Effectively Working With an Architect on a Custom Home
/Ray Johnston and JA client Dave Bacon were interviewed for an article about what its like designing a custom home. You can read the piece by Robyn Friedman in its entirety in the Wall Street Journal.
New Caelifera | Photo by Wiqan Ang
The process of designing a home can be a long and arduous one, particularly for a large or highly customized home. But building a custom home gives you the ability to make every design choice and to create a finished product that is unique and reflects the way you live.
Consider Dave Bacon’s experience. Mr. Bacon worked with an architect to design a 1,400-square-foot steel, glass and cedar “modern cabin” in Winthrop, Wash., a town in the Cascades about four hours north of Seattle. The 46-year-old software engineer spent $193,000 on a 20-acre tract with views of the Sawtooth Mountains and $485,000 to construct the home over two years. He paid an additional $55,000 to his architect, Seattle-based Ray Johnston.
New Caelifera | Photo by Wiqan Ang
“It was a big deal to make sure we had enough space for people to come visit,” said Mr. Bacon, adding that the home has only one bedroom but sleeps 11 by incorporating sleeping nooks, alcoves and a hanging bed outdoors. “But it would have been very hard to get all the sleeping arrangements otherwise. There are all these little details you can’t get unless you get your own architect.”
New Caelifera | Photo by Wiqan Ang
When working with an architect, the design process typically begins with an initial meeting at which the client provides the architect with a wish list, a basic overview of the home that includes details such as the number of bedrooms, baths and the overall style. After that, the architect will design several conceptual plan options consisting of floor plans that incorporate the wish list. Arriving at a preferred option typically takes six to eight weeks, according to Mr. Johnston, a founding partner of Johnston Architects.