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GREEN DESIGN

‘step-by-step’ by David Watkins

There is a lot to cover but there is no need to be overwhelmed: We will cover one thing at a time, step by
step. Here’s my promise to you: Your dream home is waiting for you at the last of our steps. My best advice is to settle in and take your time – The journey is fun and indescribably rewarding.

HOW TO CHOOSE A BUILDER

‘step-by-step’ by David Watkins

INTERIOR DESIGN & PERSONALITY

‘step-by-step’ by David Watkins

design your dream home

‘step-by-step’ by David Watkins

There is a lot to cover but there is no need to be overwhelmed: We will cover one thing at a time, step by step. Here’s my promise to you: Your dream home is waiting for you at the last of our steps. My best advice is to settle in and take your time – The journey is fun and indescribably rewarding.

step 1 – location

Good Design responds to its surroundings.

Sunlight Where is the Sunlight coming from? Where will it be throughout the day? Draw the arc of the sun on the Site Plan, from morning to evening.

Assets Are there features like a view, a big tree or a rock outcropping? List three of the most important Assets. Three is plenty. Fewer (even none) is fine.

Restrictions My advice is to embrace restrictions. Sounds crazy? Consider a black-&-white charcoal drawing. The artist decided only to use charcoal. No color. The restriction of color is what gives the charcoal drawing much of its beauty.

I have come to love restrictions. So if your property is, “too narrow,” or “facing the wrong way,” or “has a weird shape,” I say embrace it. Find a creative way to respond to it. The best architecture responds to its surroundings. And in so responding, the structure begins to find its identity (as it is for people, so it is for our houses).

step 2 – Bubble Diagram

Now for the most fun (and also most important) part of Design.

Make your Bubbles Draw one circle for each room. Use a ruler to scale each bubble to represent the size of each room. If the room is 10 feet by 10 feet, then the circle should have a 1 inch diameter (1 inch on your paper represents 10 ft. in real life). Scale each circle accordingly. If the room is rectangular, draw an oval.
Draw your Property On an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper draw your boundaries (called a ‘building envelope’). Remember that 1” = 10’. Draw the arc of the sun. Mark the directions of the views and the locations of the assets.

Make it Your Own

The following principles are only guidelines The degree to which you implement each of the following principles depends on your priorities and values. In the decisions you make, your home will reflect your values.

step 3 – Place the garage

In the Northern hemisphere, direct sunlight comes from the South.

Place your Garage on the North side of the house If possible, position your house where it has the most opportunity for sunlight (if you can’t place the garage on the North side, don’t worry – we will find other solutions).
Place your driveway where it will get sunlight If it snows where you live, try to place the driveway where the sun will melt the winter ice. As the illustration shows, you can place your garage on the North side of the house and direct the driveway East or West.