House designs are powerful symbols that you can use to create a statement to the world about who you are. Buildings have a long lifespan and will continue to communicate your statement to the world long after you’re gone. House designs are also a mark of self-realization.
The initial step in realizing your dream home plan is to contact an architect. Explain to your architect what you want his house to look like. You can search the Internet for images of similar houses and floor plans. This will inspire you to be able to explain to your architect exactly how you want to design your house.
You can also explain to your architect what statement or symbol you want your house to communicate through the design. At this stage, your budget will be important as it will dictate the size of the house you will have. Mortgage financing is available from Housing Finance, KCB Savings and Loan, Barclays, Equity Bank, Standard Chartered, Stanbic or any other financial institution in Kenya.
The architect will incorporate the design and symbols into a form and build functionality from there. Functionality involves how the spaces relate to each other, for example, the kitchen should be close to the dining room, bedrooms should be privately located away from the living room, the construction of the frame should be structurally sound and in accordance with the Building Code and all applicable laws. House construction.
By using 3D graphic design software such as ArchiCAD, your architect should be able to present the house to you in a 3D graphical view so that you can make your recommendations and changes. This process will continue until you are satisfied with the design of the house.
Your architect will print the house plan in A1 format and make 4 copies of the plan. He will send the drawings to the relevant local authority in Kenya, in Nairobi, the City Council.
The Council will review the drawings to confirm if it conforms to the Kenya Building Code and is therefore habitable.
Once the approvals are granted, usually after a few weeks, you can now move on to the next stage: Construction.
At this stage, you can have your quantity inspector submit bills of quantities, that is, a breakdown of all the materials and quantities that will be used in the house and an estimated construction cost per item. With this blank document[without the price component]You can invite several construction contractors to quote on the construction of the house. With the help of your architect and surveyor, you can select the best one in terms of previous construction experience and similar prices.
After selection, you sign a contract with the contractor and your architect oversees the contractor’s work to ensure it conforms to the design and agreed quality and workmanship. Construction contracts in Kenya are available from the offices of the Architectural Association Of Kenya, Professional Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.
Once the contractor is done building to the plans, you can move into the home of your dreams and live in comfort forever.
