Whether we are designing a transitional renovation, a modern cabin, or a historical restoration, our approach to design begins with getting to know you. We listen to your ideas and identify your priorities, usually parsing out needs from wants. We develop a comprehensive scope of work and discuss any potential challenges. We also talk about budget, as it will inform our design choices from day one. This relationship evolves throughout six phases of design, as we document your existing property and gather information, draft various schemes to achieve your program, develop the design, assist with finding the right contractor, create the final plans, and oversee the construction process.
This first phase is mostly about gathering and organizing information. We establish the team who will work with you day-to-day, led by one of our Project Managers. They will spend time at your home measuring and documenting every dimension. We conduct extensive building and site analysis and pull together data to create the Building Information Model of your existing property. We continue discussions about budget and schedules. Site and existing facilities surveys and code analysis are conducted. We also begin to look at any design elements that may require historical commission review, special permits, or variances from zoning boards and plan accordingly. You will receive a predesign questionnaire aimed at collecting as much information as we can to guide the design. How you live, who you live with, your design aesthetic and color preferences, all of this information will guide our design choices.
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At this point, we take the final schematic design and revise and develop it further, finalizing room sizes, beginning to select exterior and interior materials, and determining key systems. With a general contractor on board and a final design direction, we will pursue a building permit. Given the lengthy review processes with many municipalities, we move ahead with all of the required drawings for a building permit concurrent with the full interior detailing of your project. Details, interior elevations, and material selections that are not necessary for a permit set happen later. We often produce a full 3D model of the project here to help finalize all of the design decisions. As a note of caution, significant changes made after approval of these plans or during the construction document phase, may warrant additional fees. Once construction has commenced, changes made to the design, especially those involving structural components of the building, can have cascading effects. Make sure to speak up and voice your mind before moving to the next phase of design.
The focus here is to establish the overall program for your design—what rooms and features you want—and look at various options for how that can be achieved. During this phase, we will take the information we have gathered from you and through our site visits to create three or four design options for your consideration. The entire process is iterative, as several options are presented at the beginning, and then, based on the owner’s feedback, reworked until a particular design direction emerges. We then move from sketches and models to developing the site plan, floor plans, key elevations, sections, and 3D renderings, and we will bring you in to the studio for your first virtual reality (VR) walk through. VR is an excellent tool at this point in the process for our clients to get a feel for the overall layout and room sizes.
This is the phase many people think of when they picture the work of an architect: the creation of blueprints. We finalize the construction documents (CDs) and tie everything together into a set that will be used to build the project. (This set will be consistent with the permit drawings but with more information.) Final material and product selection/revisions will usually occur at this point, as well. Typically, it is the longest and most fee intensive phase, as there is so much coordination and detailing to do. We also will interface with consultants (engineering, interior design, landscape, lighting, HVAC, etc.) ensuring a complete coordinated set for construction.
During this final phase, we will administer the construction process to ensure conformance with design intent, visit the site during construction, review the contractor invoices to compare them with the percent of work complete, assist with contractor payments, address any field conditions as they arise, and handle any requests for changes during construction. We oversee the craftsmanship and quality of construction and provide the municipality with a final affidavit of construction, and we create an as-built set of drawings to file with the municipality at the completion of the project. Our level of involvement at this stage varies considerably with each project based on the client, capabilities of the contractor, and overall scope of the project.
We work in a pre-construction relationship with a network of reputable and talented builders with various skill sets, price points, and availability. Once a comprehensive scheme is decided, we will initiate the process of finding the right builder for your project and reach out to get a few for rough estimates so we can gauge where we are against your desired budget. We offer advice during the bidding and negotiation process, and guide you to a fully executed contract with a builder who is the right fit for your particular project. If you are working with a builder already, we will share the drawings with them for an estimate. We encourage the selection of a builder early in the process.
Our Process
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Schematic Design
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Construction Procurement
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Design Development
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Construction Documents
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Pre-Design
Construction Administration