Thinking like an architect

11 07, 2004

What’s really up with a 2nd floor addition

By Steve McKee|2004-07-11T05:09:17+00:00July 11th, 2004|Elements of Design, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on What’s really up with a 2nd floor addition

I met with a homeowner last year who was in the early phases of her thinking about where to add a master bedroom addition to her one story house. Should she go up or sideways? Which was the cheaper square footage to add? She had met with a couple different builders and had not received a black and white answer and was frustrated that no one could give her a simple response. Truth is, there is no simple answer to this question, but the one thing I knew with some certainty was that the next builder or designer to come [...]

Sightlines make a huge impact

By Steve McKee|2004-05-02T05:11:31+00:00May 2nd, 2004|My favorite columns, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Sightlines make a huge impact

Men, have you ever used a urinal where you are on display as soon as the door to the restroom is opened? Great piece of design, that. (Does sarcasm work in a newspaper?) Women, how about that restroom where you feel private as you work on your makeup, only to realize the mirror is reflecting everyone’s view in at you from the door after all? It’s about sightlines. They can be used for good as well as evil. They cost nothing and their impact is big. An example of a good sightline could include the long diagonal view across your [...]

Meeting of the minds in your design

By Steve McKee|2004-04-11T05:12:22+00:00April 11th, 2004|Before you begin, Thinking like an architect, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Meeting of the minds in your design

Want to know the main ingredient that goes into designing a house or a major remodel? It’s the collaboration between client and designer. It’s what you won’t see on the reality design shows on TV. None of them show the real interaction that goes into a good design process. (“Dream House” on HGTV at least gives it a nod.) I suppose showing this wouldn’t make for television as exciting as watching some poor sap whisked away temporarily so that his/her home can be “made over,” usually in some shocking way. It’s only natural that the best home designs are always [...]