Do I need an architect to help design my home?

Whether in the location, the interior, or the home's structure, we turn to certain experts in the industry who are there to help in the pursuit of building your dream home, guaranteed to lead the way from beginning to end: Architects.

Helping to optimise your home to its fullest potential, all whilst collaborating closely with you and bringing the savoir-faire of your personality to the forefront, we speak to Jerome Buckwell, Principal of Crosson Architects to discuss if it’s essential to seek out an architect when curating your dream home and how Crosson Architects has achieved its multi-award-winning status.

Design planning for your home can be daunting, diving into potentially unknown territory and generally just figuring out where to begin. 

“Typically, it starts with a simple call from a potential client,” says Jerome. 

“We encourage them as much as possible to come in and meet with us, maybe over a glass of wine, to talk about their goals and aspirations - the design process is all about collaboration. It can also be quite a journey! Meeting in person means we can work to establish a connection together, which is really important to us.”

Ensuring that your home build reflects your personality from corner to corner is crucial, nodding to personal tastes from your favourite food, art, literature - even cars! 

“We often send clients a questionnaire that asks, not necessarily architectural questions, but more personal ones like your favourite book or a piece of art you like. This allows us to get some insight into a client's personal taste - ultimately, we want to design something that is beautiful and reflects them."

Architects are there to design your home, applying their expertise in spatial planning and design as they analyse the site they are working with and, ultimately, how they can optimise it to its full potential, all whilst tailoring it to your personal needs. 

“You start with the site, the sun, the views, the prevailing winds, and the site's topography. What are the key features of the site that should be highlighted? There may be some beautiful trees you want to retain or a particular view you want to capture. And vice versa, there might be some views that you want to play down.” 

“The sun moves from east to west every day, and the sun's height in the sky also varies between summer and winter. We always consider where you would like to sit and read a book throughout the year, whether the client prefers sun on their back in the morning or the evening."

Architects put their expertise to work by paying close attention to the finer details like natural light, airflow, and privacy and utilising them. By strategically mapping out each room from the lounge to the bedrooms, architects ensure you make the most of your space from season to season. 

“We don't believe in designing big homes or big spaces just for the sake of it. A bedroom, for instance, can feel unpleasant if it's too big, making a bed, for example, seem dwarfed because it's out of scale.”

Design aside, building a home also means diving into a world of rules and regulations, such as building consents. Architects and their wealth of knowledge will provide guidance when working with the various legalities of home building, ensuring your dream home is well-built and in general accordance with the New Zealand building code. 

“Local council implements boundary controls, maximum heights, site coverage, etc., on every site, so we take that and look for opportunities within it. People talk about site constraints, and we like to flip that on its head and talk about site opportunities. 

“I think it's much more positive to think about the opportunities from the site rather than the constraints.” 

Architects are masters of spatial maneuvering, transforming the most challenging site into something functional and architecturally remarkable. Optimisation of your space is the ultimate way to ensure your home not only meets your daily needs but keeps you cosy throughout the year.

Discover more about Crosson Architects on ArchiPro.