HOME ARCHITECTS ® is offering a 20% reduction in their normal fees to assist people whom have lost their houses in hurricane Sandy and other recent storms.
Rand Soellner, AIA of the firm, said that “These people have suffered enough. The least we can do is to help by designing new houses for them to replace those that they lost.”
Contact the company at: 1-828-269-9046 or by e-mail: Rand@HomeArchitects.com or Skype: HomeArchitects
No doubt, people in this situation will have to find temporary lodging until the new designs are created, bid out to general contractors and built anew. FEMA, family, friends and insurance will be logical sources to assist with temporary housing during this process.
People are generally shell-shocked in this circumstance and their sense of loss overwhelming. The architect will, in this situation, illustrate to the people desiring this service, how this is an opportunity to start fresh with a new house that perhaps is better than the previous one. Better in terms of functional organization, better insulated (for lower utility bills and greater comfort). Better view orientation, more windows that have more control over their sun exposure, possibly energy generation (such as through photo-voltaic roof shingles) for greater energy independence on a micro-scale, and other improvements, such as, but not limited to: more outdoor living space (covered and screened or open decks), more open space planning in the design of interiors, larger kitchens that work better, nicer master suites with spacious bathrooms and other features.
So, even though the transition is painful and disruptive, the end result should be a new residence that provides a better living environment for the rest of their lives in that house. It may even improve their net worth, having a newer, better designed house, so there are some silver linings to the dark cloud.
The process: 1.) Programming, 2.) Schematic Design – Design Development, 3.) Construction Documents, 4.) Bidding – Pricing, 5.) Construction Administration. The architect can provide whatever level of service is desired, beyond the Basic Services, which include items 1. through 3.
Lessons learned that we all may wish to apply to the future: plan cities and houses in places that have higher ground, so that flooding is not the nightmare it is today. Consultation with Urban Planners and Architects will help in this regard. Preparing for power outages by having houses and neighborhoods with their own energy generation facilities will help deal with future calamities. Do not locate critical transportation facilities in locations subject to flooding. Have houses and buildings designed and engineered to resist higher wind speeds, with some safety factors. Require architectural licensure by state boards of anyone who designs any house or building, no matter what size, so that more skilled people are creating what we live and work in, with less loss of life. Presently, anyone can design a house and look what happens: people die. Better to have architects designing all residences, everywhere. Houses would look better, consume less energy and stand tall when hard winds blow.
tags: hurricane sandy victims, new housing, new york, new jersey, seaside heights, Rhode Island, Washington, queens, hoboken