Clients can ask themselves a series of questions to determine the quality of a design. Is the design organized and cohesive? Does the design respond well to the land and fit comfortably in that context? Do the various lines of sight enhance appealing elements of the property? Does the design integrate well with the existing architecture of the home? Are the spaces functional and logical? Does the overall form have a unifying theme or sense? Does the design accommodate the family’s needs and desires for how they plan to use the space? Once design quality criteria are met, there are two more major elements to a successful design. Can it be build within the budget and does it comply with municipal regulations?
The most gorgeous designs are not successful if the project can’t be built within budget. A quality designer will be skilled at value engineering a project to achieve the desired goals within budget. However, sometimes the client’s desires simply can’t be achieved on their budget. Then it becomes a matter of either scaling back or phasing the project and completing some elements in the future.
A successful design must conform to municipal regulations in order to obtain permits. Local zoning codes will determine setback distances for pools, decks, pool houses, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and much more. Zoning regulations will also determine the amount of a property that can be covered with an impervious surface, such as patios. A quality designer will be skilled at generating designs that conform to municipal regulations and will be versed on the process of creating construction drawings that get the project through the permit process.
