Where do I start?
When shopping for modular homes architectural plans, you will come across three basic plan types.
Stock Designs
A factory stock design commonly refers to the basic and bland offerings many factories have archived. Certainly a plain cape, double-wide ranch or boring two story colonial isn’t very appealing to most would-be home owners. To the right is an example of a factory stock design, a double wide trailer. This is what many people envision when they think of a “modular home.” This is NOT a Douglas Cutler Architecture design.
Stock-Custom Designs
Stock-custom designed homes are plans that we, Douglas Cutler Architects, have custom designed for a customer in the past but are now offering to you on our web site for just pennies on the dollar of a custom design. We have the right to resell these designs because we own the copyrights. Just imagine how much money a stock-custom plan can save you. A Cutler Series modular home in New England which is stock-custom and for sale on this website.
Custom designed
options can be created by architects… or by an inexperienced draftsman in a home building factory. The factory can only offer common, bland solutions because there are no license trained architectural professionals available to work on your home design. Design is done at a lost lead… meaning that the factory is willing to lose money up front on the “design” in order to make a profit when they deliver the boring boxes to your expensive piece of property. Clearly it makes sense for factories not to invest time in the “design development “phase. Not to beat a dead horse but you will get what you pay for if you don’t use an architect for any home you build.
Our collection includes custom designs that are fully detailed & executed to encompassing the full scope of your project… designed by real architects. We include all factory-built and site-built items so as to complete the full design composition. You will have the complete plans for your home’s appearance before you begin.
This business model is an antiquated hold-over from the trailer home boom when modular homes where very simple and elementary and design was not a big overhead line item. Now that the capabilities of modular factories have greatly improved, the architect has been brought back into the project mix.
Custom design can take time but our fees are not any more than what architects charge for conventionally designed buildings and you would not think of building a traditional home without an architect. Would you?
For example: There are factories that make textiles, but it is the artful blend of design talent and fabric that brings forth a beautiful dress or suit. Same for modular homes. Numerous factories make boxy homes, but it is the blend of architectural design and good building materials that results in the fabulous homes you see on this website.
Modular home building will soon also become a design driven industry, just like the fashion world is today.
Join the growing number of savvy home owners and builders who understand the difference between little boxes and real design that you can be proud to show off. Begin here first!
We at Douglas Cutler Architects have become famous for the Cutler Series shown on this website. The plans are very popular and now they are available for purchase on our easy to use shopping cart.
Our beautiful models, over 70 of them on this site alone have flexible floor plans, are Green and highly styled. We encourage you to read as much as you can in the various links to learn why modular building will be future of home building. Feel free to contact us with any questions. If you need a builder please go to our Find a Builder site for information and a form which will enable us to help you find a qualified and caring professional builder in your area of the country or world.