Autodesk® Revit® Architecture

We have a new secret weapon here at Jenkins Custom Homes: Autodesk® Revit® Architecture. According to the website: “Autodesk® Revit® Architecture building information modeling (BIM) software helps architects and designers gain a competitive advantage with tools that enable you to design freely, keep information better coordinated, and deliver more efficiently.”

For our residential designers, this means that “From conception to construction documentation, [they can] design projects within an intuitive environment.” For our clients, it means it is now possible to see – and experience (through virtual reality) – their developing home before the design is even completed! According to Jenkins Vice-President, Bethany Jenkins, “It’s pretty amazing…The design of a home can now happen faster and clients can get real time feedback.”

Beyond 3D modeling, with Autodesk® Revit® Architecture, our residential designers can produce “photo-realistic” drawings like the one seen here. This is especially helpful for our clients who are not local. We can email screen shots and drawings of their home as the design develops.

Except for the picture above, all of these are drawings of homes that are currently in the design phase or are already under construction here at Jenkins Custom Homes.

The Benefits Of In-House Design

In the custom home industry, there are basically two delivery methods: design/build and traditional bid and build. Among design/build firms there are two delivery methods as well. There is in-house design and outsourced design. With in-house design, the architect or residential designer is on staff. With outsourced design, the architect or residential designer works for him or herself, or for a separate firm. In Austin, most builders outsource the design. Shan Jenkins, of Jenkins Custom Homes, has done it both ways, and he strongly advocates the in-house design approach for a variety of reasons. Some of his reasons, like the cost savings and time savings, are very practical. Others, like the way the client has more control over the creative process, are less obvious to the casual observer. Either way you cut it, however, it makes building a new home a better experience for everyone.

The practical reasons for having a residential designer in-house are the time savings and cost savings it allows the client. In the case of Jenkins, because the designers work in the same office as the supervisors and cost estimator (not to mention the rest of the staff), they have almost instant access to the resources they need to provide cost feedback to the client on design details. For instance, “I like that wrought iron detail but not at that cost. Is there a way to achieve the same look with less expense?” This means that work proceeds at a much faster pace, especially throughout the design phase. Also, having an in-house designer is one of the reasons Jenkins can guarantee that the cost is within 5% of the initial budget.

However, a less obvious reason Shan Jenkins believes in this approach is that having the design team in-house means that the client has more control over the creative process. When a builder outsources their design work, the client must explain his or her wishes to the builder, who then submits the change to the designer. Quite often, what the client had envisioned and what the designer returns are two very different things. So the client must again attempt to explain what he or she wanted, and the builder must again submit it to the designer. After a few weeks of that type of back and forth, many clients will simply settle for what they have been given, just so they can move forward with the process of building their new home. With Jenkins, the client is continually interfacing with the designer, which means the design evolves in real time, with the client present to give his or her input, the designer sketching each detail as the client speaks. Want to add a half bath by the door to the pool? No problem. The designer can sketch it in right there during the meeting on trace paper and, if it isn’t the way you envisioned it, you can correct it right there on the spot. Shortly thereafter, the team will provide you with cost data on that additional bath. Before any changes are made to the plan, you can decide if it’s worth the extra money. It’s a win-win for both the client and the builder. The synergy that is created from having everyone working together as a team to accomplish the desires of the client means a superior home and a superior home building experience.

Decking the Halls, Pt One

Today’s guest is Jessica Nixon of Jessica Nixon Interior Design, the company she founded in 1994. Jessica is a registered American Society of Interior Designers member and has earned the National Council for Interior Design Qualification certification. In addition to her tenure as president of Austin’s ASID, she has held past positions with the association including Programs Chairman and Design Excellence Chairman. Visit her website at http://www.jnid.com/.

To create a beautiful sophisticated Christmas tree here are some helpful hints:

1. There is no better way to exude elegance than the use of white lights.

2. To make the white light even more angelic try purchasing some white tulle (wedding netting). Cut into 1 yard pieces, scrunch together, and fill in any empty spaces between the tips of the branch and the trunk with the tulle. This not only helps the tree look fuller but gives an extra twinkle. It also looks great if you wrap the base of the tree with the tulle. Tulle comes in many different colors another sophisticated color to use would be silver or gold.

3. Many pre-made tree skirts barely cover the tree stand. One method to make it look fuller is to purchase two to three yards of a beautiful fabric from the fabric store. Just wrap around the base of the tree, fold under any exposed rough edges, and puff and scrunch until it gives the soft, billowy look. This is a custom, no-sew tree skirt for less.

4. As for tree topper, what I think always look beautiful is a glass finial. If budget is an issue, you can do a bow on top of the tree. For the bow, I always say “bigger is better.” If you cannot make bows, you can go down to your local crafts store or florist shop, and they can make them for you out of the ribbon you chose for a small fee. Also, I recommend having streams of the same ribbon that cascade down the tree. All you have to do is cut the ribbon that will be showing at an angle to have clean finished edge.

5. If you want a sophisticated look and you have children, my suggestion is to have a separate tree for the kids to put their collection of ornaments on in the family room or even play room. That way you do not have to Mickey Mouse on your formal tree. My friend has a mini tree in each of her boys’ room, and they have fun picking their favorite ornaments to go on their own mini tree.

6. If you can not get around having only one tree, make it over the top! One way to achieve this is to use a fun, hip-colored garland. Another way is to choose a tree skirt that has a lot of color. You could also try the same no-sew method tree skirt here again, but make the color something that is bright and festive. A patchwork skirt or even a patchwork quilt could be a very unique tree skirt. And lastly, do everything multi-colored. Instead of using one color of ornaments, use red, purple, blue, and green and definitely go with multi-colored lights. By using all these elements together you can create a tree that is whimsical and fun for everyone.

Look for us again when we discuss swags, wreaths, and centerpieces.

Jessica Nixon, ASID