I'm not professional architect not am I an architecture major so please feel free to tell me to "fig off". I am actually a physicist, and I've always like to sit arond and design my ideal house. I don't work on anything else , and I'm not trying to transtion into architecture.
My main question is about the building material used when designing a house. I would like my house to feel strong and open (light?) at the same time. I've seen plenty of brick houses with fanatastic designs, but I don't really want to use bricks, although this would provide me with a strong house.
I imagine a wood house can be made to be open and light, but it almost seems too flimsy.
Is there a any material, that can achieve both ideas? Is is better to just delegate certain parts of the house carry out specific functions. Like have a brick fireplace, which is strong and sturdy, and then wood all around that area to provide that idea of light and openess.
Sounds as if you need to do some reading on domestic architecture. I would recommend Witold Rybczynski, who has written lots of good stuff that's aimed at the layperson. The Most Beautiful House in the World, his story about building a home for himself, would probably be of interest. The more you know about things like construction, materials, and the history of housing, the more fun it will be to sit around doodling. You'll just get smart-assery here.
Would you trust the results of a thermodynamics experiment conducted by a chef? No? Then why do you think a physicist can build a quality home?
Jun 25, 14 3:12 pm ·
·
OneLostArchitect
You can if you wanted... but you can do it yourself if you have the know how and determination / desire to learn. It’s not excately brain surgery. For larger buildings I would recommend an architect obviously.
I think that a physicist, or any other thinking person has a pretty good chance of designing a quality home, as long as he understands that it is a large undertaking requiring research, thought, and experimentation. Can't do any worse than the Toll Bros., or a lot of hack architects. It could end up being really awful, but, so what, as long as it doesn't fuck with his neighbor's quality of life or the character of the neighborhood.
Jun 25, 14 4:39 pm ·
·
OneLostArchitect
Toll Brothers doesn’t design a bad house. They are good at what people want. I know that’s cringe worthy for many architects here but it’s the truth.
that is the problem with our profession, people think (including those within our field) that anybody can design a building. People that try to do it on their own usually end up with a total turd of a project, neglecting basic principles of appropriate site layout and fundamentals of design/space planning.
As a physicist you should know that different materials have different properties, and that buildings typically combine a wide range of materials in their construction.
A good architect considers a multitude of factors beyond materials in the design of a building.
chigurh- We're not talking about a major construction project (which, in fact, architects can't design by ourselves because we have surrendered structural expertise to the engineers). It's a house. People have been building their own houses without paying professionals to design them for most of human history. Sure, modern construction is a little more complicated than archaic, what with plumbing and heating, but the challenge certainly isn't insurmountable.
I'm not sure that I'm willing to "pimp our profession" when so much of what we do is as bad as it is.
Matt.Simon- you should build it with your own hands, too. (Or hire a contractor- don't try to be your own general contractor or you will get truly fucked.)
Anonitect - If I'm in the market for a new car, would you tell me to go research and build my own? Heck, it can't be that hard. It's a couple of wheels and an engine right?
"People have been building their own houses without paying professionals to design them for most of human history"
People have been living in buildings made of mud and cow shit for most of human history. Humans have been wallowing in their own filth and disease for most of human history. Humans have been living without electric lights, running water, or adequate personal space for most of human history.
Does that mean we should keep doing it?
Jun 25, 14 7:04 pm ·
·
OneLostArchitect
No but I do believe most architects are egomaniacs. If it’s a small house and local juradisction allows it.. he can do it himself if he so desires.
Guys, some of us are missing the point. Matt.simon didn't come to ask whether or not he's qualified to build or design his own house. He came to ask advice on something so he CAN design his own house. Just for the record, I'm living in a log cabin built by my great grandfather (who is still alive) and designed by his wife, my great grandmother (also still alive). It is great here, it's a little small, but it was made to accommodate 2 people. Not our family of four. We plan to add on as well. So, Matt.simon if it's in your interest to design your dream house, do it. It sounds great.
One major misconception among most people who aren't educated in architecture is that brick houses are stronger than wooden houses. I will admit. I was also under that impression before I studied architecture. Unless we're talking about stone, reinforced concrete houses clad in brick, brick isn't really doing any structural work and holding up the house. It is only a cladding material, like a jacket you put on your body to protect it from rain or wind.
accesskb- Your post is unclear - certainly you understand the concept of load bearing masonry walls. What are you talking about?
Benjamin - Houses aren't cars. The materials used in home construction (outside of parts/systems that come as a complete assembly) are easily available and don't require industrial processes to form. I'm guessing, but I think that I could purchase or rent all of the tools and equipment (NOT materials)I would need to build an average sized stick frame home for less than a few thousand dollars. The machines used to make automobiles cost millions.
archynomous- There are still people living in squalor without plumbing or electricity, and there have been people living in well made, sanitary dwellings (albeit without modern technology) at many times during human history. Many of those homes were built by laymen, and a lot of them are still standing.
@curtkram, Thanks for the SIPs tip. I'm a theoretical physicist who does research in gravity. And indeed, I just need to worry about what to set equal to zero. lol. I did teach a class on statics and dynamics class so I have a basic (very basic) idea of how all that goes.
@anonitect, Thanks for the book reference, just bought it on amazon. :-) And thanks very much for the encouragement. My wife does actually want to build the house with her own hands. I can't say I'm that enthused by the idea, but I'm willing to try.
@CD.Arch, Thanks.
Before I address other comments I wanted to just apologize for starting a debtate, this wasn't my intetion. I was hoping to learn something and possibly meet people who would be interested in sharing their professional hard-earned knowldege.
First, let me say that I understand this is a huge undertaking. I've been sketcthing out floor plans for the past five years, and only now that I've found someone who is interested in building their own house am I finally brave enough to call what I'm doing desinging a house. We don't think this will happen overnight. This is a five to ten year plan, kinda thing for us.
Second, I never meant to imply that I would not seek professional help. My best friend is a contractor and my father-in-law a drafter. I always thought about engaging them in this project.
But, I need to recognize that there are skilled architects out there who make really beautiful homes consistently, and that the likelihood of a layperson creating something really first rate on their first attempt at home design is pretty slim. I do think that a motivated individual of above average competence would be capable of designing something that works, is comfortable, and that people will be happy living in for a long time to come.
Good luck, Mr. Simon. Some of it should be really fun.
i believe that if you look around online you can find some blogs that people have started to document their own home construction projects. They might be interesting if not informative for you and your family.
for the record, my dad, an accountant at the time, built the house i grew up in 30 years ago and still loves it. Its a heavy timber framed passive solar house which apparently caused quite a stir in the area when it was built.
there's no shortage of books, the only problem you may find is that more knowledge makes the decision making process harder.
@anonitect - Houses aren't cars? What's a trailer park then?
On a more serious note, I don't think anyone is saying that building your home can't be done. Matt Simon's questions relate to light, materials, structural systems and not "can I build a house on my own". Of course anyone can build a home for themselves. I applaud those that have built the place where they hang their hat. That said, I think it is an incredible risk. Matt Simon seems like he has a good idea of what he is looking for, and an architect would be able to help him realize this and give advice on construct-ability and the feasibility of doing so. I just think it is ill advised and short sighted to just say - go for it! Humans have been building them for thousands of years!
@Matt Simon - I think it's great that you want to create your own home and I think you should be involved as much as possible but be realistic about it. It seems as though you have an ambitious vision for what the space should be. Hire an architect and go from there.
You should look into passive solar if you are in an area where it will work. I toured a passive solar house owned by a physicist, he and his architect friend designed it. The heating and cooling bills were almost nothing.
also you should invest in some 3-d or physical models of the design. Once you see the house you will likely want to change some things.
Many people dabbled in architecture with some success "arm chair architects" like Thomas Jefferson. It's really a matter of your personal ability so no one here can make that judgement without seeing your drawings. That said, for such a large investment you are likely better off hiring someone who does this for a profession. There are many great residential designers and residential architects that can assist you. You will still have control over your "vision" just hire someone to help you take it to that next level for at least the DD and CD stage.
When you say "designing a house" to a bunch of architects it makes us think about waterproofing, air infiltration, insulation values, foundation design, site design, site drainage, wall assemblies, flashing, more waterproofing, finish materials, etc.
What it sounds like you mean by "designing a house" is deciding where the kitchen goes in relation to the bedrooms, what final finishes are used, and what the overall "style" or impression is like. Those things are best approached when working with a licensed residential architect with experience in the style of home you would like to build.
I have no doubt that even the most uneducated person could build themselves a workable shelter under good conditions, but this is your house - it is a huge (the biggest, usually) investment you will make and you will live here for many years. It seems wise to invest in professional services to ensure the house is live-able, has good resale value, and lasts.
Apparently most of the guys on here design houses. That's nice but architect designed houses are really a luxury item (shouldn't be but they are) Most houses are built by people who are looking exclusively at budget. So they are built the cheapest way possible. There are a lot of options for building a house from your typical stick frame to more exotic types of construction such as hay bail and rammed earth. If your building it yourself though your skill set or that of your friend will probably set a lot of your decisions. Also check with your city/area building permit office. They may have strict rules that will shoot down most of the more unique options.
If your looking at a slow build the materials ability to withstand some time in the weather needs to be taken into account. OSB and 2x4's don't like water. They can take a couple of rains but prolonged exposure will get you a mess.
Material selection also has a lot to do with location and the climate you are dealing with.
Take a look at aerated concrete. For a DYI job this stuff has some strong possibilities.
You can put a lot of glazing in just about any type of construction but it will be expensive to build and also heat and cool.
I would recommend having a pro get you to the dried in state and you finish the interior. You could spend forever messing around with studs and roof shingles that a pro crew would knock out in a couple of months.
Remember your time is valuable, is it really in your best interest to be digging footings when its typically done by a machine and a guy that makes 12$ an hour?
Tips on designing personal home
Hello all,
I'm not professional architect not am I an architecture major so please feel free to tell me to "fig off". I am actually a physicist, and I've always like to sit arond and design my ideal house. I don't work on anything else , and I'm not trying to transtion into architecture.
My main question is about the building material used when designing a house. I would like my house to feel strong and open (light?) at the same time. I've seen plenty of brick houses with fanatastic designs, but I don't really want to use bricks, although this would provide me with a strong house.
I imagine a wood house can be made to be open and light, but it almost seems too flimsy.
Is there a any material, that can achieve both ideas? Is is better to just delegate certain parts of the house carry out specific functions. Like have a brick fireplace, which is strong and sturdy, and then wood all around that area to provide that idea of light and openess.
Any comments and suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks.
SIPS!
it's a 4-year old thread... stick to making terrible and sexist comments involving chess.
Sounds as if you need to do some reading on domestic architecture. I would recommend Witold Rybczynski, who has written lots of good stuff that's aimed at the layperson. The Most Beautiful House in the World, his story about building a home for himself, would probably be of interest. The more you know about things like construction, materials, and the history of housing, the more fun it will be to sit around doodling. You'll just get smart-assery here.
I would suggest you hire an Architect.
Would you trust the results of a thermodynamics experiment conducted by a chef? No? Then why do you think a physicist can build a quality home?
You can if you wanted... but you can do it yourself if you have the know how and determination / desire to learn. It’s not excately brain surgery. For larger buildings I would recommend an architect obviously.
I think that a physicist, or any other thinking person has a pretty good chance of designing a quality home, as long as he understands that it is a large undertaking requiring research, thought, and experimentation. Can't do any worse than the Toll Bros., or a lot of hack architects. It could end up being really awful, but, so what, as long as it doesn't fuck with his neighbor's quality of life or the character of the neighborhood.
Toll Brothers doesn’t design a bad house. They are good at what people want. I know that’s cringe worthy for many architects here but it’s the truth.
Ricky, what's with the necro-threads?
anonitect...
that is the problem with our profession, people think (including those within our field) that anybody can design a building. People that try to do it on their own usually end up with a total turd of a project, neglecting basic principles of appropriate site layout and fundamentals of design/space planning.
Pimp our profession.
matt.simon: hire an architect
As a physicist you should know that different materials have different properties, and that buildings typically combine a wide range of materials in their construction.
A good architect considers a multitude of factors beyond materials in the design of a building.
chigurh- We're not talking about a major construction project (which, in fact, architects can't design by ourselves because we have surrendered structural expertise to the engineers). It's a house. People have been building their own houses without paying professionals to design them for most of human history. Sure, modern construction is a little more complicated than archaic, what with plumbing and heating, but the challenge certainly isn't insurmountable.
I'm not sure that I'm willing to "pimp our profession" when so much of what we do is as bad as it is.
Matt.Simon- you should build it with your own hands, too. (Or hire a contractor- don't try to be your own general contractor or you will get truly fucked.)
Anonitect - If I'm in the market for a new car, would you tell me to go research and build my own? Heck, it can't be that hard. It's a couple of wheels and an engine right?
what sort of physics?
all you need to know is that for us, it has to equal 0. if not, stuff that ought not move starts to move.
"People have been building their own houses without paying professionals to design them for most of human history"
People have been living in buildings made of mud and cow shit for most of human history. Humans have been wallowing in their own filth and disease for most of human history. Humans have been living without electric lights, running water, or adequate personal space for most of human history.
Does that mean we should keep doing it?
No but I do believe most architects are egomaniacs. If it’s a small house and local juradisction allows it.. he can do it himself if he so desires.
Go for it Matt!
One major misconception among most people who aren't educated in architecture is that brick houses are stronger than wooden houses. I will admit. I was also under that impression before I studied architecture. Unless we're talking about stone, reinforced concrete houses clad in brick, brick isn't really doing any structural work and holding up the house. It is only a cladding material, like a jacket you put on your body to protect it from rain or wind.
somebody who was not an architect put an addition on my house (long ago) and i'm paying to replace the roof they did wrong...
accesskb- Your post is unclear - certainly you understand the concept of load bearing masonry walls. What are you talking about?
Benjamin - Houses aren't cars. The materials used in home construction (outside of parts/systems that come as a complete assembly) are easily available and don't require industrial processes to form. I'm guessing, but I think that I could purchase or rent all of the tools and equipment (NOT materials)I would need to build an average sized stick frame home for less than a few thousand dollars. The machines used to make automobiles cost millions.
archynomous- There are still people living in squalor without plumbing or electricity, and there have been people living in well made, sanitary dwellings (albeit without modern technology) at many times during human history. Many of those homes were built by laymen, and a lot of them are still standing.
@curtkram, Thanks for the SIPs tip. I'm a theoretical physicist who does research in gravity. And indeed, I just need to worry about what to set equal to zero. lol. I did teach a class on statics and dynamics class so I have a basic (very basic) idea of how all that goes.
@anonitect, Thanks for the book reference, just bought it on amazon. :-) And thanks very much for the encouragement. My wife does actually want to build the house with her own hands. I can't say I'm that enthused by the idea, but I'm willing to try.
@CD.Arch, Thanks.
Before I address other comments I wanted to just apologize for starting a debtate, this wasn't my intetion. I was hoping to learn something and possibly meet people who would be interested in sharing their professional hard-earned knowldege.
First, let me say that I understand this is a huge undertaking. I've been sketcthing out floor plans for the past five years, and only now that I've found someone who is interested in building their own house am I finally brave enough to call what I'm doing desinging a house. We don't think this will happen overnight. This is a five to ten year plan, kinda thing for us.
Second, I never meant to imply that I would not seek professional help. My best friend is a contractor and my father-in-law a drafter. I always thought about engaging them in this project.
But, I need to recognize that there are skilled architects out there who make really beautiful homes consistently, and that the likelihood of a layperson creating something really first rate on their first attempt at home design is pretty slim. I do think that a motivated individual of above average competence would be capable of designing something that works, is comfortable, and that people will be happy living in for a long time to come.
Good luck, Mr. Simon. Some of it should be really fun.
i believe that if you look around online you can find some blogs that people have started to document their own home construction projects. They might be interesting if not informative for you and your family.
for the record, my dad, an accountant at the time, built the house i grew up in 30 years ago and still loves it. Its a heavy timber framed passive solar house which apparently caused quite a stir in the area when it was built.
there's no shortage of books, the only problem you may find is that more knowledge makes the decision making process harder.
@anonitect - Houses aren't cars? What's a trailer park then?
On a more serious note, I don't think anyone is saying that building your home can't be done. Matt Simon's questions relate to light, materials, structural systems and not "can I build a house on my own". Of course anyone can build a home for themselves. I applaud those that have built the place where they hang their hat. That said, I think it is an incredible risk. Matt Simon seems like he has a good idea of what he is looking for, and an architect would be able to help him realize this and give advice on construct-ability and the feasibility of doing so. I just think it is ill advised and short sighted to just say - go for it! Humans have been building them for thousands of years!
@Matt Simon - I think it's great that you want to create your own home and I think you should be involved as much as possible but be realistic about it. It seems as though you have an ambitious vision for what the space should be. Hire an architect and go from there.
You should look into passive solar if you are in an area where it will work. I toured a passive solar house owned by a physicist, he and his architect friend designed it. The heating and cooling bills were almost nothing.
Agree with toaster!
also you should invest in some 3-d or physical models of the design. Once you see the house you will likely want to change some things.
Many people dabbled in architecture with some success "arm chair architects" like Thomas Jefferson. It's really a matter of your personal ability so no one here can make that judgement without seeing your drawings. That said, for such a large investment you are likely better off hiring someone who does this for a profession. There are many great residential designers and residential architects that can assist you. You will still have control over your "vision" just hire someone to help you take it to that next level for at least the DD and CD stage.
When you say "designing a house" to a bunch of architects it makes us think about waterproofing, air infiltration, insulation values, foundation design, site design, site drainage, wall assemblies, flashing, more waterproofing, finish materials, etc.
What it sounds like you mean by "designing a house" is deciding where the kitchen goes in relation to the bedrooms, what final finishes are used, and what the overall "style" or impression is like. Those things are best approached when working with a licensed residential architect with experience in the style of home you would like to build.
I have no doubt that even the most uneducated person could build themselves a workable shelter under good conditions, but this is your house - it is a huge (the biggest, usually) investment you will make and you will live here for many years. It seems wise to invest in professional services to ensure the house is live-able, has good resale value, and lasts.
Apparently most of the guys on here design houses. That's nice but architect designed houses are really a luxury item (shouldn't be but they are) Most houses are built by people who are looking exclusively at budget. So they are built the cheapest way possible. There are a lot of options for building a house from your typical stick frame to more exotic types of construction such as hay bail and rammed earth. If your building it yourself though your skill set or that of your friend will probably set a lot of your decisions. Also check with your city/area building permit office. They may have strict rules that will shoot down most of the more unique options.
If your looking at a slow build the materials ability to withstand some time in the weather needs to be taken into account. OSB and 2x4's don't like water. They can take a couple of rains but prolonged exposure will get you a mess.
Material selection also has a lot to do with location and the climate you are dealing with.
Take a look at aerated concrete. For a DYI job this stuff has some strong possibilities.
You can put a lot of glazing in just about any type of construction but it will be expensive to build and also heat and cool.
I would recommend having a pro get you to the dried in state and you finish the interior. You could spend forever messing around with studs and roof shingles that a pro crew would knock out in a couple of months.
Remember your time is valuable, is it really in your best interest to be digging footings when its typically done by a machine and a guy that makes 12$ an hour?
You can get great deals on Reynobond PE now.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.