Custom Designed,
Energy Efficient
& Healthy Homes
The first thing to do is to document all your ideas. Keep a folder with sketches, sticky notes, and wish lists along with magazine clippings or photocopies. There are also plenty of great design books available. Some of my favourites are Sarah Susanka’s “Not So Big” series, Chris Magwood/Peter Mack/Tina Therien’s “More Straw Bale Building” and Dan Chiras’s “The Solar House”.
Once you have your wants and needs prioritized, try doodling some floor plans, and elevations. At this point, we can meet to discuss your project and help to continue the design process.
One concept we like to design around is using building orientation, window placement and overhangs to control when and where the sun enters,or doesn’t enter, the house. We can calculate the solar angles at different times of the year to shade in summer or get free solar heat in the winter. It costs nothing to do and has immediate comfort benefits, not to mention savings in operating costs. See Videos of sun studies.
We strongly emphasize the importance of knowing your budget, and basing decisions around it. The traditional method of having a set of plans drawn and then afterwards having them priced out usually leads to some tough (and sometimes heartbreaking) decisions and costly re-draws. The method we prefer to work with is called “cost planning”. Find out more about this method in “Keeping it Affordable”...
Patrick is a licensed building designer registered with the MInistry of Housing. We do our own design in-house, therefore practical solutions can guide the design challenges so that you end up with very build-able plans.
Visit our Video page to see sun study's and 3D tours.