Custom Residential Architects Network

I'm sitting in my living room this morning watching one of those local realtor shows on tv where they go through all the open houses for the day. We're house hunting and I need to go look at a couple this afternoon. I can't seem to talk the spouse into building (he thinks my wish list is too expensive for our budget!), so we're looking to buy. Since I have only 5 years of architecture experience and none (yet) in residential, I'm still figuring out how to articulate what makes a good house. I seek out books, blogs, and general conversations which help me understand - but most non-designers don't spend their time doing this.

While in school, I was fortunate enough to be inside a small house in a Colorado mountain town that was 800 sf +/-, and it felt like 1500 sf. It was designed in part by my teaching assistant that semester and I've never forgotten how a great plan can make a place work.

As I watch this show today the ONLY things I've heard any of the guests or host say about the houses they are selling is 1. number of bedrooms and bathrooms 2. overall SF 3. number of garage spaces 4. price.  That's it. I know that as designers we'll never be able to educate everyone about great design, but somehow the elements which make one house different from another need to enter into conversations when it comes to marketing homes. Again, I think that connecting with other professionals in the housing market is key to getting the conversation changed. This includes developers, realtors, builders, even financing institutions. I think that the more we work with them, the larger our client base has the potential to become.



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Brenda Nelson Assoc. AIA
Woodruff Design, LLC
Ankeny IA
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Fortunately, having lived in two architect designed residences - and, yes I am an architect - I can honestly express some truths about the power of good design. The first was a 12 unit condominium and was a design build project. The street image was several cuts above the norm and the 9 foot 1st floor ceilings, 8 foot foyer ceiling, and 1st floor wet bar and powder room made for a slightly more gracious entertaining experience. The second floor with laundry, two bedrooms - master with two clerestory windows - made for easy comfortable living. All of these elements could be found in wood framed condos in the late 70's. We now live in a steel framed, glass and stucco walled townhouse (published in Record Houses 1969). I can honestly state that it's simple floor plan with almost no hallways, lives much larger than its 2100 sq. ft. The 9'-4-1/2" ceilings feel like 10. The glass walled rooms borrow square footage from walled exterior courtyards. We restored and lit it properly. We furnished it appropriately, and found it difficult to leave the house for the office after moving into our international style edifice with roots going back to the Case Study Houses, Farnswortb. and Johnson's glass house. Walls with recessed base and reveals at the ceiling with unique detailing in the structural supports outside the glass curtain walls, interior doors and frames of steel that go full height to the ceiling - all conceived as parts of a whole by a gifted architect have allowed for a living experience enhanced by firmness, commodity, and delight. All visitors respond to the serenity of the house. As educated professionals, we ourselves are often capable of expressing the concepts that affect our uniqueness within the specialty practice of residential architecture - in words. If not, a bit of assistance from a marketing consultant and a gifted photographer (many of us have that gift) can draft a text. If that message is presented as a "statement from the architect" followed by the acronyms of our hard won credentials, is given to the owner of a home custom designed for her or him or a family in the form of a permanent plaque affixed to the structure - Mr. Wright did it with his signature on a square red tile OR self publish a well designed succinct hard bound book that stays with the house. It informs a future real estate agent who passes out the pamphlet version to potential buyers. Best to publish several hard bound books (5 to ten pages max with the architect's statement, simplified floor plan, and several photos. That way the original owner and/or their offspring may retain one while the next owner can carry the torch that enhances by honest documentation the value of a dwelling designed by an architect. The original owner of the center unit of our three townhouses saved original PR documentation beyond the magazine that published the three as an architectural statement. We in turn have copies for ourselves and have passed copies on to the current owners of the center and other flanking townhouse. If we are passionate about our work - the image enhancement is a relatively low expense, elegant in result, and joyful in its doing. ------------------------------------------- Michael John Smith FAIA, LC , IES, IALD Principal MJS LIGHT architectural lighting consultation and design Houston, Texas -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 10-28-2012 12:03 From: Brenda Nelson Subject: How Homes are Marketed I'm sitting in my living room this morning watching one of those local realtor shows on tv where they go through all the open houses for the day. We're house hunting and I need to go look at a couple this afternoon. I can't seem to talk the spouse into building (he thinks my wish list is too expensive for our budget!), so we're looking to buy. Since I have only 5 years of architecture experience and none (yet) in residential, I'm still figuring out how to articulate what makes a good house. I seek out books, blogs, and general conversations which help me understand - but most non-designers don't spend their time doing this. While in school, I was fortunate enough to be inside a small house in a Colorado mountain town that was 800 sf +/-, and it felt like 1500 sf. It was designed in part by my teaching assistant that semester and I've never forgotten how a great plan can make a place work. As I watch this show today the ONLY things I've heard any of the guests or host say about the houses they are selling is 1. number of bedrooms and bathrooms 2. overall SF 3. number of garage spaces 4. price. That's it. I know that as designers we'll never be able to educate everyone about great design, but somehow the elements which make one house different from another need to enter into conversations when it comes to marketing homes. Again, I think that connecting with other professionals in the housing market is key to getting the conversation changed. This includes developers, realtors, builders, even financing institutions. I think that the more we work with them, the larger our client base has the potential to become. ------------------------------------------- Brenda Nelson Assoc. AIA Woodruff Design, LLC Ankeny IA -------------------------------------------