Renovating a 1950s Whitefish Bay Cape Cod: A guide to architectural plans. 6 steps and 4 tips to effectively review your plans

Now that you have communicated your wish list to your team you finally get to review initial plans and provide feedback. This is a very exciting step!!

Embarking on a home construction or renovation project is an exciting journey and a significant investment. One critical step in the process is reviewing your architectural plans. As these plans are the blueprint for your dream home, it’s essential to understand and evaluate them thoroughly. Here’s a guide to help homeowners effectively review architectural plans.

1. Understand the Basics

Before diving into the details, familiarize yourself with the components of architectural plans.

These typically include:

Floor Plans: Overhead views of each floor, showing room layouts, dimensions, and potential furniture placement.
Elevations: Side views of the building, detailing exterior finishes, window placements, rooflines, and key cabinetry plans
Sections: Cross-sectional views showing the interior structure and materials.
Site Plan: The layout of the property, indicating the building’s position, landscaping, and driveways

Tip: Consider asking your architect to draw 2 different floor plan options. Your Architect will orient and walk you through the benefits, relative costs and limitations with each. You will then feel more confident when choosing how the plans meet your needs.

Cabinetry elevations are very helpful in visualizing how the design elements will look

2. Confirm that Room Dimensions and Layouts Feel Right

Examine the floor plans carefully. Ask yourself:

Are the room sizes appropriate for your needs?
Does the layout support your lifestyle and flow of movement?
Are there any awkward spaces or areas that seem underutilized?
Consider the Furniture layout you want to have and confirm that it will work. Will there be adequate space for daily living and entertaining?

The bathroom we added is small - but we decided it was adequate as the bathroom that would be used the least often and usually by guests who do not require a lot of storage space

Tip: To get a better sense of scale, measure spaces in your current home and compare with the plans. Additionally, some quick math will help you assess whether the space will align with intended use.

Take a kitchen island. for example. Do you want to sit 4 people who can easily converse? If so, 4 stools in a single row will not work as well as 2 stools on 2 adjacent sides. Whichever configuration is chosen will need to account for legroom and clearance to walk past when people are seated. The design affects cabinetry within the island, as well as the countertop or sink. While an island may fit an average counter stool that is 20" wide, you will want at least 24" -30" per stool to ensure ease of getting in and out, depending on how wide the selected stools are. There may be tradeoffs, all of which are best considered at the design stage and depend entirely on how you want the space to function.

Tip - Cut out paper blocks to scale with your furniture and make sure your ideal layout will works with enough space (usually 3-4 feet around) for people to move around the spaces.

3. Marry Functionality and Feeling

Think about how you will use each space. For example:

Is the kitchen layout efficient for cooking and entertaining?
Are the bathrooms conveniently located?
Do storage areas, like closets and pantries, meet your needs?
Is the level of open space what you are looking for? Or do you want to consider ways to delineate rooms and create separation?
Are there additional opportunities to add moldings and ceiling paneling to create architectural interest?

Tip: The open, combined space trend is swinging back toward spaces that function "open", but have some separation signified by arches or wide entries to create a "feeling" of 2 rooms. At the end of the day, opening a space is a lifestyle choice with pros and cons. If you do have a fully open floor plan, you may want to consider carving out at least one room where you can go to close the door and "get away."

While the kitchen and dining rooms are both open to the family room - there are arches that create a sense of separation

4. Think about the Natural Light and Ventilation

Review the placement and size of windows and doors. Consider:

Will the rooms receive sufficient natural light?
Are there opportunities for cross-ventilation?
Are views from the windows pleasing and private?

originally the dormer over the garage was planned to be the same size as the smaller dormer. We wanted to make sure there was enough light in the room above the garage and asked our architect to draw the larger dorm

5. Examine Exterior Details

Look at the elevations and site plan to assess the exterior design:

Does the façade align with your aesthetic preferences?
Are rooflines and materials cohesive?
Do the new exterior features align with the original home concept?
Are there any missed opportunities to add details to enhance curb appeal and home value

Tip: Look around your neighborhood and find expamples of similarly styled homes and features you appreciate. Snap a pic and talk to your architect about the feasability of an idea for your home. Is there a railing, garage door, lighting style, or roofing material in the neighborhood that appeals to you.

Exterior elevations show you how your expansions will look in real life. Make sure you are happy with the way the roof slants, the size and shape of windows and decorative details are what you are expecting

6. Seek Clarifications

Don’t hesitate to ask your architect questions. For instance:

Can you explain the purpose of this feature?
Are there alternative layouts or materials to consider?
How will this design impact energy efficiency or maintenance?
Review the plans with your Designer and Builder if they are not already involved in planning. The more eyes on it the better.
Take your time. I found that there will be certain things you pick up at first glance and other items take a little more time to simmer. Give yourself time to digest and think about how you will live in the proposed renovated home.

7. Document Revisions

If changes are needed, ensure they are documented and updated in the official plans. Keep a list of all revisions discussed and make sure they get reflected on consecutive plans. This will ensure that when the subcontractors are in your home executing the correct elements.

Final Thoughts

Reviewing architectural plans is a collaborative process that requires attention to detail and clear communication. Take time to imagine how your plans will come to life. This will ensure that your new or renovated home will be everything you’ve envisioned—and more.