List of Questions

1. Before we start, can you tell our readers a little about yourself. For example, where do you live, what is your background, how long you have been a designer etc?

2. I think a lot of our readers go to a builder and buy one of their standard designs without realizing that as the buyer they have a lot of choice in the design. What are some of the reasons why someone should consider designing their own house or buying a plan as opposed to just going with what the builder has to offer?

3. Are housing styles really tied closely to geography? Can you build a cape code home in California, or a Mediterranean style home in the North East, or do the designs really work best where they are popular?

4. How has the housing market changed since you first started designing homes? Have you noticed any trends? Did the events of the past two years change what we are looking for in a new home?

5. How do you go about designing a new plan? How much of the design process is based on the demands of the market, and how much of it is based on new ideas?

6. How much effect has computers or the Internet had on the design profession. Do computers limit the creative process, or expand it. Do you design entirely on a computer, partially or not at all and why? What software do you use if any?

7. Is it true that 80% of the sales are from 20% of the designs?

8. What percentage of your plans are modified by the buyer? What type of modifications are the most common?

9. Where do you see housing design being in three, five, ten years from now? Any thing drastic on the horizon?

10. With the high cost of energy in many parts of the country, is there any increase in demand in energy efficient homes? Do you think solar homes will make a comeback?

11. What advice would you give a prospective home plan buyer on how to pick their dream house? What things are most often overlooked and where should they start?

12. We have a section on our website where we list the designer's personal favorite design. Do you care to share your personal favorite design?

If you have any questions that you would like to see in future editions of "Ask the designer", please feel free to send them to us for review.

See the current issue of "Ask the Designer"

See the back issues of "Ask the Designer"

If you know someone who you think we should interview, or if you are a designer and would like to be featured in an upcoming issue, please email us here.

This article is protected by copyright. You may publish this article on another website only in its entirety provided credit is given to Homeplaninfo including an active link to this page or the homepage. If you wish to reprint this article in any offline media, please send an email to the editor