MARK HOLMQUIST ARCHITECT

Improving Your Real Estate Investment

Whether you are building a new home or improving an existing one, there are many ways an architectural firm can help you by improving your real estate investment. An architect should begin with your functional requirements and also with your dreams. Enhancing  our unique sense of style is one of the most important factors in designing your home or creating a new experience for your workplace There are many disciplines today’s architect can draw upon to create a environment that is tailored to your lifestyle. After getting to know you and your aims of a project, an architect will create a set of drawings which accurately describe the project; from special flow through a sequence of rooms right down to the doorknobs and everything in between. These drawings layout the entire project for the builder, everything is organized and thought through before construction starts. 

Functionality is an important consideration in improving your real estate investment. It is two-fold. Functionality that is required by code compliance such required handicapped access and access to fire egress. There is also functionality in terms of optimal space and dimensions. There is usually just the right height for an oven and just the right space between a kitchen island and a countertop. Too much or too little space can each make a function more difficult. Like Goldilocks, you need to find the fit that is just right. The location of a door may have a large impact on the flow of a building plan and the location of windows can greatly affect air flow, maximize sunlight or minimizing heat gain. Design should respond to both your intellect and your soul. It should make your life a better experience. Great design can calm, sooth, excite and thrill.

Even small things should be thought of for improving your real estate investment. The position of a skylight over a shower can raise your spirits on a monday morning or a perfectly positioned window from your home office framing a well- tended garden of your favorite flowers will add a relaxing respite from your tasks. In smaller living arrangements such as a New York City apartment, it is critical to consider how public and private spaces blend togetherResidences should flow and offer varied features– not just be a collection of rooms. 

Today there are countless choices for materials. Colors abound and a myriad of grays are available in paint and wall-covering. Using these materials judiciously will enhance architecture. A well placed feature material can define an area in an open plan or create a floor transition between spaces. Finishes should be considered while planning your layout.Their integration is key to the overall atmosphere. Iconic American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy integrated the site, the structure, the exterior and the interiors.

Architecture is a living art. Even the smallest space will benefit from the skill of a good architect.

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