Whether you’ve already settled into your house, or you’re thinking of moving into a Stanley Martin home, you may be wondering how it came to be and who thinks through all the details. Our team of skilled architects are MVPs of the homebuilding process and do so much work behind the curtain to make sure our homes are fit for any and all homebuyers. To give you some insight into how that process works, we spoke with the experts themselves to get all the juicy details.
1. It all starts with research, a lot of it. When our architecture team does something, they aim to do it right. They take plenty of time to research the area and the land itself to see what is feasible. Does it make sense to fill the neighborhood with two-level townhomes or would single-family homes actually work better with the landscape and aesthetic? The team digs into each detail meticulously to envision what would be best for homeowners.
2. Plan, plan, plan it out! Every neighborhood has different needs and styles, and we work to make sure our options aren’t just “cookie cutter” versions of something else. Our architects take into account different cities and climates when making adjustments to home plans. For example, a layout that works for a coastal home in South Carolina may not have the same “Wow” factor if it’s in a home that overlooks the mountains in Virginia. Once it's determined what would work best for a neighborhood, we decide if it's better to create a new floorplan or update an existing one:
With existing floorplans, we take them and adapt it for the new neighborhood. Things like adjusting measurements for different elevation styles, adding a garage or another floor can all be done without starting from scratch.
When creating a new floor plan, the team works with the area's division president, detailing the number of floors, a room count and layouts for the rooms. It is a longer and more labor intensive process, but it ensures the homes match the neighborhood to a “T.”
3. See what’s getting the most buzz. No matter if we’re creating a new floorplan or using an existing one, the architecture team always stay up-to-date on the current housing trends. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners were looking for as much flexibility within their home as possible. To accommodate, we made sure that new homes incorporated flex spaces that can be used for anything.
4. Bring the blueprints to life!Once the bones of the homes are laid out and approved by the architecture team, division president and sales team, it’s the design team’s turn to work their magic. This is when the selections for flooring, exterior colors and finishes are fleshed out. The design team has incredible insight into what homebuyers are looking for and match that with the home’s blueprint.
Once this process is done, the detailed plans are used to construct your new home. It’s a process filled with research and attention to detail, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!