Plan Analysis

After locating and creating your 5 basic plans.  Start communicating again with your partner and make 2 copies of each of the 5 plans.  These should be plans that you both have picked and designed.  In private have each partner involved in the process rank each plan from 1-5 and list 2 negatives and 2 positives from each plan.  Keep your negatives and positives to simple 2 and 3 word descriptive statements.  Then fill out the form below.

Negatives    Positives    Plan Rank

Plan 1

Plan 2

Plan 3

Plan 4

Plan 5

Plan Rank  Plan Average  Top Plan

Plan 1

Plan 2

Plan 3

Plan 4

Plan 5

Now sit down once more over a cup of tea or breakfast and talk about your rankings of each plan.  Pay close attention to which plans you both afforded high ranks.  Again using averages calculate your top 3 plans according to your plan analysis rankings.  These 3 plans will move to the top of your list and on to the next step in your design process.

Also review your lists of negatives and positives for each of the plans and pay close attention to emerging patterns.  Both of you may have mentioned a main floor master bedroom or an open kitchen. These will be features you liked on several different plans.  It is ok to go ahead and transfer this information over to your need list.

Using the same eye for detail you should also make note of which negatives form a common theme on the list.  Knowing your likes and dislikes will be powerful knowledge for you as we move through the basic design process, and through the construction process.  Now based on ranking take the average ranking of each plan and move your top 3 on to the next round of your design.

See Tom’s and his wife’s example of their top 5 plans:

Tom’s Plan Analysis

                Negatives        Positives     Plan Rank

Plan 1     Small master       Nice loft            5

closet                layout

Plan 2       No upstairs       Big kitchen       4

bathroom

Plan 3       Utility too         Master layout    1

large

Plan 4       Small Dining     Great Room       2

area

Plan 5       Small Dining     Master suite      3

Area                  layout

Eva’s Plan Analysis

                Negatives        Positives  Plan Rank

Plan 1       Cramped           Large Kitchen    4

Master closet

Plan 2       Small master     Large Dining     3

Bath

Plan 3       Master Closet    Loft Layout       2

Plan 4       Kitchen in         Master setup     1

corner

Plan 5       Half bathroom   Open Kitchen    5

placement

            Plan Rank  Plan Average  Top Plan

Plan 1   (5+4)/2     =   4.5

Plan 2   (4+3)/2     =   3.5

Plan 3   (1+2)/2     =   1.5          Yes

Plan 4   (2+1)/2     =   1.5          Yes

Plan 5   (3+5)/2     =   4                     Yes

Now after the plan analysis is done we can go back and update our need skeleton to include the items we both found appealing.  Tom’s new need skeleton would look like this.

Number of Bathrooms:  1 Full 2 Halfs

Number of Bedrooms:  2

Foundation Square Footage:  1,100

Main Floor Square Footage:  1,100

Second Floor Square Footage:  200

Porch Square Footage:  200-600

Flooring:  Wood

Wall System:  Structural Insulated

Panels

Fireplaces: None

Common Positives:  Large kitchen,

Master Layouts.

Common Negatives: Small Master

Closet.

After you have updated your need skeleton and found your top 3 plans it is time to delegate responsibilities.  These will carry you through the rest of the project.  If you are the only one involved in the construction process then congratulations.  You get to do both tasks.  If you have a partner then now is the time to decide who will be your project’s “Designer” and who will act as your project’s “Recorder.”

Designer Roles:

Ability to draw squares and lines. 

Creativity Leader

Follow needs, budget, and plan analysis.

Recorder Roles:

Keeps notes on design.

Analyze plan changes.

Ensures adherence to budget, needs, and plan analysis.

          Now that you have decided who is going to fill each of these simple roles it is time to gather a few tools to make our advancing design process much easier.  The designer will need a pencil, an architectural scale, and pad of graph paper.  The recorder will need a noteblog, the need skeleton, the budget, the top 3 plans, and a pencil.  All the items above can be purchased at any office supply store. 

          After you have these materials, it is time to begin your design.  This is the easiest and also one of the most important parts of the process.  The formation of this team will make working with your green home company in the later chapters of this guide much easier.  Also it allows all partners to be involved and have an important role throughout the rest of the process.