House Beautiful Home Building Magazine (Spring 1998). 

Excerpt from article “Strategic Planning.” 

The techniques shown here demonstrate three ways to get exactly the home you want. 

            For many people, building from a design they selected or even helped create takes the dream of home ownership a step further. Those who buy pre-existing houses often make do with less-than-perfect features created for the occupants before them. Homeowners who start from scratch, however, can be sure that the house in which they’ll live is planned to meet their exact needs and wishes. While the satisfaction that homeowners experience after successfully building a house is common to all, the path taken to reach that point can vary considerably. In the pages that follow we tell the stores of three families who built their homes- each taking a slightly different route- from the ground up. One hired an architect to custom design plans, one built a house for which the plans and many of the structural elements were created at a factory and then shipped to the building site, and one bought predrawn blueprints and modified them. The method that will work best in a given situation depends on the individual goals and needs of the homeowners. Read on for more details about each technique. 

Hire an Architect-

Located on a three-acre plot of land that has been in the family for a century, the house shown here is the result of a close collaboration between homeowner and architect. The owner, who spent his childhood summers in the small, simple early-‘60s house that originally occupied the site, wanted a new structure- but one that would recall those fond memories. To translate his highly personal vision into reality, he called on architect Peter Cook of Peter Cook Architects in East Hampton, N.Y.

             With views of the sea already blocked by surrounding houses, Cook and his client agreed on a one-story design that would allow the kitchen and dining and living rooms to flow together in an open plan reminiscent of the original structure. The idea for this sprawling floor plan resulted in a long, low-lying building with a distinctive roofline that serves as the most significant architectural element on the exterior. Marked by pagoda-like peaks and deep overhangs, the structure quietly resembles an Asian temple. In addition to shading the house from the sun, the 3’-deep eaves display exposed structural details, enhancing the visual richness of the building.

            For the interior space planning, Cook intertwined the open design inspired by the original house with the stylistic thread established by the rooflines. The combination created a subtle aesthetic reminiscent of a Caribbean plantation. High ceilings, originally relied on to control heat in equatorial climates, suggest the tropics, while rich, dark mahogany molding and trim and mahogany-stained beams recall the furnishings that create an atmosphere that could be found in “a turn-of-the-century family house, with a couple of pieces from the West Indies helping to establish a summery touch,” the owner says.

            Cook and MacDougall joined forces to determine how to break up the visual monotony that is characteristic of an open, single-level floor plan. First, they agreed to place the dining room and the kitchen two steps above the living room. And to further emphasize the transition, they specified a shift from the brick flooring in the living room to wood in the dining room. A soaring fireplace in the middle of the space displays a custom-designed mantel and provides another visual separation between the living and dining areas.

            Across the house in the owner’s private quarters, luxury reigns. Cook and MacDougall also worked together here- this time to orchestrate unusual elements, such as a whirlpool tub tucked into a glass-enclosed nook in the bath and another custom-designed mantel for the fireplace in the bedroom.

            Also for the bath, MacDougall specified tile that extends across the floor and high up the wall, fixtures that are elegant period pieces, and plumbing fittings that are left exposed to show off gleaming steel and brass. The niceties certainly add up.

            As Cook notes, “An architect brings attention to detail, subtleties of scale, and emotional involvement to every project.” First and foremost, the professional contributes experience and a resulting ability to visualize ideas that a novice doesn’t have. For example, when the owner wanted a screen porch off the kitchen, Cook pointed out that it would block sunlight and suggested they locate it off a guest room instead. Thought he had his doubts, the owner agreed to the plan and, now, the kitchen remains open to a warming wash of daylight and the guest room is a popular destination.

            The end result of this careful collaboration by the homeowner, Cook, and MacDougall? A satisfying mix that reflects the owner’s very personal tastes and vision. 

(inset) Why hire an architect?

            As is evident from the fine details and elegantly proportioned volumes in the house featured on these pages, an architect brings a highly-trained eye, as well as a finely tuned creative outlook, to the design process. Most often, architects also remain involved throughout the entire construction process, choosing materials and overseeing the builder until completion. In architect Peter Cook’s words, “We are able to stretch the limits. We can save the client money by avoiding mistakes. We can supervise contractors and keep an eye on schedules and budgets.” Cook also points out that houses designed by architects are always more valuable at resale. On a more fundamental level, architects are trained to help their clients define goals, understand construction techniques and costs, and in the end, translate dreams into reality. The primary drawback of using an architect is financial- architects commonly charge a fee ranging from 10 to 20 percent of construction costs. Whether they rely on this or another rate- fixed by square footage or hours- the additional expense can multiply. 

By Justin Henderson