Getting Started

The following are Jonathan's thoughts on how to get started on a project.

Architecture is often called the “Mother of the Arts.” It is really a combination of many things. It is an amalgam of art, science, technology and philosophies of design, but above all, architecture is a service. It is my job to design what you want, but I will need your help in gathering the information enabling me to do so.

We start by looking at your project requirements and feasibility: project type, building size and features, location, budget, climate, schedule, financing, and other factors influencing the success of your project. In order for any thin-shell concrete project to come to fruition, it must be clearly determined that you will be allowed to build it. Are there any restrictive covenants, which go with the land or planning regulations that might prohibit construction? Such restrictions could affect overall design or actual construction materials used. Your real estate agent, banker, or attorney can clarify this.

Before you purchase the land, there are a number of factors to consider, such as the availability of utilities on and near the site, roads, sewage systems, unusual site or topographic features, views, and microclimate. What are your ideas regarding alternative energy sources? Even if you already own the land, these are the kinds of things which can affect site or development costs. Construction costs should be the same as conventional custom homes in your area. Construction costs vary widely throughout the country, Shell costs, including foundation ring, slab, shell, shell openings, and exterior coating are about $45 per square foot of base area, for a container that can usually enclose more than one floor. To date, shell costs are relatively stable from place to place.

With the land established, we need a written program describing what you want in your building. We need to know your needs, in terms of how many rooms, what sizes, relationships between rooms, open spaces, amenities, garage, decks and outdoor spaces…..everything you can think of. It is often helpful to separate your ideas into “negotiable” and “non-negotiable demands” as a way of prioritizing your needs and preferences.

Your written program is the means to achieve project consensus and clarity of purpose for the design. The various elements of the program such as building type, size, construction system, and relationships between spaces all interrelate from design to building code compliance. We take the schematic drawings and compare them to the program and the codes in order to stay on track and determine square footage calculations and preliminary construction costs.

We are delighted with your interest in Jonathan's work in this exciting technology and hope this information is useful. Please feel free to contact his family or colleagues with any comments or questions.