services
While our specialty is custom home design, we are also equipped to produce modest-scale commercial, corporate or civic architecture.
When you are planning a new home or adding to an existing one, it is essential that your designer or architect understands your lifestyle and aspirations. A great design will enhance and express these in built form, whilst also staying on schedule and on-budget. Our standard service phases include:
- Pre-Design
- Schematic Design
- Design Development
- Construction Documents
- Construction Administration
PRE-DESIGN
We will meet with you and help to establish your required program, square footage, schedule, budget and aesthetic preferences. Around the same time we will obtain or create drawings of the existing conditions at your site, including a current survey. Using these drawings we will meet with local regulatory authorities to confirm the dimensional restrictions for buildings on your site. If the site is environmentally sensitive (e.g. near a wetland), we may recommend hiring an environmental consultant to steer the project through the complex permitting process. In some cases you may wish to apply for a variance of some kind, in which case a land-use attorney could be helpful.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Once we have established the design parameters we will develop a loose preliminary scheme (sometimes more than one). We will present you with plans, elevations and perspective views and use your feedback to further inform the design. At this stage we will begin to use digital 3D modelling to aid us in conveying design ideas. We may also build physical models. The process of refinement will continue until the chosen design is ready to be developed at a more detailed level.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
In this phase we generate digital 2D plans, sections and elevations and begin to select combinations of materials, lay-out window and door assemblies, consider mechanical systems, size structural elements, etc. We will also engage other professions such as structural and mechanical engineers as needed. The Design Development phase is commonly when a Building Contractor might be brought-in to assist with any budget-driven adjustments of the project scope.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Usually completed in two stages, this phase is when the DD drawing set is fleshed-out to become a complete set of construction documents detailing the entire building at every level. The construction set includes interior elevations, electrical plans, door/window schedules, MEP drawings and more. A thorough set of construction documents will enable accurate bidding and go a long way to ensuring a smooth build.
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
As the owner's representative, we will make regular visits to monitor progress at the site during construction.Typically the contractor will have questions for the designer or architect. We will respond promptly, often with a sketch to clarify the detail in question. Before final payment we will initiate a "punch list" of items to be addressed by the contractor after substantial completion.
When you are planning a new home or adding to an existing one, it is essential that your designer or architect understands your lifestyle and aspirations. A great design will enhance and express these in built form, whilst also staying on schedule and on-budget. Our standard service phases include:
- Pre-Design
- Schematic Design
- Design Development
- Construction Documents
- Construction Administration
PRE-DESIGN
We will meet with you and help to establish your required program, square footage, schedule, budget and aesthetic preferences. Around the same time we will obtain or create drawings of the existing conditions at your site, including a current survey. Using these drawings we will meet with local regulatory authorities to confirm the dimensional restrictions for buildings on your site. If the site is environmentally sensitive (e.g. near a wetland), we may recommend hiring an environmental consultant to steer the project through the complex permitting process. In some cases you may wish to apply for a variance of some kind, in which case a land-use attorney could be helpful.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
Once we have established the design parameters we will develop a loose preliminary scheme (sometimes more than one). We will present you with plans, elevations and perspective views and use your feedback to further inform the design. At this stage we will begin to use digital 3D modelling to aid us in conveying design ideas. We may also build physical models. The process of refinement will continue until the chosen design is ready to be developed at a more detailed level.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
In this phase we generate digital 2D plans, sections and elevations and begin to select combinations of materials, lay-out window and door assemblies, consider mechanical systems, size structural elements, etc. We will also engage other professions such as structural and mechanical engineers as needed. The Design Development phase is commonly when a Building Contractor might be brought-in to assist with any budget-driven adjustments of the project scope.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Usually completed in two stages, this phase is when the DD drawing set is fleshed-out to become a complete set of construction documents detailing the entire building at every level. The construction set includes interior elevations, electrical plans, door/window schedules, MEP drawings and more. A thorough set of construction documents will enable accurate bidding and go a long way to ensuring a smooth build.
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
As the owner's representative, we will make regular visits to monitor progress at the site during construction.Typically the contractor will have questions for the designer or architect. We will respond promptly, often with a sketch to clarify the detail in question. Before final payment we will initiate a "punch list" of items to be addressed by the contractor after substantial completion.
