What Makes a Home an Architectural One?
There are many suburbs of big Australian cities, like Canberra or Adelaide, where you see the same sort of home design over and over again. Although, of course, it is cheaper for housebuilders to repeat their designs again and again, this does not make for very exciting buildings to either look at or live in. It is not fair to say, on the other hand, that such designs have no architectural merit whatsoever. In fact, they often do. That said, a few Australians would consider genuinely architectural homes to be the sort of thing you find repeated in most suburban areas. If you are considering building a one-of-a-kind home to live in, then what are the benefits of turning to a professional architect to design it for you?
Aesthetics
Firstly, you have to consider the merits of all architectural homes on their aesthetic value. Simply put, a well-designed home should look better when you view it. This is sometimes called kerb appeal by estate agents because a more attractive-looking home often is worth more even if it has the same footprint as its neighbouring dwellings. Bear in mind that the aesthetics of a building don't just come down to the way in which the walls and other structural elements are arranged. It can be equally caused by the choice of materials, offering different textures and feels throughout.
Function
Architectural homes are not merely there to look at. They should fulfil the design brief from a functional point of view, as well. For example, you may have a particular desire to make your home an entertainment centre where you can invite friends and family over. The architectural design should take this into account and make this aspect a highlight of the house. Equally, you may have mobility issues which require special architectural attention. The expertise of the designer should be brought to bear in such cases. In short, architectural merit can be found in great function as well as form.
Unique Design
Designing a house to live in that will be built to your specifications should mean it turns into something that truly lasts. This does not simply mean that the building will have to stand up for many years, but that it will continue to offer you the same sort of enjoyment twenty or thirty years from now as it did on day one. A one-of-a-kind design, therefore, must offer something that no other building in the world could. It is the unique nature of a new-build project that makes it so exciting and why architectural homes so often stand out from their counterparts with more basic, standard designs.