Sample project

A backyard studio, from idea to shopping list.

Here’s how a small project could look in Casavane, from the first sentence to the drawings and the materials list. It’s an illustrative example of what we’re building towards, not a real build.

Units

Size

4.8 × 3.6 m, 17.3 m²

Use

Home office

Build

Timber frame

Site

Sun-facing glass, keep the apple tree

1. The brief

It starts with a conversation. Casavane asks what a designer would, then records the decisions that shape the design.

We’d like a studio at the back of our property for working from home. Sunny, and we want to keep the apple tree.

Lovely. Two quick questions: who will use it, and does it need a toilet?

Just me. No toilet.

Here are three layouts that face the sun and keep the tree.

2. Choose a layout

Casavane offers a few options that respect the brief. You compare them, ask for changes in plain words, and settle on one.

Compact

12 m²

StudioChosen

17 m², wide glass

Studio and store

21 m²

3. The drawings

The chosen layout becomes a set of dimensioned drawings that a surveyor, engineer or builder can open in their own software.

Floor plan. Example only, not to scale on screen.

Elevation of the sun-facing side. Example only, not to scale on screen.

Floor planDimensioned, with openings and fixtures.

ElevationsEvery face of the building.

SectionA slice through walls, floor and roof.

Construction detailsWall, floor and roof build-ups with layers named.

Foundation and floor framingFor an engineer to verify.

Exports as DWG, DXF, IFC and PDF.

4. Checks before you commit

Every layout is tested against the rules for the project’s region. Here’s an example check report. Anything uncertain is flagged for a professional.

Example check report for the backyard studio

Floor joist spanPass

Distance to boundaryPass

Glazing area and insulationPass

Foundation near the apple treeNeeds engineer review

5. The materials list

Quantities come straight from the same model as the drawings, with a 10% waste allowance. Change a wall and the list changes with it.

What you’d buyHow many

Wall studs, 2.4 m50 pieces

Bottom and top plates56 m

Sheathing boards, 2.4 × 1.2 m13 sheets

Wall insulation34 m²

Weatherproof membrane60 m²

Exterior cladding35 m²

Floor joists, 3.6 m long13 pieces

Roof insulation21 m²

Glazing, 20% of wall area8.1 m²

Example quantities for a timber-frame build, from simplified formulas. Real lists come from your own drawings and can show live supplier prices. Try the calculator to see how masonry changes the list.

Ready to plan yours?

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