What Can Custom Architectural Design Do For You?

Having a home custom designed for its occupants may seem to some people like the height of pretension, but custom architectural design isn't necessarily about vanity, prestige, or self-indulgence. Sometimes you may have special needs or considerations that make living in a standard home impossible, impractical, or inconvenient. If that's the case, an architect can design a custom home for you that meets your needs and addresses your concerns.

Handicap-Accessible Homes
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires public buildings to make accommodations for people with disabilities so that everyone has equal access. However, the law does not apply to residential homes, meaning that people who have physical limitations must either have modifications made to an existing home or have an entirely new home designed around their individual needs. In either case, an architect may be of assistance in the designing and planning process, translating your wishes into a practicable plan.

Environmentally Friendly Homes
Many people are concerned about the effect that human activities have on the environment, others are concerned about wasting money through inefficient use of resources, and still others are worried about health threats from environmental hazards within the house. 
Whatever the specific concerns may be, an architect can design a home that uses energy efficiently and has as little negative impact on the environment as possible. Some ideas you can suggest to your architect are rainwater harvesting systems for water conservation, solar panel installation as an alternative source of energy, and small rooms for energy efficiency.

Occupational Spaces
Perhaps you run, or would like to start up, a business out of your home, such as a woodworking shop, hair salon, or daycare. A standard home may not have the space available to accommodate it. An architect can help you modify an existing space or design an entirely new one.

When it comes to custom architectural design, it's not necessarily a matter of fulfilling your wants. Often, it's a matter of meeting your needs.