Yep. He's back again. This time with more hot garbage.

Somehow I knew you'd get first comment. Good to see you again non-seq

Hi Ryan. Get a real estimate from a contractor, not just your insurance writer software. You’ll find there will be a big difference since you’ve not considered actual construction details and sequencing.

The software is pretty good for that actually, not the sequencing but those line items are pretty inclusive. 10% O&P covers sequencing and coordination typically. Usually my estimates are within 10% of final costs as long as I get the items right, although some areas I don't really have the experience to write properly (foundation and electrical especially). But I know plenty of contractors who write in Xact, not like I'll get it on the dot but it puts me in the ballpark. The rammed earth or earthcrete aren't in the system so that's probably off, I used the item for >8' reinforced concrete walls per CY then added another rebar item and a plate compactor at 1hr per 4lf. If the total comes out at more than my $700/cy I'm gonna have to reconsider the material.

Thanks man. I do post on some other forums for that kind of info (lesson learned) but I'm actually here for the aesthetic feedback in this case.

It’s very easy to do mediocre residential but it’s not really that hard to make it half decent. I rank this example below mediocre so there is loads of room for improvement.

Care to point out a few things? Your feedback totally overhauled my access hallway idea last time (begrudgingly I must admit) and I feel like I am getting closer to a quality product with this version.

"The comments you'll get here are going to be focused around aesthetics." ...what do you think architecture is?

archi_due wrote:

“The hate you are going to get is from people who get frustrated at how easy architects roles actually are. Not the historical master builder role, just the new 21st century architect as master space planner role we've pigeon holed ourselves into.”

Where do you practice that you think this is what an architecture does?

Part of the problem is that your drawings don't convey any of that clearly. That might be a place to start

Ya I got a little excited an posted before I should have, glad I did though because otherwise I would have invested way too much time before getting these critiques

Those hallways will hopefully act as suncatchers during the winter months, light should go straight through to the steel interior walls which would absorb much more readily and the heat would be trapped inside the envelope.

Thanks for all the feedback man, I'm working on a sketch-up version and any critique helps. Had a busy day but should be back at it tomorrow.

Definitely gonna take another crack at the entry, I really like tduds ideas below. I think if I free up that a bit it'll help alleviate the dead space but I don't want to kill that completely, I like a little empty in a room. Personally I love triangular shapes, I would have gone 60 degrees for an equilateral but they don't make fittings for 60 so that's a hassle, hence the 22.5 degrees. The "window" between the dining and bedroom is an opening for the HVAC up in the corner, just for calculating. The garage will be detached and shouldn't block any of the good views. Total it's around 1950 sf

The window shapes and placement is so ambiguous it's driving me crazy. I can look at a wall and say I like or don't like it but I can't figure out how to accomplish that with intention. I'll take another swing at it for the revision.

I see what you mean about the door placement. I'll fix that.

Great question Tduds. But then again, isn't that also why we have Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram?

I don't, I'm glad to get the critique even if it comes with a lash here or there.

Pipe fitting angle.

Openings have been corrected, originally I was thinking of using that for the ducts but it looks ugly as you've noted so they're flat in the latest version

Architecture is extremely easy y'all.

If I wanted to really improve the flow I'd make the main entry from the north, maybe give both guest rooms a southern view, maybe do something fun like break the western wall at the master bath & put a tub in a cantilevered box with glass on two or three sides. But I wanted to see if I could make the space workable with as little change as possible.

I like the idea and placement on the courtyard, especially since I definitely need to rework the entry. I don't want to move the guest bath to the other side as I really want to centralize the plumbing. The property is only really accessible from the SW as it's a corner lot, the slope gives good views to the S, W, and NW though. Wouldn't rammed earth work better as an envelope if it covered the the north side too? I've been working to keep the W, N, and E walls as solid as possible but most the designs I see are like this, open at both ends.

I don't want to interfere with your design. But in terms of basic comps there are many more better strategies. Such as C shape Courtyard. L shape. The rammed earth in this design by Tduds is more like party wall for Row houses. With a ton of waste space dedicated to corridor. Also that space is not courtyard, more like a recess for a tree trapped between two solid walls. The design should include site, showing vehicular access, pedestrian walk ways. Plants. Outdoor patios, terraces, etc. 

Here is a house that I really like. See how the glazing is centered around courtyard. And the layout is efficient. 

Courtyard House

Ryan, rather than layout I am more interested in assemblies and details. That is probably where you need the true expertise and critique. Can you do a few detailed wall sections. I want to see your exterior wall assembly, roof and foundation. Interior wall partitions. I want to see the performance and aesthetic quality of your build. That is what differentiates cheap 2x4 spec house with high end custom. Honestly you could easily find a plan book for layout strategies. They will be way better than your design. But that is up to your. Layout reflects personal taste and needs.

In retrospect 'courtyard' is the wrong word. I originally labeled it 'garden'. I thought some big red stones & a couple saguaros would be nice to look at on your way to the kitchen in the morning.

If you want me to actually think about things I start at $160/hour

Nah, we should not do the designs. It is Ryan's game. Everyone has their own weird taste and needs. That is what custom house is for. For me, I probably will have a glass storefront connecting the car display room(not quite garage) and my living room. Showcasing my imaginary "Porsche" or "ferrari". That is the best wall decoration for my living room. Not generic white wall and big painting. Definitely a 2 story great room with nice open tread solid wood and glass railing spiral stairs. Big modern chandelier. High end kitchen and custom full height millwork. Some roof garden outside my bedroom to yell at the kids. Uh hmm, getting drifted away.

ok

Oh, I have a good tip for Ryan. Imagine you are a real estate sales person. You are selling this super high end custom house and touring the buyer through the building. How would you convince the buyer why this house is worth the double/triple price of the equal sized 2x4 spec build. What does it offer that those houses does not besides the obvious rammed earth. The more you can list, the more quality your design contains.

Even though resale isn't a big factor for this, that same concept has me really worried about the look of this place. I'm worried that if I build too much to my current taste and say "who cares what anyone else thinks?" I may be end up not liking the design in 20 years when my tastes have changed. Hence bringing it here to get it torn apart, people I showed in person weren't critical enough.

What is amazing here is how the OP manages to miss every single aspect of what makes custom house design interesting.

Where careful consideration is required, this building does nothing but satisfy egos.

Oh.... no.

Why are all the views towards the neighbor's house?

nothing says good design like placing closets and utility spaces on exterior walls.

Ya, I like it even less than the original. The neighbor's house shown is gone now, the land is owned by my godfather who is also planning on a rammed earth/rolled steel retirement home. The slope of the property lets me see over that house as well and there's a great view of small mountains and sunset to the SW.

Solid improvement.

900% improvement.

This is actually really close to the very first design I did, the offset parallels at least. I was just looking at it and thinking I should give it another try.

Thanks for doing this man, it reminded me of where this project started before I got carried away with eccentricities. This also makes my dilemma with the utility room a bit more manageable. Gonna try to tweak this to suit my goals and see where it takes me.

You clearly care about your mom and I think you are on the right track with some of these big ideas on materials, look and feel, and the courtyard/ entry sequence. This is the kind of substantial constraints and direction architects love to get from residential clients. However, please hire an architect. 

They will take your ideas and make them the best version they could be. You probably don't even need to get full drawings, but a bit of design advice and collaboration could really help. It is not just space planning - it is organization yes, but also clarity of concept or parti that makes a building architecture and not a building. Please hire an architect if you want this project to be good.

In conclusion, you should hire an architect. No reflection on you personally, but there are people on here who have designed literally hundreds of houses. There's no way you can do as good a job making your ideas sing as they can. 

An architect, hire one you must.

Ya man, the more times I try this the more I respect what you guys n' gals do. The sheer number of factors to be considered for every little decision is just crazy. I've talked to two architects so far based on their experience with rammed earth and examples I really liked. Both have expressed interest but they have projects they're already committed to right now.

No one I've talked to on the Architectural side seems to take the functional goals seriously enough, and no one on the construction side cares at all about the look in any serious way. I feel like I need to find where my tastes lie between the two so neither runs down the road without the other, these practices and yall's feedback is really helping me find where that line is.

Gonna think about this a bit more, read through this massive thread again, stare at previous versions, and try for round 4.

Also, utility room has an exterior wall.

Jeez, some of the tiny things you care about amazes me. You need big concepts before your "Kitchen sink faces out into dining room, Guests pass dishes over, stay engaged while washing" Kind of stuff. 

Big ideas man.

 "Water loss mitigation Kitchen, master bath, bathroom, all connected to laundry/utility" What? You want to use gray water for your toilets? On site cistern tanks? 

"Roof penetrations (vents etc) covered by higher roof overhang" Huh? You just need proper flashing. Who cares about overhang. I would never let that drive my design.

"N wall continuous to prevent flash flood water buildup Rare but it does happen, water from NW and NE and flow to the W/SW low point". Huh? talking about storm water management? Serious? 

You are really stepping into the territory I think is beyond your capability.

These all stem from the same thing, inspecting thousands of houses for damages. Water is the most destructive force on the planet and I want to build in a way that reduces the risk of loss. It starts in one of three places: the sky, the ground, or the pipes. Water from above is way more of a hassle to negate than people let on, if I climb a roof for water intrusion then 90% of the time it's the vents or valleys (often due to additions) where the water got in. My solution, no valleys and cover the vents.

Makes sense, you're hyper aware of a problem and working with a limited set of solutions. This is where an architect would be of value. We also understand this problem, but have a wide range of solutions to work with.

That hit the nail on the head. But they're busy and I'm bored.

No.

Clear :)