I'm having a general contractor build a house that I designed using Broderbund's 3D Home Architect software. It's a 2-story colonial, or maybe you'd call it a colonial revival. Here is a link to something that is similar...
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Our builder is very competent, but he's not very savvy when it comes to traditional architecture. Most of his houses are basic ranches. He's done some colonials and cape codes, and the workmanship is excellent, but I've noticed some annoying shortcomings when it comes to design, like the windows are not spaced uniformly, or he'll just leave out the center window on the second story, or he won't allow the proper amount of space between windows for shutters. I've mentioned some of these things, and his comments have included, "We'll I'm not a big fan of shutters, anyway." ...but this is a colonial!!! (Again, see the link above for the traditional look I'm trying to accomplish.) Other concerns include roof pitch, window trim, the front portico, door and baseboard trim, etc.
So here's my question... Is there a book or online resource that I can refer to for information about standards for colonial architecture, like dimensions, proportions, window spacing, etc? I really want this guy to build our house, but he just needs a little help to make sure he doesn't overlook some important details that could make the house look really silly.
Please help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, John