We are in the process of building the Collinwood. We liked the outside (except the gazebo), but we rearranged things to make larger bathrooms, a smaller master suite and large bonus room. We basically eliminated some bathrooms and then made some modifications in the kitchen/office/mud hall areas. We also enlarged the garage and added an upstairs laundry. Frank Betz was great to work with - we were assigned an architect. I sent a list and a drawing of the changes we wanted and they sent us a quote. It was cheaper than hiring an architect, but we didn't have a PE, architect and structural engineers at our disposal, so depending on the extent of your changes, you may not need to pay for the modification. We still ended up making a few changes as it was being framed, which was no problem for our builder. We had a good framer and he said the plans were fine to follow, but some of the measurements went from inside wall to outside wall, some from outside to outside. In one case something didn't add up right, so he was a few inches off which made our foyer 4" narrower. Not a big deal, but we aren't sure if it was his fault or the blueprints. Our modification fee included a full set of working drawings that consisted of the foundation plan, floor plans with schematic electrical layout, elevations, stair/building sections, cornice and miscellaneous details and a roof overview plan. We paid extra for drawings showing the floor and ceiling joist layout and the roof rafter layout at the request of our builder. We made EXTENSIVE changes (basically almost gutted the inside and moved walls all around), keeping the outside elevation the same except removing the gazebo. We also specified brick exterior, which affected the blueprints. We had to pay for the plan itself, a fee to reverse the blueprint (roughly $200) and then a modification fee of roughly $2,600, so overall it was about $4,200. Considering the extent of our changes, we thought it was a reasonable price. Something to note though, the plans are not stamped by an architect so if that is something required by your local permitting office then you will need to get a local architect or engineer to review and stamp the plans for you. It wasn't required it in our area, but we wish we had ours checked by a local architect who knew our soil conditions and we would have done our foundation a little different. Oh, they also need to know where you are building, because some areas require special hurricane accommodations. We love the house and had a great experience with Frank Betz. I don't think you will be disappointed. We even called them a few times into the build for clarifications and we wanted to add a window, but weren't sure of the placement and our architect sent us a revised drawing for no additional fee. After we agreed to the modifications, the architect communicated well with us and sent us a draft for review. We went thru three drafts before the final. We would highly recommend them as we had a great experience. One more thing, due to our extensive changes, the turn around time was 5-8 weeks. Not a problem for us, but worth noting if you are in a hurry.

Ahhh lavender_lass I completely missed your reply. These are definitely not out. The other plan I posted about the dining room was really just an example, but not one I'm strongly considering. Highland Place is my #2 pick right now, but meeting with a designer tomorrow and hoping for inspiration. My #1 is actually the Frank Betz Summerlake (not posted here), but it's pushing my budget with complicated roof and bumpouts. Highland Place may also be a budget pusher, but I have only gotten one ballpark so need to check in with a few more builders. Or expand my budget eek. It took me a moment to see what you did with the porch there lol. I like it! It makes it much more like the Summerlake actually. One of the issues I have with the Highland is I don't love the exterior, but I spoke with a designer at Frank Betz and sounds like we could change that for a reasonable fee. I do love a good front porch. We'll spend a lot of time there with our coffee watching kiddos play. I also agree the porch with access coming from two (or 3) directions and a mudroom makes a lot of sense for our lifestyle. I keep trying to find a builder in our area that has built it so I can see in person, but no dice yet. I'll keep working on that! :) Thanks for playing! You guys are so good. It's fun to see what you come up with.

Hey Patrick - I don’t know if you have your messaging feature enabled, but I, too, would LOVE to see the photos you have. Particularly after reading the other Ansonborough thread that only points out its flaws. I’m so in love with this house (and I’m sure my personal architect could help it be “better” if need be). My email is aquamsummers at gmail dot com. I’d appreciate it so much!!

Aglamon, take it easy. People here help, really, and it works best to listen, then decide what you take from the feedback. If a song, quote, proverb, or analogy is used to put a message across what's the matter? Mark is the type of architect who understands spaces and design like few others. The type who masters the science and art sides, who's feedback is worth attention. You say this is about the Ansonborough but looking at the bigger picture it's actually about building a house. I'd appreciate feedback on the smoking engine, even if you were helping me with the flat tyre. Ah there's one of those analogies... The smoking engine is the method you're getting the plan by. Stock plans do not take into consideration your land, orientation, climate, family size, current and future needs and lifestyle, and a dozen other things. And when you try to edit it to suit some of those things better, you trip yourself up on "fixed" details elsewhere in the plan. As an example, you entertain frequently and want a larger living room but the stairs would have to move, and so you unnecessarily compromise on that. You create the obstacle of walls, overall size, etc, and then try to live around it. The alternative is having someone design a plan from scratch, around the factors listed above, and more. It does require more effort, time and money earlier, but it is more than worth it. For your understanding, the flat tyre aspect (the plan) is briefly - maybe not so briefly - discussed below. We do not know about any of the above factors (family, land, etc). Some points may be more or less relevant, but many are general principles which will apply. Prominent front facing garage Long, uninteresting foyer Poor kitchen layout Kitchen far from dining Poor direction of traffic, poor circulation Angled walls Those big black shapes they create Inefficient mudroom-laundry Weird coat-closet location Laundry as far away as can be Poor opportunities for furniture layout in family room Dark kitchen Extremely dark kitchen Inefficient master closet Moisture issue closet-bath combination Toilet far from master bed Poor closets, kids' rooms Odd landing, upstairs Odd furniture placement in kids bedrooms Windows plonked around, with no regard to the indoor-outdoor relationship And yes, you do get plans without these flaws