Photograph: Courtesy of Fitzmaurice Construction

This is the second installment in a nine-part series - a unique, fascinating and eye-opening journey to planning and building a custom cottage, or home, in Muskoka.
In our February issue, we explored the issues and decisions surrounding the purchase of the perfect lot for your dream custom cottage.
This total nine-part package is packed with information and suggestions you will want to keep as a resource. Join us as this series unfolds over the next seven issues of Cottage Home and Property Showcase.
In this second part, we continue down the winding road of building a custom cottage.

Where do we go from here?
Having carefully selected the property, which will form the backdrop for the dream, the next step is as creative as it is exciting.
Custom homes are unique. They are personal and they reflect the needs and lifestyle of their owners. The ideas, the rough layouts and the sketches must somehow be fine-tuned and committed to paper as fully detailed construction drawings.
They must be drawn to scale and become a form of precise communication. They indicate exactly what is to be built and the details of how.
Drawings will be used as the basis for calculating such things as floor areas, costs, heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing requirements.

Topographical Surveys define the contours of the land and assist the architect in placing the home - incorporating the driveway, septic system and other site buildings such as a boathouse and bunkie. Photograph: Courtesy of Coote, Hiley and Jemmett

They’ll determine lot coverage and, of course, the drawings will be required for that all-important building permit. They also provide a permanent record of what was built.
There are various sources available for the design of your new home. The most appropriate choice will be dependent on your priorities and what you want to achieve.
Stock plans are pre-drawn. Their main advantage is a low initial cost, but they don’t allow for your input, other than minor changes, thus, the home or cottage will inherently be more generic.

Design/builders are contractors offering drawings as part of their services. Architects and architectural technologists have completed specific educational requirements.
Few non professionals will be up to the task of designing today’s custom home, especially where trends are toward more open layouts, greater spans and increased volumes requiring engineering and nontraditional materials.
This level of design is almost exclusively the realm of architects and architectural technologists who have not only the specialized technical training and experience, but also the artistic ability to create the right proportions essential to any successful design.

Selecting the Architect
How do you choose the architect that will be the best fit for you and will work with you to make your dreams a reality?
“A good starting point would be to determine the architect’s residential experience,” suggests Craig Elliot, of Craig Elliot Architect. “Ask for references from past clients and to view previous work. An architect should not have pre-conceived ideas – your project and property are unique.

Timber frame is one style of many from which to choose. It’s important to know what you want and then to convey it to your architect. Photograph: Courtesy of Smith Architect Inc.

“Try to determine if the architect will help you achieve what you want, rather than tell you what you need. Make sure you feel comfortable with the architect. Remember – you’ll be living with the results of your architect’s guidance for many years to come.”
Clearly, communication between the client and the architect is going to be an important factor. Without an understanding of what each party contributes to the process, the relationship will be unsatisfactory and expectations will not be met.
Compatibility and the right chemistry will determine a great working relationship. Clients must be able to articulate their own thoughts and wishes. A good architect will listen and advise as the plans are developed.
James Pitropov, of Smith Architect Inc., suggests getting the architect involved as early as possible in the project. “Sometimes we’re brought in before the lot is purchased to look at the planning process as a whole.

Mark Jones, of Draftech Designs, prepares architectural drawings after meeting with his client to discuss needs, expectations, lifestyle and budget. Photograph: Mary Lee Zimmer

“Building a home is a big step for anyone,” he continues. “You have the most impact on the outcome of your project early in the process when everything is very flexible and it’s easy to explore different ideas. A strong dialogue from the beginning is vital.
“Options become more and more limited as time goes on. By the time you’ve hired a contractor your changes should be minimal. They can start to get very expensive.” 
Architects are often retained throughout the building process to consult on various issues.

Working as a team
Co-ordinating with the architect, in many cases, is a planner, surveyor, landscape architect and interior designer.
“We will sit down with the purchaser prior to finalizing the deal to determine if they can do with the property what they actually want to do,” explains Margaret Walton of Planscape. “We design how the development works on the lot not only in accordance with the rules and regulations but with the principles of good planning and what works from a site design perspective.
“Once the deal is closed, we work with them on how they lay their site out; where they can put their boathouse; what works with the by-laws and what doesn’t work. If it doesn’t work with the existing rules and regulations, we explore possibilities to get changes made. After it’s set up and approved we work with the landscape architect.”
Says Tom Bunker, of Thomas A. Bunker: “Typically a surveyor confirms the boundaries and provides topographic information. For instance, does the elevation allow for a walk out and how many steps would be needed? In the spring when snow melts, will the water run away from the basement?”

Topographical surveys are often helpful to determine grades and differences in elevations, especially when choosing the building location and preparing the detached site plan. Consideration must be given to how the building is going to fit with the land, preservation of natural habitat and trees, as well as, driveway access and locating a suitable site for sewage disposal systems.
All of this work determines how well the lot development and the building will harmonize with the natural surroundings. It doesn’t happen by accident.
“Often we will receive a drawing of what is proposed for the site and we place it on the topographical plan,” states Doug Jemmett, of Coote, Hiley and Jemmett.
Some of the contractors, architects and even the municipalities, prior to allowing construction on a piece of property, want a full survey to know the size of the property, the amount of frontage and the area of all structures on the property because that affects what you can build.
“You can build up to a certain percentage of the total area,” adds Jemmett. “Let’s say there’s a cottage, a bunkie and a garage, and you want to tear down the existing cottage and put up another one. The municipality is going to want to know the buildable area of that lot.”

Input from interior designers is becoming the norm during the preparation of home plans particularly in the areas of the kitchen, home office and media rooms where much custom cabinetry is required. Wall space and natural light are typical concerns.
“Unfortunately, sometimes the interior decorator comes in too late,” says Bill Ferguson, of Earl Ferguson Construction Inc. “They can have a huge input. With custom homes everyone wants them perfect. The interior decorator knows what their customer is wanting for furniture. Many of them are on CAD (Computer Aided Design software).
“They will take the plans and put symbols for furniture in the rooms to make sure everything will fit. This works for placement of plugs, lighting and phone jacks as well. You want a plug right by the table, not three feet to the left.
“Interior decorators will look at the plan and say, ‘That window needs to be shorter to allow a piece of furniture’ or ‘That window should be moved to the right to allow room for their armoire’ and so on. In the past, the decorators would come on the scene after the framing and siding were complete and at that point changes can be costly.”

Photograph: Courtesy of Fitzmaurice Construction

The Design
Ideas and sketches always look a little different when drawn to scale. Layouts and dimensions will be adjusted and tweaked during the process. Good communication and understanding keep changes to a minimum. It would be very unusual for everything to be perfect on the first draft.
The land, of course, will influence and sometimes restrict design.
“Muskoka is a unique area and you have to customize the building to the property and that’s the trick,” says Mark Jones, of Draftech Design. A site meeting will confirm the possibilities.
After an informal chat with the owner to discuss expectations and price range, Gary Clark, of Edenlane Homes, visits the site to verify its suitability for what the client would like to do and also stops at the municipal office to ensure the appropriate zoning is in place.

There are several important decisions to make at the beginning of the design process. You don’t want to look at it later in hindsight and think ‘We lost a lot of opportunities!’
In order to help a client, the architect needs to know as much as possible as to what is important to the client. “Preparing a scrapbook of ideas can be extremely helpful,” suggests Pitropov.
What about guest bedrooms and suites for visiting family and friends? Should you consider one level to accommodate seniors? Home offices, computer stations and media rooms, now common, all add to the size of the home and must be specifically designed. Bigger isn’t always better – comfort, charm and character are sometimes sacrificed with spaciousness.
Elliot advises his clients to make a “wish list,” a “have-to-have list” and a “don’t-like or don’t-want list.”

Natural influences on the home design will be that spectacular view over the water or that panoramic vista over the valley that inspired in the first place.
Exposure to the sun will influence the arrangement of rooms on the floor plan. How nice to have the morning sun in the breakfast nook, but maybe it’s not a good idea to have the sun streaming in the east-facing bedroom window if you’re not an early riser. Which windows or rooms will catch the sunset? Consider solar heat gain in the cold winter months.
Privacy may limit window placement or access in other areas. Can all living space be on one floor or does grade suggest a walkout level, a two-storey or combination of levels?
Ten-foot ceilings give a great feeling of space and light in combination with exterior doors and windows set at the eight-foot level. Cathedral ceilings frame dramatic great rooms with high arched windows.
“Set priorities about the site,” suggests Pitropov. “How important is the view? How will the space be used? What type of entertaining will occur?”
How you entertain may influence not only the kitchen and dining areas but also the decks and screened porches to host summer gatherings.

Try to determine your future needs – not just your current ones. Consider the future marketability of your home and the length of time you plan to live there.
“We design our homes to look like they are built into the ground not on the ground,” states Clark. “We incorporate the landscaping, the natural topography and choose colours to compliment the surroundings.”
“Most clients come with a sketch on a piece of paper,” says Jones. “It’s a fairly simple process if you can ‘read’ your client.
“I prepare a preliminary set of drawings and, once revisions are complete, go to final drawings. I focus on the construction drawings of the building. The mechanical systems – heating, plumbing and electrical drawings are prepared by the sub trades who work off the architectural drawings.
“Unlike 30 years ago, Muskoka cottages are now built the same way as any good home in the city – with the same insulation values and building codes.”
Clark adds: “The formal construction drawings are required for several reasons – for subcontractors, building permits, bank approvals, correct pricing and to ensure the structure is properly built.”  
Lifestyle, personal tastes and preferences dictate the style of the custom home. There are so many decisions to make.

Photograph: Courtesy of Smith Architect Inc.

Conclusion
It’s quite an undertaking for the architect to put all this together, address all the concerns, make it conform to the building code and create a home that is truly outstanding.
As of January 1, 2006 all drawings submitted for building permits must include information on the electrical layout and compliance to the Ontario Building Code.
Required are drawings and calculations supporting the heating, cooling and ventilation system. Drawings must show all plumbing fixtures, pipe type and sizing plus all appliances to be used.

This is a major change to the Ontario Building Code (OBC) and a major departure from the way things have been done in the past.
All designers submitting drawings of these systems must be certified in the appropriate category/categories.
Building code requirements are enforced by local building departments at two stages; the building permit application, where the construction drawings must comply with the OBC, and during construction by the building inspectors.
We have selected the architect and the design for our dream cottage.

In the May issue of Cottage Home and Property Showcase we’ll explore the builder and what he/she brings to the process.

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