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How hard would it be to find an architect who is competent in traditional building design? It seems like the profession of architect is almost dead, and builders today just reuse autocad building models.
You are wrong about the profession. There are many architectural firms doing work all over the country. If you are interested in particular design experience, interview some.
From an electrcial wire or cable that ran past or over a fork in the trunk and then grew in, or from a nail that the previous homeowner used for a clothesline, or a bullet from 75 years ago, 15 years before the house was built, or a Hotwheels car left in/on the tree by a child in the 60's, etc, etc...
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Originally Posted by NoMansLands
Boohoo. It's surely great wood, probably 150 years old, but too close to my house for my liking.
There are guys with portable mill services around here. They take a bandsaw mill on a trailer to your place, charge $50/60 an hour, plus $30 every time they hit a nail/bullet/hammer/wire. If you have somewhere to air dry it you could probably sell the wood in a year.
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Originally Posted by Taggerung
How hard would it be to find an architect who is competent in traditional building design? It seems like the profession of architect is almost dead, and builders today just reuse autocad building models.
Surely you get that there's a difference between a builder and an architect. One uses a set of plans as the template from which they work. The other comes up with that set of plans. All those resuable autocad models come from somewhere. That same builder can build plans that you paid an architect to draw up for you.
You wouldn't be able to find the materials.
The (very ordinary) house I used to own was built in 1920, and had shiplap siding of beautiful close-grained old-growth Douglas fir. I don't believe you can find that anywhere in the world anymore - unless you buy a building that has it and then take that building apart.
With a small sample, molds could be made for an exact reproduction using other materials; such as polyurethane.
I would propose that the best scenario would be not to build to "old" standards exclusively (single pane windows, no insulation, cloth wrapped pre-Romex with natural rubber insulation, clay tile sewer pipe) nor to "new" standards exclusively (3/8" particleboard sheathing, MDF kitchen cabinets, fake urethane foam "stucco", "engineered hardwood" plywood floors, etc.) but rather to use new materials where they are better, and old methods where they're better.
Personally I'd rather have a post-tensioned slab foundation than a block and beam foundation, double pane windows, high efficiency furnace and AC, but also solid hardwood floors, solid wood kitchen and bathroom cabinets, proper sheathing, hard burned clay brick not that fake stuff made of painted concrete blocks, and so on.
"Only in America..." I had a friend, who was having a new home built in Germany. He told me that the only building code was that he had to prove it would last 500 years. If you asked, "why?" the town leaders pointed to 800 year old houses and said, "That's why..."
It's a waste of time and materials to build ephemeral houses that need expensive maintenance.
Wood framed houses in America are the worst offenders - susceptible to sun, water, wind, fire, vermin, mold, mildew, flying debris, etc.
I suspect OP is interested in finishes, not MEP. There aren’t many people out there yearning for knob and tube wiring and lead pipe.
I suspect the desire is for wide plank hardwood floors, crown molding, possibly plaster walls, potentially fieldstone exteriors. But people also want central air, insulation that works, and WiFi.
My house was built in 1924. I have lathe and plaster walls. And my house has not been greatly remodeled. It’s kind of perfect the way it is. Here’s the issue with lathe and plaster walls. In 1000 square-foot house I have to use Wi-Fi boosters, because essentially I live in a faraday cage. Lathe and plaster walls have chicken wire in them the signal does not like that.
There is a lot of great things about living in an older house, but an old house does not live today’s life. You have to adjust your life around that house. Unless you redo that whole house. Which people do all the time.
I live near San Francisco where it’s very common to have those beautiful grand old lady Victorian houses made over into Victorian on the outside, New York industrial loft on the inside. Not to mention they hoist them up and throw garages under them and often basements because we don’t have those out here.
Years ago when we did our remodel in the kitchen, the contractor told me you can do anything you want in the house as long as it’s to code (a) and B, do you have the money for it.
How hard would it be to find an architect who is competent in traditional building design? It seems like the profession of architect is almost dead, and builders today just reuse autocad building models.
It's 2020. Every architect is still going to design your "traditional " building in autocad.
OP, what exactly are you looking for? Old style design/floor plans but with contemporary finishes? That's relatively easy. Get off CD and call a few people.
A simple Google search of "house floor plans from 19xxs" will show you designs and an architect can take it from there.
Lastly, any new building would be subject to current building codes.
I am not a fan of plaster walls myself. They are an impediment not only to WiFi, but also to proper insulation, plumbing and wiring updates, minor renovations, etc.
Drywall doesn’t bother me at all, and for people who complain about noise,that can be addressed by insulating the interior walls.
I do love older houses. Not the ones that have been gutted and mangled like you describe, but houses that still have original features.
It's 2020. Every architect is still going to design your "traditional " building in autocad.
Being 2020, Revit is favored by most architectural firms, certainly for larger projects. Autocad has a niche, but is dying like WordPerfect and Blackberry phones.
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OP, what exactly are you looking for? Old style design/floor plans but with contemporary finishes? That's relatively easy. Get off CD and call a few people.
A simple Google search of "house floor plans from 19xxs" will show you designs and an architect can take it from there.
Lastly, any new building would be subject to current building codes.
Excellent questions and advice.
OP, what does “old” standards mean to you? A code compliant Victorian or Craftsman can be designed by a competent architect. The windows might be wider than the originals, and the bannisters may need to be built a bit differently, but it can be done.
Do you want crown molding? Easy to do, it just costs money.
Leaded glass windows? There are artisans who do this stuff.
Hand carved limestone gargoyles? It would be cheaper to get cast concrete, but I have met stonemasons who dothis type of thing.
Old fashioned radiators? No problem. The radiators themselves may need to be sourced as salvage, but forced water systems can be installed. The pipe behind the walls will likely be pex rather than copper, but that on,y means it will last longer.
Do you want your framing to be done with fir 10” O.C.? Possible, it will just cost you more.
"Only in America..."
I had a friend, who was having a new home built in Germany. He told me that the only building code was that he had to prove it would last 500 years. If you asked, "why?" the town leaders pointed to 800 year old houses and said, "That's why..."
It's a waste of time and materials to build ephemeral houses that need expensive maintenance.
Wood framed houses in America are the worst offenders - susceptible to sun, water, wind, fire, vermin, mold, mildew, flying debris, etc.
Ridiculous. There are 300+ year old houses made of wood all over the eastern US.
There are stone castles and houses that are ruins.
The German city buildings that are standing at 800 years old do so because they're in a city, with 800 years of economic activity and demand for their use, and therefore value and incentive to keep them up.
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Solly says — Be nice!
