When unused spaces like separate wine cellars, home offices, and even hallways are pared away, the result is often a smaller footprint, which reduces overall building costs. “But we look around at what they have, and we usually end up telling them, ‘You don’t need more space.
“Oftentimes people come to us and say, ‘We need more space,’” observes Geoffrey Warner of Alchemy Architects in St. It often pays to confer with a pro with an eye for flow and space planning. To a degree, your home’s layout should resemble a map of your values and interests. To develop a list of priorities, think about how you spend your time at home: Do you cook, entertain, have hobbies, or just relax? “We believe in focusing your energy and money on the things that are important to you,” says Ben Awes, an architect with CityDeskStudio in Minneapolis. “In order to achieve budgets, there needs to be give and take,” Erotas says. The client’s flexibility in other regards helped keep costs in line. Finding good quality but low-cost solutions in other design elements ultimately allowed the builder to deliver the client’s dream. Custom-home builder David Erotas of Excelsior-based Ethos Building recalls a budget-conscious client who really wanted a high-end Wolf stove in her kitchen. But knowing what’s non-negotiable before you enter the design process will make the process more efficient. “But they don’t want to talk about money until the design process is done.
“Too often, people have dreams in one hand and dollars in the other,” she says. That’s why Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House book series, encourages clients not to shy away from talking about money. To some, anything above $250,000 stretches the definition of affordable. The bungalow and garage that Hannan designed in south Minneapolis, for example, cost just under $400,000. What’s affordable? That answer varies widely, among both clients and architects. Geoff Warner of Alchemy Architects fashioned the light fixture from a salvage timber beam and ship ropes. Paul condo required owner and architect ingenuity. So what’s required to get great residential design on a limited budget? We asked local architects and builders to reveal the lessons they’ve learned about building great homes for demanding clients with big dreams but limited means. “I want people to say they can’t afford not to hire an architect,” Hannan says. Done smartly, design can create solutions and reduce costs simultaneously. Through collaboration and communication with his clients and the contractor, the architect managed to integrate rift-cut white-oak cabinetry and white-oak flooring while staying on budget.
So Hannan produced a 1,590-square-foot home that minimized little-used spaces like hallways and foyers, and maximized the kitchen and living areas where the homeowners intended to spend most of their time.
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