Notes From Our Journey

The plans most custom home buyers are familiar with are those that depict what the house will look like: the floor plans, elevations, and room layouts. These are the architectural drawings, often the sole plans provided for a given project. In many custom home projects, the structural details—where each stud is placed, how forces move through the structure, and which beams carry which loads—are left to the framer to determine on site.

At Ceci Bates, we approach this fundamental aspect differently. Each home we build is guided not only by the architectural plans but also by a comprehensive set of structural plans. These are crafted meticulously by Bogdan Taut, our in-house structural engineer. His detailed plans ensure that every load-bearing element of the home—studs, joists, rafters, engineered beams, even steel members—is precisely sized and positioned. Most critically, these plans delineate how loads travel from the roof to the foundation, eliminating guesswork in the field.

When the framer arrives on site, their role is to install a system that has already been engineered, not to interpret the architectural drawings and improvise the structural components. This methodology forms a key distinction between how homes are built at Ceci Bates and the industry standard. It is a quiet yet profound difference, ensuring that every Ceci Bates home is structurally sound in ways owners never need to worry about.

Beautiful architecture can only endure when it’s underpinned by engineering that is well thought out in advance. Learn more about how Ceci Bates approaches precise structural engineering by visiting us at cecibates.com.