Zoning, setbacks and what your lot allows
Lot coverage, front, rear and side yard setbacks, building height and parking all come from the City of Ottawa zoning by-law, and they change street to street.
A design that works on a deep suburban lot in Barrhaven may be impossible on a narrow infill lot in Centretown. We check the zoning for your specific address before drawing anything, so you find out about a required minor variance at concept stage rather than after paying for a full set.
On infill lots we also look at what the neighbours look like, because a design that ignores the streetscape draws objections and slows approvals down.
Designing a house for this climate
Ottawa swings roughly sixty degrees between January and July, and design decisions either handle that or fail at it.
Large south facing glass looks great in a rendering and overheats a room in August without shading. Deep overhangs on the south side, continuous air barrier detailing, insulated headers, and a plan for where snow slides off a roof all belong in the drawings.
We also think about where the snow goes. Driveway grade, where a plow will pile it, and roof lines that dump onto a walkway are the details people notice in their first winter.
Do you need an architect or a designer?
Most house sized residential projects in Ontario can be designed by a qualified building designer rather than an architect. Larger or unusual buildings may need architectural or engineering seals.
We tell you which category your project falls into at the first meeting, and we bring in an engineer for structural elements as a matter of course.
What a custom home design package includes
- Zoning review: what your lot allows, before design begins.
- Concept options: two or three plans with the trade-offs explained.
- Permit set: plans, elevations, sections and construction notes.
- Structural coordination: engineered beams, footings and framing details.
- Kitchen and bath elevations: cabinet, fixture and lighting placement.
- Build cost range: given at concept stage, not after the full set.
Where custom home design sits in the bigger job
This work is part of our building designer service, so it can run on its own or as one stage inside a larger project. When it is part of a bigger renovation we sequence it with the other trades rather than treating it as a standalone visit.
Clients booking this often pair it with renovation design concepts or kitchen design. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
Custom Home Design across the Ottawa area
We take this work on throughout the greater Ottawa area. Recent jobs have run through Nepean, Merivale, South Keys, Kanata and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The consultation is free wherever you are in the city.