This past Thursday and Friday (Sept. 13/14) I made a trip up to Montana to visit with our architect, Don Briggs of Briggs Architecture & Design, (http://www.briggsarch.com/) to discuss the project as we move forward in the infancy of the design phase.
Don starts off all his new residential projects by requesting the owners to put forth their ideas on how they see the new home, both from an overall sense & feel to a detailed room by room breakdown. Referred to as a ‘program’, Sarah and I completed our work in a timely manner in the first part of September. Again, this trip was to follow-up our ‘program’ submittal and go over various questions Don had to insure both parties were of the same mind moving forward.
For review, our submitted program of September 4th was as follows:
Type / Look / Feel:
- Three-story with basement
- Passive Solar Design (passive heating and cooling design)
- Possible Cultured Log System Construction
- Sustainable Design
- ‘Off-Grid Solar Array energy source’ or ‘Grid-tied Solar Array system with
Don starts off all his new residential projects by requesting the owners to put forth their ideas on how they see the new home, both from an overall sense & feel to a detailed room by room breakdown. Referred to as a ‘program’, Sarah and I completed our work in a timely manner in the first part of September. Again, this trip was to follow-up our ‘program’ submittal and go over various questions Don had to insure both parties were of the same mind moving forward.
For review, our submitted program of September 4th was as follows:
Type / Look / Feel:
- Three-story with basement
- Passive Solar Design (passive heating and cooling design)
- Possible Cultured Log System Construction
- Sustainable Design
- ‘Off-Grid Solar Array energy source’ or ‘Grid-tied Solar Array system with
backup battery system’
- Energy Efficient Details (Design and Materials)
- Green Building (environmentally friendly building materials)
- Healthy Home (minimize / eliminate indoor toxins – VOC’s)
- Geothermal heating / cooling / heated exterior walks
- Rainwater catchment system / Gray-water system
- Cutting edge appliances and technology
- High quality inside and out
Floor Detail:
Ground Floor
Attached three-car garage
Utility / Mud room
Kitchen, Large & Spacious
Entertainment / Great Room
Dining Room
Note: We see kitchen area transcending into the Great Room; perhaps divided by a small sitting area. Dining room located off to side?
Grand Fire Place or Wood stove in / around great room
Entry Foyer
Coat closet
Multipurpose Room
i. Library / Office / Spare Bedroom
¾ Bath as well as ½ Bath
Exterior Decking
Second Floor
Master Bedroom
i. Spacious bedroom, bathroom, and closet(s)
ii. Exterior deck?
Bedrooms #2, #3, & #4
i. Spacious for bed, desk, shelves
ii. Each have independent Full Bath and closet
- Energy Efficient Details (Design and Materials)
- Green Building (environmentally friendly building materials)
- Healthy Home (minimize / eliminate indoor toxins – VOC’s)
- Geothermal heating / cooling / heated exterior walks
- Rainwater catchment system / Gray-water system
- Cutting edge appliances and technology
- High quality inside and out
Floor Detail:
Ground Floor
Attached three-car garage
Utility / Mud room
Kitchen, Large & Spacious
Entertainment / Great Room
Dining Room
Note: We see kitchen area transcending into the Great Room; perhaps divided by a small sitting area. Dining room located off to side?
Grand Fire Place or Wood stove in / around great room
Entry Foyer
Coat closet
Multipurpose Room
i. Library / Office / Spare Bedroom
¾ Bath as well as ½ Bath
Exterior Decking
Second Floor
Master Bedroom
i. Spacious bedroom, bathroom, and closet(s)
ii. Exterior deck?
Bedrooms #2, #3, & #4
i. Spacious for bed, desk, shelves
ii. Each have independent Full Bath and closet
Recreation Room
i. Open for toys / electronics / puzzles
Basement (daylight basement?)
Mechanical room
Cold storage / wine room
Main Entertainment Room
i. Theatre Quality Movie / Television System
ii. Pool Table / Video Arcade Machine(s)
iii. Mini-bar with stools (sink / fridge)
Pullouts for sleeping (sofa bed / bunks / Murphy?)
Full bath
Wood stove (if daylight basement)
Observation Deck (3rd floor)
360 views of property and valley
Minimal seating area (inside and out?)
Skylight for telescope set-up
Outside Entertainment Deck
Built-in Barbeque with fridge & sink
Fire element (pizza oven?)
Ample seating
In meeting for over two hours, we went through each floor of the ‘program’. We stressed our need for the kitchen and great room to work into one as this is were our family, along with frequent entertainment, seems to congregate the most. We talked about the fire place or stove element and how it ties into the concept of efficient heating under the premise of sustainable design. After concluding with both the upstairs and then the basement, I felt Don had a clear idea of what we were expecting in our living areas and what we are expecting Don to produce on the design side to meet these expectations.
i. Open for toys / electronics / puzzles
Basement (daylight basement?)
Mechanical room
Cold storage / wine room
Main Entertainment Room
i. Theatre Quality Movie / Television System
ii. Pool Table / Video Arcade Machine(s)
iii. Mini-bar with stools (sink / fridge)
Pullouts for sleeping (sofa bed / bunks / Murphy?)
Full bath
Wood stove (if daylight basement)
Observation Deck (3rd floor)
360 views of property and valley
Minimal seating area (inside and out?)
Skylight for telescope set-up
Outside Entertainment Deck
Built-in Barbeque with fridge & sink
Fire element (pizza oven?)
Ample seating
In meeting for over two hours, we went through each floor of the ‘program’. We stressed our need for the kitchen and great room to work into one as this is were our family, along with frequent entertainment, seems to congregate the most. We talked about the fire place or stove element and how it ties into the concept of efficient heating under the premise of sustainable design. After concluding with both the upstairs and then the basement, I felt Don had a clear idea of what we were expecting in our living areas and what we are expecting Don to produce on the design side to meet these expectations.
Our meeting concluded the next day with a half-hour visit at the home-site. The previous week, I supplied Don with CAD Drawings care of Shepherd Surveying (Jay Estus 406-821-3895) whereby the immediate site along with surrounding terrain was clearly depicted by one foot interval contour lines including existing trees, boulders, access roads, and far off views. We took this opportunity to walk back and forth in and around the site to capture possible orientation as it pertained to the annual sun cycle as well as protection by the existing 80’+ tall pines. Sarah and I now sit back and await Don’s initial design renditions, while being available anytime to answer/clarify any questions that might arise in the meantime. In the coming month we will work with Don to fine tune designs and start-up the contractor application/interview process.
In the meantime, we are not putting down our need to address necessary property needs. Utility install, Septic permit, Well install along with overall water infrastructure, and initial solar design concepts are being attended to starting next week, with the idea that all will be completed or finalized prior to the snows flying by November first.
Stay tuned for more as the project continues to unfold.
Good health and an Abundant Tomorrow to all!
Tim Southwell
In the meantime, we are not putting down our need to address necessary property needs. Utility install, Septic permit, Well install along with overall water infrastructure, and initial solar design concepts are being attended to starting next week, with the idea that all will be completed or finalized prior to the snows flying by November first.
Stay tuned for more as the project continues to unfold.
Good health and an Abundant Tomorrow to all!
Tim Southwell
No comments:
Post a Comment