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With outdoor living gaining a lot of popularity, people all across the globe have now started constructing outdoor domestic spaces, which can be used for several purposes.  Depending upon the availability of the space, there are various types of spaces, which can be constructed.  These include porch, balcony, veranda, patio and deck.  However, people tend to get confused between these as they are quite similar and tend to use them as synonyms.

Porch – A porch is basically an attached section to the house which is open to the outside air and is covered with a roof.  It is usually at the street level, and a house can feature a front porch as well as a back porch.  In addition, porch is usually employed as a living space and people use it for casual seating purposes.

Balcony– A balcony is a small platform that protrudes from a wall of an upper apartment floor and is usually enclosed by a railing. It must be clarified that unlike the patio, balcony is not at the street level.  A balcony is usually never employed as a social space, but is basically designed for outdoor ambience purpose.

Veranda – A veranda is typically an open, large, long gallery, usually covered with a roof and supported by pillars.  It must be mentioned that in most of the cases, verandas usually extend equally on all the sides of the structure.  Verandas are usually associated with large and expensive homes, and may be used as a living space also.

Patio – A patio is a roofless paved area adjoined to the house and usually employed for entertainment and dining purposes.  It must be mentioned that the open air living space is at the ground level and is usually made out of slate, cement, stone or a combination of the materials. Besides few furniture pieces, plants and few water decorative elements are also introduced in the patio.

Canadian architect, Etienne Gaboury, once said, “Architecture is space structured to serve man & to move him.” “To serve man” implies that architectural design creates a useful living space, while “to move him,” refers to the art of the design, which makes a particular building unique, colorful, and worthy of living inside.

A trained architect will take a client’s wish & analyze it in conjunction with their needs, lifestyle & their long term plans.  Careful consideration of a family’s future size & goals will yield positive results when designing a home.

Throughout the process the architect may offer the family constructive choices which may save them money in the long run ultimately helping to offset the architectural fees.

Often time home owners and builders believe it will be cheaper to draw up their own plans but the cost of inefficient floor plan layout can be very serious.

Architects may ease the stress involved in the construction process by acting as project managers & construction supervisors and some may even take it a step further, like we do at Millenia LDC, and take on the construction project.

When you consider building your home, consult an architect about the benefits you can gain from using his service.  The consultation most likely will be free and it will definitely be valuable to you.

Development of urban areas often leads to degradation of natural green space and wildlife habitat and open space is being lost at an alarming rate. The addition of a green roof to an unused area on a building can help preserve the green space and is beneficial to the surrounding environment. There are also social, economic and environmental benefits to green roofs.

During heavy rainfalls green roof slows down the flow of water by retaining up to 75% of the rain water avoiding problems such as water pollution caused when rain water runoff from galvanize and concrete rooftops.

Plants naturally cool their surrounding environments while dark roofs can help bring down the overall temperature, therefore more green roofs means a cooler environment.

Some of the most desirable neighborhoods are near green park space. Green roofs are visually stimulating and can make great areas for recreation and pleasure. Converting roof space into green park space can provide that desirable feeling and can also increase the value of a property by providing a valuable building asset that makes the building more marketable and saleable.

Added benefits of green roofs are that they improve the air quality by absorbing and converting carbon dioxide to oxygen and the soil and plants are an effective sound insulator.

Green roofs are a very innovative technology and provide many benefits to the environment. They are now being accepted as an important part of sustainable construction and climatic change adaptation, which is very important. Today many new developments are having green roofs installed as part of their designs.

We’ve been hearing the terms “green building” and “going green” in the realm of architecture for a while now.  Building material and equipment suppliers and construction service providers in the U.S. often boast the environmental friendliness, efficiency and economy of their products and services.  But what is green architecture really, and how does it affect architectural design for us in the Caribbean?

In an article entitled “Green and pleasant lands: eco-friendly Caribbean living” from the on-line magazine Caribbean Beat, Lisa Allen-Agostini  says: “Green – that is, environment-friendly – architecture isn’t just about saving money and conserving resources, but about building spaces that are good for the people who use them.  Green buildings have been found to improve the sales, productivity, health and happiness of their users and inhabitants.”

There are various technical definitions of the term ‘green’ as it refers to architectural design and its implementation into actual construction, but this simple definition describes exactly what we think green design and building should accomplish.  In that same article, Agostini goes on to quote Mark Raymond (Lead architect on the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Information building in Port of Spain) in saying that “What has been hailed recently as green architecture represents…for some architects common sense and a means of working which they have pursued diligently for many years.”
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A quantity surveyor or cost estimator can keep your project on budget and avoid unpleasant surprises.

An architect draws a plan and makes initial calculations of the cost of construction (the cost plan) in reflection to the client’s budget.  However, if there is no one to keep an eye on finances, construction projects have the potential to spiral in cost.

A quantity surveyor/cost estimator deals with the financial management of a project. He liaises with the architect and the client throughout to revise the cost plan as the design changes and becomes more detailed.

Quantity surveyors/cost estimators are also concerned with managing different contract forms and dealing with a number of different areas e.g. valuations, final accounts, dispute resolutions etc.  A quantity surveyor/ cost estimator will basically manage the financial and contractual sides of a project.

They usually work on all types of projects including residential and commercial and on projects ranging from building schools, hospitals, commercial buildings, public roads and bridges.

Quantity surveyors work involves:

• Helping the client establish a budget for the project

• Liaising with the client and architect to produce initial cost estimates

• Revising costing as the plans are developed

• Producing a bill of quantities to be given out to contractors

• Preparing contractual documents

• Designating work to contractors if the client wishes

• Monitoring costs once the project has begun

• Checking invoices and overseeing payments, usually on a monthly basis

• Scheduling materials

• Measuring and valuing the finished project to produce an end report

Any client who is concerned with cost regarding their project will realize the importance of working with an individual or company who can ensure that the project is delivered within the specified budget.

Steel buildings are metal structures constructed with steel for internal support as well as exterior covering. They first gained popularity in the early 20^th century and have become more popular today, not only in the commercial sector but for residential buildings as well. They offer a wide range of advantages over other more commonly used construction materials such as lumber, brick and concrete.

• Steel buildings are durable enough to withstand extreme weather conditions such as earthquakes and hurricanes. They are also more durable against fire. While no material is one hundred percent ‘fireproof’, steel is definitely more fire resistant than wood.
• Steel buildings can last for years with minimal wear and tear and require little maintenance. Unlike wood and concrete, they are resistant to infestation of pests such as termites, cracks, splitting and rotting. Therefore structural damage is less likely to occur.
• Steel can be virtually molded into any shape. Thus making steel buildings an attractive option for residential projects. It provides Architects and Designers with the option to design creative and unique structures that are both safe and resilient.
• Steel is adaptable and can be altered when needed. Wall frames made from steel can be shifted easily to widen the space of the room or create an entirely new interior building layout. This makes it easier to expand buildings.