How an Architect Can Help

Help clarify and refine your wants and needs.
Through a process called programming, we will discuss your requirements, needs and budget. We then help define what is to be built and establishes the project’s scope, many times presenting you with creative solutions you might never have considered.

Are your needs specialized enough to warrant building a custom-designed home, or would a tract home built to certain specifications suit your needs just as well? The cost of building your custom home and its anticipated value should be consistent with real estate values of the surrounding neighborhood.

TIP: Share everything you can with your architect: your thoughts, notes, sketches, photos from magazines — anything that illustrates what you like. Tell us about your routines, the way you function in your current home, and what you like and don’t like about it. Doing so sets the stage for building cost-efficiency into your project. By setting parameters early in the process, we can help you control costs before you even break ground.

It’s often said that architects not only have the answers, they also know the questions to ask:

  • How many rooms will you need?
  • How will the home function?
  • Who will use it and how?
  • What are your tastes?
  • How long do you plan to live in the home?
  • Do you work at home?
  • How much time do you spend in the living areas, bedrooms, kitchen, den, office or utility space?
  • How much time and energy are you willing to invest to maintain your house?
  • Are you building for yourselves or future buyers?

If this is your "forever home," we can:

  • Provide flexible design options to accommodate your changing family size or reduced mobility, as you grow older.
  • Help choose certain amenities that can affect long-term value and resale.
  • Propose ways to lower energy costs and house maintenance over the long term.
  • Suggest features such as window options that can protect carpets, flooring and upholstery from damaging ultraviolet rays.

While the list of possibilities seems endless, we can help you see the big picture and design solutions with the long term in mind.

>>> Next: The Planning Process >>>

 
     

 

 

 

 

Earth and Sky Architecture, Colorado's leading sustainable residential home architect, specializes in evocative, compassionate, and environmentally responsible house design. The Rocky Mountain Colorado passive solar home designer is committed to designing homes that harness the energy of nature to create a serene sense of comfort and significantly reduce long-term maintenance expenses. The sustainable home architect in the Denver Metro Colorado offers custom luxury homes and residential passive solar home design for a reasonable price. Front Range Colorado green home architect can offer passive solar home design. Paul Adams, licensed Colorado architect, was a leader among his peers serving as president of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). He was also a finalist in the Walter Wagner Education Forum, a national educational award for architecture. Paul Adams is a sustainable architect. We design Colorado solar homes.