For most people, the choice between building a home and building a workshop feels like an either/or proposition. You pick a lot, build one or the other, and live with the compromise. But in Spokane, a growing number of homeowners are rejecting that choice entirely. They're building barndominiums, which combine stick-frame living quarters with a [...]
# It's a Good Time to Build an ADU in Spokane Spokane's housing landscape is changing, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are leading the charge. Whether you call them mother-in-law suites, granny flats, or backyard cottages, these compact living spaces are becoming an increasingly popular solution for Spokane homeowners. Recent changes to city regulations have [...]
People come to us after making the exciting choice to begin the process of plan drafting and custom build in Spokane. This project was unique in that this decision was not made by these clients, rather it was the result of the devastating Gray Fire that destroyed hundreds of houses in Medical Lake in the [...]
I have drafted dozens and dozens of addition plans in Spokane, Eastern Washington and North Idaho. In 2022 alone I did 22. Beyond my knowing how to model a 3-D version of a proposed addition plan in Spokane and beyond, as well as producing the plans required by the general contractor and building department, [...]
I am a big believer in Accessory Dwelling Units and have drafted and designed several ADU plans in Spokane and throughout Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. In fact, I designed and built my own house with an ADU one bedroom apartment five years ago. We live in Spokane Valley and at that time we [...]
My mom, Bobbie Jean Swanson, is not unlike most women because she was a good mother, or a standout because she has lived in the Valley since 1945 and remains married to Dad, her high school sweetheart, after 54 years. While those who know Don Swanson might call that an incredible achievement, Mom’s noteworthy accomplishment [...]
There are pros and cons for both a two story house plan design and a single story house plan design. Recently I was hired by some folks who were very serious about building a custom home on their newly acquired property and had researched their choices long and hard before meeting with me. They [...]
People are typically confused about who exactly they need to hire to draft their custom home floor plans. Should they Google for a local residential architect or plan drafting company or a home designer? I know because nearly half of my business comes from Google searches and so I am aware of the words [...]
Until only recently, I would not have claimed to be the best choice for someone in our area to select as their custom house plan draftsman. But now experience and the results of that experience have slowly given me the confidence to truly believe that. It is something that has been very exciting to have [...]
There is a simple reason you don't see any attached ADU floor plan designs incorporated in new construction. Mainly it is too radical and therefore risky . When building a house on speculation, builders are not interested house designs that are too original original and so not been tested. Sticking to the tried and [...]
I always love to see a modern home design that I have drawn blueprints for after they have been completed and are being used for what they were intended to be used for and so recently Elaine and I decided to go on a drive and visit a projects in Central Washington. This modern home [...]
Give me a description of what you want to accomplish, if you can send some sketches or pictures of something that you want to end up with that will help. Scan any sketches you have made and create jpegs files or pdfs or if you have done your prelim plans in a home planning [...]
