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$100 quick challenge for anyone interested

ryanyoung

There's been a fair amount of criticism, much of it warranted, that I'm looking for free consulting work or that I should simply leave my home designs to the architect entirely. While there's definitely been lots of good feedback, I haven't gotten much of what I was really hoping for from Archinect: new ideas for features or changes that improve on the existing concept.

 So, let's shake things up a bit. 

$100 to anyone who suggests a specific new feature for improvement which finds its way into the final design. I've loosely scheduled a meeting with the architect for late August - early September where he's going to go through my design ideas, so we'll make that meeting the cutoff point. I'm hoping to incentivize just enough to get some cool new ideas without breaking bank so I may cut it off sooner but I will post when/if I do.

Here is a link to the thread with screenshots and some descriptions of the concept so far. Keep in mind this is not the final plan, I'm trying to have as much info for the architect as possible and I enjoy the process of researching and designing.
https://archinect.com/forum/thread/150210701/back-for-more-punishment/

It doesn't have everything but it should convey enough.

Review of the existing features and designs will be left to the architect. Comments and criticisms should go in the other topic. The architect has been very responsive to me playing an active role in the design process so I'd like to come to the table with as many ideas as I can and let him bring those ideas down to earth.

The criteria:

  1. The idea must fit the existing concept, the aesthetic, and the region (Sedona, AZ)
  2. It does not need to include the details or calculations, only specific enough to be researched and included by myself and the architect. Links must also have a brief description and I may ask for further information to qualify, however I know your time is valuable so I don't expect to get too much of it.
  3. The idea must not preclude other features or materials as we are looking to expand on the current concept. 
  4. The idea must not be in regards to room layouts or massing unless it presents a unique benefit to the functionality of the design. The current floorplan is by no means final so the idea must not be dependent on the existing layout.
  5. The idea must not be currently included or have been previously considered and excluded. You'll have to take my word on the later but I will post screenshots for the former.

If the idea is interesting enough to me that is becomes a quintessential part of the concept I will pay up front, otherwise I will send you a message to let you know you're in the running and contact you again once the architect and I have met and discussed. The meeting (and thus the payments) are subject to rescheduling as I'm a catastrophic insurance adjuster and if I get called out to work this gets put on hold. I will let people who are in the running know when and if I have to put this off for work.

I'm ultimately in charge of what qualifies and there's nothing binding here, so if you don't trust me to pay when its appropriate then dont partake. Payments will be made through paypal, if you do not have a paypal account you won't be paid.

Most importantly, I'm not looking for debate here. I'm looking for like minded people who see what I'm going for and can help me improve upon it. If you have something better to do with your time go do it, I certainly would.

Hopefully some of you see what I'm going for, I wont be offended if no one wants to partake but I thought this might yield some good results so I went for it. I surely don't mean to offend.

Best wishes, many thanks, and stay safe out there.

 
Aug 9, 20 7:24 pm
Dangermouse

My condolences to your architect 

Aug 9, 20 7:39 pm  · 
4  · 
Non Sequitur

His “architect” is a stamp for hire that already has a relation with the ram earth builder.

Aug 9, 20 7:48 pm  · 
1  · 
ryanyoung

Right now Quentin Branch is intended to be the contractor and Toby Branch the architect. Nothings signed but both have given me a good deal of feedback and I'm happy with what I've seen of their work. I seem to have piqued his interest enough that he will tolerate me and when the checks clear I think he wont care much about the extra time it takes.

Aug 9, 20 8:04 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Ryan, here’s real advice, for free. You approached the design of the house from entirely the wrong direction. It has a bad layout, poor room arrangement and no relationship to site.  It’s just a collection or squares.  All the important bits you’ve obsess about can totally be applied to ANY design in ANY style but you’re going full custom with a lower than wall-mart level living quality.  Scrap the layout and reconsider how you imagine actually living in the space, design according to this plus orientation and for fucks sake, actually try to use the ram earth construction And desert scenery as the aesthetics. 

Aug 9, 20 7:54 pm  · 
1  · 
ryanyoung

I thought I had. The lot is 260 Mockingbird Ln, sedona, AZ. The building is oriented to get light from the SW to enjoy the sunsets and the master bed patio faces a small mountain behind it. I intend to buy the lot across the street one day. Personally I like the exposed copper and spiral duct but I definitely want to play more with the layout as I'm not satisfied either. There's a heavy focus on the bathroom and the kitchen is more a small part of a greater room, my family does lots of gatherings and the idea was to have the kitchen be a part of the greater social space rather than an independent room or area, the peninsula sink let's you do dishes while still facing out to the group. The hallway/nook sucks, I'm working on new ideas for that area and right now i like the idea of an S shaped wall to make the nook larger and the hallway a little narrower. Plus with RE it's less additional cost for curved walls than it would be framed so I may take advantage of that.

Aug 9, 20 8:13 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

The layer coloring of the walls were a quick mashup of a rammed earth image and the sedona sandstone, deep red at the base, limestone tan at the top, and a few bands of darker black-ish sediment near the meeting point

Aug 9, 20 8:16 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

The bathrooms and kitchen on either side of the access hallway/laundry is a must for my design. By centralizing the water features and using slope with French drains we can essentially eliminate risk of damage due to plumbing failure. Building on the slope at the back of the property with the berm (gravel and drain) I've addressed any flood risk and that's where bedrock has a nice flat area to build on. By doing this we also get a nice roof patio to enjoy 200 degree views at mid day while under the brim of the great room overhang

Aug 9, 20 8:21 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

^Curved walls make for terrible spaces since you can't organize furniture around them. They only work when you take special care in lighting and turn them more into sculpture than spatial separation pieces. As for the rest of the comment, you can not tell from your drawings that any care was used when placing the rooms/uses and there is no hierarchy with the fenestrations. Look at any well designed ram-earth or desert residential example and you will see a clear and clever use of both open and closed spaces and selective windows or deep overhangs. This hierarchy is further linked to the internal rooms and uses. This in combination with good detailing around the ram-earth bearing walls and roof connection makes any space special. The other details, like the dishwasher or WC location are secondary (third in most cases).

Aug 9, 20 8:24 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Exactly what I was thinking, especially for people just coming out of the rooms into a space that was more meant as a decoration in and of itself rather than a space for furniture. a small round table and two chairs as the breakfast nook up against a window in a curved room. The wall I'm talking about runs East-West so it should get some dramatic lighting at sunset, especially in summer. I gotta model it to get the visual as it could also end up wasting a room.. I didn't post images with shadows because it glitches out on my computer for some reason, I need my desktop and I've been everywhere but home this year, but the design definitely factors that in.

Aug 9, 20 8:51 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Ultimately though that's what I have the least interest in designing personally as I'm not educated in that field. As you said these details can be applied to many layouts, thus the layout can be changed up by the architect to address some of these issues. These intricacies that I'm focusing on are so often overlooked and it can lead to a beautiful piece of art but a terrible building. I don't want to sacrifice everything aesthetically in the process, but they are more important to me than they would be the average client and so my focus is there.

Aug 9, 20 8:51 pm  · 
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citizen

Thanks, but I have a pretty good color printer.  

We're stackin' 'em against the wall, those gangster presidents...

Aug 9, 20 7:58 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Put it in an infinity mirror shadowbox and you can turn it into stacks much quicker

Aug 9, 20 8:13 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

It's ironic that so many people said I was looking for handouts and now I say I'm happy to pay for someone's 2 cents and everyone offers advice for free.

Aug 9, 20 9:08 pm  · 
 ·  1
rcz1001

Anyone giving you advice that you end up using can end up being legally liable to your project and subject to a lawsuit. Formal contracts or a simple transaction of $100 and the written offer is a rudimentary contract from a legal point of view. Once you offer advice specific to the project, especially in this thread when there is a possible remuneration being awarded, this is enough to get sucked into a professional liability issue for several years until we reach the statutes of limitation and statutes of repose deadline for actions. Sorry, I am not going to offer any advice here in this thread. My recommendation, hire an architect or other competent building design professional at the price level that is respectful to the professional's time, experience, and yes.... exposure to professional liability. Where I am, this can be a decade long exposure. Given the nature of your project, the design professional is likely going to need to either increase their E&O coverage or have a special project-specific E&O insurance coverage in addition to their regular E&O coverage to deal with professional liability specifically relating to this unusual project. Are you going to fairly compensate the design professional for having to carry project-specific professional liability insurance for the duration of the statutes of repose as defined in A.R.S. Section 12-552 or otherwise basically 10 years as a factor of safety? Are you f---ing kidding that you think $100 is going to cover the insurance premium for a decade for even a minor design suggestion?

Aug 9, 20 9:46 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

I'm well versed in E&O, this wouldn't apply to any ideas which met the criteria of what I asked. IE one guy sent me this https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/indian-architect-turns-bees-and-terracotta-design-innovative-cooling-system for an idea on how to cool the patio, something I'd already considered but decided against as it would require pumping water up to the roof to then pour down. Now if he'd sent me specs for a specific layout or designs for this property then we could be in E&O territory.

Hence, "It does not need to include the details or calculations, only specific enough to be researched and included by myself and the architect."

Aug 9, 20 10:18 pm  · 
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rcz1001

Three elements of a contract under Arizona law: (source: https://artemislawfirm.com/con... )

- offer 

- acceptance 

- consideration. 

You made an offer of $100 for a service "suggests a specific new feature for improvement which finds its way into the final design". There is a consideration. The consideration is the $100 compensation for providing the service of "suggesting a specific new feature for improvement which may find its way into the final design". All it takes to complete the contract is an acceptance. Under Arizona law, an act of providing "suggestions for new features for improvement which may find its way into the final design" is evidence of acceptance. 

Professional liability occurs when there is a contract (even as simple as this) and when the service is rendered. Suggestions made to a building's design under contract is a professional liability matter. Contract law matters. Contracts are binding as matter of law. Arizona law is the law of jurisdiction over liability matters due to project location. Contract may fall into Federal law which we can look into. 

I have not provided ideas for your project under the above contract terms but merely stating a concern. Therefore, I am not looking for the $100 nor am I interested in offering services for such an amount considering the professional liability exposure.

Aug 9, 20 10:24 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Also you wouldn't be culpable of any resulting damages or failures after another architect had been hired to review the designs. Their E&O would take on all liability for the designs which they approved, I don't think subrogation could apply here either as no one has been contracted for their work. But, in such a litigious country I don't blame you for being cautious either.

Aug 9, 20 10:25 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Your point is well taken though, I don't see a place to take down the thread or I would as I was hoping to try and get a discussion going not put people on guard.

Aug 9, 20 10:28 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

I flagged the post so a mod can take it down.

Aug 9, 20 10:30 pm  · 
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rcz1001

Not necessarily true Ryan Young. I'm not an employee of said architect therefore I am not protected under the protection of working as an employee under the direction of my supervisor. I would be an independent contractor in every sense of the term. I can still be sued if the lawyer suing knows I made that suggestion. It would be different if I made a suggestion to the architect as that architect's employee.

Aug 9, 20 10:35 pm  · 
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rcz1001

As you know, lawyers are always finding ways to poke holes in liability shields through litigated cases. When they succeed, this sets new case precedence where those once upon a time sure shield is no longer so sure of a shield.

Aug 9, 20 10:47 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Certainly better safe than sorry.

Aug 9, 20 11:15 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

Link to the SKP file

In case anyone is interested enough.

Aug 9, 20 9:28 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

In my opinion this is the best design in all of Florida. Another ugly rectangle with bland coloring, but it's design is perfectly suited to its environment.

I wanted their claim so bad when I was working Michael, just to poke around and see how it was built. Amazing what you can tell about an architect/builder by their attics.

Aug 9, 20 9:32 pm  · 
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$100, what does this guy think architects are? 

Aug 9, 20 11:45 pm  · 
1  · 
ryanyoung

possibly bored at home due to covid

Aug 10, 20 12:03 am  · 
 ·  2
atelier nobody

100 bucks will buy you 1/2 hour of my time (assuming I didn't have a minimum fee, which I do in real life). The time it would take me to review your sketches thoroughly enough to have any valuable input would likely be more than 1/2 hour.

Aug 10, 20 2:59 pm  · 
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ryanyoung

**********************


After rcz1001 pointed out the possible liabilities involved in this I'm gonna cut it off before it goes anywhere. Thanks to everyone who gave feedback, no ones getting shorted so best not to mislead


***********************

Aug 10, 20 12:26 am  · 
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rcz1001

While all projects bring liability exposure and so does all contracts for services do. The potential liability exposure is too great for the reward of $100. There are many reasons, anyone on this forum may refuse to provide suggestions for new features for improvement in the design for this project for the $100. The liability exposure, legal issues, and the many other possible reasons does make the $100 reward a really risky exposure. Multiple parties can be culpable for their part. Even if the architect of record for the project is the primary party held culpable, other parties can be enjoined and be held culpable even if it is less than the architect of record. It still comes at a cost. It still being exposed to liability that can have financial consequences and possibly other consequences.

Aug 10, 20 1:42 am  · 
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Wilma Buttfit

Where's the architecture for 5 cents guy?

Aug 10, 20 1:18 pm  · 
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rcz1001

Working for Z Modular.

Aug 10, 20 2:50 pm  · 
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jeiffert

$100 is the new 5 cents.  Slightly more credibility.

Aug 10, 20 1:37 pm  · 
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