Over thanksgiving, my sister mentioned that they are moving to a smallish city outside Tucson, AZ. They are moving into an existing house, and would like to build a guesthouse. When she asked me to do some plans, my response was essentially 'I haven't done anything like that before, but I am sure I could do a good job'.
I graduated 2 years ago and have been working in a large office doing institutional work. So I don't have much residential experience. Is there a good book you can recommend that would guide me through the process of code review and getting the drawings approved through the city?
You are correct that 2 years out of school and with no residential experience under your belt you have no idea what you are doing. So use the opportunity to educate yourself.
Start doing some google searches and magazine searches for guest houses (Sunset Magazine is a western living mag that often focuses on simple out-buildings in the West, some very nice examples). Go to a homes plan website - where anyone can buy a set of plans for a few hundred bucks - and browse the plans for layout ideas.
And if your sister has already selected a builder, start with him/her - that person will have oodles of experience getting through this process and can easily become your ally in getting the project done efficiently IF you treat their experience with respect.
Process? Residential architects don't need no stinking process!
Seriously, unless there's an appearance review, exception or variation, there really isn't much to say about any process. Take your permit sets in, shmooze the reviewer, and get them back a few weeks to a couple months later hopefully approved without any significant corrections. Find a friend/old classmate actually doing residential and ask to borrow a set of cdocs as guidelines. Nothing will be more bang for the buck. Hopefully the details are quality. Most residential zoning codes are posted online. If not, call the municipality. If their codes aren't on their website, more often than not they're small and probably have fairly simple zoning restrictions. This should be the first thing you do. Don't forget to ask/determine what building code the municipality follows. Your construction details will depend on it. Check to see if either your sister or the municipality has a copy of older house plans, if not the current set. Obtain a current survey from your sister. If she doesn't have one, she's responsible for ordering one. Oh yeah, have a contract. Just because she's your sister doesn't mean she can't sue your ass.
the first thing you need to do is...
find out if you can even build a guest house. you may be restricted by allowable f.a.r. or area coverage of your lot. therefore, i would follow fogey's advice and set up a meeting with the local powers that be.
I was ask to seal some drawings for a house years ago in Arizona just because I have a current registration in that state. I was advised that I would not be able to seal the drawings unless I was doing the construction administration on the project. Oh ya it was for some famous 70's group...'something and the Bull Frog'
The State of Arizona has a very active Architectural Review Board, in the Department of Consumer Protection, as they do send out a magazine a couple times a year saying who they nailed to the cross and why. Don't be silly and get youself in over your head.
They might be your second stop after you check out the zoning regulations.
How does one learn about low budget residential architecture - AKA, my sister asked me to design a guest house.
Over thanksgiving, my sister mentioned that they are moving to a smallish city outside Tucson, AZ. They are moving into an existing house, and would like to build a guesthouse. When she asked me to do some plans, my response was essentially 'I haven't done anything like that before, but I am sure I could do a good job'.
I graduated 2 years ago and have been working in a large office doing institutional work. So I don't have much residential experience. Is there a good book you can recommend that would guide me through the process of code review and getting the drawings approved through the city?
Thanks for your advice.
You are correct that 2 years out of school and with no residential experience under your belt you have no idea what you are doing. So use the opportunity to educate yourself.
Start doing some google searches and magazine searches for guest houses (Sunset Magazine is a western living mag that often focuses on simple out-buildings in the West, some very nice examples). Go to a homes plan website - where anyone can buy a set of plans for a few hundred bucks - and browse the plans for layout ideas.
And if your sister has already selected a builder, start with him/her - that person will have oodles of experience getting through this process and can easily become your ally in getting the project done efficiently IF you treat their experience with respect.
Good luck!
Look around the neighborhood for some precedents.
Process? Residential architects don't need no stinking process!
Seriously, unless there's an appearance review, exception or variation, there really isn't much to say about any process. Take your permit sets in, shmooze the reviewer, and get them back a few weeks to a couple months later hopefully approved without any significant corrections. Find a friend/old classmate actually doing residential and ask to borrow a set of cdocs as guidelines. Nothing will be more bang for the buck. Hopefully the details are quality. Most residential zoning codes are posted online. If not, call the municipality. If their codes aren't on their website, more often than not they're small and probably have fairly simple zoning restrictions. This should be the first thing you do. Don't forget to ask/determine what building code the municipality follows. Your construction details will depend on it. Check to see if either your sister or the municipality has a copy of older house plans, if not the current set. Obtain a current survey from your sister. If she doesn't have one, she's responsible for ordering one. Oh yeah, have a contract. Just because she's your sister doesn't mean she can't sue your ass.
the first thing you need to do is...
find out if you can even build a guest house. you may be restricted by allowable f.a.r. or area coverage of your lot. therefore, i would follow fogey's advice and set up a meeting with the local powers that be.
I was ask to seal some drawings for a house years ago in Arizona just because I have a current registration in that state. I was advised that I would not be able to seal the drawings unless I was doing the construction administration on the project. Oh ya it was for some famous 70's group...'something and the Bull Frog'
The State of Arizona has a very active Architectural Review Board, in the Department of Consumer Protection, as they do send out a magazine a couple times a year saying who they nailed to the cross and why. Don't be silly and get youself in over your head.
They might be your second stop after you check out the zoning regulations.
"You are correct that 2 years out of school and with no residential experience under your belt you have no idea what you are doing."
Hmm..okay...
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