#350 - GUIDE TO HOME REMODELS - Challenges and Advice
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss tips and challenges with home remodel projects. The two cover project scope and vision, design analysis, three different types of remodel projects and how they should be approached, predicting and planning for construction surprises, having an adaptable mindset, the most common challenge clients face (scope creep), and more. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
00:48) Defining project scope and vision.
“There's a very important distinction between scope and vision. A lot of times clients confuse those two things. Another way to think about it is the "what" versus the “why.” Every client has a list of what they want. ‘I want X, Y, Z, etc. in my house.’ But often what's missing is the “why.” What is the larger purpose of this remodel? What do you want the new house to give you in the end? How do you want it to make you feel? One of the things that surprise clients when we are hired is that we do not just take their list of stuff and roll with it. As architects, we have to know both the scope and the vision to see how they're misaligned and what gaps exist. It's our job to say, ‘Okay, if you really want this vision, the scope has to change.’ Sometimes it’s, ‘You have to increase the scope’ and the other half of the time it's ‘You should actually consider decreasing the scope. You don't need these things to achieve the vision.”
(08:10) Why remodels are more challenging than new construction.
“In a remodel, we're working with an existing structure, and really, that fact is the root of all the nuances and challenges that come with remodels. It means that we're working with a building and none of us, us the architect, the contractor, or you the client, none of us know precisely and with full certainty what is inside of that structure, what's inside of the walls, and the status of it basically until we start demolition. A remodel project is like a surgery. You can do as much planning, x-rays, discussion, and doctor exams and visits to plan for the day of, but once they start opening you up, they're going see things that they didn't see before or they couldn't see with the tools that they had, and things are going have to change depending on what's inside.”
(11:02) Unveiling hidden potential.
(14:55) The three types of remodels.
(25:30) Designing with options.
(29:31) Designing with contingencies.
(32:42) A surgical approach.
“Very specific moves can make the home feel completely different and you don't need to blow it up completely to do something interesting. The desire to be efficient and more surgical also comes from a place of just not wanting to be wasteful. Even when clients have a lot of money, I still don't want to be wasteful both from a financial perspective, for the client, and from a material perspective. Construction is frankly an extremely wasteful practice. A lot of times there's a huge amount of material waste that occurs with new construction and even remodels. So I think as a profession, it makes sense for us to try and be efficient with the resources we have. [This is why it’s helpful to] work very closely with the contractors to see where the money is being placed and understand where it makes the most sense to put more money versus not. If you equally spread the budget all around the house, nothing will be special.”
(35:45) When design constraints are catalysts.
(43:40) Being adaptable during construction.
“Remodels require more problem-solving skills than new construction and it’s important for clients to find an architect/designer who does remodel work because it almost requires a different personality, and a different interest, to take on the challenges that come with remodels. If you’re an architect, designer, or even client, it can be frustrating to you spend all this time creating a vision that you adore and then when you get to construction, surprise, you have to change it. Designing a remodel is really like solving a Rubik’s cube that changes its pattern as you're trying to solve it. Having a professional who anticipates the problems ahead of time, and enjoys that kind of challenge, like we do, is a very important thing.”
(47:15) Final thoughts: Circulation, modernizing homes, scope creep.
“If there’s a part of the project scope you are really considering doing and you're on the fence about it, but you can afford to do it, there's a 99% chance you should just do it. The vast majority of the time, after we're in construction for the initial scope of work, the client will choose to add the work they were on the fence about. [This is often because the new] rooms will look so much better than the rest of the house. Increasing the scope is great, however, most people forget that it’s going take time because we have to go through the whole design and planning process for the other space.”
