Architectural design proposal for dual-dwelling holiday rental accommodation

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

London, England

Mr. Joseph B. Smith, President

Joe B. Smith Construction, Ltd.

London, England EC1Y 8SY

Bentley Builder, President

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

Enclosures:

Preliminary design sketch

Specification notes and rationale concerning approval

General description of the structure of the building and main service utility considerations

Preliminary sketch.

Specification notes and rationale concerning approval.

Preliminary specifications notes and corresponding rationale are presented in Table 1 below.

Specification notes and rationale concerning approval

Design element

Supporting Rationale

Both dwellings have an open plan living area with a kitchen, dining and lounge area - opening out onto a sun drenched outside living space

The overall orientation of the two-dwelling structure must taken into account its orientation to the sun to ensure appropriate exposure during winter and summer months for the outdoor living spaces and communal meeting places (kitchen/living).

Parking for three cars

It is recommended that provisions be included in any rental agreements concerning the formal division of the communal driveway.

The dwellings style will be traditional in - materials, roof pitches and proportions but modern in internal finishes

This requirement provides supporting rationale for the selection of an interior design specialist (discussed in a further report below).

3)

General description of the structure of the building and main service utility considerations.

The design specifications indicate that the structure is one building that can be separated into two separate and fully functional dwellings, each having an individual and strong sense of entry for use as two holiday rentals or guest accommodation. Therefore, the main service utility considerations will include water, electricity, sewage and so forth appropriate for a residence of this size (these issues are discussed further in a subsequent report below).

Task 2

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

London, England

June 30, 2010

Mr. Joseph B. Smith, President

Joe B. Smith Construction, Ltd.

London, England EC1Y 8SY

J. Bentley Builder, President

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

Enclosures:

1) Design Specialist Recommendation Report

2) Tentative Timeline and Factors that Potentially Affect the Decision-Making

Process

1)

Design Specialist Recommendation Report

Design Specialist No. 1: Modern methods of construction specialist. Based on recent trends in the construction industry in the U.K., the services of a modern methods of construction specialist was considered an essential element in the design process.

Design Specialist No. 2: Interior designer. In order to harmonize the interior design elements for common areas and elements of the two-dwelling structure being planned, the services of an interior designer was also regarded as an important contribution to the design process.

2)

Tentative Timeline and Factors that Potentially Affect the Decision-Making Process

Professional experience, empirical observations and countless studies have confirmed that the construction process remains an art as well as a science, but there are some common steps involved and factors that can affect the decision-making process along the way that can be reasonably expected. It is important to note at this juncture, though, that the design and decision-making process is not necessarily linear, but is rather an iterative process in which new information and needs are incorporated into previous design phases. In addition, factors such as inclement weather, subcontractor performance issues, vendor supply disruptions, and so forth, may need to be taken into account throughout the process. In this regard, the guidance in the publication, "Architectural Design Process" (2010), advises that, the process of designing a building, space or structure typically consists of the following design phases; however, these experts also emphasize that, "While the information and decisions made in one of these phases / stages forms the basis of the subsequent stages, design is seldom a linear a process. Instead, one typically moves back and forth between the phases, allowing ideas from more detailed designs to influence and modify the overall design direction previously established" (Architectural Design Process 2010). These typical design phases/stages are described further in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Typical design phases

Design Phase

Description

Programming phase

Programming is the activity of determining the "program," or set of needs that a building needs to fulfill.

Schematic Design Phase

After establishing the program for a project, the focus in the architectural design process shifts from what the problems are to how to solve those problems. During schematic design, the focus is on the "scheme," or overall high-level design. Here, minor details should be ignored to instead focus on creating a coherent solution that encompasses the project as a whole.

Design Development Phase

During the design development phase of the architectural design process, the scheme is refined into the final design. In previous phases, the focus has been on the project as a whole. During Design Development, in becomes important to give individual attention to each aspect, each space and each detail of the project.

Construction Document Phase

At this stage of the architectural design process, the focus shifts from design to communicating the design and providing all information necessary for construction.

Source: Architectural Design Process (2010) at http://architypes.net/pattern/design-process.

Task 3

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

London, England

June 30, 2010

Mr. Joseph B. Smith, President

Joe B. Smith Construction, Ltd.

London, England EC1Y 8SY

J. Bentley Builder, President

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

Enclosure:

1) Needs assessment and comparison of available services

Background and Overview

According to English Partnerships (2010), "Modern methods of construction [MMC] is the term used to embrace a range of technologies and processes involving various forms of supply chain specifications, prefabrication and off-site assembly. Modern methods of construction provide the following advantages and benefits:

1. Makes use of more effective materials;

2. Speeds up housing delivery;

3. Enables high standards of design quality;

4. Can help to reduce resource consumption (Modern methods of construction 2010, 1).

Modern methods of construction are being increasingly accepted as a viable alternative for improving the quality of construction, reducing the amount of time required to be spent on site, improving on-site safety and overcoming shortage of skills in the construction industry today (Modern methods of construction 2010). These trends have been particularly pronounced in the U.K. In recent years. For instance, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, "It is probably true to say that there are more types of non-traditional construction in the UK than in almost any other country in the world and the number of types is growing" (MMC 2010, 1). These changes have been due in large part to the need for more efficient construction methods as well as the need to remain responsive to changes in governmental regulations and building codes. In this regard, the guidance provided by the Council of Mortgage Lenders notes, "The house-building industry is changing. Market forces are driving the industry to reconsider their approach to serving their customers. Government agendas on rethinking construction, planning policy, issues of supply and demand and building regulations are forcing the industry to reconsider the way houses are built" (MMC 2010, 2). This are especially important issues for construction companies seeking governmental grants based on eco-friendly construction requirements. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders, "In the sustainable communities plan the government has linked use of MMC with the drive to boost housing supply, thus further raising the salience of the issue for lenders and other stakeholders. The Housing Corporation has stated that 25% of all new grant-aided construction by housing associations should be by MMC" (MMC 2010, 3).

In sum, modern methods of construction allow developers to "create eco friendly homes, reducing the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere and homeowners' utility bills" (Lilley 2007). For instance, a recent report from Dixon (2006) notes that, "The innovative Quad at the Dunes development at Hadston, opposite Druridge Bay, offers buyers not only a two-bedroom home for just pounds 128,000, but also a look at one of the possible futures for new home building" (25). The innovative approach that allows for this cost efficiency is MMC. According to Dixon, "The Quad homes at Hadston have been built by Dunelm Castle Homes in configurations of four homes using modern methods of construction whereby a timber frame and structural insulated panel system, both manufactured off-site in factory conditions to ensure total quality control, is then assembled on-site to provide a contemporary open plan ground-floor layout to match modern living aspirations" (25).

This is not to say, of course, that site-built residential and commercial structures are obsolete or will be anytime soon; however, it is to say that modern methods of construction provide a viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional construction methods. In this regard, Dixon advises, "As a company, we will always be building homes in traditional methods, but we are also now in the forefront of the new modern methods of construction which use new technology and new ways of construction to produce high quality homes, usually faster and often cheaper than their traditional counterparts" (25). Also termed "industrialised building," MMC is based on the principle that as much of the work as possible is transferred from the site to the factory leaving only a simple assembly operation to be carried out on site" (Non-traditional housing in the UK -- a brief review 2002, 7).

Three MMC Options

Based on the foregoing, three viable options for the two-dwelling structure using MMC techniques are provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Three options for two-dwelling structure using MMC techniques

Option

Description

Closed construction

With closed construction the bulk of the structure is produced from a fixed set of pre-fabricated parts, allowing very little scope to substitute products from other manufacturers.

Open construction

This option produces a shell from a relatively small number of parts, thereby allowing the designer considerable scope to create a unique design

A combination of closed and open construction

This option would incorporate the most desirable elements from the closed and open construction approaches specific to the two-dwelling structure being planned.

Source: Non-traditional housing in the UK -- a brief review 2002, 7

Task 6

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.

London, England

June 30, 2010

Mr. Joseph B. Smith, President

Joe B. Smith Construction, Ltd.

London, England EC1Y 8SY

Re: Rationale in Support of Design Element

J. Bentley Builder, President

Architectural Design Specialists, Ltd.