The What


Finding And Defining “The What”

Clarity opens the door to accomplishment.

Explicit and complete answers to key questions will define the what.

You must walk through the door.

Key Questions

These questions are to be applied to persons, places, ideas and things.

  1. What do you want?
  2. What do you need?
  3. What can you not do without?
  4. What is important?
  5. What is essential?
  6. What is preferred?
  7. What doesn’t matter?
  8. Unique or cookie-cutter?
  9. Budget or no budget?
  10. Solidity or flexibility?

If it were a house, what is the style?

Examples of styles:

  1. Adobe
  2. Arts And Crafts
  3. Art Deco
  4. Art Nouveau
  5. “Barndominium”
  6. Baroque
  7. Bauhaus
  8. Beach
  9. Belgian
  10. Beaux-Arts
  11. Brutalist
  12. Bungalow
  13. Cape Cod
  14. Chinese
  15. Colonial
  16. Contemporary
  17. Contemporary Craftsman
  18. Country
  19. Craftsman
  20. English Cottage
  21. Farmhouse
  22. Federal Colonial
  23. Florida
  24. French Country
  25. Georgian
  26. Greek Revival
  27. Industrial
  28. Japanese
  29. Log
  30. Mediterranean
  31. Mid-Century Modern
  32. Modern
  33. Mountain
  34. Northwest
  35. Persian
  36. Prairie
  37. Ranch
  38. Renaissance
  39. Shingle
  40. Spanish
  41. Southern
  42. Southwest
  43. Traditional
  44. Tudor
  45. Tuscan
  46. Victorian
  47. Rustic
  48. Italianate
  49. Gothic
  50. Queen Anne

There are obviously more styles, sub-styles and combination styles of architecture, but this is the shortlist.

Roof

What shape of roof? Flat? Gable, Gambrel? Hip? Dutch Hip? Combination?

What roof material? Tile? Shingle? Terra cotta? Concrete? Metal? Color?

How long do you want it to last?

Is cost a factor?

Roof overhangs how much?

Define “The What” Explicitly and Completely

Style, composition, materials, structure, components, manufacturers, models, accoutrements, features, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fixtures, appliances, wall, ceiling and floor coverings, construction, shapes, sizes, acoustics, colors, finishes, etc.

Plan it as you know it will come to be.

Your chances of success are much greater when nothing is left to chance.