Just because you will be building a small home doesn’t mean that you need to compromise the quality of design.  As a matter of fact, the opposite may be true.  Compact housing demands a greater level of design scrutiny to insure that every square inch of space is thoughtfully designed & efficiently utilized.

In many regards, the same issues that go into designing a mid-size or larger home apply to a small home.  Site integration, functional space planning & structural integration of building forms & systems are all essential to the design process.  The big difference is that there is no margin of error for inefficient or wasted space.  To keep square footage down, your floor plan may utilize the concept of overlapping & multi-functional spaces.  To make rooms “feel” more spacious there may be more emphasis on natural lighting techniques as well as ceiling height changes & a higher level of interior textures & detailing.  Small does not necessarily equate to cheap.

Perhaps you would like to take advantage of some of the new materials, technologies & design strategies to make your new home as energy efficient & ecologically friendly as possible.  Time & effort will need to be spent during the planning stages to insure that those materials & features are properly incorporated into the design.  Regardless of how small a home you plan on building, an investment of time in the planning stages will insure that your money is being well spent.

Process

Step 1 – Initial Concept Design

• Pre-design meeting & needs assessment
• Site & zoning evaluation & analysis
• Idea generation, spatial exploration & conceptual sketching
• Preliminary construction cost estimate
• Conceptual design drawings, 3-d modeling & design refinement
• Design review meetings

Step 2 – Technical Drafting & Documentation

• Structural analysis & energy use calculations
• Final product & material selections & specifications
• Finalize site design & site plans
• Finalize Construction Drawings

Step 3 – Bidding & Construction

• Issue Construction Documents to Contractors for bidding
• Review contracts & payment requests
• Site inspections & answer questions during construction
• Review shop drawings, samples & submittals