Design in Practice Vol. 2: Luxury Homes
Design a replacement dwelling on a Liverpool site from first principles. This course walks through exactly how to approach a luxury home commission—analysing context, space planning a 4-bed house, and using Strom Architects as precedent. You'll test materials and light in real-time, then export a complete planning drawing pack.
- 7+ hours of premium content
- 12 step-by-step video lessons
- Future updates included
About this course
This course follows the complete design process for a two-storey, 4-bedroom luxury home in Liverpool. Starting with context analysis, you'll develop floor plans using brick dimension principles, position rooms for solar gain and garden views, and create a master suite with en suite and walk-in wardrobe. The emphasis is on testing your design in real-time—checking natural light penetration, trying different cladding materials like timber and zinc, and refining window positions before committing to drawings. The course concludes with exporting a complete drawing pack for planning submission.
This specialized luxury residential course transforms your approach to high-end home design through comprehensive site analysis, sophisticated space planning, and premium material selection techniques. You'll develop expertise in managing complex client relationships while balancing diverse preferences and maintaining design integrity throughout the development process.
The curriculum emphasizes advanced site response strategies including orientation optimization, view maximization, and environmental integration that enhance both building performance and spatial experience. You'll learn to navigate the complexities of one-off residential design where every decision impacts both functional performance and aesthetic quality.
Advanced visualization techniques include 3D modeling workflows, real-time rendering for design testing, and presentation strategies that communicate luxury home concepts effectively to discerning clients. The course covers both exterior and interior design development with emphasis on natural light optimization and spatial quality assessment.
These specialized skills position you to compete in the luxury residential market where exceptional design quality and sophisticated client service are essential for success. The techniques learned apply directly to custom homes, estate properties, and high-end residential developments where compelling design presentations can determine project awards and long-term client relationships.
What will you learn?
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This course will turn you into:
A residential designer
Site analysis that informs real decisions—house positioning, entrance approach, boundary setbacks, and party wall considerations. Context-driven design from the ground up.
A space planner
Balance space standards with client preferences. Room adjacencies, dual-aspect living, and why kitchen/dining/living becomes the heart of the home.
A confident tester
Interrogate your model in real-time before committing. Test window reveals for shadow depth, swap cladding materials, add rooflights where light falls short.
Syllabus
We introduce the luxury home project - a replacement dwelling site in Liverpool. Adam shares his approach to high-end residential commissions, drawing on experience with million-pound homes. You'll see how context analysis shapes early design decisions.
Setting up base drawings from OS maps and topographic surveys, then scaling and importing into SketchUp. We cover reading contour information, positioning the existing building footprint, and establishing reference points for design development.
Creating the proposed site plan with demolition layers for the existing dwelling. We position a 3-bay garage, establish the entrance gates and driveway, and set boundary distances to avoid party wall agreements with neighbours.
Balancing a couple's different preferences - one wants modern minimalism, the other traditional comfort. We work through room sizes, adjacencies, and circulation to create layouts that satisfy both without compromise.
Using Strom Architects' residential work as the primary precedent - analysing their approach to glazing proportions, material palettes, and the relationship between solid and void that we'll apply to this project.
Developing floor plans using 225mm brick module dimensions to ensure buildable layouts. We set out wall positions, refine openings, and coordinate structural requirements to create plans ready for 3D development.
Building the 3D massing model in SketchUp to test volumes and proportions. We extrude the floor plans, add roof forms, and walk around the model to critique scale and relationship to the landscape.
Adding windows, doors, and facade details to the SketchUp model, then testing in Enscape for real-time feedback. We evaluate fenestration rhythms, material combinations, and the quality of key views from inside and outside.
Running Enscape exterior walkthroughs to test material choices - brick tones, zinc cladding, glazing reflections - and check how the building sits in its landscape setting from arrival to garden views.
Testing interiors in Enscape for natural light penetration, furniture placement, and spatial quality. We check overlooking distances to neighbours, adjust glazing positions, and verify that habitable rooms receive adequate daylight.
Exporting from SketchUp to DWG and producing planning drawings in MicroStation. We create floor plans, elevations, and site plans formatted for planning submission with appropriate annotation and scales.
Selecting Enscape render viewpoints that tell the client's story - the arrival sequence, living space views, and key moments. We set up cameras, adjust lighting conditions, and produce presentation images.
Meet your instructor
Adam Morgan
Architectural Director
ThreeForm Architects
Hi, I'm Adam. I am the founder and director of ThreeForm Architects, a team of architects and artists in Liverpool, UK. The office is experienced in a wide range of building types and procurement routes, successfully winning projects with contract values of up to £20 million. We work for a broad spectrum of public and private sector clients across the country. I have always had a passion for teaching aspiring and young architects. I offer support to emerging young architects through the RIBA mentoring programme and am also a visiting architectural critic and tutor for Liverpool John Moores University.
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