Hope you guys mesh and you can get something stunning.

I hope so too. would be even better if its economical. I know we dont think of economical and custom together but...

Think of 'economy' in more than dollars.

Do yourself a favor. While he and you know you are into a simple rectangle, don’t necessarily rule out a T, U or L shaped house either

Im looking forward to seeing what you and your architect come up with

I think DE is thinking of economy in more than dollars based on earlier conversations regarding windows - so don't expect penny wise and pound foolish.

But just FYI - generally - getting the look - the details - that make architect designed homes stand out - usually means using materials that are more expensive than builder basic. It's better windows (thinner profile) for that more austere look. It's higher quality roofing (metal, etc) and it requires a higher level of finishing because there is less ornamentation to "cover up" shoddy work. (think what that 3 piece crown molding can hide!)

I also believe that an architect can work with his desired parameter of a rectangular footprint better than a layperson.

Yes, amazing what Pritzker Prize-winning architects (2001) can do with a simple rectangle.

I like the term "severely simple".

It looks like a Jack o'lantern to me

Have fun! The more pictures and thoughts, and bubble diagrams, you can provide to let him know what you have in mind, the more knowledge your architect will have to work with to address your needs (and wants).

I diagnose pareidolia, Sir.

worthy, that's just scary looking.

I think I found the Rudin House's inspiration.

You didn't need to send the architect examples; 1 or 2 story cracker box with hipped roof would have been sufficient.

is this a cracker box? why or why not?

Greek Revival Farm House · More Info

No, in my opinion, this is classic. No where near the league of previous pictures.

so a classic crackerbox is better than a non classic crackerbox? got it

Please let us know how it goes!

Its going well but ultimately I think I may have to do it myself.

Unfortunately, the strong Greek Revival detailing of the porch and front door was not applied to the the rest of the house.

I am quite certain you are going to ultimately do it yourself.

Define crackerbox...

"I am quite certain you are going to ultimately do it yourself."

"Affordable architecture requires weighing many options and consumes a lot more time than architecture as usual.

Not every architect is up to this task. Many architects view affordability as a hindrance to creativity. Only a few see the challenge as a framework in which their ideas can flourish" - Fernando Pages Ruiz

"...I got very lucky and found a local, registered architect, that will work with me very affordably..."

And how's that working out?

" And how's that working out?"

very well, thank you. Better than I would have hoped from an architect. Why do you ask?

I like simplicity and cost saving measures, is this a bad design then?

Sometimes graphic representations are misleading the further they are from reality.

"...is this a bad design then..."

Which country is the location for this design?

lol, I know this is crazy and I like crazy, but West Texas of all places, flat desert landscape. Like OP, saving money is a priority to me, so I figure a rectangular house with a flat roof, few architectural add-ons and thats it. it resembles a mini fort since I figure it's probably the easiest to build. I do want good frame, foundation and windows.

Well...you can buy these in the toy department of many stores...made from plastic Legos, wood Lincoln Logs and other materials. One of the nice things is that they can be disassembled and reassembled at will.

No disrespect, but your elevation is really toy like.

Good luck on your project.

Mrryo Villa why do you consider a flat roof a cost saving. I think overall over time a minimum sloped roof that is at least 4:12 is a cost savings. A flat roof is much more expensive to install to get water tight and it is also more likely to fail sooner than a sloped one. Speaking from experience having had flat porch roofs in a previous house. I don't think the amount you save on framing is worth it.

Virgil,

Thank you for the feedback but do keep in mind I’m not a professional like you. This was me just drawing things up with basic sketch, of course an architect or designer would help me make get it on blueprint. If I’m going to spend upwards of $2M I might as well try to draw my idea so the architects and designer will at least have an idea of where I’m coming from.

For $2M USD you can do much, much better than this.

Your best investment of your time and money is to find an experienced and talented architect, who has worked with single family homes, and work closely with her/him.

You do not need to prepare drawings to show an architect what you are thinking. That's the architect's professional responsibility, based on shared discusisons and site visits.

If you are interested, there are many threads in the archives here describing how to plan and prepare for a custom home and how to work with an architect.

Good luck on your project.

I understand, I’m the kind of person who likes to show what I’m thinking. No question I will be hiring an architect and interior designer to start with. I played around on PowerPoint and such, did some research too including reading some of the threads here . I’m not too worry about the design I’m going after as it will be our forever home.

The show on Netflix called “The Worlds Most Extraordinary Homes” are some of the source of my inspirations.

Thank you for the feedback.

I do want to apologized to OP for hijacking this thread. Thanks all.

Kristin S

"Please let us know how it goes!"

Here is how it went. Long story made short I am no longer using an architect.

He is a good architect and a better person, and was more concerned about the ergonomics and less about style or ornamentation which was great.. he also could see my vision of a simple rectangular shape and austere design

after several updates which were very good MY SPOUSE AND I BOTH prefered my diy work. There were a couple of things the architect was passionate about which we were passionate against(eg laundry room downstairs) I could have continued working with the architect to get it right but at the same time I developed a renewed interest to do it myself. So I finally told the architect that I wanted to do it myself and that was the end of it.

A few days ago you (D E) started a thread titled something like "My Best Design Yet" and it had your two-story floor plan and an exterior elevation. What happened to that?

Sorry to hear you are no longer working with an architect, perhaps you could have worked out a deal where if you put the laundry room on the first floor he would come over and do your laundry. I think an architect not only needs to design to meet the demands of the site but also the demands of their client.

Without an architect it will be very important to have someone to work out the details so it does not turn out like a house in the nearest residential development, but with a simpler form.

Also sorry to hear the thread was removed and someone felt it necessary to censor.

".... if you put the laundry room on the first floor he would come over and do your laundry..."

I would like to hire this architect!

"...So I finally told the architect that I wanted to do it myself and that was the end of it..."

And who is surprised at this outcome?

Well, that's odd. I had asked D E what happened to the "best design yet" thread and got a response, including a link. I clicked on it and was taken to a "page no longer exists" error, but got sidetracked then in viewing Houzz videos that were linked on that error page. Now, a couple hours later, D E's response is gone!

DE pulls threads when she doesn't like the reponses. Not the first time. This thread could disappear at any time...

So, a 900K “budget@ house? And you don’t think you need an architect?

Your nasty obsession with singling out Virgil to insult him is against the TOS.

900k? lol.

and you mean Virgil Carter's obsession with me right ? right

I do not think is an obsession, perhaps a fascination; it is certainly fascinating to me.