A building in Miami or any area of South Florida is completely different from building in any other area of the country. While most of the east coast of the United States, and most of the rest of the country, are timber framed and made of brick or wood, South Florida is built with a concrete block and concrete.
Quality against price
Because of the hurricane winds, the structures in this area must be very strong. Where the rest of the country looks down on us, because they use only a concrete block in their foundations, for my money I really like concrete and building blocks. Concrete blocks do not receive termites and will not rot. Thus, a particular block structure will last 100 years or more, with virtually no maintenance. Unfortunately, the vast majority of houses in Miami have wooden trusses with plywood roofing, then roofing paper, and a gallery or concrete slab on top. This type of construction is not particularly good at resisting hurricane conditions. Although the Florida Building Code has experienced the very best in improving the requirements for installing roof cladding and roof finishes, it cannot match the strength that a roof would have if a concrete slab were used to construct a roof.
So why, if we know this, don't we build concrete floors? Cost - the only reason is cost. It is much more expensive for both the design and the installation of a concrete slab, especially on a slope, to make concrete tiles.
Therefore, one of the first things that a home owner should create at the beginning of the design process for a new home is how much the owner wants to spend on construction. There is a cheap way to build a house and an expensive way. This is a problem that will occur many times during the design and construction process.
Program
But in order to determine a budget, a homeowner must first establish a square foot of a new home. To establish a total square meter, he will have to create a program for the house. The program is a list of rooms with appropriate sizes.
See the sample list as follows:
240 square feet living room
Dining area 120 square feet
170 square feet kitchen
Family room 240 square feet
240 square foot master bedroom
64 square foot large bathroom
Bedroom No. 2 216 square feet
Bedroom No. 3 192 square feet
Bath No. 2 36 square feet
Laundry room 100 square feet
Closet 9 square feet
A / C closet 9 square feet
Total foot area = 1,636
Circulation and walls at 20% = 1,634 square feet = 327 square feet
Total = 1,634 + 327 = 1,961 sq. M. Futa
So now we have a basic idea of the basic spaces of the house and about how many square feet of a homeowner will be needed for the house.
In addition, now is the right time to decide whether there will be open spaces, such as covered terraces or gazebos. In Florida, they are particularly well added to the interior. With remarkable temperatures in winter, there is no reason to constantly spend time in air-conditioned rooms.
Budget
So what will cost a house that costs a little less than 2,000 square feet in South Florida? There is no magic formula for this. The cost of the house depends on many things that are associated with the design, such as: type of roof, height (ceilings) of the ceiling, complexity of construction, finishing, whether it will be on a septic tank or sewage system, and the type of foundations. Then there are those costs that have no relation to the design, such as the location of the house, how busy the contractors are in the area, how well known and reliable the contractor is, etc. Although the price of a house can vary greatly due to all the points considered above, at this time, a range of $ 150 to $ 250 per square foot can be used for a home that is not too complicated with a standard design. Therefore, if we go back to the example. House area of 2000 square meters. Feet will cost between 300,000 and 500,000 dollars, excluding land.
Development team
The Miami-Dade County construction department does not require plans for a single-family residence, which will be signed and sealed by an architect or engineer. This does not apply to all municipalities in the area. For example, Coral Gables requires that all plans be signed and sealed by the architect. But for all practical purposes, the amount of information that must be included in a set of plans in any jurisdiction of Miami-Dade County, in most cases, needs to be hired by several specialists: an architect, a mathematical engineer and a civil engineer. MEP means mechanical, electrical and plumbing. The mechanical engineer designs the air conditioner, the electrical engineer designs the electrical, including lighting, and the plumber designs the plumbing. The civil engineer designs the structure and provides the necessary structural calculations for the envelope of the building. The architect designs the whole house and coordinates the work of each. Coordination of all students is probably the most important task of an architect, since without coordination real conflicts may arise during the construction phase. Although it is legal to develop plans yourself in some parts of the county, it will be an insurmountable task to create construction plans for permits (unless the homeowner has construction experience with actual experience and knowledge of the Florida Building Code and local zoning codes).
What do these design services cost the homeowner? They also vary greatly, but there are a range of well-established professionals. This range will be from 6% to 10% of the construction cost for permit plans for all disciplines. Services during the construction phase are usually paid separately on an hourly basis or in separate packaging.
House style
Another important decision that must be made at an early stage is the style of the house. In South Florida, there are three styles that are popular for home design - modern, Mediterranean and Kiev.
Once the homeowner decides which styles he wants, it is important that the style and the details be conveyed to the architect. The best way to explain to the architect what he wants is either images from magazines or actual photographs of other houses.
The choice of architect
Now that you have core subjects together, the next step is to choose your architect. This is very important, as it is a person with whom you will work very closely over the next year.
Take a review from existing land from the time you close your mortgage. If you have lost it or it is too old or inaccurate, the architect will arrange for you to update it or a new one.
Ask to see pictures of his / her work. Ask for references. To ask questions. Ask him how he will approach the project. Begin to understand who you can work with. Do you like the prevailing style of work of an architect? Does your work appeal to you? Ask about this process. Ask what you should expect in the way of his / her services. Ask him to show you plans for a similar project.
People are people, and each person is unique. I remember how many people hired me because they liked my “Mediterranean” or “Spanish” style, my modern or postmodern style. One person told me that she hired me because I quickly called her. Chemistry between people makes sense. Do not discount your initial impressions.
Construction documents
Typically, construction documents contain several parts: drawings, specifications, instructions for bidders, and appendices. Usually, when the architect processes the construction phase for the owner, he chooses the type of contract the owner will have with the contractor. This document is also part of the construction documents.
The drawings make up the bulk of the work, which, by specification, acts as a step-by-step guide for the contractor used during construction. Sometimes in large workplaces, specifications are placed in a separate book and are called project guidelines. In most residential projects, specifications are usually treated as notes in the drawings. For complex interiors, a separate package is carried out by the architect and is charged separately.
Construction documents are generated in stages from the general to the detailed. I would like to divide my projects into 4 stages: preliminary design, design development, 50% of construction documents and 100% of construction documents. Each stage is based on the previous phase, until the architect feels that all the drawings are coordinated between different disciplines and are ready to submit for permission.
With careful planning and communication with your architect, his good drawings and coordination and careful selection of a reputable contractor, your new home project should flow without serious problems. Despite the fact that orders often change due to unforeseen conditions or changes that the owner wants to implement, most issues should be resolved before construction begins.
For more information on the role of the architect during construction, see my other article on the role of the architect during the construction process posted here.
