Ep 205: How to Start Designing Your House

Designing a house does not begin with floor plans, exterior styles, or deciding where the kitchen island should go. It begins with understanding the people who will live there and translating their habits, priorities, routines, and expectations into a useful design framework.

In this episode, Bob and Andrew examine the residential programming process and the role a well-constructed client workbook can play before design begins. They discuss why traditional questionnaires tend to focus too heavily on what a client wants while failing to explore why those spaces matter, how they will be used, and what problems the house needs to solve.

The conversation also looks at when programming should occur, how clients should complete the process, and why architects need to interpret the answers rather than simply collect them. From daily routines and entertaining preferences to storage, privacy, budget, and future flexibility, the goal is to uncover the information that actually shapes a thoughtful home.

A good house begins long before anyone starts drawing. It begins with better questions, honest priorities, and a clearer understanding of the people the architecture is meant to serve.