It’s now time to start Refining the Design. Here at Shelter Building Design we’ve designed many homes and other projects and know how many questions people need to consider about their build. Decisions on room sizes, ceiling heights, finishes and appliances, not to mention budget, are all vital to creating your dream home. These all get documented in a Design Brief.
One question we like to start with when working with homeowners looking to achieve their dream is “Why are you building?”. From reading our Getting Started Guide you’ll now know that defining the principal reason you’ve chosen to build a new home will allow for more informed decisions during the design process.
Some of the reasons we hear from homeowners are:
- To live in healthier homes
- The increasing cost of utilities leading to higher heating and cooling costs
- Living needs changing: kids moving out or parents moving in
- Concerns for the planet and wanting to live more sustainably
Thinking about why you are building will provide a reference point for other decisions during the design of your project.
You should have a link to a shared design brief template document. If not please email us now so we can get this important document started.
In the design brief document read through all the questions and start jotting down some notes in sections you are comfortable with answering. We help people formulate answers to the Design Brief questions and navigate the challenges of building projects from start to completion so don’t stress…this is all part of the design process…
Function & Form
One misconception we hear about Passive House Design is the statement “I don’t want to live in a box”. For the last few years, we’ve seen the emergence of high performing homes represented by a typical, ‘boxy’ style of building.
Although these straightforward designs work very well for achieving Passive House standards, you aren’t necessarily bound by this style. A Passive House can be designed to suit just about any aesthetic. Even though simplicity is the key to an efficient Passive House, our team can create a home style to suit your taste.
And if you are struggling to decide on a style for your home, we can help with that too! Collaborating and brainstorming can lead to a shared vision that is superior to the sum of all parts. At Shelter Building Design, we work with homeowners to create houses that not only look great but perform efficiently as well.
You can learn how we take the stress out of building projects at our upcoming Site Meeting.
Well done!
Congratulations….now that you are at this stage you are ready to book your on site face to face meeting with Kirstie Wulf so she can directly answer any questions you have and move on to the next stage in the process.
We look forward to meeting you!
