Removing steel post to open up alfresco

You need to disguise the beam. Normally this entails battening out the beam, gyprocking it and then plastering it so it looks basically like a square or rather a rectangular box. Easily done by most chippies.
I don't understand the reticence shown by the draftie if you are willing to pay for it ????
Stewie

How about adding a nib wall off power between dining and hall? Then with the 3.6 stacker, and around 3.2m opening into dining, the span is under 7m - which is less problematic. You could put a hole in the nib wall to keep it open.

I don't think boxing down for the beam would be much of a probem visually though, given that the ceiling ends along that line anyhow, as it goes up to double height over dining.

You don't have to have the beam " hanging down " from the ceiling either. If the builder knew what he was doing you could weld cleats onto the sides of the beam with the ceiling joist either flush with the bottom of the beam or depending on the size of the joists just protruding down maybe 100mm. Something we have done on numerous occasions. Pretty innocuous in the grand scheme of things to get that big open plan look. It all comes down to how keen the builder is to have happy clients...

Stewie

Yes, I think the beam would always be in line with joists in this scenario. but when you're looking in the region of a 400mm deep beam, it can still hang below the joists significantly. That would normally break up the ceiling area - though in this case the dining ceiling is at a separate level anyhow, so may not be such an issue.

It depends which way you run the beam as in the first photo I posted or as per the last which is what I think you are referring to. I'm pretty sure the builder would be running the ceiling joists left to right and they would have to be around 250mm for that span ( depending on what they use of course ). Even with a 400mm beam it would therefore only be 150mm below the ceiling. Boxed in and with a cornice around it, it would basically fade into the background.
The other thing you would need of course is two other beams at 90º to this main one. One over the Family/Outdoor Living doors and another where the upstairs void starts at the Kitchen/Dining junction both to help support the joists for the floor above.
It's all pretty much a moot point as it sounds like the OP can't even get the draftie to look at it let alone the builder to cost it...

Stewie

Thanks for this topic enquire I just got off the phone with my engineer as well, he said it's doable, everything is, just a cost behind it. I think you will also need to consider what flooring you're having as well? Hebel, compressed particle board. And on top of that carpet or solid timber floors? Because that's extra weight to consider as well. And how your going to position your Aircon ducts up stairs to service down stairs.

Stewie - I think one other thing you would need to think about is if you are having 2700 high ceilings and wanted the cross beam steel hidden - you would need to go with an over-standard or commercial door solution.

It doesn't matter what kind of flooring you are having. The point loads which would probably be steel posts are the important part. They would need to have either a beefed up footing to support them if it was a concrete slab or if it was a timber framed sub-floor then probably a brick pier under each or continue the steel post right down the ground and a separate concrete pad for each.
Similarly for the doors. It doesn't matter how high you have them. If you want less of the beam showing then you'd continue the door frame right up to the beam but then what do you do for all the rest of the door heights ? I think it would look odd just to have one set a lot higher than the others unless you want to fork out the extra to increase the height of them all on the ground floor.
The air con ducting and vents are the other things you'd have to consider for sure.

Stewie

Yep 2.7 ceilings. I've already requested higher doors too. You're right stewie- the draftsman won't even contemplate it never mind getting it coated. He is pushing back on everything and every plan modification we request (and I supply floor plans I've drawn up) he just does whatever he wants.... Then we get back in a 2 week queue when we request further mods! All this valuable info gives me something to go back to them with anyway! And if he doesn't get it, I'll find someone who does!

I know nothing about building but after a few episodes of grand design where houses are seemingly built of glass, I know that post is removable for the right price and you've all confirmed that so thank you!

Your draftsman, sounds hard to work with! We've dropped our first draftsman, mainly because he couldn't improve on our drawing nice guy but not very experienced. Second draftsman/house designer was way better, and gave us other options to think about. PM me if you need one, I'm in Sydney.

Thanks Stewie! It's re-assuring to know that my builder has also given me all those different senarios as well to think about aesthetically.

He has also suggested an exposed beam look, if you don't want the gyprock around the steel beams and go for an industrial look.

Can be definitely done. Currently building and I got id done very similar plan with stacker doors.
Its not up to the draftee to tell you its unable to be done.
The engineer designs the correct beams.
Engineer specified 310UB & 310UC and used 410mm floor trusses to have no bulkheads. But did cost extra how much unsure.
I would push back if you want this as you are paying him to draw it to your specifications not his.

Hi,

Just some info for for cost wise, we opened up our alfresco (was an option with the builder they had no probs removing the post if you are happy to pay) but it cost about $6300 but that is a one storey house. Our frame is only just going up now so haven't seen the end result yet but it should look just like the display home we saw. We have 2700 ceilings and stacker doors.

Thanks for the price info I went back and told them I had it on good authority that it could be done and could it please be priced into the tender. Tender should be back possibly next week so can't wait to see what price we are looking at!

Just an update for everyone that offered their much appreciated advice... Tender back completely ignoring this. No comments, explanations, nothing. On top of that they say they also can't sink the media room or provide tiled wastes to the bathrooms (among other things).

I'd be looking for a new builder if I were you. It's not that they can't its clearly that they don't want too. Makes you question their ability to build a house

Yes my husband is very concerned that if they are ignoring requests and not getting things right at this point it won't be pretty come build time. Some things they have said they cannot do for structural reasons. Other things like our shower format have come back wrong on three sets of plans now.

We also want one of the asymmetrical baths that peak at one end, and they won't even rotate it the correct way around- surely they can just run the pipes an extra 50cm!

Media room- apparently it is 'impractical' to sink a room in the middle of the house and may also cause waterproofing issues... Tiled wastes in the bathroom- apparently they would need to raise the height of the room to enable this, leading to a big step up to the wet area.

Can't have higher stacker doors to family room and dining due to the deep beams above. Who knows. Tired of thinking about it! Even scarier to think we are basically back at square one looking for a new design after a year of dealing with this company

I posted some pics of my cornerless bi-fold in my thread that I described earlier now it's been installed if you'd like to have a look