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Design Your Own House
June 11th, 2010So, why come to KADTEC to design your own house? First off, it doesn’t matter what style of house you’re looking to use in your design, we can handle it. The firm is an expert at classical styles like Tuscan home design, German architecture, French country home designs; something more fun – like gingerbread house designs, the southwest home designs, the northwest home designs, ranch home design, and all manner of contemporary house designs, modular, and mountain home designs. If you want a beach home or the latest in energy efficient home design, we can do that too. No matter what you’re looking for to design your own house, we’ve got you covered.
Then once you’ve settled on a style, we can help you with the layout. Using the latest in 3D home design software, we can create a variety of house design plans for you. You can decide where you want every room – add a tiny bathroom in just the right spot, put in a home library design, office or home theater, and then tweak the plan until it is perfect. And don’t worry that you think you need an architect to design your own house all of this. We have the latest in architectural drafting software, and our skilled craftsmen of drafters, designers, and engineers can cover every aspect of your house design, from civil drafting to full architectural renderings.
An architect can help you with the final touches to design your own house, but you need an engineer for the important design calculations and permitting. Once you have the house plans and designs just the way you want them, there’s the landscaping to consider, the layout of the entire lot, and then building and material matters to decide on. These days, many people are concerned about Global Warming. So, if you want to incorporate eco-friendly products into the plans and create an eco house design, we can do that for you. We can also cover solar house design, biofuels, and all types of alternative building materials and methods to design your own house.
Depending on where you want to build your dream house, we can guide you through the permitting process. Sometimes, it is as simple as a building permit, but not always. Coastal house designs call for unique permits in some municipalities; sometimes you need to get a variance or special exception; sometimes you have to submit energy calculations or pay road, school, and other impact fees. All these things, KADTEC can handle for you, and help you design your own house to be perfect for you and your family.
What is a Structural Engineer?
May 27th, 2010So, what is a structural engineer, and what can one do for you? KADTEC has both a structural engineering license for the state of Utah, and a civil engineering license for the state of California, which means they can handle structural drafting. Most people don’t pay attention to this issue; they look more for a highly qualified architect. However, being sure your engineer is certified to operate in the state where you want to build is important. Structural consulting engineers have to pass a state examination in the state in which they operate, and take what are known as continuing education classes in order to renew that license. That way, you know that that they are knowledgeable about the latest structural engineering formulas. After all, if your engineer is an older lady or gentleman, you want to be sure that they know about green technology, the latest in energy efficiency, and so on. Most states require that an engineer display their license prominently. Look for that when you meet with them. With KADTEC, you can be sure that they are board certified in both structural and civil engineer. They can handle structural steel engineering, which many homes use today.
So, what is a structural engineer going to do on the home plans for your dream house? Well, the blue prints have to be drawn up to meet the building code of the municipality in which you’re going to build. That’s why you need licensed professionals, and they have to be the right professionals for the job. This is where structural consulting engineers may be needed. Architects can sign and affix their seal to some plans, but not all of them. As their name implies, they handle architectural matters. But, when it comes to plans for something heavy duty: what’s known as load-bearing members or something heavily structural in nature. Well, that’s the answer to what is a structural engineer; he or she has to oversee the structural drafting, and sign and seal some of the plans. This is where KADTEC has got you covered. It doesn’t matter what type of plans your dream home requires; KADTEC can either take care of them in-house or get an appropriate sub-consultant. We can handle all types of engineering calculations, energy and Title 24 calculations, and analyze your project to see how rough terrain and varying soil conditions will affect it. There are structural engineering formulas that are quite complex; our staff know how to handle them, and do the structural engineering calculations!
The virtue of a firm like KADTEC is the variety of their services, and that they have connections in the industry to handle whatever kinds of plans you need. When you ask us, what is a structural engineer, we’ve for the answer. You might wonder why we don’t have an architect in-house. You don’t want that. Architects are really quite the artists, but they have the weakness of their own virtue – their individual style. If you don’t care for that style, what are you supposed to do? With KADTEC, they can work with any architect you choose, thus freeing you to select the right one to design the perfect dream home for you. After the plans are prepared, KADTEC can walk you through the difficulties of getting a building permit, by making sure that the right sorts of plans are submitted to the appropriate review agency. By focusing on being civil and structural consulting engineers, we can meet the needs of your individual project.
Luxury Home Plans
May 5th, 2010When building a home, it’s often said that one thing is the most important: location. If you’re looking to draw up your luxury home plans, you probably can’t build in a major metropolitan area. Let’s face it, even with the depressed housing market, areas like New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Austin, and so on are very expensive markets. Unless you’ve got a hefty building budget, you’re going to need to look in a more modest area to build.
That’s where rural and mountain areas are best; land is cheap, and building codes are more flexible. It doesn’t matter what sort of luxury mountain home you want to build, KADTEC is an expert at ranch home design, Victorian home design, German architecture, contemporary, and even such things as solar home design, gingerbread house designs, and even whimsical house designs. Our staff uses the latest in 3D home architect software to create any sort of luxury home plans you can imagine. Then, when the floorplan is just right, you can take a virtual tour of your home, and make sure that it’s just what you want.
If you love the idea of mountain view luxury homes, KADTEC are the experts you want to come to. True, we don’t have architects in-house – yet, but the firm is preparing to get an architectural license. We’re certified in structural and civil engineering, which can both be critical in luxury home plans. Do you want a high entryway, or a porch that doesn’t have a lot of columns spoiling the view? You’ll need a structural or civil engineer to design that. If your property is especially steep, we can lay out the grading of the land so that water doesn’t rush across it too fast. Too much of that, and you’ll get erosion! You may need a retaining or stemwall for your luxury home plans; are staff can handle those as well.
We can also coordinate your luxury home plans with any architect you want to work with. The power of CAD luxury home plans are that they are easy to share. It doesn’t matter if your architect is around the corner from our offices, or across the country; we can work together to create your dream home plans. When you consider the dual issues of the environment and the remoteness of some areas, you may want to incorporate solar power, biofuels, and all manner of green architect resources and building materials into your luxury home plans. Just because you’re building a luxury home doesn’t mean it can’t be an eco-friendly home.
Mountain Home Plans
April 30th, 2010When you decide to draw up some mountain home plans, KADTEC is the expert in the field you should come to; we know the subject inside and out. You might think that all you need is a good architectural drafter to draw up some plans, but there’s a lot more to it. Building in a mountainous region has some unique aspects to it, and we know how to deal with all of them.
First off, many people building the area for the view. Mountain view luxury homes are very popular. When you’re able to look out a window and see the Rocky Mountains or a mountain lake, that’s one incredible view. The air and water tend to be cleaner, and rustic mountain home plans can add to the natural beauty of the area.
Once you settle on a location, you need to consider several aspects of your site before getting mountain home plans drawn up. Is your land very steep, which is common? We can handle grading the property so that rain water doesn’t cause erosion. Once your dream house is built, and the landscaping laid out, you don’t want a thunder storm to wash everything away! Now, you can build any sort of dream home you want: a Victorian home design, any one of some great contemporary home designs, and even something with German architecture. But if the ground you build on is very steep, you may want to consider a split level home, or the house design may require a retaining wall. These are the sorts of things our staff of civil and structural engineers can help you with.
The members of our staff are experts at custom home design. We can create an architectural 3D rendering of any home blueprints we create for you. An architect is sometimes needed to sign and seal construction plans, but we can create any mountain home plans you need. Then we can coordinate with the architectural drafter to create the plans needed for the building permit.
While we’re not landscapers, we have a number of excellent ones – who know mountain home plans, and they are experts at creating landscaping plans for any type of terrain. This can be important because you want hardy plants that can survive in the mountains, and not die during your first winter.
Another thing that appeals to people about mountain home plans is the idea of incorporating eco-friendly products and green house plans into the design. We can help you go low-tech – like some passive solar home designs, or maybe a full solar house design. The idea of green mountain homes has a lot of appeal, and we can help you with every aspect and help you design your own house. No matter if it’s wind power, solar, energy efficient home plans, or green appliances; we’re the experts to help you create the perfect mountain home plans for your dream house.
Luxury Homes
April 13th, 2010When it comes time to create just the perfect dream home, you need talented people, like a luxury home architect, to help you. Whether you’ve got an architectural 3D rendering of your dream home, or you’ve just outlined a floor plan on a napkin, you need skilled professionals to turn your dreams into reality. And, don’t think that you have to have a luxury home architect to design your house. Yes, some municipalities require an architect to sign and seal architectural drawings, but others allow a structural or civil engineer to do it. And, anyone can draw up the house plans; and the members of the staff at KADTEC are experts in that area. On top of that, KADTEC is in the process of getting an architectural license. So, soon the firm will have a luxury home architect, and be able to handle all the dream home plans and construction needs in-house.
Many people look at home design and think it’s just a matter of coming up with the right layout, get a luxury home architect to draw some plans, and getting a building permit. But, there’s a lot more involved in the process than that. First off, you need to figure out an affordable home design, and then come up with home floor plans. So often, people fall in love with a dream home design, and then try to come up with the money. These days, that is not a good way of selecting a home.
KADTEC can help you with Victorian house designs, Tuscan home design, and any other styles you want. The most important aspect of any home design is making it affordable. Meeting with the engineers at KADTEC, they can advise you on various alternative building methods that will save money and are eco-friendly and are also green architect resources.
Once you have a workable layout for your dream home, the engineers will do all the necessary calculations for your home – energy calculations, fire flow, water, sewer, review the geology report, handle the structural drafting, and so on. If the soil in your area is especially poor, they can design a retaining wall or other feature to give your home the best support. This is not the sort of thing a luxury home architect is qualified to do. If your home design needs a height variance, a special exception, or if you’re looking at encroaching on a building setback – the engineers can handle all of these issues; here again, these are not the sorts of things a luxury home architect is an expert at.
So, no matter what sort of houseplan you have in mind, KADTEC has the home interior design software to create a 3D architectural rendering, and the expertise to create a full set of plans for submittal to obtain a building permit. Any review fees – for plans review, permits, school and/or impact fees, the company can handle. If an architect’s seal is needed, KADTEC can coordinate that as well. Whatever you need to get your dream home designed, we can do it.
Kadtec: Who We Are
March 23rd, 2010KADTEC is a company of skilled architectural drafters and civil engineers. We can handle all aspects of civil and structural engineering, from drafting services using the latest in architectural drawing software to structural and civil calculations. If you need one home designed or an entire subdivision, we have the staff and expertise to handle it.
Our company is dedicated to give our clients the very best in residential home blueprints for any client – from the individual to a large commercial developer. Our people know mountain terrain and can handle split level homes, adverse drainage situation, and poor soil conditions. If you’re a person looking to design your own home, we’re the people for you. We can walk you through the entire process, from picking the right spot on your property for your home, to selecting the style that’s right for you, and then coming up with the home blueprints. Don’t worry about the building permit process and the myriad of paperwork needed to build your dream home; that’s what we’re here for, and we’ll handle all of it.
While we don’t have landscapers in-house, we know the right sorts of people to help you realize that perfect garden you’ve always dreamed of. If you’re going to build a coastal home design, and want plants tough enough to resist wind, sand and salt air, we know the landscapers to help you. On the other hand, if you’re going to build a mountain luxury home, and don’t want your prize flowers dying in the first winter freeze, our landscape consultants know what to plant in your garden.
When it comes to home styles, you pick one out, and we’ll design your dream home plans around it. How about looking at some cottage home designs? Or, do you want an eco-friendly house that has German architecture, but is a full solar home design? Here again, our people know how to handle that sort of design. We use the latest computer software to generate architectural 3D renderings so you can see your dream home design before the plans are ever printed. Want to go over some home office design ideas or consider a home theater room design? We can add one wherever you want.
If you’re worried that you need an architect to handle your dream house plans, don’t. We can create everything from contemporary home designs to a Tuscan home design or maybe that mountain home plan you’ve always dreamed of. So, check out some of the services our firm has to offer; you’ll be glad you did. No matter what interior house design you have in mind; our firm can help you turn your dreams into reality, and give you that home you’ve been dreaming of.
Home Design Ideas
March 7th, 2010When looking to create your dream home, there are a ton of different home design ideas to consider, and KADTEC is eminently qualified to help you deal with all of them. Starting with ideas about where you want to build, we can handle coastal home designs, rustic mountain home plans, and everything in between. If you have some home landscape designs and ideas, we can refer you to great landscapers that we work with on a regular basis.
After that, there’s the layout of the lot. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a flat lot or one that’s very steep, KADTEC has home design ideas that can help you grade it so that a flat one drains properly, and a steep one doesn’t get a lot of erosion from too much runoff. Sometimes, a steep lot requires a retaining wall to support your dream home. If that’s the case, KADTEC has structural engineers that can handle the calculations and permitting.
When it comes to the interior, you name the feature, and our design team can use 3D interior design software to draw up anything you like. Do you want to go with something classical – Tuscan home design, Victorian home design? If you want a southwest home design, northwest, a ranch home design, contemporary, French architecture, Spanish style, minimalist architecture, ultramodern, or even an eco-friendly home; we can work with you on home design ideas for your dream home design. If you want something completely different, we can even do a round house design.
In terms of home interior design ideas, there are a plethora of add-ons we can help you with. Do you want that perfect rec room, home office design or library you’ve always dreamed of? Do you have some home theater design ideas, complete with the latest sound system? If you want to stay fit, we can add a home gym design. Whichever member of the family loves to cook, we can layout the home kitchen design to be perfect for you.
And, let’s not forget the environment. Lots of people are concerned about Global Warming these days. Also, if you build out in a remote location, getting standard utilities can be problematic. So, you can incorporate many types of energy efficient home designs into your house design ideas. That can mean everything from a solar-powered hot water heater to a full solar home design and energy efficient home designs. When it comes to eco-friendly products, recycled building materials, and green home building techniques, we know how to make use of them all. So, no matter the home design ideas you’ve got, we can handle them.
Green Home Plans
February 27th, 2010Many people like the idea of creating green home plans. They look around and see Global Warming getting worse, pollution on the rise, and natural resources being depleted. So, if you want a great house, yet one that is eco-friendly, KADTEC can help you create green home plans you can be proud of.
Yet, some people worry that “going green” – as they say – is going to entail a high cost to their dream home plans. That does not have to be the case at all. These days, you can create just about any type of green home building you want. Here again, some people feel that to be truly green, you have to go with log cabin home designs. But, there are alternative building materials that will allow you to create any style of home you want, and still make them green home plans.
So, what sort of home do you want? Whether it be a Victorian home design, a modern home design, and even ranch house plans can be turned into green home plans. The key is using the right green technology, having a green architect, and making use of the green appliances and green products available in the marketplace. I know, that’s a lot of green! And you want to make sure that you don’t waste a lot of your own green – your money – in carrying out your dream home plans. This is where affordable green homes are important, and where having an engineer who’s an expert can help you. A high efficiency washer and dryer might be slightly more expensive now, but over their lifetime, they’ll save you money, and be less of an impact on the environment.
It’s said that Civil Engineers are unique in that they pay attention to the bottom line, to the cost of something. When creating your green home plans, this is an important point. Sometimes, architects – even green ones, can get carried away, and it’s up to the engineer to essentially rein them in. Green technology doesn’t have to be expensive; it can be as simple as using passive solar home designs. The right sort of green technology can put efficient insulation in your walls and roof, a solar-powered hot water heater in your house, and maybe even a wind or solar electrical system to provide some or all of your home needs. If the cost of such measures is outside your means, there are still green products that are affordable. By making use of recycled building materials, you can save money, and help the environment.
If you’re familiar with the lingo of the environmental movement, then you know that a person’s carbon footprint is how they contribute to the amount of greenhouse gases are dumped into the atmosphere. Reducing that footprint is the aim of green home plans. By utilizing all that technology has to offer, and hiring an engineering firm skilled in implementing green technology, you can have the most energy efficient home design possible. At KADTEC, we’re experts at doing just that.
Design Your Own Home
February 2nd, 2010When you want to design your own home, what’s the first thing that pops into your head? Probably a good architect; after all, you generally need one to do the layout of your custom home design, draw up the blue prints, and get the place looking just the way you want. While an architect is key to helping you design your own home, he or she is not the first or last step in the design process. Whatever type of home design you are looking to create, you need a qualified engineer to help you in every aspect of your home’s creation.
First off, when you start unique home designs, you have to settle on a style of architecture. Do you want something classic – a nice Tuscan home design, maybe early Colonial? Maybe a nice contemporary home design or Spanish home design is what you’d like. Maybe you want that luxury home design that you’ve always been dreaming of, or an eco-friendly house with solar power. Well, it doesn’t matter if you want to look at coastal home designs or rustic mountain home plans; KADTEC can take your dream home from concept to turn of the key.
Once you decide on the style for your home design, you need to consider the size. How much home can you truly afford, and this is an important point. Look at the state of the economy and banking system just now; the last thing you want to do is design your own home that’s too big for you to afford. So, sometimes it’s best to go with small home designs that you can afford, and layout the floorplan such that you can add to it later. No matter the size of your home design, our skilled design staff are experts at using 3D home design software. They can create a variety of home designs for you to consider, tweak, and settle on.
If you like the idea of some eco-friendly landscaping; some plants that require minimal water and fertilizer to thrive, we can help with that. Another thing that many people want to consider is a green home design. We can incorporate solar power, biofuels, and any other alternative home design methods and materials you want to make use of.
Many people think only an architect can create the plans for their dream home, but that’s not the case. Very often, a qualified Civil Engineer can help you design your own home. Also, you often need a structural engineer to sign and seal the plans if your home design incorporates a steep slope and/or a retaining wall. No matter the permitting process, KADTEC can help you through the paperwork, the permit fees, and all the necessary calculations involved in helping you design your own home.
Solar Home Design
January 26th, 2010There was a time when people pooh-poohed solar home design as the stuff of science fiction. Today, we see Global Warming, pollution, rising energy costs and depletion of our natural resources, and realize that solar powered house designs are no longer fiction. And, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to do it either. We can walk you through the process of passive solar home design, and use technology that won’t bust your budget.
There are several key factors to consider in solar home design, especially when going the passive route. Where are you planning to build? What are the wind patterns in your area like, and what’s the terrain? In passive solar house designs you generally use windows and what’s known as thermal mass to help heat and cool your home. By having small windows on the summer side of your home, and large on the winter, you can help keep your dream home comfortable. Thermal mass refers to things like the masonry used in your walls and/or fireplace chimney. In this type of solar home design, the stones absorb heat during the day, and give it off at night; thus your home stays about the same temperature at all times. Here again, positioning your home and the stonework depending on your location is important.
The virtues of passive solar house designs are that they’re simple, require little maintenance, and have few moving parts. In initial costs can also be minimal as only a change in building material is needed. Now, stepping up to a full solar-powered home can entail a lot more work and investment. Yet, some people see it as important to reducing their carbon footprint. Also, if you’re building a rustic mountain home, you may be miles from the nearest utility, and running power out to you can be problematic, at best.
If you want to go fairly low-tech, you can install a solar powered hot water heater. That simple feature can reduce your electric bill quite a bit. If you have a pool, and want it heated as well, there are solar powered pool heaters. Depending on where you, if you have good sun exposure, a full solar home design may work for you. By installing photovoltaic (PV) solar-power panels on your roof, they will convert sunlight directly into electricity. During the optimal times of year, you can completely power your home this way.
In fact, some electric companies will buy the excess electricity that your solar house design generates! Just think, the dials on your electric meter running backwards. Or, you could say: running the right way. Not only can you be proud of having a completely solar powered home, but you’ll actually be helping your community. For some people, that’s a source of great pride.
No matter what kinds of solar home designs you want to use, we can help you work them into any style of home you want. And, if you’re unfamiliar with all the solar-powered technology that’s out there, we can help you pick out the best systems for your dream home.
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