As your family grows, balancing dreams of a high-end home with practical financial wisdom is key. We understand that while you aspire for luxury, you also value smart spending and knowing where it truly pays to splurge in your family…
Embarking on retirement often brings the exciting prospect of moving into a 'forever home' — a place where comfort, convenience, and quality intersect. For those looking to downsize without sacrificing the joys of a spacious, welcoming home, striking the right…
Every developer wants to maximize returns on their projects. But, understanding the fine balance between investment and return is crucial in order to do this. This is especially true in small-scale developments. Let’s dive into some key strategies that can…
As you approach the serene shores of retirement, the idea of downsizing from your current home—the one filled with decades of memories—may feel like you're about to embark on a daunting voyage. But imagine this transition as an art form,…
As we look to the horizon of 2024, a transformative trend is making waves in the property market: Build-to-Rent (BTR). This emergent paradigm is not just a fleeting trend but a significant shift in housing dynamics, presenting developers and builders…
In the process of designing your new home there comes a time to select a builder. They will physically construct this dream of yours. Thus far, everything has been conceptualized, planned, and fine-tuned on paper or in the computer. You…
While writing the blog article about “Context is Critical” I recently had the realization that I had not shared an important philosophy that we at Allison Ramsey Architects use. It may be common knowledge in the Architecture and Planning…
We don’t always think about it, but architectural and design choices not only affect our everyday lives but our minds and psychology as well. Being in a space that you love and that lifts you up is something we desire…
Embarking on the journey of building your dream home is a monumental step, filled with intense emotion, thrilling discovery, and profound personal growth. It's a path lined with decisive moments and deep introspection, requiring you to embrace both the highs…
Embarking on the adventure of creating your dream home is an exhilarating journey, one filled with hopes, aspirations, and reflections of your personal style. However, like any profound journey, it carries with it a unique set of challenges. These obstacles,…
Does your Home show your personality? One of the reasons we raise our heads from our desks here at Allison Ramsey Architects is to analyze some of our finished projects as well as projects of other designers here in the…
Here at Allison Ramsey Architects, we understand that we are built a little differently. We think about houses and buildings almost nonstop. We all work a bit too much; we think about designing during most of our waking hours. We…
In Architecture school we are taught that every structure you design in your career will take place within surrounding conditions. It may be an urban downtown building, a beach house on the panhandle of Florida, a park structure in a…
Part of our work here at Allison Ramsey Architects is introducing our clients to builders and helping them get acquainted with the process of building. We will often do this after our schematic design has been fleshed out with the…
Gifts to the Street? Occasionally, in the life of an Architect, we get to travel for business. At Allison Ramsey Architects we are a bit spoiled and regularly design and draw for places all over the country. There are, of…
Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) often incorporates architectural styles that have stood the test of time. By prioritizing classic, traditional designs, the communities we work in often have a timeless appeal that is not subject to the whims of current design…
As an architect, I am often asked about my design philosophy and what drives me to do the work that I do. When I first started my career building low-cost housing with Habitat for Humanity in Africa, it made me…
One of our most popular design features is the modern farmhouse. We have several variations of this built across the country and offer several house plans that combine a classic, traditional style with modern layouts and contemporary design. While we…
OK, I will admit it. I will expose myself. I love to watch home fix-it shows! I watch all sorts. It all started for me with This Old House and Bob Vila. The professional folks, the novice house flippers, the…
(Continued from “What to Expect” and “Getting To Work”) Here we are at Part Three of this writing; no one is more surprised than I am! Starting with an initial call or office visit, we have now progressed to a…
(Continued from What to expect) When beginning this post about what a potential client should expect it quickly became a bit more detailed and longer than expected. It was evident that “Part Two” would be a good idea. Let’s see…
When my wife and I first found out we were going to have a baby (my daughter that is today in Graduate School) a book appeared on our coffee table. What to Expect when You’re Expecting I believe the name…
One of the best parts of my career in Architecture is designing and getting homes built in many different places. Many places I am lucky enough to design homes have an organization that enforces the rules or the covenants of…
I am always looking for the mythical “Perfect House Plan”. The plan that does everything for everyone. The plan that checks all the boxes. Functional, beautiful, sellable, profitable, adaptable over a lifetime, lovable, efficient to build and not one square…
Study Set – The study set is a reduced size (11” x 17”) pdf file of the floor plans and elevations from the construction documents. and is very helpful to understand and see the basic design of the project. It is a useful tool to develop an initial budget with a builder. It is not a License to Build. Upon request, we will credit the purchase price back against the final purchase of the License to Build. The pdf file will typically be emailed to you on the following business day.
3D Model – The 3d model is a Sketchup model of the exterior shell of the project based on the design. The 3D model is not a license to build. It is a tool used to better understand what the exterior of the house and it’s details will look like. It is also quite useful to do color and material studies for the project. The Sketchup file and use agreement will typically be emailed to you on the following business day.
Bidding & Pricing Set – The bidding and pricing set is a pdf of the actual construction documents stamped “not for construction, for bidding purposes only”. They can be used to determine your actual cost with your builder. If after determining cost you decide to move forward, we will credit the cost of the bidding and pricing set against the final purchase of the license to build. The pdf file will typically be emailed within 3 to 5 business days.
One Time License to Build – This License/Fee entitles you to build the proposed design one time. It includes a pdf file of the construction documents for the project along with the license to build. The pdf files will typically be emailed within 3 to 5 business days.
2 year Unlimited Build License – This license fee entitles the purchaser to build as many structures as desired from the plans provided during a 2 year period from the date of purchase. After expiration, any structures built will require an additional license fee.