16 May Latest Home Trend: Improving not Moving – Article Series 3 of 3

ARCHITECTURAL FORUM – LATEST HOME TREND: IMPROVING NOT MOVING

Part 3 of 3

GETTING CREATIVE

Now that you’re aware of the basic considerations, you realize you want your new custom-fitted home to be more than just space. With creative thoughts and approaches, an experienced architect can work with you to design interesting spaces while at the same time ensuring that the new version of your home fits your family’s lifestyle.

■ FITTING STYLES TO A NEIGHBORHOOD AND A FAMILY

Many families realize they have outgrown their present home but worry the wrong kind of expansion could clash with the scale and character of the neighborhood and of the way their family wants to live.

A qualified architect can guide you through this process, helping to assess your needs and limitations and maximize the outcome. Visit American Institute of Architects: AIA home trends for an overview of national building trends.

Through careful assessment, an architect will work with a homeowner to develop a building program that assesses codes, budget, structural issues while incorporating the context of the home and the lifestyle of the family. By considering all factors, and employing creative solutions, an architect can help homeowners create the perfect space while adding functions and enhancing style.

■ INTERESTING SPACE SOLUTIONS

Seeing all the possibilities, beyond the existing walls and ceilings, takes a lifetime of experience and knowledge. Some consumer surveys find that good design is one of the most important considerations, even above price.

An open floor plan design can create unique and interesting entertainment and living spaces as well as taking advantage of desirable views.

When a creative architect looks at a space and setting he sees not just how it is but how it could be. That vision, combined with your needs and desires, can remake a home a way you could never conceive on your own. That’s what an architect can bring, achieving possibilities.