Relationship between Architect, Builder and Interior Designer
The best outcome for a client is when they have the foresight to bring all three of the creative forces together right from the conception of their custom home, that being the architect, the custom home builder, and the interior designer.
It is so vital to have an effective working relationship between architects, custom home builders, and interior designers who develop an open line of communication amongst themselves as well as with the client to avoid costly mistakes.
The architect likes to have a dialogue concerning the spacial planning of the custom home and the builder needs valuable information concerning selections and materials, and the interior designer can start designing and selecting elements that will maintain and coordinate with the of the style of the home and the client’s vision.
Since I studied both architecture and interior design as well as many years of working with my clients on their kitchen and home remodeling projects, I am very fluent in the world of both architects and builders.
The process of designing a custom home
Anyone who has gone through the process of designing a custom home knows that there are many choices and decisions to be made, this is not just true for the client, but just as valid for the architect and builder so having another set of eyes certainly helps the creative design process as well as avoiding costly mistakes or disappointments.
As an experienced designer I try to act as a safety net and see every aspect of the home’s design, for example: do we need electrical outlets in the floors for lamps or at windows for automated curtains, or perhaps an outlet in a closet or cabinet for a built-in ironing board or appliance, does the placement of AC vents interfere with ceiling treatments or crown moldings.
Example: “Mediterranean Italian Villa Style” (Link) the architect had designed a large steep cathedral ceiling with a header to allow for the AC vents, after discussing this with the architect we decided to lower the ceiling and use scissor trusses to allow for AC vents - Just to name a few details that can easily be overlooked.
I have found that one of the most challenging aspects of working with a client is their ability to visualize a 3-Dimensional space from a 2-Dimensional drawing. The floor plan will illustrate the layout of all of the exterior and interior walls, doors, and windows, including all of the dimension lines. For the client, this can be very overwhelming and confusing, they may not understand the scale of the room, the layout of the kitchen, and any built-in cabinetry, lighting and electrical specifications, architectural and ceiling treatments, not to mention a furniture plan.
I have worked with a past client that once the exterior and interior walls were built, they realized that there was no room for a living room bar or that the master bathroom’s two windows were positioned over the double sinks where they had expected mirrors causing the builder the expense of moving walls and windows.
Issues like these are minimized through good communication at the beginning of the design process between the architect, custom home builder, interior designer, and most important the client who we rely on with respect to their vision and needs.
Custom home builder and interior designer’s collaboration
Particular attention needs to be paid to the teamwork and communication between the custom home builder, interior designer, and the client. Decisions will need to be made ASAP to create a budget for the project and what areas may be upgrades and additions.
Another benefit to the builder is that from the beginning of the building process the designer and client can start making decisions as per the builder’s needs. The interior designer will begin to make a finish schedule for each room showing all of the specifications and confirm the availability of each item, thus reduce change orders and disappointments.
Once the custom home builder and interior designer have a trusting relationship they can share their family of competent craftsmen and artisans. As for the builder, this can take some of the time-consuming tasks off his list of responsibilities such as the design and manufacturing of the kitchen, bathrooms, closets, built-ins, home office, media room, woodwork, and applied moldings, flooring - stone - tile selection and installation, lighting selection and their location.
Architect
Space Planing & Homes Concept
Code Research
Permit Set
Site Plan
Foundation Plan
Floor Plans
Exterior Elevations
Building Sections
Structural Plan
Roof Framing
HVAC/Electrical
Interior Designer
Overall Aesthetics
Floor Plans
Lighting Plan
Kitchen/Bath Design
Moldings Selection
Flooring selection
Furniture Selection
Window Treatments
Color/Style Coordination
Contracts Admin.
Builder
Team Comunication
Budget Forcast
Mechanical Design
Scheduling Tradespeople
Provide Timelines
Quality Standards
Observance of Codes
Interior designers Presentation Boards
May the client’s interior design style be Traditional Elagance, Spanish Mediterranean Revival, British Colonial, Tropical Bahama / Caribbean / Key West style or Zen Contemporary -
The presentation board is where we all get to see the marriage between architecture and interior design.
Zen Contemporary Style
Please click the title or presentation board for link to compare the completed interior.
The presentation board will illustrate such items as elevations and color renderings, architectural details / moldings, built-in artwork and cabinetry, flooring, stone / tile, furniture selection and placement, color coordination between fabrics, rugs, wall and ceiling treatments, including painted and stained finishes.
The interior designer's presentation board is a very crucial and artistic aspect of the design process, it allows us to look into the future of the home's design. For example, adding a simple electrical box for a chandelier over a table or sconces to flank a piece of furniture, gallery lighting over the artwork, or just accent lighting - we need to look into the future to see the size and placement of surrounding items - One of my favorites additions are columns to frame furniture, stone / tile, mirrors or wallpaper to create a focal point and another addition are some elegant arches and let's not forget what I call the fifth wall being the ceiling where we may want to showcase a tray, coffered or a Pecky Cypress beam ceiling with corbels, not to mention the possibility of wallpapering the ceiling.
The presentation board is our guarantee that we all understand the coordination between the architectural and interior design elements to create a unified style that will surpass the client’s expectations and their family and friends will enjoy and create memories for years to come -
This is why I love being an interior designer,
Marcus Mars
754-234-4789