All posts by Fabian Doe

I had a dream: draw the plan of the highest towers in the world

Real estate and property news, just for you!

Draw Plan

One day, having a coffee on a terrace, I had a dream: to plan the tallest building in the world. I know, I was having coffee and I was dreaming. Have you ever dreamed with your eyes open?
And I imagined doing that with my favorite tool, the archiplain online map software.

Is this difficult? Not as much as it seems. Just take the measurements on each floor, and draw the plans.

I first looked for what are the tallest towers in the world, and I found that architects all over the world have made extraordinary constructions. Judge for yourself:

  • Burj Khalifa, Dubai, 2720 feet  or 830 meters
  • Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, 2070 feet  or 632 meters
  • Makkah Clock Royal Tower Hotel, Mecca, 1970 feet or 601 meters
  • One World Trade Center, New York, 1770 feet or 541 meters
  • Chow Tai Fook Center, Guangzhou, 1730 feet or 530 meters

These are the 5 tallest towers in the world at the date of this article, and they are all over 1600 feet or 500 meters high.

But there are many others. We can cite :

Taipei 101 (in Taipei), Shanghai World Financial Center (in Shanghai), International Commerce Center (in Kowloon), the famous Petronas Twin Towers (in Kuala Lumpur), Zifeng Tower (in Nanjing).

You’ve noticed: for a long time, the tallest towers in the world were American, but more and more towers are Asian, and more particularly Chinese.

Why make these plans?

It is first of all an excellent training in the design of building plans. Another advantage, if you are a real estate agent: you offer apartments for sale and future owners can virtually break walls on the apartment plan to transform it. Finally, you can use this plan to make building miniatures in 3D printing, or in Lego.

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A house plan for an interior designer

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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Recently, we have mentioned the place of home staging in the deed of sale of a house or an apartment. This can cost a maximum of 5% of the selling price compared to an acceleration of the sale and the possibility of selling at 10 or 20% more. Which leads us naturally to the job of home designer.

This consists of making decorative art. This is the ultimate goal of architecture, which leads to colors, lights, furniture, objects, to reveal the personality of the owner, its culture, and his personal life.
This business has developed lately, made famous by some who have brought up to date the home staging, simplified version of the interior design.

A house plan for an interior designer

This job makes many others work:

  • Engineer
  • Designate
  • Fitters
  • Decorator
  • Colourist

One can suggest to those who want to learn about interior design to learn about the different schools that train in this trade. You can also walk around attics to look for decorative objects (the “Marché aux Puces” of Paris is extraordinary for that). You can also practice furnishing furniture in a house or apartment using the archiplain house plan software. You can also do internships to learn the different trades that work with interior decorators. You can also get up early in the morning to watch the sunrise and all the colors that emerge (I remember a sunrise on snow-capped mountains, the tops ranged from pink to orange!). Finally, ideally, some notions of engineer are not useless.

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Make a house staging plan

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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Here is an activity that is widespread in the United States and much less in Europe: home staging. We can consider this as real estate marketing. The goal is to value a property to sell or rent.

Model 1 done with archiplain

We consider that a sale is made in the first moments of the visit. The first impression is therefore essential. Buyers must be able to imagine themselves in the house that will become their place of life. Several problems can appear:

  • House too old and damaged, except for those who want to renovate but offer a price too low
  • House without furniture and decoration that gives the impression that no one has lived inside
  • House with too much decoration, too personalized

To avoid these three problems, home staging, which appeared in the United States in the 1970s, has become an almost unavoidable practice. First proposed by professionals of the decoration, it is proposed more and more by the real estate agents. Thus, real estate agents can earn a sales commission on the house while saving time on the sale and why not make a profit on home staging benefits.

Model 2 done with archiplain

Let’s talk price: home staging rarely exceeds 5% of the sales price. But that allows two things:

  • Speed up the selling time
  • Increase the selling price, sometimes from 10 to 20%.

What should be done for home staging?:

  • Clean the house or apartment
  • Mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges
  • Repaint the walls in a neutral color, if possible white
  • Remove as much furniture as possible and leave only those who showcase the house
  • Repairing minor damage, such as a broken electrical outlet, a small hole in a wall, a bulb that does not work
  • Thoroughly clean the bathroom and toilets
  • Air the house or apartment before visits to feel fresh and eliminate odors

Then, make a plan of house or apartment on a software like archiplain and offer a free access to your customers who will be able to put their furniture and decorations in this accommodation.

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Blueprints, Floor plans, Home plan designs and house plans: buy or rent?

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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The real estate market is huge. First, because everyone wants to own their house or apartment. Because rents in big cities are becoming more expensive. And because you can not decorate your home as you wish. For example, some homeowners prohibit tenants from planting nails in walls. And if the tenant does it, the landlord asks for compensation money.

These are not the only reasons. Borrowing rates are historically very low because inflation is low and the economy is good. Bringing money is interesting because you do not pay much interest.

Then you have to make a profitability calculation. Estimate the total amount of rent for 20 years, and compare it with a loan to buy his property. The calculation is quite complex because it is necessary to estimate:

  • The evolution of the interest rates,
  • The family stability (a divorce, and the calculations are to remake completely …),
  • The evolution of the place in which you live ( construction of a railway line nearby,a road,a shopping center, a school),
  • Pollution,
  • The passage of planes above,
  • The presence of termites.

There is no hard and fast rule about whether to buy or rent a property. We can just give some indications. For example, buying in a big city is often better than renting. But it is sometimes very expensive and even impossible, like:

  • New York
  • San Francisco
  • Paris
  • London

And if the rent is much lower than the repayment amount of a loan, it may be better to pay rent and keep the rest of the money to enjoy life.

Just a piece of information that can help you: if you want to buy a house or an apartment, you know that the price will depend on the surface of the property. And a difference of a few square feet or square meters can vary the price. One solution is to buy a laser range finder, which is not too expensive, and put these measurements in a house plan software as an archiplain. If the real estate agent does not want it, negotiate to take at least the measurements of one or two rooms and say that it is to be able to arrange the furniture.

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Blueprints and house plans, a selection of home plan designers

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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Sadly, two designers died in February 2019. Of course, we all know Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s famous fashion designer. But who knows Italian architect and designer Alessandro Mendini? He is known for having designed the Groninger Museum and the Proust Armchair.

First, 6 very promising Chinese designers. Many things are happening right now in China, which is not just the manufacturer of all the objects in the world. The Chinese also do a lot of things in creation. It will undoubtedly be necessary to follow the future of these creators:

And then back to France, country of fashion, luxury, and design as Jean Nouvel. Here is a selection of the best influencers designers:

Sebastian Herkner is also one of the most promising designers of his time:

And finally, some trophies proposed by designers to modernize these objects:

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Home building designs with good home plans, house plans or floor plans

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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Home building designs have become increasingly important. The architects’ efforts to find a solution to the difficulties of our time are there to testify.

Take climate change as an example. Many experts predict that the climate will change, that the melting of glaciers will raise the level of the seas and oceans, and that storms and hurricanes will become more and more powerful resulting in larger rain events. A British project plans to build floating houses to overcome this difficulty:

A second project plans to build a simple structure including a canoe and kayaks, with a container containing all the material. The whole is raised so as not to be damaged by the soil and the water:

Finally, a modular housing system makes it possible to store equipment to allow people to live, like refugees. This system was initially planned to find a housing solution in the event of an earthquake but it could quite be adapted in case of global warming:

Want to create your own surviving housing system in case of climate or other problem? So, start by making a plan on an online software like archiplain, then build a propotype that you install in your garden. And finally, take a week of vacation and vice versa to perfect autonomy in your home. Last point: write down all the problems you encounter, they will help you improve your home.

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Home plan 3D or home plan 2D ?

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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Difficult question without a simple answer. You have those who prefer 3D, which gives them a better representation in space. But you should know that the ceiling height is usually 2.5 meters, or 8.2 feet. This height is therefore standard. Moreover, the constituent elements of a room are most often on the floor. Which means that in most cases, it is not useful to have a representation in space.
Another important thing. When you live in a house or an apartment, you walk on the floor. Our vision of our environment is therefore constantly in the middle of the height of the room, and down to avoid obstacles. Finally, the light is high and can affect our vision if we look at it directly (especially in our time with the development of LEDs). It is therefore preferable to have a 2D house plan that will respect our usual vision.

Home plan 2D

You have certainly heard of these amusement parks that offer you to enter a house that is wobbly, ie the floor of the rooms is not horizontal. In some cases, the house is upside down, the ceiling down and the floor up. This is a very useful experience because it is realized that the room’s provisions are very disturbing. It feels like the house is completely different when it is simply upside down.
In conclusion, you can still use a software like archiplain who makes plans in 2D and that amply enough. But if you like 3D, you can experiment.

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Old cafes, a renovation idea?

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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In Europe, many cafes are in danger of disappearing. For a long time, these cafes were a place where people gathered, either after mass on Sunday, after work before going home, or in the morning before going to work. Some only had a small coffee, others had a glass of wine. And it must be said, many elderly or isolated benefited to have a social link with the people of the village.

First of all, a charming Italian style cafe. Everything has been thought of, including the shelf on the side with a little groceries, the counter, the posters with the menus. Notice the small shelf in the corner of the counter.

In Europe, we like to keep certain traditions. This is the case in Sweden, in Stockholm. The spirit of the Old has been preserved even though everything seems new. When we look at the window, we want one thing, enter the shop to enjoy a good coffee or drink a small glass of wine (French of course, but I accept California wine).

Now a restaurant in Hong Kong that also bar. Look at the counter and the shelves above filled with boxes, the tables tidy with the lights above.

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Find House Plans, or Houseplans, or Home Floor Plans for my renovated barn

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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The other day I walked through the forest with friends, and found a old abandoned barn. The door was open and we explored. The bottom consists of a single room where farm animals, probably cows, came to rest at night and eat fodder. The top still contained hay, very old, and filled with small holes, probably rodents that lived there. We discovered old objects that made it possible for a shepherd to live: an old stove, a fork, an old metal bed frame, and a few nails. The floor was shabby because the roof, made of slate, let in sunlight and probably water in the event of a storm.

The place was sublime, with a very large clearing in the middle of the woods. A creek, a little further away, hinted at a crystalline sound.
And apparently, nobody for many years came to live in this barn.

And I thought to myself: maybe the owner of this barn will want to sell it to me for a small price. And after, I will take the measures of this barn to renovate it. Quietly, at home, I will put these measures in a barn plan that I will do on archiplain type software.
Especially, in this case, I will make a renovation more in line with what should have been this farm at the origin (maybe 80 or 100 years ago):

  • Look for identical slates for the roof, perhaps by asking where are other old barns in ruins.
  • Reinforcement of some structural beams
  • Put stones in the walls where they are missing, taking them around the barn
  • Make windows where there are no more.
  • Take a hose to collect the water from the stream, and bury it so you do not see it in the clearing, which will provide water for the toilet and shower.

And choose in the nearest cities furniture with a mountain decoration.
Last point: invite all my friends to inaugurate this renovated barn!

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How to find Blueprint, Floor Plan & Home Plan

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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This is not always easy because it depends on the goal you have set.

If you are looking for architectural plans that already exist, you can go directly to architectural firms. They have plans of house or building that are already made and that they can sell you. You can obviously ask them to make a house plan based on the information you give them. They can advise you on the best layout of rooms, bedrooms, living room, bathroom. But that will cost you money.

You can also ask real estate agents. In some cases, they own the plans of the houses they sell. You can ask real estate developers: The real estate projects are done by architects and you can ask them the plans of the apartments. Sometimes you can ask to merge two apartments into a larger one, and here too the plan of the building and apartments is useful.

In most cases, real estate agents and real estate developers will give you the plans for free.

But there are much simpler ways to make house plans.
You must type on a search engine the words: “house plan”; or “apartment plan”. You can search with tags like “draw plan” or “compose plan” or “sketch plan”. If, for you, the free software is something important, you add the word “free” before each of these expressions. For example, “free house plan” or “free apartment plan”. Which does not mean that the entire use of the software is free, but at least a good part.

With this method, you will find many links that offer you to go to sites with online software to make house plans.

Then you just have to try. We are not here to tell you that one software is better than another. You have to be realistic, it depends on everyone. A person will prefer a software that makes plans in 3D, another person will prefer 2D which is simpler, another will prefer that there are many colors, another simply black. Our opinion is that you have to try several software and keep the one that suits you best. Of course, we prefer the archiplain software because it has interesting features and because we developed it.

But we fully understand that you prefer to use another software.

What are the specificities of archiplain?

  • Free for most of the software. If you want a lot of plans, we have a not very expensive paying formula that allows you to go further.
  • Utilisation facility. No need for training, you access the software and you draw your plan, that’s all.
  • The precision of the measurements (for example, 0.1 inch or 1 mm).
  • Various colors.
  • Titles and comments added everywhere
  • And many other things you will discover using this software.

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Free house plan or free home plan ?

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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It depends on what you are looking for … But in any case, it’s about making the plan of the house of your dreams. But it’s not always easy. First of all, there are many architects who offer you to make your house plan. And it’s often expensive. Imagine that you order a house plan, and that you are not satisfied with the result.

What to do when you have a catastrophic house plan?

Sorry, not much. Unless you have insurance, but it’s unlikely. The problem is that an architect is a kind of technician, not an artist. He knows the rules to make a house plan with all the technical characteristics, but he will rarely make a plan that takes into account everything that makes a good house plan:

  • Will my house be bright enough? That is to say that lets in enough light but not too much when the sun is very intense, and not too much when you watch a TV show or your computer screen.
  • Is my house well oriented when the wind is very strong? The old farms were always oriented so that the prevailing wind was still blowing on the side of my house, where there are no windows or terraces.
  • Will the rain enter my house when I open my window? If the wind is blowing towards you, water can enter the house in large quantities. Later in this blog, we will write an article on nuisances in a house.
Good house plan

All of these reasons, and many others, may make you think that your paid home plan is not the right one.

How to have many free house plans?

First, discuss with your architect to make your free house plan by explaining that there was a misunderstanding between you and him. He will not be happy because he will feel that he has done his job. You can explain to him, if the situation becomes difficult, that the contract you did with him did not mention a certain number of things. Remember that your architect has an obligation to advise.

When it comes to this situation, it is best to work on free house plans, so that you can do as much as possible. You can do it on the online archiplain software, a free house plan editor, but you can of course choose another software. What is important: the ease of use, the reality of free, the accuracy of measurements, the North-South orientation in relation to rain, wind and sun, and the wide choice of options (windows, doors, stairs, furniture, plants, etc …). Do not neglect the outdoor facilities: swimming pool, garage, deck chairs, etc …

Other good house plan

What to do with my free house plans?

You can build your own house by calling on craftsmen. But it’s risky.
If you do not try the experience, you can contact an architect to make an official house plan. And you can negotiate the price because much of the work is already done.

Other area of interest:

Free nursery plan for everyone

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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In some countries, grants are given to people who have plans to build a nursery. The reasons are multiple. First of all, there is a difficulty in having your child look after him when he is very young. Some parents agree to keep their baby a few months at home just after birth. But then there is a lot left between this period and the child’s entry into school. Keeping your child at home can be very expensive. The solution of the nursery is often the best.

We present here some nursery that reinvent the concept of nursery:

With round shapes and spaces of discovery, this project allows children to discover their desire to explore their living space:

Always in the spirit of discovering and climbing, here is a nursery with trees, tree leaves, nets and outdoor spaces:

The Japanese have a lot of imagination and love children. Here is another round nursery project that will delight children:

You can make your free nursery plan using the free archiplain nursery plan software. With your plans, you can ask for help from the town hall.

If you have been interested in this article, you may be interested in these:

Rent parking for your retirement

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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We often think of renting houses or apartments to do business. But we rarely think of renting garages. This is normal because it is often difficult to buy garages without a house or apartment. One way to do this is to rent an entire car park. The area occupied by a parking lot is often not very profitable compared to the occupied area. A building with floors is often the right solution. This is often seen around airports.

We present you a car park which has the advantage of being zero energy. It is so interesting and has the merit of being modern. Although the cost of building such a building is still relatively expensive, profitability can be very interesting:

We can also transform the often ugly facades of car parks into a design decoration:

Finally, what about this beautiful facade that transforms a banal parking into an object that everyone notices:

Do you want to have a car park renovation project? Locate the abandoned car parks, find the owner on the land register, contact him, make an offer, and prepare your free parking plan with archiplain to make a calculation of profitability.

More about parking and rental?

How and why to renovate a farm

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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It is a widespread practice in Europe to renovate a farm. First, because the farms are solid, often built of stone, well oriented, with a solid frame, and for a reasonable price because they are located in the countryside.  But it is also because it corresponds to a certain quality of life.

Here we present a farm renovation in Spain that reveals beautiful stone walls with a very modern exterior consisting of wooden terraces and a swimming pool:

In this other example, a farm was turned into a hotel in the English countryside:

Finally, old Chinese farms have been transformed into a moutain resort:

Do you want to renovate a farm? First choose an old farmhouse with walls and a solid frame. Then check that you have access to water and electricity. Then make a plan of this farm with the free archiplain farm plan editor. Finally, negotiate with your real estate agent to have the best purchase price because the renovation can be very expensive, often more expensive than the farm itself!

More informations regarding farms? Then, click on:

Free hotel map for exceptional night

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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Have you ever dreamed of spending a night in one of the most extraordinary hotels that exist? We could make you a very long list of luxurious hotels worldwide. The most inventive minds have created incredible hotels, made of:

  • wood
  • metal
  • ice
  • glass
  • caves
  • old prisons
  • windmills
  • industrial buildings.

Some even imagine doing hotels on the moon! (The price of a hotel night will be a little expensive …). We found an article that lists remarkable hotels. This is necessarily a subjective choice. But that’s the choice of writing.

First of all, a 12-room hotel in Mexico that is only accessible by boat:

Next, a hotel in Brazil that includes a rooftop pool. This allows you to swim while watching the ocean. Swimming without sharks:

In Israel, a former convent and hospital turned into a 120-room hotel. Magnificent ! It feels like being in a church, with the added comfort of:

Finally, in Iceland, a hotel in the middle of the basalt from the bowels of the Earth:

Have you thought of buying a hotel to renovate it? You can use it as a hotel. But you can also transform it into a holiday center or a personal home. In the latter case, you just have to break a few walls. Before doing all this, make a plan of this hotel with the archiplain software. And make all the changes on your computer screen before breaking the walls.

Some other articles about magnificent hotels:

How to design the best interior home plan

Real estate and property news, just for you!

Draw Plan

So, thanks to 3D printers, we can live in houses with amazing shapes. A few years ago, it was possible to design houses with amazing shapes, but this posed several problems. First, all non-classical forms such as curves, circles, ovals, are possible but are expensive to build because they require a lot of manpower. In addition, they are not compatible with most furniture. With 3D printing, we can build houses with special shapes and it will not be a problem because the furniture will also be built with these 3D prints.
We present here some examples of beautiful buildings with particular forms built with classical methods but which will be more frequent with these new technologies.

First, a beautiful interior design with rounded shapes in an art gallery in South Africa:

Then an insurance company in Australia:

And finally, also in Australia, a house in which we do not know where the walls are, or more exactly we do not know if the house is a wood warehouse or a museum. I pity the person in charge of removing the dust …

Before making your 3D home project, start making your plan with the archiplain software. You will have an idea of the plan of your house in 3D printing.

If you are looking for good interior design websites, you will find a selection here:

The best interior design websites

How to draw a pigeon loft plan

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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In renovation, we can do wonderful things with buildings that are not originally planned for this. For example, we can renovate old industrial buildings, old water mills or windmills. But we rarely think of pigeon lofts.

It must be said that the classic pigeon lofts are rather small and do not allow to make homes. Here are some examples of pigeon lofts:

But there are particular areas where pigeon lofts can be found in very good condition and large enough to be used as dwellings. This is the case of the Tarn in France, a region located northeast of Toulouse, the capital of the aircraft manufacturer Airbus.

Here are some examples of pigeon lofts that can be found in the Tarn countryside:

Beware: several pigeon lofts are protected by the regulations and can not be modified in place of residence. Inquire at the town hall of the municipality in which these pigeon lofts are located. And of course, if you’ve managed to buy a beautiful pigeon loft, start making your plan with the Archiplain online pigeon loft plan software. Check anyway that you can install a power line and put running water.

Draw a floor plan

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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First of all, if you want to draw a floor plan, it’s because you have at least two floors in your plan … Otherwise, you have to draw a house plan or an apartment plan…

First thing to do: take the exact measurements of your floor. You have laser systems that are very accurate and inexpensive and that allow you to measure the length, width, and area of each room.

Then, do not forget to measure all the small surfaces like:

  • The passage from one room to another
  • The cupboards
  • The passages of windows
  • The spaces under the stairs

All these measures will be useful for you to draw the plan of your floor.

At this point, you need efficient and accurate software to draw the floor plan. Of course, we prefer the software archiplain that allows you to do all this. Advantage of this software: it calculates in metric system or English customary measures. And he is very precise. Last point: it is free and can be used very quickly. But of course, you can use any other system to draw your plan.

Finally, keep copies of each of your plans. You know, it’s often said that your house is perfect from the third building. It’s the same for house plans: you have to make multiple copies to get the best plan. And sometimes it’s not the last plan that’s the best.

And now, start your floor plans and indulge yourself!

Other posts may interest you:

How to become the best home designer

Real estate and property news, just for you!

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The absolute dream: to become the equal of the greatest architects of this world, like Herzog & de Meuron, Jean Nouvel, Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas or Zaha Hadid.

But these people have often done great studies, which are very expensive, and have a very important relationship network. And yet, you have ideas, a house or an apartment that you want to transform, and not a lot of money.

Our advice is to start with a small free software like archiplain, to make as many plans for your project, to walk in your city looking at the sky: we often see beautiful buildings looking over the ground floor.

And you have to let creativity take hold of you. For example, do not hesitate to walk in the morning when the sun rises. Or in the evening at nightfall. And of course in the middle of the night, either during the full moon or a moonless night ; like the painter Claude Monet who represented the same landscape at different times of the day.

Last Tips:

  • Have friends invite you to watch their house
  • Visit homes with real estate agents
  • Visit museums that have been inhabited by artists, like the Zadkine museum in Paris.

Good design of your house!

 

 

Water tower

Real estate and property news, just for you!

Today, it is fashionable to renovate old industrial buildings. We can sometimes buy for very cheap very large buildings that have been used for the automotive industry, mining buildings, or buildings used during the gold rush in the United States. But we rarely think of water towers. And yet, there are many in the world, and some are no longer useful. Here are some examples of water towers.

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Concrete water tower, Belgium

Okay, he’s not very handsome. But it was planned for a reconversion in the event that it would no longer serve.

For more information, Click here!

To make a house plan : Click here!

Old water tower, Ireland

Here, reading the article, you will find several examples of what can be found in Ireland. PAs very beautiful in general, but with a little imagination, you can do something beautiful. And the outer form is very special. This suits fans of originality.

For more information, Click here!

To make a house plan : Click here!

Modern water tower, Spain

What do architects imagine for the future? An example here of a water castle a little metallic, with strange shapes. Not sure that this project is becoming widespread.

For more information, Click here!

To make a house plan : Click here!

You want to buy an old water tower to make a home? Start by taking measurements of this building and make a plan with archiplain. Plan to pierce the building to make windows. Ask first if these openings will not weaken the structure.