When presented with the opportunity to write an informative piece for the inaugural “Builder’s Corner”,  I was perplexed as to what one topic I might scribe about that could be of most benefit to current Cordillera Ranch property owners who are contemplating joining the ranks of new residents of our fabulous community. My brain started racing, just as it does when I step onto a Cordillera Ranch lot for the first time, and shortly it hit me: “Why not share years of knowledge and experience in designing and building great projects here in Cordillera Ranch over the past decade?”  What follows are some of the early steps and secrets on what it takes to be successful in designing and planning a new home in Cordillera Ranch, so as to end up with a completed project that all parties who were involved can be proud of. If you follow some of the paths that those who have gone before you have laid out, hopefully you will be able to stand back in the end and say, “We were all good stewards to the God-given property we were blessed to have had the opportunity to work with.” Continued projects that result in these kinds of sentiments will only go towards enhancing our already beautiful community.

PRELIMINARY CLEARING/IDENTIFYING THE HOME SITE(S)
The first steps in beginning the design process on a Cordillera Ranch property is to identify the potential home site(s) digest and analyze its various characteristics. The traits that you should be interested in evaluating are: property and building setback lines, lot topography, existing trees, general orientation, current as well as future adjacent homes, sightlines and solunar paths and wind patterns. On a typical lot in the Clubs Village, the home site is well defined and easy to digest. However, on a two, four or 10 acre lot there are usually multiple options and considerations.

In any case, if analysis of the lot is visually limited because of existing native vegetation, you should seek a logical, careful removal of the non-desirable species to a point that the lot and potential home site(s) can be properly analyzed. Once a lot and site have been thoughtfully cleared or thinned out to a point that they can be better digested, it’s time to commission necessary tree and topographical survey. This survey ultimately provides the client and architect the empirical (to scale) dimensioned information on what the terrain of the lot is doing and where the key trees are located upon it, including the drip lines if necessary. This information is critical to ensure that your architect has all of the pertinent data he or she needs to consider before putting a pencil to paper in commencing the design of your future residence in Cordillera Ranch.

SUCCESSFUL OVERALL SITE DESIGN
Once a lot has been cleared for proper analysis and the tree and slope surveys have been received, it is now that you are ready to meet with a design professional and commence the architectural drawings of both the future homes as well as any adjacent elements that will be part of the overall project. The driveway, guest quarters, pool, water features, gates, fencing, etc. and any other future “hardscape” requirements should be anticipated at this point. Hardscape refers to the non-home elements which serve as the basis for the actual landscaping materials and plants to be worked into and around such as driveways, walks, creeks, boulder beds, etc.. It’s most important to determine the most desirable location and position for the house itself first, and then consider the best options for any additional pieces of the puzzle. By choosing the optimal location for the home, you allow the most important element to take its logical place, and then fit the complimentary pieces around it. Indeed, many times the desired location for a pool or a casita has helped assist in defining the general location of the home, but they rarely dictate exactly where the home should be placed.

With careful and methodical planning; designing and creation of all elements; and harmoniously working each with the other, we can create an overall environment that you will be proud of and pleased with for years to come.

As a resident of Cordillera Ranch for over 8 years, I am readily available to expound upon these concepts on your property in an effort to give you some ideas of the various facets of site planning and construction feasibility. I can be reached at my Cordillera Ranch Model Home office at 830-229-5176 at
your convenience.

All the Best,
Damon Christofilis
President
Burdick & Christofilis Custom Homes