Does site budget limit creativity?

Embodied in nature on a secluded 5000 sqft land a vernacular-style artsy dwelling has to be designed. It should have big windows with ample light pouring in with views of lush greenery on all sides and quirky furniture inducing a Boho vibe to the house. An indoor swimming pool and a kitchen garden are compulsions. Only when the horses of your creativity kick start running carrying the luggage of demands that are stated, the client utters something that drags you back to the starting line. SITE BUDGET!

Now will you calm down your inner racing artist or will the constraints catalyze your pace?

We have all had different client experiences with each of them having an image of projects which they want to carve into reality, but not all clients have a whole lot of money for that dream to be happening for real. The site budget constraint is not something unfamiliar to architects and designers. The clientele has varying desires but a limited budget to spend on those desires, which for architects act as constraints or opportunities as I would see it wherein one is expected to come up with every possible solution to paint the dream for real.

Constraints are the path hurdles that broaden the perspective of analyzing the design problem and helps to devise solutions that otherwise remain unacknowledged. They motivate a designer to deviate from the path of obviousness to the path of exploration, fostering the design process towards a new direction. 

Whenever an architect is given a site budget, it opens opportunities for new materials and resources to dive in and get utilized in unexpected ways. When the human mind is restricted within certain boundaries, it tends to deeply scratch those boundaries and search its way out, and this process unravels the combinations which might not be visible due to the abundance of resources otherwise. 

“I find the most satisfaction in the projects that have many constraints coming along”, explains Gary Earl Parsons of Gary Earl Parsons architect in Berkeley, USA. 

The challenge of confining to a budget makes a person strive for the best possible outcome as it stimulates the creative process and way of perceiving situations of an individual. Also, as you might have heard, when you have things hands-on and in abundance, you tend not to take notice of their real value, so when their access is restricted, the actual importance of a resource is understood. So it should be a key factor while designing whether a client has a budget limit or not, as costs and budgets are a great source of learning and refining as a professional. 

Examples of Some Alternative Measures for Restrained Site Budget

1. A very fundamental element being used in every project and can contribute to upward or downward shifts in our budget are Windows. Windows are an integral part of maximum projects and usually a design element not being replaced now and then, so the quality and performance are considered. To cut on the budgets, a commonly followed process is looking for lower grade category windows instead of the higher ones as these also ensure high performance with fewer size and color options as drawbacks, which is an acceptable choice to be made when costs have to be taken into account.
2. Concrete Sheets can be a choice for the projects where the client demands an exterior with a concrete look as they are easy to install, durable, weather-resistant, fire-resistant, stable, and minimal wastage of material which at the end minimizes total construction cost.

3. When the demand of the project is a rustic ancient look, the stone is a very preferable material, but the cost of construction of a stone structure can barely fall into budget criteria. To achieve the look and the site budget limit, the go-to solution for architects is stone cladding. It is an affordable option and also it provides more varieties to choose from. Different styles can be mimicked from vernacular to modern with varying color and size options so that they can be used whether on an entire facade or as a part of interiors.

4. Use of plywood, linoleum, gypsum board are some cheap alternatives to tiles for flooring or wall cladding in interiors.

Examples of Projects with Limited Site Budget

Gutter House, Brazil

A house for a couple with two children was designed under a budget constraint of R$ 80.000,00 including the purchase of land and the construction cost which was a tedious job to be done. To meet the site budget, low-cost locally available material and local labor are involved. The house is surrounded by gardens with no openings on the street as demanded by the client and onsite solutions to detailing the project to reduce unnecessary costs. A well-designed low-cost architecture example.

MIMA House, Portugal

This prefabricated house by MIMA architects costs equally as your mid-range car. The interchangeable rooms with adjustable partitions, plywood panels for windows to convert them into walls to enhance privacy whenever necessary; MIMA house is flexible, cheap, and has a good quality design. 

Malawi School, Africa

Malawi school in Malawi, Africa is a prototype design by the Arup group for a low-cost school solution for the area with each school costing US$25,000. The school is built with locally available materials such as timber and stabilized soil blocks and incorporates natural daylighting and ventilation to create a comfortable environment. It is an easy-to-build structure with a simple brick spread foundation that meets the needs of the locals. Detailed research is done to incorporate shading and cooling effects to the design and elements such as vertical baffles in skylight, timber shutters in windows are used.

The creativity of an architect is not bound by the constraints of the design. It is a process of coming up with unique and applicable solutions to design problems. The site budget acts as a challenge that beautifies design and does not limit creativity.

So we can design that dream house with the swimming pool and terrace garden within budget without compromising with creative and innovative design!

References

1. \ArchDaily. 2021. Gutter House / Núcleo de Arquitetura Experimental. [online] Available at: <https://www.archdaily.com/790360/gutter-house-nucleo-de-arquitetura-experimental> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
2. Frearson, A., 2021. MIMA House by MIMA Architects | Dezeen. [online] Dezeen. Available at: <https://www.dezeen.com/2011/12/14/mima-house-by-mima-architects/> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
3. Homedit.com. 2021. 15 Cheap Building Materials for a New Home on A Budget. [online] Available at: <https://www.homedit.com/construction-budget-with-these-cheap-building-materials/> [Accessed 2 August 2021].
4. Lawson, H. and Lawson, H., 2021. Malawi schools project by John McAslan + Partners. [online] The Architects’ Journal. Available at: <https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/archive/malawi-schools-project-by-john-mcaslan-partners> [Accessed 2 August 2021].