Understanding Your Home’s Architectural Design Plans

Designing a home is an interesting and exciting process, where an impressive pile of rolls of paper (or digital documents) transform into the house you’ve always wanted. Here is a quick guide from an architect in NJ on reading your home’s architectural design plans.
The first thing to note is the different types of information contained in your house plans. While your home will be unique, architects use standard architectural designsymbols on plans to indicate critical information for the planning office and builder, from the location of electrical outlets and light fittings to window and door types. Because these symbols are standard, they’re easy to learn and communicate between the different parties who are working on your project.
The second thing to note is that your plans are drawn to scale. This means that if you multiply the lengths of the lines on your plans by the ratio on the plans (this is usually a ¼ inch = 1 foot ratio), you get the length as it will be in real life.
Usually there is one sheet per floor of your home, so you can see it in its entirety. These are a road map to building your home, containing structural details like floor joists and so on as well as aesthetic details like the type of windows in each room, which direction each door opens, and even an aerial view of how appliances will be fitted into the space. This will also include the foundation and basement view and building specs.
Your roof will have a separate sheet to itself, as this is critical for the correct engineering and building of the structure. This is a bird’s eye view of the roof that includes ridges, hips, valleys, rafters, trusses, elevations and the location of chimneys.
Plans can be more difficult to interpret by home owners when they are in a bird’s eye view, as this doesn’t really give you a clear idea of how your home will look as a structure (although it’s very useful for planning out furniture and appliances). For a better idea of the house itself, your architect also includes exterior elevations. This is usually one sheet per side of your home, drawn as if you were standing outside the house, looking directly at each side. This will show a lot of detail like windows, doors, exterior trim, wall heights, roof pitches and ridge heights.
Your architect will also include general notes into your plans with all the details needed to comply with the necessary building codes.
Put Your Dream Home in Reliable, Experienced Hands – Expert Architectural Design in NJ 
The firm of Seth A. Leeb is a full-service residential and commercial architectural firm, and we have considerable experience working on large and small residential projects, including remodeling, extensions and new builds. We consider designing and building your project as a privilege, and we’ll work with you to make the process as smooth and rewarding as possible. For more information on our services as custom home architects and to speak to a residential architect in NJ, please contact us today or visit our website.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How Biophilic Design Can Increase Workplace Productivity

Image
Biophilic design has changed how we think about creating workspaces. By bringing natural elements into the built environment, biophilic design creates a peaceful and productive atmosphere that significantly affects how people are in the workplace. In this article, our team of  commercial architects in NJ  discuss the biophilic design concept and how it can change the way people work for the better.  What is “Biophilic Design” and How Does it Affect Work Environments? Biophilic design is a new way of building that tries to bring people closer to nature by using natural elements, materials, and shapes in buildings. It considers the fact that people innately have the need to be in touch with nature, and utilizes that connection to make us healthier and more productive. Research  has shown that the way a workplace is designed can have a significant effect on how employees feel and how well they do their jobs. Biophilic office design uses natural light, plants, and organic materials to lowe
Read more

Essential Restaurant Design Tips from a Commercial Architect

Image
A successful restaurant brings many different elements together to deliver a comprehensively enjoyable experience to diners – and one of the most critical of these elements is the design of the space itself. Here are some insights from a  commercial architect  in NJ on how to make the most of your restaurant design. Prioritize your spending:  Restaurant design and fitment costs can escalate rapidly and the sky’s the limit. It’s best to first focus your spending on the most critical areas – creating a functional layout for the kitchen and dining space, installing effective task and dining lighting, and investing in robust and comfortable seating that fits the space. Settle on your brand and image:  After the budget is set for those areas, look for a few striking elements to add personality to your space and advertise your brand. It’s important that these elements are well thought-out and directly align with the restaurant’s overall theme. Here, customization is a great idea – h
Read more

Ideas for Building a Flood-Proof Home

Image
During the rainy season, New Jersey homeowners are faced with the risk of their home flooding, causing structural damage and the loss of their belongings. According to National Flood Insurance program statistics for 2016, New Jersey homeowners accounted for over 232,000 policies worth $56 billion in flood insurance and received over $6.1 billion in claims payments between 1978 and 2015. With this in mind, it makes sense to incorporate strategies for flood prevention into your home’s architecture. Here are some tips from a  leading architect in NJ . Know if you’re in a high-risk zone:  A great source for information about flooding in your area are the FEMA Flood Zone Maps, which you can access online. These maps use aqua markers to indicate if an area is below the flood marker. Ask your architect to determine your BFE (base flood elevation) and DFE (design flood elevation) to ensure that your house is set at the correct height and according to building codes. Ask for a topo
Read more