Waterfront Home and Cottage Design

Great design is the best foundation

You may already have a great builder or general contractor in mind but you need an experienced designer to design a cottage that is just right for you. Our team can guide you through the design process, from initial concept through to the completion of a full set of drawings, ready for construction. If you don’t have the time to supervise the builder or general contractor, we can provide optional contract administration services to monitor the build progress for you.

Don’t take the risk

You could contract for a basic drawing package from a low-cost drafting service, but they will just redraw from the concepts you provide and follow your instructions. You will save a little money on basic drawings, but you will not receive professional design advice and construction expertise or go through a programming process to determine exactly what you need. You will be on your way to building a cottage that may be very different from what you imagined and really want and need. Why take such an enormous risk with a project as important and costly as building your dream cottage?

Can’t I just use an off-the-shelf plan?

An off-the-shelf plan rarely takes advantage of all of the great possibilities of a unique property. There are so many other things you can do. Catalogue plans are not going to be designed for the specific vistas and features of the lot. The endearing qualities – the advantages that attracted the owner to that property, such as views or location, can’t be fully captured in a catalogue plan. You may be able to capture some of it, but you’re going to miss a lot. Again, they are typically designed for a foot printed area where you’re limited on what you can do. When we design a custom waterfront home, we will take into consideration all of the wonderful features of the property – the views, the light exposure, the tree coverage and the proximity to the waterfront. Off-the-shelf plans don’t take into account the specific zoning and code issues related to your property.

You don’t have to navigate this complex process alone.

With extensive experience and construction knowledge, our team at Bell+Associates Architecture will demystify the complexities and manage the entire process of designing and building your custom cottage or waterfront home. You have many good ideas, and you may know exactly what you want, but it’s often challenging to communicate your thoughts and know what steps to take next. Our team can help.

Bell+Associates Architecture is different.

A deep family heritage in residential design and building informs Jim’s designs. He loves to design gorgeous cottages for his clients to enjoy with family and friends. Jim’s custom cottage designs aren’t only beautiful and functional but also efficient and cost-effective to construct. What may seem like one small design change to a less-experienced designer may have a significant effect on build costs and Jim has the expertise to know the impact of those small details. He will share this wisdom with you throughout the design process and will find creative solutions to give you the look, feel and function you want, with the affordable build price tag you need.

Listening to you.

Time and time again clients say that Jim is a great listener who took the time to really understand their vision. He doesn’t have a selection of floorplans on the shelf to pull out to try to fit the next client. You have spent hours pouring over websites and magazines and watching design shows to visualize your project and you want it to be unique. Jim starts with a blank page, a true understanding of what you need and want, over 35 years of experience, and exceptional creativity to design a unique custom cottage just FOR YOU.

Contact us to schedule a phone consultation and share your vision for your dream cottage.