Frequently Asked questions
Engaging an Architect can be a daunting process. To help, we have answered some common questions we receive from clients.
Architect's and the Process:
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The reality is that architecture fees, like any type of professional service, are not cheap (but neither is getting the design wrong and realizing it during or after construction).
Building is an expensive endeavor and the people who get the most out of the design process all share this perspective: design is an investment rather than a cost.
Let us explain a few of the reasons why we are worth the investment:
Peace of Mind:
You can rely on us to assemble and coordinate the best team for your project from design consultants to builders. We keep a watchful eye on the design process, budget, schedule, and construction throughout the entire process; preparing all of the necessary information from design, to planning and building approvals, and construction. The bottom line is that we are your advocate throughout the entire process and will address any problems that may arise, taking significant time and stress out of your hands.
Streamlining the Process:
In each project there are hundreds of decisions to make, regulations and conditions to be met, options to evaluate and processes to navigate. Without proper experience and knowledge this can lead to dead-ends and false assumptions which cost you time and money. We are professionally trained to help plan, design, and implement your project. We have been through this process many times and are not only proficient but more importantly can anticipate needs and costly pitfalls. We are well versed in managing risks that may arise during the various stages of design and construction. Flat out - we will save you time, money and stress throughout the entire process.
See Our Design Process for further details on how we streamline the process and manage risks
Enhancing Value:
We encourage you to think outside the box, looking not just at the immediate project brief, but at the wider project goals and opportunities. We also ask the right questions and delve deeper to really understand. We can help identify the best design, strategy, and approach to achieve the project objectives and often bring creative ideas that you would not have considered.
Simply put, a well-designed project has greater satisfaction, not to mention resale value.
Mitigate and Manage Risk:
Once the project brief is established we will conduct thorough research to evaluate the viability of your project and ensure any risks are identified and managed from the outset. Our research and ongoing discussions are critical for making informed decisions going forward and streamlining the design and construction process. Because we shepard our clients through the process often times they are not fully aware of potential pitfalls and risks.
See Our Design Process for further details on how we streamline the process and manage risks
Achieve the Best Design & Outcome:
We are impartial and will work with you to determine how your budget can be best utilized to achieve aspirations and optimize results. Through a process of meaningful communication and creative collaboration we incorporate inventive and practical design solutions to address any challenges, optimize results, and add those extra little details that make the project unique.
Ensure Quality:
Alignment is critical. Clear communication to align expectations for design quality, construction quality, and budget are important factors we balance. Additionally, our experience working in the trades allows us to anticipate potential questions or issues that may arise during construction. We appropriately communicate quality expectations and implement quality assurance measures in our documentation and process of supporting your project during construction activities.
Having considered and detailed drawings for your project means that any coordination issues that might arise are first addressed on paper before being implemented. This saves time, money, and disappointment. A good set of drawings gives the builder greater confidence and conviction when making the design a reality, reducing costly mistakes and schedule delays.
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This 'pre-design' service is something we can assist with and is more common than many people realize. During our initial consultation we can discuss options to assist you with this process.
Often times a client comes to us knowing what they want in a general sense and would like to work through the remainder of this process together. For example, we worked with a client knowing they wanted to build a custom home knowing they wanted 3 beds, 3 baths with a large kitchen. Through the process of working together we determined what types of spaces, sizes, and adjacencies were important for them based on their lifestyle.
We then moved into the next phase of design where this information was translated into a set of floor plans and a 3D model.
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Many factors impact the design timeframe, including project complexity, how quickly you can provide feedback, and municipal planning/building approvals. To give you a rough idea of how long it will take, keep the following rules of thumb in mind:
- Simple project: Allow 3-6 months for design and 8-12 months for the build.
- Complex renovation or build: Allow 6-8 months for design and 12–18 months for the build.
- Development approval: If your project requires development approval, add a minimum of 3 months to the above timeframes.
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That's all a part of our services. As we get to know you, we will suggest and match you with builders we feel will be a good fit for you as well as the project type and budget.
We are picky when it comes to builders; honesty, transparency and build quality are the three key factors that determine who we work with.
We are not interested in putting bids out to lots of builders and hoping for a bargain – we believe in paying a fair price, which leads to better construction outcomes and lower stress for clients. The builders we work with are generally one-man-bands or small businesses, so they don't have huge overheads such as marketing departments or steep advertising bills. They’re people we genuinely like and get along with – and we’re sure you will too (which is important, as they’ll be hanging around awhile!)
If you already have a contractor we would like to meet them to get to know them as people and fellow professionals, their values, experience on similar projects and budgets. Since building is a large undertaking in time and money it is important for us all to be well aligned from the beginning.
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We have developed our design process to be modular so that it is both simple and streamlined but also customizable. We are deeply involved in the design process and believe that the best results come from a collaborative working relationship with clients and contractors. To assist clients throughout the entire process, including during construction, we provide construction support services. These services keep all three parties(client, contractor, architect) in good communication and allow us to inform clients during construction on the multiple factors to be considered when making decisions. This continuity throughout the entire process allows us to be a through line on the design, code requirements, and provide overall support to the client and contractor if any issues or changes come up during construction.
Costs:
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Budget is a vital aspect of every project – you’ve chosen to make a significant investment, and we respect that by:
- Making your budget a key item in each meeting.
- Communicating upfront when you are making choices that are likely to push the budget up, and providing alternatives to these cost additions.
- Taking a design approach that considers construction systems, efficiencies, and economies.
- Having a vetted and robust team of high-quality builders who work with us across a range of project budgets to achieve buildable outcomes.
- Adopting a ‘price early’ approach.
See Q & A for 'How do you manage the project budget?' below.
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When starting a project we do an initial assessment of the project budget, size, and any budgetary 'extras.' From this initial assessment we will work with you to refine the preliminary budget and square footage to reconcile any discrepancies. After this we create budgetary targets, typically in terms of $/SF, as a framework for developing the project design. Once initial designs are established, and approved by you, we recommend bringing in a contractor. During the design process they will provide feedback on construction costs and build a robust project budget.
This is helpful for several reasons: the contractor becomes familiarized with the project design and client needs, starts conversations with subcontractors early in the process to develop more acute pricing, and builds out a construction schedule. We have found that this process of collaboration helps reduce the number of questions and budgetary errors during the construction phase and helps streamline handing off the project to the contractor which typically happens when the permit is approved.
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Yes! We suggest starting the process by meeting together via video call to answer any questions you may have for us, get to know you, and learn more about your project. We take this information and develop a design proposal to review together- ensuring we fully understand your needs, explain how we propose to structure the design process for your project, and transparently review all design fees so that you fully understand all associated costs.
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The people who get the most out of the design process all share this perspective: design is an investment rather than a cost. The reality is that architectural fees, like all professional services, are not cheap (but neither is getting the design wrong; trust us on that).
Our fees include not only design; they also give you access to our years of building and design knowledge, project management experience, our network of industry professionals, and our team’s ability to navigate approvals and solve complex problems. This results in life-enriching design and a streamlined process with lower stress and cost savings.
With that said, we are cost-conscious at every stage. To ensure you can access design and advice within your budget, we offer a-la-cart options to choose from to fit your budget and design needs. Below are examples of common a-la-cart options:
- As-built Drawing: For any renovation or addition project we will need drawings of the existing space. We offer measurement and drawing services which become the basis of our design work.
- Permit Drawings: This is required for all projects. We provide all architectural design, code compliance research, and create all construction drawings required for permit approval. We will coordinate our design work with any and all design consultants to ensure a well coordinated, clear, and thorough set of drawings.
- Lighting Design: Integrating the lighting design with the architectural design creates a cohesive design that is customized to the needs of your project. We also find that electricians bid projects more accurately, with fewer change orders during construction, when they have lighting design drawings to bid from.
- Interior Design: For clients seeking a cohesive design and don't want to make selections of all interior fittings and finishes we can provide this service and coordinate the interior design with the rest of the drawings. We will work with you to determine the best fit for your design style - whether it be with our in-house team or another interior designer that we contract with for your project.
- Construction - contract structuring and ongoing support: We can help save you significantly by advising on how to best structure a contract with your contractor to ensure everyone is fully invested and have aligned interests. We aren't lawyers and can't advise on the finer details however we have found great success in aligning these contracts for the best outcomes for all parties. Additionally, we can be your advocate and advisor during construction- becoming a through line as any changes or questions arise during construction. We have seen clients save significantly and have reduced stress with this service.
See Our Design Process for further details.
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We work on projects of any size.