House design in Batumi: concept, architecture, structure, services

House design in Batumi: what a design consists of

House design in Batumi starts not with a pretty picture but with the plot: boundaries, terrain, soil, neighbours, zoning rules. Then the architect looks for the layout and massing, the structural engineer calculates the frame and foundation for seismic loads, and the services engineers route water, drainage, heating, ventilation and electrics. The result is a set of drawings you can use to get a permit, price the build and construct the house without improvising on site. We do the whole design or individual sections if part of it already exists.

Sections of the design

Everything starts with the concept: this is the cheapest stage to change decisions; more on the concept design page. The concept then becomes working architectural drawings, covered on the architectural design page.

Order of work

• registry extract, zoning rules and building coverage ratios;
• topographic and geotechnical surveys of the plot;
• a concept with layout and siting options;
• the architectural design for the permit and construction;
• the structural section with seismic analysis;
• services sections and the site plan;
• an estimate from the design and architect's supervision on site.

The order matters: the structural engineer cannot calculate a foundation without a soil report, and the services engineer cannot route pipes until the layout is clear. Skip a step and it still has to be done, only later on site and at higher cost.

Structure and seismic loads

Adjara is in a seismic zone, and the structural section carries the most responsibility here. The structural engineer calculates columns, beams, floors, stairs and the foundation for the weight of the house, wind and earthquakes, selects rebar and concrete, and draws the details the crew works from. On slopes, retaining walls and foundations at different levels are added. More on the structural design page.

Building services

Pipes and cables that are not drawn in advance get laid however suits the crew, and later you have to work furniture around them or break open walls. In the services sections we decide in advance where the boiler or heat pump goes, how ventilation works in a humid climate, how much power the house needs and how to connect to the city networks. More on the building services design page.

A ready-made design and existing houses

If you like a ready-made design from a catalogue or a neighbour's house, it can be used as a basis. But someone else's design cannot be built as is: a different plot, different soil, a different slope, different services and zoning rules. Adaptation fits the design to your plot, recalculates the foundation from the soil report and changes what does not suit. More on the standard plan adaptation page.

Adding a storey, an attic floor, an extension or a major layout change needs a reconstruction design. It starts with measurements and a structural inspection, because an old house has to be understood first: what it stands on, which walls are load-bearing, and whether it can take the new load and seismic forces. More on the reconstruction design page.

The design and the estimate

A good design immediately provides the basis for an estimate: it contains the quantities of concrete, rebar, masonry, roofing, windows and services. With such a design contractors price the same quantities, and their offers can be compared fairly. If the design was made only "for the permit", without details and services, the estimate is approximate, and the difference surfaces on site as extra charges. That is why we advise ordering working drawings, not just a permit album.

Design for an owner abroad

Many of our clients live in other countries. Concept meetings are held over video, layouts are shown in 3D, and comments are gathered in one list so nothing gets lost. We visit the plot ourselves and send photos and video. The finished design is handed over electronically, and on paper if needed for submitting documents.

How much house design costs

A house design with a full set of sections costs from 100 ₾ per m². A house concept design from 3 300 ₾, an architectural design with plans and elevations from 57 ₾ per m². The structural section with seismic analysis from 27 ₾ per m², the services sections from 30 ₾ per m². Adapting a standard design to the plot from 3 300 ₾, a reconstruction or extra-storey design from 78 ₾ per m². A design for a guesthouse or commercial building from 125 ₾ per m². The final cost is set after reviewing the plot and the brief and agreeing the scope of the design.