I was given a set of design drawings to review to gauge my possible interest in building it. I examined the package with an initial feeling of uneasiness which gradually evolved into a sense of total revulsion. Basically the designs contained a lot of professionalism amd detail, except that the details were not just abominably inappropriate for our climate but also among the most expensive way to assemble and supply the envelope, roof, decks and structure. Making the building work would require a level of precision you’d find in an aerospace factory. Unfortunately that precision isn’t found on a job site, nor is that degree of skill and expertise. This project seemed to be a recipe for failure and folly. If it gets built, then likely it will have immediate problems, and somehow repairing the problems will be so hard it won’t likely even be viable. You have to wonder about the client who ordered this design work to be done. Were they oblivious to home building techniques, or just more concerned with the appearance of the building than the cost and viability of it? If someone presented to them a list of the hurdles involved in constructing it and the cost of some components, would they abandon the project? What was the cost of hiring the designer? Had that designer ever visited a job site before or did he just sit at a computer and create fantastic yet theoretical buildings without regard to practicality. Are there clients that want to spend 100’s of thousands of dollars on envelope details that may fail or never work from the day they were installed? Is there a builder that wants to be responsible to execute this building? It won’t be me.
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