On Deck For Summer Fun
by Ron Watton
December 28th, 2010 09:59 AM
Even the smallest house has to be built with attention to how all the pieces work together. If you’re planning something grander, though, the time spent thinking about the systems involved can really pay off in making your home magnificent.
Working around North America on huge commercial and residential projects, I’ve always been surprised at how often owners, architects and builders seem to skip past the stage where they should be addressing the interplay among the elements. Sure, the person having the home built will be concerned with how to make the place one where the family can live together comfortably. The architect will be consumed with making all the rooms into a coherent whole. And the builder will be doing little else besides coordinating the various trades to create something that’s more than just the sum of its parts.
But so often, there’s much more that can be done – not only to ensure everything works well together, but also to employ new techniques and technologies in each of the various systems required in a large, luxurious home.
In any complex system, all the parts are dependent on each other. Change the awnings or the windows, and the ventilation system may need to be altered. Choose a different exterior cladding, and the heating and air conditioning may need to be adapted. Make a major last-minute addition, and you may have to revisit other parts of your plan that you wouldn’t think could possibly be affected.
Today, the most important mechanical systems for larger houses are themselves each quite complex. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are more likely to have complicated computer controls to enable space-specific solutions. Smart, environmentally friendly housing uses sunlight and takes advantage of earth temperatures. Lighting we install these days often allows you to switch on or off, or dim, any light from any switch. But none of these or other major systems will work at its best if the owner, architect and builder don’t plan for how they will all work together.
We’ve grown to specialize in high-end custom homes, and that’s given Watton Homes a chance to see what works well, and what has to work together to achieve something exceptional. We still take on specialized jobs like structural and architectural concrete work, and some commercial building. These help us keep on top of trends and issues in construction and management, and this work keeps us ready to excel in a wide variety of techniques we can use in crafting homes that are designed to be breathtaking.
Along the way, we’ve come to appreciate the complexity of what goes into designing and building an exquisite home. And that means, whenever possible, we spend as much time as possible working with owners and architects to ensure attention to the systems involved, and ensure we all plan ahead to enable all the systems work together well.
It’s important in a small house. It’s even more critical in a larger residence. And it’s what turns a large, expensive house into a home that’s majestic.
Ron Watton is president of Watton Homes Ltd. 604-988-4419 www.wattonhomes.com
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Feb - Mar 07
Working around North America on huge commercial and residential projects, I’ve always been surprised at how often owners, architects and builders seem to skip past the stage where they should be addressing the interplay among the elements. Sure, the person having the home built will be concerned with how to make the place one where the family can live together comfortably. The architect will be consumed with making all the rooms into a coherent whole. And the builder will be doing little else besides coordinating the various trades to create something that’s more than just the sum of its parts.
But so often, there’s much more that can be done – not only to ensure everything works well together, but also to employ new techniques and technologies in each of the various systems required in a large, luxurious home.
In any complex system, all the parts are dependent on each other. Change the awnings or the windows, and the ventilation system may need to be altered. Choose a different exterior cladding, and the heating and air conditioning may need to be adapted. Make a major last-minute addition, and you may have to revisit other parts of your plan that you wouldn’t think could possibly be affected.
Today, the most important mechanical systems for larger houses are themselves each quite complex. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are more likely to have complicated computer controls to enable space-specific solutions. Smart, environmentally friendly housing uses sunlight and takes advantage of earth temperatures. Lighting we install these days often allows you to switch on or off, or dim, any light from any switch. But none of these or other major systems will work at its best if the owner, architect and builder don’t plan for how they will all work together.
We’ve grown to specialize in high-end custom homes, and that’s given Watton Homes a chance to see what works well, and what has to work together to achieve something exceptional. We still take on specialized jobs like structural and architectural concrete work, and some commercial building. These help us keep on top of trends and issues in construction and management, and this work keeps us ready to excel in a wide variety of techniques we can use in crafting homes that are designed to be breathtaking.
Along the way, we’ve come to appreciate the complexity of what goes into designing and building an exquisite home. And that means, whenever possible, we spend as much time as possible working with owners and architects to ensure attention to the systems involved, and ensure we all plan ahead to enable all the systems work together well.
It’s important in a small house. It’s even more critical in a larger residence. And it’s what turns a large, expensive house into a home that’s majestic.
Ron Watton is president of Watton Homes Ltd. 604-988-4419 www.wattonhomes.com
Copyright North Shore Magazine Issue Feb - Mar 07
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