Don't know where to begin?
ONE STEP AT A TIME
Many people are at a point where they think they want or need to develop new, renovate, add-on, or totally rebuild but just aren’t sure which is best or where to begin. Others may know what they want but don't know the best approach to get there or if it is even realistic within their budget. Getting started is sometimes the hardest part. We know clients often consider (and reconsider!) their options for many months or even years before making first contact with us. Not knowing where to start can be overwhelming so we’ve structured our services to take it one step at time.
Preliminary Design Service
INFORMATION TO HELP TAKE THE NEXT STEP
To help our clients make an informed decision, we provide a standalone Preliminary Design Service which we call Pre Design but others might refer to it as Concept Design, Programming or other fancy terms. It delivers 3 important outcomes:
a workable design concept, based on answers to a series of questions and other information we gather about the site and code requirements.
an associated high-level cost estimate report
a recommendation for the next step
This is your opportunity to get a feel for what it is like working with our team and to make sure we are a good fit.
OUR PRE DESIGN SERVICE TYPICALLY INCLUDES
a site visit
client / project discovery questionnaire
identification of the key drivers of the project - this is the Why? conversation
site analysis and investigation (including preliminary assessment of municipal requirements)
Preparation of one or more design concepts and/or preliminary recommendations
high-level cost estimate report
Full Architectural Services
WHAT’S NEXT?
Pre Design is the first step in the full scope of services available but it is just the beginning.
Below is an outline of all the steps we’ll be taking together as we design your project. This process is meant to be fun, engaging, and democratic. It will involve sketches, drawings, computer models, lots of ideas – both good and bad - materials, thorough analysis and good humor. We think the best outcomes are the result of following each of the steps below to completion.
Good design is the synthesis of many disparate ideas into a thoughtful whole, and while the steps listed below represent a linear path, the way we arrive at the final design isn’t always linear. It’s an iterative process, which leads to a product; it’s not a known product from the beginning. The product is the result of following the design process to its logical endpoint. This, we believe, is what makes custom design so exciting and memorable – we create it together based on your specific situation and needs. At the end of the process, you’ll have a thoughtfully designed project and the shared experience of designing it.
Architects, for the most part, all use a similar series of steps to arrive at a finished project. There are six general tasks:
Task 1 Pre Design
site analysis, programming, existing conditions, budgeting, code review
Task 2 Schematic Design
Generation of basic alternative designs
Task 3 Design Development
refinement of the selected design from Task 2 with the goal of determining estimated construction pricing
Task 4 Construction Documents
detailed drawings, schedules and specifications prepared for permitting and construction
Task 5 Contractor Selection
aid in contract bidding award or aid in negotiation with preferred General Contractor
Task 6 Construction Observation
observe construction + administration of the Owner-Contractor agreement
The tasks are sequential and they build on the work completed and agreed to in each preceding task. We start with the general and refine the design to the very specific. There are a lot of decisions along the way and this structure organizes those decisions into manageable portions.