Tag

sample plan

Webinar Series – Building the Austin Sample Plan


Exterior Chief Architect Rendering of the Austin Sample Plan House

Phillip Gibney Profile Image By Phillip Gibney

Chief Architect live webinars are a great way to further your knowledge in the software.  This webinar series focuses on the process used to design the Austin Sample Plan. These webinars allow attendees to ask questions to Chief Architect staff and hear questions from other Chief Architect users. Sometimes a sneak peek of new features coming to the next version of Chief Architect is provided.

See the full webinar schedule to sign up. Can’t attend the live session? Sign up and we will email you a recording of the presentation.

If you are new to Chief Architect or using an older version, a free trial is available for download. 

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Robin Rigby Fisher – Featured NKBA Study Guide Designer


Natural spa bathroom with steps wrapped around freestanding tub

Author's portrait By Adrean Stephenson

 

When you have been designing Kitchens and Baths for 32 years and teaching the process to others for 14 more, it is next to impossible to not know your stuff. Robin Rigby Fisher is no exception, and it shows in the Large Bath she submitted for 2017’s NKBA Design Competition.

“I teach part-time at Portland Community College, an NKBA Accredited College. One of the reasons I continue to teach is to make sure that I stay at the top of my game. I want my drawings to be as meticulous as possible because I expect that from my students.  I think they are synonyms. I’m at the top of my game because my students are at the top of theirs. They are highly desirable, highly regarded. They are easy to hire. That’s what I like about teaching.

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Elma Gardner – Featured NKBA Study Guide Designer


Author's portrait By Adrean Stephenson

 

Elma Gardner has only ever drafted her designs by hand, and they are beautiful. A fading art in our digital age, the small details are the most impressive in her style. My personal favorites are the tiny circles that don’t quite encompass the numbers for her Floor Plan Specification labels, eluding to the efficient confidence in speed her hands must take on as they traverse the page.

 

“I just happen to be one of those strange people that actually enjoys hand-drafting and have made a deliberate decision to stick with it. I like the process.”

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NKBA Competition Winners become Design Study Guides


Author's portrait By Adrean Stephenson

 

Over the years I’ve had a number of opportunities to leverage Chief Architect’s tools for projects with our friends in the industry. Not only is it exciting to mix up my regular routine, but I always get the extra benefit of coming away with newfound understanding of needs and details in these specialty areas; this latest project was no exception.

 

The Goal: Create examples of Kitchen and Bath projects that can be used as references for those studying for the CKBD examination.

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Sample Plans – Where do They Come From?


Asian inspired modern home design.

Author's portrait By Adrean Stephenson

 

Downloadable Sample Plans are a great resource for experiencing the features in Chief Architect’s software hands-on and in real-time. A variety of plans are available on both the Chief Architect and Home Designer websites. 

Now that the latest Home Designer product line has been released, we are excited to offer another set of great tools for DIY designers and Home Enthusiasts to showcase their talents. There are many new features offered in the product line that you can view here; however, today I want to share our process for creating new downloadable sample plans and shine a light on the sources of our inspiration.

With each new release of software, Chief Architect’s Art Department develops a new look for the products’ packaging. For the Home Designer product line, separately featuring 5 unique packages is no small feat! The goal this year was to utilize a photograph of a residential design that is well suited to the functionality available in the product. If you click on the images below, you can see that we create our version of the scene using the software and then display the rendering as an inlay on the product cover.

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