Council of Publishing Home Designers

Welcome to the website of the Council of Publishing Home Designers. You'll find lots of useful information on a variety of topics concerning the design, repair and refurbishment of homes, offices and other buildings.

The site has been rebuilt from its former incarnation with an improved theme and faster response time. New articles are being added that will be of interest to visitors looking for answers to common questions regarding many aspects of home refurbishments and redecorating.

Designing Homes for the Future

There are many factors that dictate the way in which any permanent dwelling is designed and built, not least of those being the laws of physics. While designs can be fanciful, creative and even outlandish, there are still some rules that need to be adhered to if the finished building is to remain upright and provide protection for its inhabitants from the elements.

That means a structure must be sound and able to withstand reasonable local climate variations, earthbound vibration fluctuations and structural stresses without collapsing. However, as long as the basics of construction are followed, the actual visual impact of a home's design is open to the interpretation of the architect.

Future-proofing a dwelling is not only about style and panache, but is very much about erecting an edifice that should remain standing and in good order many decades into the future. "Modern" doesn't have to mean "throwaway" as much of current textile and product manufacturing seems to be aimed at.

Inspiring and Innovative

A modern building should be an inspiration to those with a keen interest in architecture and style while employing the latest and most innovative ideas to bring about magnificent creations that should last many lifetimes over. We can learn a lot from history and in the longevity designed and built into buildings centuries ago that remain standing as testament to the foresight and technical skills of their creators.

Many purists look upon a cross section of "modern" buildings as looking sterile, bland, uninspiring and even downright ugly. In many cases these opinions are not without foundation!

That is why it is up to the creative skills of today's architects and designers to create buildings that have a natural beauty using local materials, builders and craftsmen to come up with a final result that will please everybody in creating a place to live that provides a comfortable home life for its inhabitants. It can be done, so let's do it!

House Plan Marketing Association

As a Council, our purpose is to:

assemble for the purpose of exchanging and discussing matters as they relate to the design and publishing of pre-design home plans.
unite, promote and protect the interests of its members and the stock home plan market.
establish plan standards in regard to both uniformity and quality.
establish copyright standards and, if needed, help mediate disputes between members regarding such matters.
create a forum between designers and publishers for the benefit of all involved.

In addition to the above, the aim of the website itself is to provide useful and informative articles on subjects relating to the planning and design as well as the refurbishment of homes and commercial properties. This will be useful to developers and planners alike from the top executive to the builder or decorator in the front line. It will also be found highly useful by the home owner who wishes to undertake their own home repairs and refurbishments that can realistically be done by non-professionals safely.

Goals:

Communication with members.
Clearinghouse for information.
Commitment to the industry.

As an Organization