Monday, March 7, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Michael McCann architect Westchester,Architectural process with Clients,Architects Westchester, Google Maps architects Westchester
When a homeowner begins to think about making changes to their house, the prospect of where to start can be daunting. They might begin by going to a window store to get ideas or perhaps to their local town building department to see what is necessary as to filings, permits and regulations. But very often the conversations come around to the real first step, finding an architect since an architect is needed to file the building permits with the town before any construction can take place.
Like any profession, there are practitioners with varied backgrounds and experiences. If an architect specializes in high rise office buildings, that architect might not be accustomed to dealing with a factor found in residential renovations or building - that is the emotional component of talking to clients about their most sacred space, their homes. Therefore, an architect speaking to homeowners about their residences has to have a very important quality - he or she must be an excellent listener. This process is not about the architect's ego, it's about finding a solution that takes into consideration the needs and wants of the owner and their family, including financial considerations.
Therefore, the homeowner must make a time investment in the architectural process. Michael McCann architect Westchester, splits his fee into phases. The first phase is the design phase - can he solve the problems the homeowner presents. This way the homeowner has made a small investment in the design process. If the architect solves the problems presented by the homeowner, the next phase gives the homeowner an idea of cost. Since Michael McCann is both an architect and a builder, he has a very good idea of construction costs. Often an architect will throw a cost per square foot at an owner, which can be wildly different from what the actual costs truly are. By getting the homeowner a cost on an actual design early in the process the owner can then see if this project is financially viable for him or her or whether the project has to be modified to fit the client's budget. It makes no sense to over design a project outside of the owner's budget. Michael McCann AIA has found that as an architect and builder in Westchester and Fairfield, costs can vary greatly from national norms and that realistic cost estimates based on actual drawings is the most efficient way to help the client.
www.mccann-craftinc.com
Architects Westchester, Google Maps architects Westchester, architects designing with wood,www.mccann-craftinc.com, architects Ct,
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&georestrict=input_srcid:7c188def6e2d4d9a&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=14
For many clients, there is nothing like the feel and look of wood and detailed wood moulding. Wood paneling's rich appearance stems from the endless patterns revealed by the wood, with each type of wood having its own characteristics. To design a room with intricate wood moulding, very often using more than one type of wood, such as oak and cherry, is like piecing together an complicated puzzle. Not only do the woods have to match and the moulding come together appropriately at various points in the room, but the architect must have a good sense of proportion for where in the room the moulding is being used. Even as to where in the house the mouldings are used, the architect must know the proper proportions - for example, using deeper moulding in the entry way or living room as opposed to the type and amount of moulding used in the bedrooms. Beams overhead must be properly sized so that the don't look out of scale, either too big or heavy or too small and delicate for the space. But the warmth that wood envokes is hard to duplicate using other materials. The house featured here, from New Canann, Ct. show the various using of wood and moulding in several different rooms, each with a distinctive style and appearance and using several different types of wood. While a much more complicated design problem for the architect as opposed to flat walls without any architectural decoration, the result can be spectacular and definitely worth the time and effort, giving the owner a space that cannot be seen in most homes.
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