It wasn’t all about creating the camp (or glamp) as we spent many hours in the house discussing ideas and designing lay out.
It was during this time that I realised that Mrs B, although an artist, didn’t have the ability to look at a set of plans and be able picture the finished result.
My perspective drawing is hopeless and as hard as I tried do describe and draw out my ideas for the roof and extra room at the back she just couldn’t imagine it as a finished shape from outside.
We decided to concentrate on the interior, with me hoping that my idea of the lay out of the rooms would act as a revelation for Mrs B as to how the exterior would have to look in order to contain the interior.
The inside was easy to imagine as we could draw out on the mud floors what would be in the room and the one above it.
We used bits of wood and cardboard boxes to simulate the various furniture, kitchen & bathroom fittings and wall locations etc. and I cannot recommend this method highly enough. The time spent by the pair of you designing, talking through, occasionally arguing and compromising your points is time well spent.
The time we spent doing this taught us about being in the house and what we needed to do in order to make living in it easy.
For a variety of reasons some people are happy to pay and hand the design task over to an architect; however, for us that was never going to happen.
We believe that when you have a shell, which is in effect a blank canvas; it is up to you to work out what could go where and why.
As bizarre as it sounds I had seen how we could extend the upstairs at the rear of the house on the first day we viewed it (see in the daughters video tour on previous post) and with a few bits of tinkering that idea is pretty much what you see today.
I originally thought Mrs B was deliberately “not getting it” but once I realised it was a vision and perception defect rather than a slight to the ideas it was much easier for me to explain the design ideas and the reasons for them structurally. Both of us had good ideas but that were unworkable form an engineering point of view.
We both wanted to retain as much of the original contours and material of the place as possible.
When one of us didn’t get what the other was trying to describe or explain we drew it out in 1-1 size on the floors and walls and modeled it as above. It worked
Once we had the separate room concept in our minds and the portals between them we were sorted and we became adept at asking questions that made us both re-assess what we were looking for from the house and why.
Things like:-
Not having to accept the lay out and openings as they were.
Where did “we” want to install interior doorways to enable a smooth flow from one space to another.
Did we want to lose space in the kitchen and bedroom above because of the stairs or should we re-design,
Where would we put the stairs, the toilets and a host of other things? (When you buy a house with these things in place toy just learn to live around whatever is there.)
Did we really want to sacrifice space in a lovely large bedroom for an en suite, which is in effect is just a glorified ladies private toilet, however before we make that decision how far away will the actual toilet be from the main bedroom? (For those getting up in the middle of the night for pee moments)
Did we need a downstairs shower as well as a toilet?
Should we combine the art studio with the utilities such as laundry?
Had I really thought through the idea of sitting the bathroom at the front of the house because that’s where I wanted to keep the l plumbing (that’s where the fosse would be so it made sense ) What about getting out of the bath or shower in front of the 2 meter high floor to ceiling window? What would be the point of having a beautiful window if we had to have curtains or blinds on all the time?
There were many many more little details that we discussed and dissected and organised then thought about again until we were happy we had exhausted every idea on each subject.
When friends visited we would invite them to listen to our ideas and be absolutely honest about any reservations they may have. I was a little uncomfortable at times to have a fresh pair of eyes look at our ideas and then point out a glaring howler that we had overlooked but it was all part of the design process and very helpful to the end result.
It was revelation to both of us and a very enjoyable process that we didn’t rush.
By August 2007 ( 2 years after we had exchanged contracts) we had agreed on and drawn up a set of plans (self drawn complete with all measurements, artist impressions and a photo shop knock up of the proposed finished façade, and submitted them (after consultation with the Mayor) for planning permission.
By September they were rejected.
We then employed the services of a local professional translator who offered to help us on an hourly fee basis. He liaised with the Mayor, the planning people and went through the planning papers with us to find out where the problem was and resolve it. (It was simple omission of one drawing and one set of dimensions)
240 Euros and three weeks later our “approved” planning permission arrived.
It was now time to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.
On the subject of professional translator:-
If you know someone who speaks a bit of French or “gets by” I respectfully suggest that it will not be enough to get you through the process.
They may well be an old mate, or have lived there for a couple of years and to you they will seem the font of all knowledge and fluent compared to yourself, but unless they can sight translate legal documents you really do need to employ a pro.
You need to get this right and for me the exchange of a few Euros for “peace of mind” is well worth it.
When dealing with the bureaucratic process it is vital that you try to stay calm, relaxed, and cordial, because if somehow during the whole palaver of the planning process you p!ss off the wrong people, either by being short tempered, or with a hoity toity British attitude of “Don’t you people understand” (actually overheard form a brit couple shouting at the Mayor and his secretary) you will be stuck jumping through expensive and exasperating bureaucratic hoops for long time.
One thing I have discovered by talking to people affected by the above (and form tales told on here) is that many people in France who hold positions of bureaucratic power over you have exceedingly long memories and do hold a grudge if you upset them.
They will understand if you have made a mistake because of the different process or language barrier but they will not suffer some insulting foreigner telling them that they are in the wrong. Even if they are.
My advice based on others experience would be that if you make the mistake of upsetting the wrong person be it through ill temper, ignorance, lack of thought or even by accident, then get in there quick and apologise profusely (and generously) with expensive wine or champers (not always required) and a massive dose of flattery.
The choice is yours.
We are now at the end of 2007 and intending to start work in June 2008 on the first stage of the building proper.
Cheers Bentley
(If there is anything I have mentioned so far that you would like a more detailed explanation about then please ask.)
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