One might ask: What is Good Design? It’s a seemingly simple question, but surprisingly, it's difficult to answer. What is good for me may not be good for you. And what is good for now may not be good for then. So who and when is to say what is good? The more you think about it, the more obviously complex the question becomes.
The meaning of "good design" may differ not only from culture to culture, but also from person to person and varies with age and individual preferences. Its meaning also changes in relation to place and time, but nevertheless, there is a universal standard of acceptance of what good design is, as far as house-building is concerned. Designing and building a house that is beautifully functional and environmentally friendly is the hallmark of good design.
In what way does good design add value to your property? An important point to remember is that value is not necessarily measured only in "ringgit and sen". Value can also be measured as to how conducive your house is to your physical and physiological well-being.
Here's a list of some value-added attributes that you can expect to get in return for investing in good design:
Cost savings
Good design adds value through cost savings. Through good design strategy and planning such as appropriate siting of a building and its orientation ( making best use of sunlight and winds ), the need for auxiliary cooling can be reduced, resulting in lower
energy bills, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved comfort.
Property appreciation
To understand this point, imagine two functionally sound houses of similar land size in the same neighborhood, one lacks "design inclusivity" while the other is designed for the comfort and use of all ages and levels of physical ability. Any product designers will not hesitate to agree that inclusive design can actually improve profit, add value, and increase market appeal.
Environmentally friendly
Houses that are good for the environment is good for our health. Using environmentally friendly building materials, such as urea formaldehyde-free timber flooring, low toxicity paints and finishes, means there is less chance that
building materials will release fumes that can make you or your family
sick. Sick house syndrome has become a real concern these days.
At its best, good design is a mutual collaboration between the client and the architect. Good design requires a good client working with a good architect. Every
well-designed house starts with a good brief. An architect's task is to help
get the brief right and then design the house according to what the brief requires.
