BEFORE THE ARCHITECT – THE BIG PICTURES

RESIDENTIAL DRAWINGS –

MAJOR PLAN SETS, FRENCH COUNTRY

PLAN DETAIL - 1 OF 2, COVER SHEET

Cover Sheet, in PDF

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This cover sheet says a lot.

1. It itemizes work in draft, notably this work is in preparation for letting 4 contractors bid on the project.
2. There are 34 sheets altogether, including several sheets of notes - specifications, details, sections, etc. For an average residential plan set, that's more sheets by 2 times or so. This is a serious, complex plan set.
3. The order is arranged generally to allow the reader an opportunity first to visualize the designed exterior via the elevations before getting to the floor plan heart-of-the-matter, followed by construction issues of wiring, foundation, and roof. Again, of importance are all the notes of specifications preceding the drawings.
4. There is no reference to framing or interior foundation structure, either outrightly or otherwise embedded in this work beyond design and construction specifications of materials and methods. A structural engineer will lay out posts, beams, floor truss and roof framing dimensions and specifications. That's so, because this house will progress structurally in an unusual path; namely, the two floors will be truss-framed and the roof will be hand-framed. The floor framing emanates from the wonderful versatility in application of open-web, metal plate-connected wood trusses - thrifty on labor, exceptionally useful and sturdy in longer clearspans, easily accepting of mechanical amendments of air and water conduits. But the roof is too tough to truss - too many possible places to adapt...and truss roofs once assembled are difficult to adapt thereafter.

If the whole job were to  have been hand-framed, the AG would probably draw up the structure interior to the building's perimeter. But some clearspans go way past what the AG would apply with dimensioned lumber. If the whole job were to have been trussed, then the trussmen would handle the engineering overall. But this one's a split decision, and goes to a structural engineer with or without the AG's assistance. (Sometimes, AG does the structural drawings based on engineers' sketches, conversation, specs, and the like. Sometimes, the engineers work it out on their own. If pressed for time and interested in saving some bucks, a client would be substantially benefited by finding a structural engineer to work with the AG.)