Feel disappointed by architect-help!

[dancingqueen345]

Have just received a first draft of our extension plans through from the architect and I am disappointed to say the least.

It isn't what I'd imagined, I feel like there's loads of 'dead' space and not come up with any of his own ideas/suggestions.

Please can someone tell me that this is what always happens with a first draft?!

Or help me fix it please!

It is always what happens with a first draft- our architect said something like "I know I'll get it wrong first time, we'll talk it through and come up with something better, we just have to start somewhere".

The point is- every client is different, wants something different and they can't second guess everyone. A drawing gives something concrete to refer to when discussing things, that's all.

Gigi thank you, that is exactly what I wanted to hear! And I do understand that, I suppose I'm just worried about wanting fairly substantial changes rather than minor tweaks!

They expect that too.

He's unlikely to think he's Zaha Hadid.

How do you get into the WC and the Store? What is going to happen in the old kitchen? It looks as though the kitchen units are being moved to the extension and I'm guessing the rest of it will be taken up with dining table etc but I can't see what is happening in the old but of the kitchen.

Took us ages to get it right with our architect. I did fire the first architect though because he was more concerned about how the house should look from an historical point of view (it is built in 1911 and of no particular architectural significance although nice enough) than how we would live in it and was quite dismissive of my concerns. I felt if I was paying an architect the least I'd expect is he would listen.

Our first draft with the guy we used was wrong - downstairs wc stuck in the middle between the dining and kitchen areas. Final design was really good.

One thing I found very helpful was having a builder look at the design. Our builder pointed out that snooty architect had left me with no downstairs space for coats/boots etc and that was really not feasible with in our climate (snow etc). He also came up with the best solution for where to put the downstairs lav.

good luck!

The door of your ensuite seems to be opposite the door of another bedroom in those plans - doesn't seem like an en suite??

The existing kitchen space looks like a really dead space, especially with 3 doors going off it. I've been in houses where it's become a corridor with either a cloakroom or utility room to the left side.

Also why the dead space betweeen the hall and the existing kitchen? Is there headspace to make a doorway from that understairs area into the WC?

There seems to be a door from the hall to a corridor near the stairs. Can you remove kitchen wall?

We went through 4 maybe 5 drafts with our architect. So don't fret too much about that! He was more than used it.

Yes, I can see those plans aren't great. Our architect gave us sketches of a few options to begin with, then worked our favourite one out into a full plan. That really helped us know what was possible.

That's a small 3rd bedroom, you would expect the bedroom that has an ensuite to be the master, not a small double. You couldn't walk down the side of the bed. Not sure if the architect understands space standards (although they are for new builds) Personally I think wrap around extensions are ugly - you end up with a lot of dead space. Which you have here. Maybe look to incorporate the existing kitchen in better with a rear extension only. The store located at the front would also look ugly from the front elevation. Think hierarchy - you need to read the front door/porch first, everything else is secondary and the store may complete with this and appear awkward.

Does seem very patchy layout.
Although ours did a first draft and showed it to us, and it wasn't what we were expecting at all. So we asked for changes, and then they gave us option A/B/C and risks of each choice, and let us decide in our own time. Eventually we ended up with different from their first suggestion, but completely different from what we had in mind originally (and much better). If the architect understands your needs and how the space works, you'll end up with something good if you trust them.
I think we got more than we should have out of them though, they did mention we were very demanding clients. I think normally they get a commission and a budget and left to it...

Are you replacing a side garage? I agree, you only need to go out at the back but the bedroom extension should be a little wider and forgo the ensuite. Cleaning 3 toilets in a house is overrated, take it from me! Resorting to sliding doors is a sign of desperation, would be better to have a decent sized 3rd bedroom. (a bonus in houses of this layout).

Otherwise it's a lot of new square footage for not much useful space.

If you get yourself some tracing paper/raid kitchen for greaseproof, you can easily re-draft other options by sketching over.

Prefer to not have only entrance to kitchen family room to be thru nice lounge

Shopping (food) etc being taken thru, dirty washing for utility room and everything else will make it be a corridor

If you have guests in there or are watching tv it will be people walking thru all the time between you and guests or you and tv

Also, might end up being used for dumping school bags etc

I prefer not to have toilet window next to front door from outside

Like toilet to be from hall

Toilet door from hall by stairs and kitchen maybe?

Make sure you have a view from front door through to garden. Makes a huge difference to feeling of space.

I like garden geeks second downstairs lay out. The one with the hallway. That is a million times better than the architect!

I agree you (with the architect) need to come up with better ideas for the existing kitchen space. However budget is a big consideration.

Taking down the external kitchen wall and incorporating the space into a big kitchen diner (as GardenGeek suggests) is great but structurally more difficult and expensive than keeping the wall. You'd be knocking down the whole existing corner of the ground floor which is structurally prett serious.

So first question is, can you afford to take down that wall or not?

If you can then I like GardenGeek's second plan - though I'd make a few tweaks, in particular I would make her utility into a coat cupboard and have utility carved out of the big kitchen/family room instead.

If you need to keep that wall then it's trickier. In this scenario I would probably split the existing kitchen space in half vertically and use the left hand side for a small boot room or large coat cupboard (if you have kids you need so much space for coats, shoes, bags scooters etc) and the right hand side as a corridor taking you back to the kitchen.