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Practical notes on BIM architecture, design, interiors, urban planning and construction — written for Baku and Azerbaijan.

Measured entrance zone of a Baku house — coats, shoes and guest arrivalINTERIOR

The entrance in Baku: dust, guests and family sharing one door

The first room of the house is not the living room — it is the threshold. If dust, coats and guests share one square metre in Baku, the plan is not working yet.

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Lit stair void in a Baku house — width, riser and handrail as a measured roomPLANNING

The stair is the expensive mistake: width, light and void must be cut early

A stair is not a room you squeeze in after the façade. If width, light and void are not cut in the sketch, the site is left with demolition and tight treads.

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Clean villa façade in Baku — outdoor AC units kept off the main elevationBIM

How air-conditioning eats a façade: ceiling void and outdoor units come first

A clean façade should not finish as outdoor units and brown drip marks. Air-conditioning is not décor; it is part of the ceiling void and the street elevation.

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BIM architecture model of a villa project — 3D information modelBIM

What is BIM architecture and why does it matter in Baku?

BIM architecture is not just a 3D model. It is a working method that brings clashes, quantities and construction drawings into one coordinated model.

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Modern private house design for building a home in BakuARCHITECTURE

An architectural project to build a house in Baku: permits, stages, what to watch

A façade picture is not a house. In Baku, land documents, the permit set and working drawings are separate pieces of work; mixing them up is expensive on site.

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Contemporary apartment interior design in Baku — living spaceINTERIOR

Apartment interior design in Baku: small flats, storage, a real package

A Baku apartment interior is not a palette. Without storage, kitchen-living and a lighting plan, a handsome picture falls apart on site.

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Architectural working drawings and floor plan — construction documentsBIM

Working drawings and construction documents: why a permit set is not enough

An approved plan is not yet a construction document. Working drawings give the contractor dimensions, junctions and specifications; the permit set is only the legal silhouette.

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3D visualization of a villa architectural project — render before constructionVISUALIZATION

3D visualisation before you build: how renders differ from a BIM model

A handsome picture is not a buildable project. Visualisation is a decision tool; BIM is how that decision is tied to drawings.

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Privately planned courtyard house showing functional room layoutPLANNING

Functional planning: how a house plan is actually designed

A pretty plan is not yet a liveable house. Functional planning builds rooms as daily routes, climate and storage — not as a picture.

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Villa design for Baku and Absheron — contemporary villa façadeARCHITECTURE

Villa design in Baku: plot, wind, sun and the neighbour

A catalogue villa picture will not sit on your plot. In Baku a house starts from wind, sun, neighbour and access — not from a façade.

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Architectural design of a commercial space — restaurant interiorARCHITECTURE

Architectural design of commercial spaces in Baku: office, shop, restaurant, clinic

A commercial interior is not a scaled-up apartment. In Baku, offices, shops, restaurants and clinics start from flow, codes and building services.

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Residential complex urban planning project — masterplan and courtyardURBAN PLANNING

Residential complexes in Azerbaijan: urban masterplan versus a tower collage

A residential complex is not a tower in a render. In Baku a masterplan is density, courtyard, parking, sun and phasing — or the micro-district does not live.

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Private house designed for construction and renovation with a full projectCONSTRUCTION

Building and renovating in Baku without a project: real risks, and when to stop demolition

Renovation without a project looks cheap in Baku until hidden pipes, wet rooms and load-bearing walls eat the budget twice. Drawings first, demolition second.

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What an architectural project fee in Baku actually coversPLANNING

Cost of an architectural project: not per square metre — which sheet set

A cheap project is often a permit plan. Building needs another set. Open the pack before you compare prices.

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Courtyard, terrace and landscape in Baku: wind, shade and waterURBAN PLANNING

Courtyard and terrace in Baku: landscape is not décor, it is the house continued

An open west terrace looks fine in a render and stays empty in the wind. The yard is a room of the house; read water, shade and arrival with it.

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