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 Basics of our Design Process for Barn Home Conversions
Of course, the first stage is to find and purchase a barn frame that works for your purposes. If we have helped you do that then we already know your basic living space and floor plan requirements, and some of your ideas, tastes and wish lists you would like to have incorporated in your new barn home conversion. After a number of conversations with you about these issues, we take the barn frame drawings you were given when you purchased the frame and we start to do just basic drawings of floor plans that attempt to fit your home requirements into your frame. As mentioned before, we attempt to do this intelligently and creatively with as little changes to the frame as possible. This not only maintains the integrity of the barn frame itself, but also makes it more cost effective.
We fax/email these basic developing plans back and forth on a regular basis so that we can proceed to move ahead with our drawings in a cost effective way based on your choices. We keep the drawings simple and to the point - no bells and whistles or trees or meandering people in the background. We attempt to show you as many intelligent design options as possible that would help fit your home wish list into this frame as non-intrusively and harmoniously as possible.
At the same time we attempt to keep you aware of the cost implications of all these options so that you can keep on top of your projected budget. I have seen too many house plans in my days that were deep sixed because budgets were not taken into account while the plans were being developed. You end up with beautiful home plans the owner unfortunately can't afford to build. We see our involvement as helping - or perhaps enabling is a better word - you design your own home.
After the floor plans are developed, which may include some additions, porches, etc., we usually then continue to work on foundation plans, exterior elevations with windows and doors, cross sections, interior and exterior finishes including stress panels (SIPs) and interior features such as stairs or balconies. We can also be of great assistance to you in picking out some other antique woods to use in your home including wide plank flooring, exposed roof sheathing and many different kinds of wall paneling that will add greatly to the overall look and feel of your barn home. We have a large supply of these kinds of aged woods and offer a 20% discounted price on them when they go into one of our purchased barn frames.
 We can take these conversion drawings to any level that you want, including large prints. We also have several engineers we have worked with in New York State area that can review them structurally and stamp them for building permits in certain states where they are licensed. Our design work and home plan drawings have been done with clients all over the country and we do it primarily through email and faxes. We don't have to necessarily live close to your location, although it is a plus if we do.
This is the basics of our design services. If you would like more information , just give us a call.
Thanks, Dale Lehmer 315-286-4847
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 "Barn home conversion")
 "Barn home conversion")
We have a number of architects and engineers that we have worked with over the years and that do have experience in this field, and we would be happy to steer you in their direction if you ask. On many occasions we have helped our clients develop basic floor plans around a given barn frame and then they brought in an architect to help with further development and refinement. With other clients we have done the complete design and drawings. We are willing to work with you to any stage of this process you desire, and welcome the opportunity to work with other skilled architects, engineers, builders and designers.