When considering to build a custom home or cottage the idea can be very exciting but can also raise many questions about how and where to start. The information below will guide you through the steps to design your custom home or cottage with the help from a BEAVER HOMES & COTTAGES DESIGN CONSULTANT. In four simple steps you can go from a vision to a detailed set of construction plans.
Step One:
THE DESIGN OF A CUSTOM HOME requires a clear vision and attention to detail, as it should express the personal tastes and suit the lifestyle of its occupants. At your initial design meeting, your Beaver Homes & Cottages Design Consultant will sit down with you and help you sketch out your ideas based on your vision or will work with any sketches and inspiration images you may already have. Prepare for your initial meeting by reading Crafting the Perfect Blueprint: A Guide to Designing a Custom Floor Plan.
Your Design Consultant will also fill out the applicable request from to accompany your sketches. This form will include a number of design considerations that will help shape the overall design, such as ceiling heights, foundation types, and exterior finishes. Other items you may need to discuss at your initial consultation include zoning requirements and by-laws for the municipality in which you will be building. Restrictions such as building footprint and building height may affect your design.
The initial sketches and completed forms will then be sent to the Architectural Solutions Group at Home Hardware to start the preliminary drawing process*
*A non-refundable deposit that will be applied to your premium material package is required to initiate a preliminary drawing process. Your custom construction drawings are provided as part of your premium material package at no extra charge.
Step Two:
THE ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS GROUP AT HOME HARDWARE is a team of qualified Architectural Designers. They will use their extensive design and technical expertise to produce a set of preliminary drawings called quarter prints. These will include the floor plans and elevations (exterior views) of your house or cottage. The floor plans will include information such as room sizes, window and door sizes, preliminary kitchen and bath layouts, stairs and decks. The elevations will show ceiling heights, roof pitches, window and door styles and exterior finishes. Overall, the quarter prints will provide an initial picture of your future custom home or cottage.
Step Three:
Once your design consultant receives the quarter prints from the Architectural Solutions Group they will arrange to meet with you to review.
Any changes you would like to see will get marked on the quarter prints. This is called redlining. Mark-ups may be minor, such as resizing a window or rearranging a kitchen layout, or may be major such as increasing square footage or adding a loft over a garage. Review everything carefully and be sure to ask yourself and your Design Consultant the necessary questions at this stage about the house and its layout. You can find a comprehensive list of questions in the booklet: Drawing Conclusions (8958-309), available from your Beaver Homes & Cottages.
The redlined quarter prints will then be sent back to the Architectural Solutions Group to be revised accordingly and a revised set of quarter prints will be produced. You will then review the revised quarter prints with your Design Consultant to determine if the changes are to your satisfaction.
Step Four:
If additional changes are required, the process will be repeated by redlining the quarter prints again. Two full sets of changes are included in the package price.
Once all of your modifications have been made and the design reflects your final vision, a full set of comprehensive, accurate, high quality construction drawings* will be completed by the Architectural Solutions Group. The construction drawings will meet or exceed the National Building Code of Canada, as well as Provincial Codes in effect at the time the drawings are ordered.
From there, the building process can begin.
*Guaranteed plans are valid with a signed and accepted agreement to purchase a Beaver Homes & Cottages Material Package.
