits are under review. Since the trail issue has been settled, the main work from the city should be the building review. They know we are on an expedited schedule, so we're hoping the permits will come through fairly soon. And after that, construction!
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