Maybe Erik will read this and dispense with the lawn-mowing bleatings once and for all.

I have a degree in Environmental Design, which is a 4 year Architecture degree. A lot of schools have a five year Bachelor of Architecture program, while A&M has a 4 year ENDS track. The ultimate goal for either type of institution is a Masters of Architecture. For ENDS, it means a 2 year masters degree, for a traditional 5 year BoA it's a 1 year masters degree. The 5 year degree generally covers another Structures and Systems class, and then more design studios. The additional year of graduate school covers the same. But as such, with a 4 year Arch degree, I cannot get licensed to practice Architecture. I would need a graduate degree, or something like 10 additional years of professional practice under a licensed architect.

If I had a masters degree I would have to accumulate my hours (roughly 3 years full time worth, though it typically takes longer) under an architect before I could sit exams (another 3 years worth) before being licensed. Only then could I stamp off on drawings, certifying them as safe structures. And even then, most architects don't know enough to stamp their own drawings, and instead rely on older architects who have much better insurance coverage.

I left grad school (Urban Planning) at the end of 2007 to join Kristen up here. The job market was dogshit, and I found a job at Corvus Design, a landscape architecture firm. A different world, but good design principles are the same. My degree isn't job-training in CAD or Photoshop, but rather spatial awareness and critical thinking. So I worked for Corvus until 2013 designing exterior spaces. Plazas, stairs, rails, plantings. A lot of bread and butter projects we call Title 21 up here, for the muni code that governs landscape design. I.E. A hotel or Walmart or other big, boring projects that make us a lot of money. The more fun, smaller profit margin projects meant designing seating walls, speccing expensive Scandinavian benches, and drawing very specific details.

Regardless, I'm a long way removed from doing floor plans and architectural detailing. I feel comfortable creating concepts that are proportional and spatially satisfying, but when it comes to construction detailing and material choice, I am in the dark.

All that said, I would absolutely love to help you draw up plans for a home. I would encourage you to not just take cookie-cutter floor plans from a builder, but rather spend a little more money by having an architect review your ultimate goals. They can see things a builder will likely not consider. A few examples:

Building Orientation: The simple act of considering the sun when orienting your house can take you from liking your house to loving it. A sun-angle calculator can determine the appropriate depth of eaves to keep you from baking inside during a hot summer, as well as soaking up the sun on a cold winter day. You might consider where your spaces are located based on the time of day. The master bedroom probably shouldn't face west, as long summer days will mean going to bed with direct sunlight. We generally like to rise with the sun, so your kitchen and breakfast area should be towards the east south-east. Your deck and patio shouldn't be on the north facade - you will end up not using it.

Procession: How we use and move through space is important. So many homes I've seen up here don't consider the use. They were built in the 80's during a building boom when anyone and everyone was into construction. Spaces are awkwardly sized and the use ill considered. If you're into Feng Shui, there are simple concepts off "flow of energy", such as not having your exit at the end of stairs or hallways. The invisible energy aspect may be superstitious horse shit, but the concept of procession is sound, in my opinion. It is comfortable to enter a space through a suitable transition (when necessary), such as the entryway of your home, or between semi-public to private space. For instance, one thing about my house that is weird is that our master bedroom is directly off the living room. Though we are often asleep when everyone else in the house is abed, it never-the-less creates an awkward transition between deeply private space and shared space. The same principles apply to guest bathrooms, storage, etc.

Spatial Proportions: Builders like to recreate styles that don't make sense for the arctic. Large entryways with spacious ceilings can be awkward and uninviting (as well as costly to heat). Grand rooms with 25' ceilings don't make a lot of sense unless you're moving hot, humid air out (or if you're entertaining a large crowd). Columns and Tudor style homes are bizarre (to me) up here. There are more elegant solutions that will make more sense for the local vernacular and climate. Some of these decision come down to material choice (Which can get expensive), but pure spatial or volume design can save you money on heating AND make a better space to live in.

Use: Appliances can be afterthoughts. Why are the washer and dryer so far from the bedrooms? Plan ahead with an overflow pan and drainage and there is no reason your laundry is needlessly hauled up and down stairs. Add a utility sink (or at least the hookups) in your garage and cleaning filthy outdoors shit becomes so much easier (particularly in winter).

All these ideas apply to the exterior of your house as well. How and why you use the space can take you from a disjointed piece of property to well planned uses. The cool thing about both the architecture and landscape is that much of it can be phased in. Finishes and details can be planned ahead of time and completed over time as you desire. For instance, if you want a big shed or workshop or greenhouse, grade the property for it. Might want a nice patio later? Moving dirt will be one of the biggest upfront costs to development. If you design those things at the outset, you'll save yourself so much headache down the road.

Well fuck. Now I remember why I fell in love with design and architecture. Let me know how I can help you guys when the time comes.