There are many reasons why people choose to engage an Architect to design their house. An Architect can add immense value to a home and improve the ease and enjoyment of your everyday living. Whether you’re designing the ultimate family home or creating a unique entertaining space, an Architect experienced in residential architecture can bring your vision to life.
Transforming your vision into a new home is a challenging journey – When it’s done well, the results speak for themselves. This article explores a few of the reasons why an Architect designed house can make a real difference.
#1. Get a home that suits your lifestyle
With an Architect designed house, people receive a custom design entirely suited to their lifestyle and accommodation requirements. By starting with a clean sheet of paper the Owners are not constrained by the standard arrangements and particular room sizes of a project home or forced to adjust to the constraints set by the house.
Working with an Architect
When engaging an Architect, most people have a vision for their dream home. This is an opportunity to incorporate all their ideas and desires into an ideal solution. It is virtually impossible to achieve this goal without the help of an Architect.
An Architect can take your unique vision, inspiration and design requirements and make them a reality. Plus, they can liaise with Builders and other professionals on your behalf to ensure your home is built from the ground up to your exact specifications.
Check out our post on what do Architects do? for more information.
#2. Living spaces that work
A house designed by an Architect incorporates appropriate room sizes and efficient circulation, resulting in a house where all the spaces optimise the functions to be accommodated and enhance the Owner’s daily life.
This is where the real value can be added by an experienced Architect:
- The Living spaces can be sized to suit all of the family, the bedrooms can be adjusted for single or double occupation,
- The kitchen and dining areas can be planned to suit the owners cooking and entertaining requirements.
- Rooms are the appropriate size so that money is not wasted on spaces that are overly large or too small to be useful
- Living spaces can be adjusted to make use of natural light and airflow
#3. Harmony between home and site
As an individual design, a house designed by an Architect is site-specific. This means it’s designed to respond to the context of its site and make the most of it’s setting.
Site-based factors an Architect will consider:
- The shape of the lot
- The slope of the land
- The views that may be available
- Any existing neighbouring buildings
In many cases the Architect’s role is to maximise the views that may be available over water or to distant vistas with large window openings.
By making appropriate adjustments for the fall of the site, the construction costs can be reduced and indoor/outdoor relationships facilitated. The Architect designed house will make provision for privacy from adjacent neighbours and the street.
#4. Environmental Considerations
When designing a house, an Architect will take into account important environmental considerations. By addressing these issues the Architect ensures a comfortable internal living environment (not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter) and minimises the cost of excessive energy consumption.
Environmental factors an Architect will consider
- Sunlight and site orientation. The orientation of the site is an important consideration so that with appropriate design, the warm Winter sun can be admitted into the house and during the hot months of Summer, the sun can be excluded.
- Ventilation and window placement. Appropriate positioning of windows and other openings promotes cross ventilation utilising the predominant winds and breezes.
- Sustainable building materials. Materials can be selected that are both sustainable and minimise ongoing maintenance.
- Insulation. The Architect will also ensure that appropriate insulation is provided in walls, floors, and roofs so that the house does not suffer from extremes of temperature during the varying seasons.
#5. Long-term value
There is no doubt that an investment in a house is a long-term proposition. In many cases, it is the single largest expenditure that a person may undertake in their lifetime. The advantage of an Architect designed house is the higher capital gain that can be achieved over this longer term. Unique and individual houses are much sought after and offer a range of inclusions that more affordable houses lack.
Is an Architect-designed home affordable?
An Architect designed house will not be the cheapest house that can be built in the short term, but it will definitely represent the best value for money as a long-term investment and deliver greater capital gains than a more affordable alternative such as a project home.
In most cases, there is almost no comparison between a standard house design and an Architect designed house which suits the site and the owner’s lifestyle.
The unique design and higher quality of design resolution with the resulting distinct differences to a project home, all contribute to a higher capital gain. Therefore, while the initial investment may be higher, in the long term, this investment can be repaid many times over by the increased capital value.
How does an Architect impact the value of a home?
The involvement of the Architect in the design of the house ensures an overall higher quality in all the factors used to assess the value and success of a house. The Architect designed house enhances the Owner’s lifestyle, suits the site, captures available views, features a functional, efficient layout, provides a higher level of environmental comfort and quality construction.
An Architect’s university training combined with their professional experience ensures a level of design resolution and detail refinement that cannot be obtained through alternative procurement methods.
FAQs
Are Architect designed homes worth more?
There is no definitive answer to this question as the value of a home is determined by a number of factors, including location, size, amenities, and market conditions.
However, homes that have been designed by Architects may be perceived as having higher value due to the care and attention that has gone into their design and construction.
In some cases, Architect-designed homes may also feature unique or innovative design elements that can make them stand out from typical ready-to-build homes. Ultimately, the value of an Architect designed home will be determined by the buyer’s perception of value and what they are willing to pay for the property.
How much does it cost to build an Architect-designed house Australia?
The cost of building an Architect-designed house in Australia varies depending on a number of factors, such as the size and location of the house, the materials used, and the quality of the inclusions included.
Generally speaking, the fee for an Architect’s services is a small percentage of the overall building cost. Typically, the percentage fee will be 5% to 10% of the construction cost depending on the services provided and the complexity of the house.
It’s important to remember that Architects will not surprise you with any hidden costs. They will provide you with a clear breakdown of costs and manage your expectations with regards to your budget.
How long does it take for an Architect to design a house?
There is no one answer to this question as it depends on a number of factors, including the house’s size and complexity, the site constraints, and the time the Owner requires to make decisions. However, it generally takes anywhere from 16 months to 24 months to complete the design and construction of a typical house. This includes an allowance for the necessary authority approvals.
Factors such as the building process can also impact the timeframe on residential Architecture projects.
Ready to get started?
At Mark Lawler Architects, we offer premium Architecture services including custom residential architecture. We’ve designed homes, apartments, extensions, townhouses and more and can bring your dream property to life. Browse our recent projects for inspiration or get in touch to tell us about your vision.
