Anyone old enough to remember the folksy song “Little Boxes” may well have a phobia about living in planned communities where every house looks basically the same as it neighboring one. In any case, most of us do like to have a sense of individuality and this often applies to the house that we choose to live in.
Architect Designed Houses
Maybe at one time, this phrase did mean something special about the appearance of a house but, these days; it is just as likely to be applied to yet another of those little boxes. Developers and advertisers do have a habit of over-using terminology to a point where it tends to lose its original meaning. In any case, do you really need to engage the services of an expensive architectural practice (they often charge between 4 and 12% of the estimated construction cost) just to prepare designs that you then have to choose a separate contractor to build for you?
Custom Design VS Architect Design
Maybe if you are contemplating a multi-million dollar mansion you might choose to use a design and then, bid out the construction method; simply to say that a world renowned, price winning architect designed your home? But, for those in the St. Augustine area of Florida, who desire a more modest home that is, nevertheless individualized, the “one stop shop” approach of design-build and complete offered by a custom home builder in St. Augustine should prove to be a less stressful and more economical way to go.
What Is The Design-Build Method Of Construction?
In many ways, this is a return to the old construction ways of a couple of hundred years ago (which, by the way, had been tried and tested for millennia). Instead of splitting everything up into separate packages, old style (so called) “master builders” would take on everything for their clients; from the first conception right through to the final completion.
Past master builders were likely to be highly skilled craftsmen (such as carpenters or masons) who would hire other expertise as and when needed. Today, the custom home builder In St. Augustine will likely be a firm or partnership led by at least one full member of The Design-Build Institute of America who is qualified to hold the title of DBIA and licensed to practice in (at least) Florida. When selecting a design-build contractor, you should review their staff’s qualifications with this in mind – as well as the DBIA, they should also have staff qualified and licensed in the other major construction disciplines.
