The Six S's of Home Construction (ON #4)

Welcome to Owner Notes, a free newsletter for anyone planning (or dreaming about) building a custom home.

Last week, my focus was how the shape of your home connects to the cost of building it. The big lesson: Be Square. This week, we're looking at the sequence of events in construction and how they connect.

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The Six S's of Home Construction

The overall sequence of events in home construction is often a mystery to homeowners. We ask: What can I expect? How can I plan or prepare for each phase?

Home construction is usually a one way street. A decision in the very beginning of the project has far-reaching implications as decisions all build on one another and influence the outcome.

In his book, How Buildings Learn, Stewart Brand shares six phases of construction, in order. The Six S's are a handy way to think about how your house is constructed and behaves over time. I've adapted a diagram from the book:

Site - The geographical setting; the location of the home that will never change.
Structure - The basic structure of the building on the site. Once it's built, it may not change for decades.
Skin -The enclosure of the building that is needed to keep it warm and dry, like house wrap, siding, roof, windows, and doors. These may last 20-30 years.
Systems (or Services) - The working guts of the building: plumbing, electrical, networking, HVAC, etc. They are likely to be outdated within 10-15 years.
Space Plan - The interior layout. These are walls and other structures that can be removed, moved, or rebuilt inside the home without impacting the structure. These can change anytime.
Stuff - Chairs, desks, beds, TVs, etc. These can be changed at any time.

My hope is that this will help you develop a big-picture view of the project and how early decisions influence the home over time.

For example, the Structure of the house is practically permanent and comes early. It governs nearly everything after it. So, it's important to get right.

This idea is covered more fully in the Custom Home Planning Navigator Course.

In the Real World

Homeowner Monique provided this insight in a Build Livable interview:

When we decided to add air conditioning in the bedrooms, we discovered it was going to be trickier than we thought. In order to recess the units into the ceiling, they had to fit between the existing joists. This limited which model we could order. We also wanted to recess our drapes into the ceiling but had to re-think that because we’d have to cut through the i-joists to make it work. You can never think too far ahead in construction projects. Repetition is key. If you want a fire sprinkler system, A/C, recessed drapery, do not assume that mentioning it once is going to get it onto the plans and make it clear to everyone. The builder is working with a lot of details, a lot of subcontractors, a lot of demands. Repetition and confirmation has been critical for us.

That's what I have for now. Cheers! 🍻

Lee LeFever, Build Livable

Build Livable helps homeowners navigate custom home construction. Learn More.
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The Six S's of Home Construction (ON #4)

The Six S's of Home Construction

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