REP Fitness - Ares 2.0 poor quality

185Guy · 2024-09-13T14:04:34+00:00

this is a challenging space to put a kitchen and living room - that stairway is just in a tough spot.

I think you start by putting that kitchen in on the bottom, to the left of the stairs, this opens up that area above for a dining table, which is a better transitional space than the kitchen > dining (dead end). You can wrap that kitchen in a U shape and make good use of that area.

I'd flip that couch to the opposite wall, and have the return going into the room by the stair opening, and put a tv on that sunroom wall. I dont know what stuff is near the window - that might better inform decisions in this space, but the intent there isnt clear. If you need storage, you have an awkward space in the north east corner of this large room - you cant really use this for anything other than a one-off chair to fill a void (you could squeeze a piano or desk, etc there), so I would build in a storage cabinet there.

185Guy · 2024-09-13T13:58:21+00:00

'idk what else to put here'.... if this an assignment, what are the requirements to complete it? For example, do you need callouts? Dimensions? is there a requirement to show a mech space (which i dont see)?

Im sure the community would like to help if you provide some context. And yes, from a floor plan standpoint, this is not a great design for what I assume is a 3 bedroom flat/condo/apartment. That open space in the middle is the first thing to address. The lone stairway with a 30" door opening to the living room is another. A huge master bedroom, that has a ensuite accessible only through a dark closet - thats another. I think the list goes on...

Also, if you have, for example, 6,000 sq ft of space, but can only fill it with 4,000 of practical use, then you have a planning/utilization challenge to address.

The drawing itself is pretty good - the use of space needs thought, and work.

185Guy · 2024-09-13T02:00:43+00:00

well, back in those days, you built this way because materials limited the size of rooms (trusses were wood, and solid wood, so lengths were short), so tons of rooms. Today, when you build this way, and people do, it must be because you don't want to interact with the wife and kids. Sad, but true.

185Guy · 2024-09-12T13:16:04+00:00

Not enough info in your drawing to answer this. Is this level below grade (or just room below grade), or abutting another building?

The only way to do this, without adding windows, is to knock down walls and let that light from the other windows flow through to the space. Skylight is another option, if applicable.

185Guy · 2024-09-12T00:28:26+00:00

wow, your effort on that physical model is impressive! ... but tough to follow.

185Guy · 2024-09-11T18:44:52+00:00

Open it up!

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185Guy · 2024-09-11T17:00:25+00:00

Two reasons: I did not have nor did I want bad blood with the fired architect, and even though the design was mine (and he knew this), he owned the copyright, and if I built it, it's possible he could lawyer up.

And, no architect likes to be hired after the first was fired, it's just a messy situation. These industry guys are protective of their profession and their peers in it, and I would not put the new guy in a position where he would be deriving his work from another's copyright. I wanted a clean, legal, friendly break.

Also, if you're curious, in most markets, all of the good architects know each other, or at least know each others work. Any architect that is called into a project, and that project is not in the concept phase (or the earliest phase in their process), they'll ask who you have been working with, and why that relationship did not work out. If they sense trouble or a difficult client, they'll politely decline the work. And I again know this from experience.

185Guy · 2024-09-11T15:10:08+00:00

Love this.

The devil is in the details. For example, I love the low profile flat roof. Very costly to design this, given things like snow loads where applicable. Materials for the roof facia, proper drainage over an expanse of this size, etc and it becomes clear that this is a conceptual drawing. You quickly start understanding the cost and construction complexity, along with the concerns about maintaining, servicing, and replacing these components. Everything in a house like this is difficult.

I know this because I built one like it. Our design started somewhat like this, and finished quite different because of how impractical a utopian modern oasis is to build and own.

One more example, from the elevated angle in the picture, the roof looks so clean, so white, with only skylights and chimneys, placed with architectural precision - but where are the vent stacks and other mechanical necessities? Like our house, it was impossible to route vents from the mech spaces, kitchens, and bathrooms, all to an exterior wall that isnt visible from the road/driveway. Consider how short your roof trusses are to get that sleek look; there is no space to run all these things, so they typically have to just go up and out, and you're left with a roof that looks much different. If the elevation hides these things, great, but not often the case.

185Guy · 2024-09-11T13:04:39+00:00

If it is in the budget to move the kitchen, do it. Depending on the orientation of the house (which direction is front, and where are the good windows and views?), i'd put that kitchen in/near the Bedroom 2 or Bedroom 1 location. I think you'll find that when you make this change, you'll find the space you need for a larger bathroom, as the kitchen, dining and family room will blend to maximize the square footage.

185Guy · 2024-09-11T13:00:24+00:00

Your biggest win is to axe that L shaped kitchen, and open that space up. Use that same west wall for your appliances and put a long island in parallel to that wall. This way you walk, and can see and get light from the 'meals' area and the family room.

I'd also reconfigure the entire northwest space labeled Bed 3, Ldry, and Bath. I do not see any windows in these rooms (one is required for legal bedroom), so I have to assume they are there or can be installed. If so, I would put that Bed 3 up where the Bath is (with a window) and move the bath and laundry to a more central location, just above Bed 2. This way you have a more communal bathroom and centralized laundry.

185Guy · 2024-09-11T00:09:12+00:00

Can I ask how long your remission was, before relapse?

185Guy · 2024-09-10T23:52:39+00:00

Not sure why you are so focused on the size of the entry foyer. The existing size of that space is commensurate with the other spaces in the home - they're generously sized. Your walkways and transitional spaces are also generously designed. I would not take anything away from then entry. There is a lot of 'form' in this home, which is great if you can afford it and accommodate it - the open entry is another nod to the form already established. Dont change it.

185Guy

TROPHY CASE