Can't read blueprints? Welcome to my world
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I'm sure few things excite architects and contractors so much as a full set of blueprints for a house or remodel. I also like those stacks of large paper sheets with thin lines and serious notations. But as for being able to visualize what these plans represent? I haven't got what it takes. And maybe you don't either?
For us, behold the computer. That's what architect Robert Nebolon used to show his Manhattan Beach clients, and the city building department, exactly what a proposed remodel would look like.
In the bottom photo, you can see the house in question before the remodel, with the mansard roof and a solid fence shielding the ground floor of the house.
In the top photo, the ground-floor remodeling has already taken place, with the fence removed and French doors added to bring light into the house.
But in this photo, the roof modification has not yet taken place. Rather, the changes were simulated in a computer so all parties involved could see if they would like the outcome. You like? It sure beats spending tens of thousands of dollars on a remodel and then grumbling that it didn't look like you thought it would.
In my experience, software that allows architects to mock up proposed remodels is complicated to learn. Many architects use Chief Architect, and the new rage is Google SketchUp. There's even a free version you can download and learn, if you have the patience, and a Google SketchUp for Dummies book.
Or, you can hire an architect or designer who can show you all your options in a visual format that you can understand, on a computer screen.
another alternative to using chief architect would be http://www.digitalcanal.com
Posted by: Joe | May 22, 2008 at 07:08 AM
Chief Architect also produces consumer level home design, landscaping and interior design software under the Better Homes and Gardens brand - www.HomeDesignerSoftware.com
Posted by: Scott | May 23, 2008 at 06:42 AM