A few days after lockdown was announced in the UK I got an enquiry about a possible job. The client wanted a small-ish rear extension, she was an artist; could I take this on without actually visiting the site or seeing the building? Well, these are strange times and we’re all learning new skills so – yes, why not?
We talked through – via email – how it would work. She emailed me a bundle of photos of the existing rear of the house, inside and out. I emailed her examples of a measured survey I’d done on a nearby house (in fact ten doors up the street and hence pretty similar). She checked dimensions and sent me back a marked-up plan. She spelled out what was important to her about the rooms and what she wanted the proposed changes to do – a little more space, but particularly more light and more drama.
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_20200425_204258-1024x699.jpg)
This gave me enough information to set up an “as existing” 3D model of the back half of the house, and drop it onto an OS plan for orientation. I modeled the external walls of the house next door to ensure the shading was representative.
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ground-Floor_02-1024x768.jpg)
Next was a first iteration of proposals – a “safe” version which gave extra living space on the rear of the kitchen and better connection with the garden but used existing openings as a starting point, and minimised any risk of overheating. An online meeting and walkthrough using GoToMeeting was arranged, and this established that sunlight and openness was more important than extra space. A second iteration was produced which responded to this – opening up more of the rear, and shifting the building envelope out only slightly – but bringing in much more light, and using glazing bars to heighten the drama of sun and shade.
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/v2_02Ground-Floor-Internal-1024x768.jpg)
This was getting closer to what was wanted, so I set up a basic kitchen layout and replicated their own furniture using objects in Artlantis. A couple of versions followed which moved the bulk of kitchen furniture around to give the best flow of space and play of lighting.
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/v2_08Ground-Floor-Internal-1024x768.jpg)
Externally, I looked at how to keep the pallette of materials simple – basically just the windows / glazed doors and a simple lead hood on top, tying in with the existing rear bay window above.
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/v2_03Ground-Floor-External-1024x768.jpg)
Again, we met on GoToMeeting and used screen sharing (in fact individual window-sharing, which is even better) to walk through the proposals and explore internal views, and the effect of sunlight at different times of day or seasons. So, after only a couple of weeks and (checks on ProWorkflow) slightly less than two days of my time, we had a design proposal which was ready to go to a structural engineer and builder to firm up costs.
I’m still looking forward to seeing the building in the flesh – and online meetings still feel slightly weird – but it’s still very possible to push projects forward, with the clients completely immersed in the design process. Vectorworks, Artlantis and GoToMeeting are all proving very, very useful tools at a time when it’s important to try new ways of working.
An update:- I got a lovely email from the client saying the work had been finished and issuing a distant invite for some future date beyond lockdown. She sent me some photos, which I’ve shared below.
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Completed_01-1024x576.jpg)
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Completed_02-1024x576.jpg)
![](https://constructiveindividuals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Completed_04.jpg)
One Response
Such a positive/innovative message for how to move work forward and pay attention to the client’s needs! I work at Vectorworks – not a designer but know the importance of having my needs met b/c I, too, envisioned my personal space when I purchased my home, and natural light was way higher on my list than sqft. Thanks for the positive affirmation. #MadeWithVectorworks #WorkFromHome