I have some questions. I'm looking for an architect. I recently bought a lot on a very steep slope (40-70%) and want to build on it. I didn't know it was so steep, bought it from a distance. It can be built on but I've been told that it will cost at least $500/sft. Questions are:
1- Do I need to use an architect from the area the land is located at? or can I use one local to where I live currently?
2- I think $500/sft is excessive, is it?
3- I have a lot of "wants" and requirements, I also have a good idea of how I want it to look, how do I present them to my chosen architect? I also want to include as many "green" and energy efficient/solar power generating technologies as I can and will need a cistern and septic.
4- Since it's a steep slope can I build the back side of my house into the hill? And how concerned should I be about potential landslides? (there is a lot behind and up the hill from mine that leads up to the crew of the hill. It's 1.27 Acres, starts at 360 fee above sea level and ends at 465 feet elevation.
5- Are architects open to and accepting of their client's design ideas or do they insist on total control?
Thanks for indulging me and any answers you can offer.
-JML-
Mass.
Non Sequitur
Jun 10, 23 3:27 pm
$500/sqft is a minimum. Expect much much more if on non flat site with landslide concerns. As to the rest of your points, sounds like you need professional help. Bring your site and ideas to a an architect and pay them for their time. Don’t search online for free advice.
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 6:20 pm
I wasn't "searching online for free advice", as you put it. Your comments aren't helpful, why waste the time responding?
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 6:29 pm
....also, I contacted an architect already who did not want to listen to anything I had to say, just wanted to talk, talk, talk and not help me. So there's THAT.
proto
Jun 10, 23 6:56 pm
He’s right about the $500/sf. I know it sounds crazy but these last couple years reset some base expectations for materials & labor. Your unique siting will command a premium beyond that base.
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 7:12 pm
I was just looking for concrete and nothing extravagant- just a 3 BR/2.5 BA. Looks like it's not gonna happen.
Non Sequitur
Jun 10, 23 8:29 pm
Concrete is not that simple if site and géo conditions are complicated.
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 9:31 pm
Thank you Non Sequitur. I'm taking all of this information and trying to figure out what to do. I appreciate your input.
Wood Guy
Jun 10, 23 3:40 pm
I'll jump in before you get inundated with comments that this site is not for homeowners and prospective homeowners. It's not, but your questions are solid and well-articulated, and I think worth digging into. I answer similar questions from prospective clients frequently.
1. Ideally, yes, and in some cases it's required. Local architects (and unlicensed design professionals like me) are usually best because they understand what is usually done locally, both technically and aesthetically. In some places you are required to have an architect "stamp" a design but in most places that's not required for single-family homes.
2. $500/sf is probably reasonable, but it varies a lot depending where you are building. I mostly work in coastal southern Maine where decent-quality homes start around $400/sf and go up quickly from there. You can get houses built for less but not one you'd likely be happy with. Steep hillsides not only require more professional design work and more materials to build, but access on the site is more difficult which slows everything down. In the central and southern US, square foot pricing seems to be lower.
3. Any good architect (or designer) will take your ideas into account and show you a design that uses those ideas as inspiration. It would be very helpful if you could put together sample images of designs you like (and it's just as helpful to have a file of things you hate!). The images can be from books or magazines, photos you took, or these days most of my clients use Pinterest and Houzz.com to find things they like. Some architects have a design survey as part of their process, where they show you images and gauge your response. If you have ideas for floor plans or exterior looks, you can draw them freehand, on graph paper, using Excel or Powerpoint. Just try not to fall in love with your design. You may think it's perfect, and because it likely represents 100% of the houses you have designed, you might resist an architect's critique.
4. Yes. Get geotechnical and structural engineers involved and you shouldn't have to worry. Your architect can recommend people or may hire them directly.
5. The vast majority are open to clients' ideas. If we weren't, we'd have trouble keeping our businesses open. But some clients have a hard time accepting reality. I just got off a Zoom meeting with a client who had provided their own design and when I told them it wouldn't pass local zoning rules, they pushed back. I researched it again to be sure I was right and redesigned the house so it would be in compliance, while keeping as many of the clients' ideas as I could. I really wasn't sure how they would react but they accepted it. In the past, other clients have not been reasonable. Not every architect is fully competent but most are and you should take advantage of their professional experience and talent, rather than treating them like overpriced draftspeople who just draw what you ask.
I think you would benefit from my book: https://www.amazon.com/Pretty-.... I make $0.40 from each sale so this isn't a sales pitch, we just wrote it specifically for people in your situation, including the desire for "green" elements. (I'm the first author listed.)
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 6:16 pm
Thank you very much. (And it was supposed to be CREST of the hill, not *crew.). I do have tons of pictures of my ideas and explanations, I'm not asking for or expecting anything opulent or overly intricate or ornate-- simply concrete and cement (the house is in the Caribbean) and only 3 BR and 2.5 BA. I had wanted to also have a 1 BR/1 BA apartment for income and a pool, but at $500/sft I don't think I'll be able to do it. I've restored/renovated multiple homes before and worked with plenty of contractors and am no "noob" to building and construction.Anyway, I do appreciate your advice and taking the time answering my questions.
proto
Jun 10, 23 6:52 pm
40-70% slope? Am I reading that right? That sounds downright “cliff”-y.
As a skier, it sounds like fun up to absolutely dangerous. As an architect, it sounds fun from a vertical experience & vista perspective.
The engineering is likely to drive the bus on costs. Though I suppose if you have particular enough tastes, finishes and design may too as well.
Good luck with your project!
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 7:11 pm
Thanks. I think I'm going to have to sell. I'd wanted to pay cash but won't have that much, am not looking for anything extravagant, just simple concrete. Unfortunately the access is also o the upslope. Sadly, the views from the lot of the Caribbean are magical, I'll miss it.
midlander
Jun 10, 23 8:12 pm
costs vary enormously based on location, as do building codes. if this site is on an island in the Caribbean, almost none of the advice here will be relevant (we are mostly American and Canadian architects). You absolutely will need someone with good local experience to advise you on what to do. I wouldn't waste your time talking to anyone here; find someone who has worked on similar projects in that country.
otoh, costs are very likely lower and that budget may be possible. i'd be very concerned about landslides on such a site if the island gets hit by hurricanes or has seismic activity.
midlander
Jun 10, 23 8:19 pm
also at 40% slope midway up a hill is there even road access to this lot? it sounds unbuildable unless all the infrastructure is already in place surrounding the lot. 1.3 acres is a very small site for a 100ft rise!
Non Sequitur
Jun 10, 23 8:31 pm
What market rate for sky hooks in the carribean?
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 9:38 pm
Yep, seismic activity and periodic hurricanes. And yes, there are newly paved roads in the development. The soil is "VSF"- victory Southgate F which is hard volcanic rock and sandy topsoil. It's vegetated. Anyway...this island builds a lot of homes in steep terrain so it's not out of the questions, it's just that the architect (lol, his designer wife, not the actual architect) I was finally able to speak with essentially told me building on this site would be cost prohibitive, although 2 lots down a guy is building his house on a equally steep lot. Oh, infrastructure? the lot has underground utilities but I'd need to have a cistern and septic built. I'm thinking- since my convo w the architects wife and all these comments here- that I will have to sell this lot and try to find something already built that I can alter.
ILUVEV
Jun 10, 23 9:41 pm
My other thought was to build a 3-D home or build something like prefab composite or shipping containers. I only wish I knew more about all of this stuff. Thank you all very much for your insight, do appreciate it.....maybe I could turn the lot into a roller ski slope?
Non Sequitur
Jun 10, 23 9:52 pm
shipping containers on a slope on a budget project? Now I've seen everything...
midlander
Jun 10, 23 10:56 pm
OP - if you have construction experience and can see nearby projects built on similar sites your best bet would be talk to those neighbors and find out what they spent to build, and have them connect you to the builders they worked with for advice. it doesn't sound like you have a productive relationship with this other architect nor that they have relevant expertise, so just drop them.
midlander
Jun 10, 23 11:01 pm
it's really impossible to give useful direction without knowing local conditions. this doesn't sound like a situation where pre-fab housing is readily available nor a site that suits installing modular housing. but i could be wrong. best bet is see what local builders are doing, and adapt a design from that.
midlander
Jun 10, 23 11:05 pm
As to building a roller ski resort on one acre of tropical mountain land you should look up the Neom project in Saudi Arabia. Anything is possible if you're willing to spend enough money ;)
proto
Jun 11, 23 11:49 am
We worked with a client here in the PNW who had property in Honduras. He was a house painter up here, but became somewhat of a land baron down there & retired before 40 to his homeland. He bought all his hard goods, appliances, fixtures, hardware in the US. He built all the cabs in the US. Then he bought two 40ft trucks and drove his stuff down. The building shell was built locally using local materials (reinforced cmu for walls, wood/steel for roof & traditional stucco finish inside/out). I have no idea how he got his valuable cargo through all the possible ways to get it pirated, but he did. I suspect the design got adjusted from what we drew. We’ve never seen the result.
ILUVEV
Jun 11, 23 12:33 pm
Proto- I hear that, I was advised to buy all my stuff (tile, appliances, paint, anything I can) here in the US and have it shipped in containers as su[[lies/stock is limited on my island. Maybe the guy shipped his stuff from CA to Honduras?
I have some questions. I'm looking for an architect. I recently bought a lot on a very steep slope (40-70%) and want to build on it. I didn't know it was so steep, bought it from a distance. It can be built on but I've been told that it will cost at least $500/sft. Questions are:
1- Do I need to use an architect from the area the land is located at? or can I use one local to where I live currently?
2- I think $500/sft is excessive, is it?
3- I have a lot of "wants" and requirements, I also have a good idea of how I want it to look, how do I present them to my chosen architect? I also want to include as many "green" and energy efficient/solar power generating technologies as I can and will need a cistern and septic.
4- Since it's a steep slope can I build the back side of my house into the hill? And how concerned should I be about potential landslides? (there is a lot behind and up the hill from mine that leads up to the crew of the hill. It's 1.27 Acres, starts at 360 fee above sea level and ends at 465 feet elevation.
5- Are architects open to and accepting of their client's design ideas or do they insist on total control?
Thanks for indulging me and any answers you can offer.
-JML-
Mass.
$500/sqft is a minimum. Expect much much more if on non flat site with landslide concerns. As to the rest of your points, sounds like you need professional help. Bring your site and ideas to a an architect and pay them for their time. Don’t search online for free advice.
I wasn't "searching online for free advice", as you put it. Your comments aren't helpful, why waste the time responding?
....also, I contacted an architect already who did not want to listen to anything I had to say, just wanted to talk, talk, talk and not help me. So there's THAT.
He’s right about the $500/sf. I know it sounds crazy but these last couple years reset some base expectations for materials & labor. Your unique siting will command a premium beyond that base.
I was just looking for concrete and nothing extravagant- just a 3 BR/2.5 BA. Looks like it's not gonna happen.
Concrete is not that simple if site and géo conditions are complicated.
Thank you Non Sequitur. I'm taking all of this information and trying to figure out what to do. I appreciate your input.
I'll jump in before you get inundated with comments that this site is not for homeowners and prospective homeowners. It's not, but your questions are solid and well-articulated, and I think worth digging into. I answer similar questions from prospective clients frequently.
1. Ideally, yes, and in some cases it's required. Local architects (and unlicensed design professionals like me) are usually best because they understand what is usually done locally, both technically and aesthetically. In some places you are required to have an architect "stamp" a design but in most places that's not required for single-family homes.
2. $500/sf is probably reasonable, but it varies a lot depending where you are building. I mostly work in coastal southern Maine where decent-quality homes start around $400/sf and go up quickly from there. You can get houses built for less but not one you'd likely be happy with. Steep hillsides not only require more professional design work and more materials to build, but access on the site is more difficult which slows everything down. In the central and southern US, square foot pricing seems to be lower.
3. Any good architect (or designer) will take your ideas into account and show you a design that uses those ideas as inspiration. It would be very helpful if you could put together sample images of designs you like (and it's just as helpful to have a file of things you hate!). The images can be from books or magazines, photos you took, or these days most of my clients use Pinterest and Houzz.com to find things they like. Some architects have a design survey as part of their process, where they show you images and gauge your response. If you have ideas for floor plans or exterior looks, you can draw them freehand, on graph paper, using Excel or Powerpoint. Just try not to fall in love with your design. You may think it's perfect, and because it likely represents 100% of the houses you have designed, you might resist an architect's critique.
4. Yes. Get geotechnical and structural engineers involved and you shouldn't have to worry. Your architect can recommend people or may hire them directly.
5. The vast majority are open to clients' ideas. If we weren't, we'd have trouble keeping our businesses open. But some clients have a hard time accepting reality. I just got off a Zoom meeting with a client who had provided their own design and when I told them it wouldn't pass local zoning rules, they pushed back. I researched it again to be sure I was right and redesigned the house so it would be in compliance, while keeping as many of the clients' ideas as I could. I really wasn't sure how they would react but they accepted it. In the past, other clients have not been reasonable. Not every architect is fully competent but most are and you should take advantage of their professional experience and talent, rather than treating them like overpriced draftspeople who just draw what you ask.
I think you would benefit from my book: https://www.amazon.com/Pretty-.... I make $0.40 from each sale so this isn't a sales pitch, we just wrote it specifically for people in your situation, including the desire for "green" elements. (I'm the first author listed.)
Thank you very much. (And it was supposed to be CREST of the hill, not *crew.). I do have tons of pictures of my ideas and explanations, I'm not asking for or expecting anything opulent or overly intricate or ornate-- simply concrete and cement (the house is in the Caribbean) and only 3 BR and 2.5 BA. I had wanted to also have a 1 BR/1 BA apartment for income and a pool, but at $500/sft I don't think I'll be able to do it.
I've restored/renovated multiple homes before and worked with plenty of contractors and am no "noob" to building and construction.Anyway, I do appreciate your advice and taking the time answering my questions.
40-70% slope? Am I reading that right? That sounds downright “cliff”-y.
As a skier, it sounds like fun up to absolutely dangerous. As an architect, it sounds fun from a vertical experience & vista perspective.
The engineering is likely to drive the bus on costs. Though I suppose if you have particular enough tastes, finishes and design may too as well.
Good luck with your project!
Thanks. I think I'm going to have to sell. I'd wanted to pay cash but won't have that much, am not looking for anything extravagant, just simple concrete. Unfortunately the access is also o the upslope. Sadly, the views from the lot of the Caribbean are magical, I'll miss it.
costs vary enormously based on location, as do building codes. if this site is on an island in the Caribbean, almost none of the advice here will be relevant (we are mostly American and Canadian architects). You absolutely will need someone with good local experience to advise you on what to do. I wouldn't waste your time talking to anyone here; find someone who has worked on similar projects in that country.
otoh, costs are very likely lower and that budget may be possible. i'd be very concerned about landslides on such a site if the island gets hit by hurricanes or has seismic activity.
also at 40% slope midway up a hill is there even road access to this lot? it sounds unbuildable unless all the infrastructure is already in place surrounding the lot. 1.3 acres is a very small site for a 100ft rise!
What market rate for sky hooks in the carribean?
Yep, seismic activity and periodic hurricanes. And yes, there are newly paved roads in the development. The soil is "VSF"- victory Southgate F which is hard volcanic rock and sandy topsoil. It's vegetated. Anyway...this island builds a lot of homes in steep terrain so it's not out of the questions, it's just that the architect (lol, his designer wife, not the actual architect) I was finally able to speak with essentially told me building on this site would be cost prohibitive, although 2 lots down a guy is building his house on a equally steep lot. Oh, infrastructure? the lot has underground utilities but I'd need to have a cistern and septic built. I'm thinking- since my convo w the architects wife and all these comments here- that I will have to sell this lot and try to find something already built that I can alter.
My other thought was to build a 3-D home or build something like prefab composite or shipping containers. I only wish I knew more about all of this stuff. Thank you all very much for your insight, do appreciate it.....maybe I could turn the lot into a roller ski slope?
shipping containers on a slope on a budget project? Now I've seen everything...
OP - if you have construction experience and can see nearby projects built on similar sites your best bet would be talk to those neighbors and find out what they spent to build, and have them connect you to the builders they worked with for advice. it doesn't sound like you have a productive relationship with this other architect nor that they have relevant expertise, so just drop them.
it's really impossible to give useful direction without knowing local conditions. this doesn't sound like a situation where pre-fab housing is readily available nor a site that suits installing modular housing. but i could be wrong. best bet is see what local builders are doing, and adapt a design from that.
As to building a roller ski resort on one acre of tropical mountain land you should look up the Neom project in Saudi Arabia. Anything is possible if you're willing to spend enough money ;)
We worked with a client here in the PNW who had property in Honduras. He was a house painter up here, but became somewhat of a land baron down there & retired before 40 to his homeland. He bought all his hard goods, appliances, fixtures, hardware in the US. He built all the cabs in the US. Then he bought two 40ft trucks and drove his stuff down. The building shell was built locally using local materials (reinforced cmu for walls, wood/steel for roof & traditional stucco finish inside/out). I have no idea how he got his valuable cargo through all the possible ways to get it pirated, but he did. I suspect the design got adjusted from what we drew. We’ve never seen the result.
Proto- I hear that, I was advised to buy all my stuff (tile, appliances, paint, anything I can) here in the US and have it shipped in containers as su[[lies/stock is limited on my island. Maybe the guy shipped his stuff from CA to Honduras?