Active solar PV is not new. The popularity of Solar PV is growing and becoming mainstream. As we all painfully have experienced energy prices are going up for traditional sourced options it seems daily. On the other side, Solar PV technology is getting more advanced and competition is increasing which is bringing prices down. These factors coupled with the incredible demand for energy in the coming years is going to have a dramatic impact on the Solar PV industry. Industry experts are predicting now that Electricity demand in the U.S. will grow by at least 40% by 2032. This will result in the need for 300 power plants by the year 2030. Solar parity with coal is predicted to happen by the year 2014-2017. I predict many of these power plants being built will be solar and wind powered.
The advantages for solar today are straight forward. There is no power drop over long transmission lines, set energy prices for 50+ years, it does not risk the lives of people to harvest the needed resources needed to provide other types of energy sources. PV energy is also clean, renewable, and reliable while not increasing the burden on existing infrastructure.
The process of design is a mystery to many people and they don’t understand that this is the process. The former Dean of the UVA Architecture School William McDonough has been quoted as saying “Design is the first sign of human intention.” So this is our first step, if we skip it there is no telling what we are about to step in. “Design is that area of human experience, skill, and knowledge which is concerned with man’s ability to mould his environment to suit his material and spiritual needs.” according to the book The Need for Design Education. The design process, or the problem solving process is a required step as it identifies the goals, establishes the criteria by which to make decisions, and it tests the solutions before they are put into place. In other words, DESIGN MATTERS.
For an architectural design project the first step is to develop a budget, program, and schedule. With these parameters, you then move into site analysis including zoning and code reviews. These are the first steps and the backbone of any good design. You often are asked to develop schematic design to help the owner visualize the project. This could be a series of napkin sketches or a preliminary computer model that gets at the big picture and ignores the details. Through many conversations you are able find a design that meets the owners goals and you can create construction documents. Most builders want you to jump right to the last step and our industry has done little to educate people of the value of the many previous steps. In 28 years our firm has never sold a set of plans. We provide experience, advice, guidance, and knowledge that is seen in plans used to build projects, but also in specifications that spell out standards of care and product selections. While the mystery of each job is part of the fun of being an architect, the steps for success does not have to be a mystery for the client. Good conversation skills is the key to a successful project.
I certainly appreciate the need to keep a budget tight in this economy. However, I know on many jobs you are cash ahead by having good planning in place before you start ordering materials and pushing dirt.
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Building a home is a major investment of time, energy, emotions, and money. You have to make some hard decisions and put value vs cost to the test. One of the most expensive rooms in a home is the kitchen. You have to get it right to make it efficient, functional, and beautiful. There are so many decisions to make in this one area of the home that you can spend many hours dwelling on which options are required and which can be given up. The kitchen is almost always seen as the social center of the home from after school homework to the dinner parties. Having an understanding of how to put the pieces together is not something that you simply stumble upon through building. There is an art to the pieces and it is hard to quantify until you have worked in a well proportioned kitchen that has been designed. The finishes of the cabinets, their placement, and there sizes all play into the functionality of the space. The countertop surface not only provides an aesthetic statement, but also could be the source of major headaches in the long run if the wrong option is selected. The hardware, door closers, lighting, appliances, and flooring options are endless and all have a real impact on the durability and functionality of the space. It is worth the time to hire someone who has gone through the process with others to help you make decisions. While most cabinet suppliers offer an in-house design service, I tend to not want them to do the design (they may carry a bias as they make money on the choices you make). Look for a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) interior designer that not only understands kitchen design, but also can help you make a functional kitchen that lasts a lifetime.
Many developers are looking for new solutions to their traditional projects in this “new” economy. From live work spaces that allow for small business to start on the lower level and for the owner to live above to smaller footprint lots, innovation is happening. We have recently done projects that mix commercial and residential in the same building, townhouses that have studio space below, and small footprint homes. The solutions that we are going to use for the next economy will not look like those from the past. Sure there will be some exceptions to the rule, but the time of the big front yard with no connection to your neighbor is coming to an end as people are looking to be connected to their neighbors and to their community.
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No matter what your goals, you can design a house around the way you live and for your site. This home has a jacuzzi on the roof to take advantage of the views and the way this client lived. While a house this specific to one person may have an issue with resale, if you are designing your dream home, why would you design it for someone else?
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Do you ever wish you could change things, create things, or make things? I spend everyday looking for solutions, learning about possibilities, and imagining new spaces. Being an architect is so much fun that I hesitate to call it work. I have spent many years learning to think like an architect. I have spent many years learning to communicate my ideas to clients. I have spent many years figuring out how to “hear” my clients wishes and transform them into a design. I love the process of creating solutions for design problems. There is nothing better than solving a design problem and creating a solution that everyone loves.
What drives you in your career?
For more thoughts on saving money, protecting the environment, and on architectural design visit my websites:
