Design Blunder's?

ScipioAfricanus

As posted by KEVJOB.

I saw this on another thread and just had to ask what design blunders, errors and idiotic design ideas you all have run into?

Architectural, interior, exterior design whatever you have had to contend with.
I see all kinds of examples here in So. Cal. of second story additions that are just a big stucco box put on top of another stucco box. It just drives me nuts to see that, I will post some examples a little later.

Andy.

ChrWright

Most of what I see as really awful are in suburban neighborhoods. Building booms usually bring out a lot of bad design, and this most recent one was no exception.

Bad proportions, jacked up roof lines--weird combinations of materials.

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strathd

Framed a 4000 sq. ft. house that had a real cut up roof, bastard hips ect. I think there were maybe 10 common rafters. The back corner of the house had a pop out at a 45 degree angle where the master bath was located.

The main hip was supposed to land on the ridge of that 45 degree addition. I had noticed that on the plans the hip line had a curve to it to land on the ridge. Had'nt got to the roof framing yet thought maybe the glitch was a printing error on my copy of the plans.

When I got to that part of the roof there was no way in hell that hip could land there. It missed by about 2 ft. Called the GC, went over all the math, pitches, wall measurements everything was right on.

The plans were from nebraska that the HO supplied. So I call the plan company. Are you guys sure this hip will work ? Yep no problem. Whats with the curved hip on the plans ? No curved hip on those plans he said. We look at the original set and sure enough, curved hip.

The disclaimer on the plans said in the state of Neb. law says these dont have to be exact and all plans should be checked by a licensed architect blah blah. Thats not the way it was worded but thats pretty much what it said.

The HO and GC decide to go with it as much of the roof was cut in. The hip sits on the side of the pop out roof about 2 ft down from the ridge. At least it's in the back of the house.

I kept those plans behind the seat of my truck for a few years just to show people. They got so ragged I threw them out. Wish I had it to post.

They were'nt Design Basics. It was Design something else. Cant remember.

KentWhitten

I don't have time to start listing things, but mostly, IMO it's architects that make the dumbest mistakes of them all, not designers (though they/I are not infallible either) I have yet to meet an architect that will own up to a mistake and say "oops...sorry"

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kevjob

biggest ones for me are steam showers with no slope in ceiling, forgetting we have to hide steam unit, basements, putting closets under duck work to achieve a whopping 6'0" door so all doors 6 of them get cut down. When listellos are thicker than field tiles by half and building rest of the shower out 1/4 inch to accomodate the listello.

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Kevin
Basement Finishing Highlands Ranch Colorado
Littleton Colorado, Basement Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling Denver

VBuilt

Back in my framing days I framed a home that was missing 2' on the second floor.

All exterior elevations and framing plans were fine. When I started laying out the interior partitions- adding from one partition to another working forward- short 2'.

Architect used an existing design and new second floor layout- must have been hung over, the math didn't add up.

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VBuilt Custom Homes
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rbsremodeling

When that happens again if you can, double the backer board around the tub or shower

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joasis

One home designer I have used will place a mechanical closet on an outside wall without regard to the plenum needed.....and that is just one example.

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JumboJack

I did a room addition.The archie never addressed the issue of the new stairs coming up through the existing trusses.
He also drew a window in a wall that had the rake only a couple feet below the top of the new wall.Kind of hard to explain but it made for a really,really small window in a really awkward place.It was at the end of a hall and had to be there.

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

Double-A

My favorite in this part of the world is a mistake made by almost every builder in the area. Its to forget about the mechanical room completely.

We're just a about 100 - 150 miles south of where the use of basements is common. We build on filled slabs and slab on grade more often than not, and when that's not done, its pier and beam, so when these goobers buy a set of plans, they toss out the part that has the mechanical room.

When I started off plumbing, we were putting the washer, dryer, water heater and furnace A/C in a closet that was built in the hall way out of stolen inches from the rooms around it. Fine idea until they get to how to vent the dryer and run the line set for the A/C. Solution? Run two 4" SDR 35 pipes under the slab with 45 degree elbows on each end. PVC of course.


Also, several of the homes in this area have supply and return ducts buried in the dirt under the slab.

My favorite was when I started working in industrial plumbing as an instrument fitter. A certain nuclear power plant was to have two reactors and two cooling towers, one north and one south of the control complex so every thing would come together in the middle.

Well, the general contractor on that project poured the slab and started building two north towers.

Can you say, "Oops"? I thought you could.

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