05. Who What When Where How

Answering questions before making decisions.

I love seeing the inspirational images that my clients share. A picture can capture so many things at once, the cliché a picture is worth a thousand words is so true.

The problem with Pictures

There is a problem with sharing pictures, too. Sometimes it can be hard to know what in the picture appeals to my client. Is it the height of the room, the lighting, the colors, the furniture, the cat? It can be easy to make an incorrect assumption about what my clients want based on photos alone.

My Superpower

This is why I like to ask a lot of questions. One of my superpowers as an architect is the ability to turn thoughts and desires into a built reality. Pretty cool, huh?

Questions:

Who will live here?

Who will visit, and how often?

What type of home is it — main residence, vacation home, rental?

What is your style — casual, formal, tailored?

Do you like a home that is ordered with everything in its place or laid back?

What are special interests important to your home — workshop space, art, sustainability?

When will you use the house - time of day (if you work from home), season (if a vacation home)?

When do you envision selling the property?

When does the project need to be livable?

Where should rooms be located — bedrooms clustered together or far from living spaces?

Any uses that need a separate building?

Where are significant views or landmarks on your property?

Where do you envisions spending most of your time in the home?

Where do you enter the home — formal entry or via garage?

How would you describe your lifestyle?

How do you think your lifestyle will change while you live here?

How important is privacy from your neighbors?

How large should your house be?

Should it feel grand or intimate?

Answers:

For our family, life is chaotic with four young children and two home offices. We envision living here for the indefinite future, possibly 10 years but maybe 40 or more. We want to make incremental, smart investments that improve re-sale value. We want generous places to gather and delightful spots to retreat. We need a private bedroom for each kid and both adults want a dedicated office space. We want a lot of privacy from our neighbors and to maximize views into our large garden. We like to do a lot of projects, so a workshop space is desirable. We like to do a lot of cooking, both indoors and out. We like to spend a lot of time outside, and would benefit from smart transition zones for going inside and out. We are a casual family and functionality is of high importance; I really like the Le Corbusier mindset of the house as a machine for living. For style, my aesthetic is Scandinavian, clean lines, lots of light, white walls and warm wood accents.

My next step is to make a diagram that starts to map these answers on the existing floor plan. The magic happens when schematic bubbles start turning into architecture.