Project of your house: how to choose the right one to build and not regret

What is a full-fledged project, is it necessary by law, how much will the individual design cost for your own "Wishlist"

The project of your home is perhaps the most important stage of any construction project, but this importance is often called into question. Many people are willing to overpay and spend more resources during the construction itself, but at the same time save on the project. What will such a policy lead to, why an individual cottage project is preferable to a standard one, how to understand whether a good project is in front of us or a bad one? Let's sort it out in order.

1. Why is this project needed at all?

A project is the best way to get a quality building and not overpay for it. It allows you to:

• understand exactly what the house will be like;
• provide for all costs and make an accurate idea of ​​the budget and construction time;
• get a reliable calculation of the load on the foundation, walls and floors, made by a competent specialist.

Projects are subdivided into typical (standard layouts, constructive, average floor space) and individual (literally, any whim for your money).

2. Is the AP of the project enough?

Yes. In some situations, enough.

If we are talking about the private construction of a low-rise building, the AR section is quite enough, any competent builder is able to build a house without OV, KZh, KM, etc.

But it is the information from the design and engineering sections that will ensure the reliability of the design. Without them, you cannot make an accurate estimate and you cannot properly control all stages of construction.

3. And what are these AR, KZh and KD? And what else should be?

AR - architectural solutions; KZh - reinforced concrete structures, KD - wooden structures. A complete project should include a draft design, architectural, structural and engineering sections.

Preliminary design - "picture" of the facade and a plan of the interior with rather approximate dimensions. Sometimes it is used as the main one (and almost always it is long-term construction). It is almost impossible to make an estimate on the basis of a draft design, and as a result, all this results in insane and unreasonable costs.

Architectural section - it contains:

• information about facades,
• exact parameters of all structures and floors;
• floor plans with exact dimensions and room assignments;
• parameters of windows and doors;
• ventilation and chimney scheme;
• wall materials, etc.

Constructive sectionl - here all the technical information compiled by the design engineer. Here are the results of calculations of all structures, foundations, detailed drawings and characteristics of all units and parts, a masonry plan, a list of lintels, the sequence of work is given and the technologies are described.

Engineering section - calculation of the characteristics of power supply, ventilation, water supply and sewerage.

4. How can I choose a typical project so as not to be mistaken?

- See if the project is suitable for your site in size, take into account all indents, fire standards, a place for a garden, a garage, etc.
- Understand exactly which premises are needed and which are not;
- Taking these data into account, choose the most thoughtful and functional project, practical and at the same time attractive in appearance, with a reasonable ratio between the total and living area.
- It is better to avoid complex configurations: for example, a roof with many slopes is definitely a rise in the cost of construction and a high probability of leaks;
- Review many projects, focus on several finalist projects. Make a list of pros and cons for each. Choose the one with the longest list of advantages and the shortest list of disadvantages.

But a comfortable layout is much more important than how the house looks like. You can always come up with an interesting facade decoration, some unusual solutions.

Therefore, the main thing is that: the size of the house corresponds to the size of the plot, and the layout is comfortable for family life.

5. How can you save money when building according to a standard project?

If the house is heated with gas, you can refuse external insulation;
In regions with a mild climate - on the thickness of aerated concrete blocks. In typical projects, they are 400 mm, it is quite permissible to change them to 300 mm with a strength grade of at least B2.0.
Choose for the facade cladding not 120 mm brick (1NF format), but 60 mm (0.5NF).

6. I chose a project with a concrete slab foundation. I have a cool dense soil on my site, can I get by with a shallow tape?

Right. The study of the soil that needs to be done to make this decision and the design of the foundation will pay off in reducing the consumption of reinforced concrete. This has been repeatedly proven by various calculations and in practice.

7. Why is an individual project better than a standard project?

Because you probably have individual (not typical) wishes for the house, and they must match the specifics of the project. Many people rework a standard project "for themselves", but often in practice it turns out that it would be easier to order an individual one.

8. I want a "home for myself". How much will an individual project cost?

On average, the cost of a project is estimated at 1-1.5% of the value of the house. It is clear that errors in structural calculations will cost much more. Everyone who starts building an expensive house is recommended to order an individual project at FORUMHOUSE.

9. How do I know if I got a good project?

A working draft is the maximum information for builders. All required dimensions are on the plans. Sections of the house on which it is indicated what the pie of the roof, floor, wall consists of. Sheets of window and door blocks. Jumper list. Formwork drawings. Detailed nodes. Specifications. Common data. A normal project of a country house is 40-100 sheets of AZ format, depending on the number of project sections. But at least it is AR, KZh, KD.

10. Is a project for an individual house required by law?

The law permits the construction of single-family residential buildings without a project. According to article 48 of the Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation (Civil Code of the Russian Federation), design documentation for such objects is not needed. And in order to submit a notice to build a house, the project is not needed either. Even the scheme of the planning organization of the land plot (SPOZU) is no longer required.

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Read more about the nuances of preparing for a construction site on real experience - in a selection of tips from those who have already built. And also - in stories, for example, on the construction of a budget brick house or fixed formwork houses. In the video - about modern tools and technologies in the design of houses.