Recently I signed a contract for initial design etc. with Bob Stoecker. I mentioned before how I really resonated with his ideas - and with the fact that he actually delivered ideas in each and every conversation ;-) This afternoon I got a first sketch from him - one that I really like (see separate post).
So where am I now - after hundreds of floorplans and multiple architects ;-) I have been less than overwhelmed with the suggestions I got from previous architects; and I start recognizing a pattern here. If I do not experience some architectural mastery I feel obliged to take over and dabble myself. But my ideas suffered the same problem as the architects: none of the sketches were truly convincing, just "good enough". In general I have been unwilling to do anything if I wouldn't get something exceptionally beautiful.
Bob's sketch is reviving the glass house concept and 180 degree undisturbed view. There is a "logical" beauty in the idea - not just a utilitarian "squeezing more out of the space", which is unfortunately what many of my own plans were guilty of. Finally here is a real architect (strong design language) who also seem to know about and want to work with the local setting.
There are a number of questions and it is not clear the design can be done within my budget. We still need to get it sanity checked with contractors; and there is a bit of more work left on specifying design details before that can be done.
But -- I hope... I really think we are on the right track now.
