This is an interesting question… While each quality of good design is, on its own important….
Great design is when ALL of these happen at the same time. A beautiful modern box house in Nantucket, would break the “fit the neighborhood” rule.
A house bare on its plot of land, breaks the Prospect and Refuge rule.
A house with an open floor plan, too many stairs, breaks the flexible rule.
Great designers think of all these rules at the same time… This is why good design evolves slowly…You fix one aspect then toggle over to the other. You fix the interior space demands, then adjust the exterior look of the house. Then you rethink the entire house, to meet the visual and practical goals of the roof, the pitch, the gutters, the size and even the axis changes.
This is why it all takes time… Go slow, enjoy dreaming… it costs nothing!
The PROCESS OF DESIGN
Good design evolves slowly…
You fix one aspect then toggle over to the other.
You fix the interior space, then adjust the exterior.
You rethink the entire house, to meet the visual and practical goals of the roof, the pitch, the gutters, the size and even the axis changes.
It’s a process.
The PROCESS OF DESIGN
You don’t design directly, like shooting an arrow to a goal…but, you work the problem, and as you work… inadvertently, eventually it becomes right…
Well, it’s as good as it can be.
You let it rest a month and try again…
You do this over and over, till every inch is compromised not to perfection, but pretty good.
No shortcuts, no gross errors, no regrets… pretty good.
This takes time…It is S L O W
Rising bread is slow.
Growing plants from seeds is slow.
Raising kids is slow…
THERE IS NO OTHER WAY.
The design methods listed below are just a few thoughts you’ll have along the way.
Worries you and every other designer face…you get to cross the red line of a pro. This is a real experience.
But by this suffering, thinking, worrying you will actually know what it feels like to build something significant, real, that will be around the next 50 years… This is an honor, and 100% your problem, your responsibility, your solution.
Not the bank, the architect, or contractor… they will approach about 95% of your goals, your dream… that’s is pretty good… you pick your battles, and settle for losing 5%.
If you’re 95% right, that’s a solid A. Any dreamer will settle for that…. and the other 5% of other peoples input, might actually be some good ideas… don’t knee jerk say no all the time. 🙂
This is some of the process on how it is done:
DESIGN BY WORKING BACKWARDS
DESIGN FROM MEMORIES
DESIGN BY COPYING OTHERS
DESIGN USING STYLES
DESIGN FOR FLEXIBILITY
DESIGN WITH/FOR THE SENSES
DESIGN SOME IMPERFECTIONS
JUST LETTING THE HOUSE DESIGN, ITSELF
DESIGN FOR FLEXIBILTY
DESIGN FOR THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM
DESIGN FOR AGING IN PLACE
DESIGN FOR LOWER TAXES
DESIGN FOR HIGHER APPRAISAL
DESIGN A QUIET HOUSE
DESIGN A WORK FROM HOME HOUSE.
DESIGN FOR AWE? OR WOW?
DESIGN FOR BEAUTY OR FAD, OR
DESIGN TO BE TIMELESS
DESIGN FOR HUMAN NATURE
DESIGN FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
DEISIGN FOR PROSPECT AND REFUGE
DESIGN FOR PEACE AND INTRSPECTION
DESIGN FOR YOUR PETS