From concept to reality...

Greetings!!!

As a big fan of marketing and trying to understand why people do what they do, I try to pay attention to 'tag lines' that companies choose to use. From concept to reality is one of those phrases that caught my attention, especially now that we design and build homes and other structures. When you are sitting at a computer and/or a drawing board, it can be difficult to understand exactly how room sizes and house placement can make or break a project. Taking a concept to reality can be a very rewarding process for everyone...it can also be a disappointing process if homeowners select the wrong people to work with...

We have had the pleasure to design and build multiple houses now. The dynamics are different in a design and build situation versus bringing a set of prints to a builder who seems to understand the grand vision. The difference I see is that every step is different now. When I design a house, I get to virtually build the house and go through changes multiple times, so that by the time we break ground, I understand the house and process so much more. Some builders/people may say, a house is a house and every house is built the same...that is when I would speak up and say that that is the difference right there! A house is not just a house! A house is a home to the individuals who live in them and they are as unique as the people who exist in them!

It is really amazing to design a house for a specific site, to go out and stake out the building site, and to make sure the house ends up looking like it grew right out of the ground. The design process can take several months, but when the excavators start and the building process begins, everything starts to make sense! I lead the team that builds each house that I design. Sometimes, the crew looks at me strangely because I say, 'Can't you see it?, Don't you understand that the house has to look like this?' To which someone on the crew will say, 'You're doing it again'. What I am doing is recalling the many, many hours of designing and drawings as I have had a unique, multi-angle view of the house we are building for several months prior to breaking ground. That is an incredible advantage! When we dig a hole for a foundation, that first scoop of dirt can have an effect on what something up on the roof would look like, or better yet, the view of the lake might not be as great if the foundation hole is not dug correctly!

I guess what I am getting at, is that having the leader of a team that has also developed the home plans, makes the building process go more smoothly and helps to dial the original ideas of the homeowners in. Most of the times, a designer will turn out a design that is a signature of theirs, and some people like that. It happens all the time. Issues can arise in that process, as the house is not tuned to the occupants energy, life style, and needs to thrive, it is tuned to getting the cover of a magazine or a design award. Those things help bring awareness to things and are great for marketing, but when the dust clears, the homeowners have to live in the home and that is when they start noticing the small things in their home that don't gel with their lifestyle.

If you follow me on Facebook, you will notice a daily picture of what we are building. This picture is taken from the same spot everyday so that the viewers can see our progress, and so that I can see how the house is shaping up versus the design an original ideas. Taking a concept to reality takes more than a crafty punch line, it takes commitment, strategy, passion, and empathy, among other things. What we design and build is intended to last forever and to give it's occupants an amazing, safe environment in which to thrive!

Enjoy your day and try to give more than you take today....

Adam