SERVICES

Deciding What to Build

The first stage, called programming, is probably the most valuable time you will spend with your architect. It is at this time you discuss the vision for your home. For example, how many rooms, who will use it and how and what furnishings are thoroughly discussed. It is also the time when you begin to test the fit between what you want, what you need, and your proposed budget.

Be prepared to explore new and creative ideas. Be very candid about how you want the end result to feel and work. We will ask lots of questions to get a better sense of your goals and needs to determine if your expectations correlate with your budget. Changes may be suggested based upon our knowledge and experience. After thoroughly discussing your functional requirements and aesthetic preferences, we will prepare a Design and Construction outline organizing the spatial and functional relationships and summarizing the important concepts, which have been emphasized during our discussions.

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Preliminary Design

Once we have defined the major elements of the home design, we prepare a preliminary design. These drawings include:

Site Plan, showing the relation of the home to the site and its features.

Floor Plans, illustrating the arrangement of the rooms on each level and the furniture layout in each room.

Elevations, delineating the exterior style of your home.

3d Rendering, developed to further illustrate the design features

These drawings are not “finished” construction documents. They are meant to illustrate an initial translation of the program organization and requirements as well as the style of the exterior elements. Your input is gathered relating to content and direction of the preliminary design and we then revise the drawings to incorporate these ideas. Remember, there are still many more details to be established about your home and these will be developed as the design is finalized and the construction drawings are drafted.

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Refining the Design and Submission

This step, called Design Development, is when the architect prepares more detailed drawings to illustrate other aspects of the proposed design. When looking at these drawings, try to imagine yourself actually using the spaces. Ask yourself:

1. Does each space serve the intended purpose and include the features which are to be included?

2. Do I have a good sense of what it will look like? Do I like how it looks?

3. Do I agree with the selection of finishes, door types, windows, etc.?

4. Review every element with your architect to make sure you are comfortable with all of the design characteristics and the detail, which have been discussed.

The Preliminary Drawings are submitted to the Architectural Review Board(ARB) and we make a formal presentation to the Board, during which we describe design concept including the important features of your home and it’s relationship to the site characteristics. Comments are gathered from the ARB and the design is further refined to reflect our interpretation of these comments.

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Preparing Construction Documents

At this point, we prepare the Construction Documents, the detailed drawings and specifications, which the contractor will use to calculate actual construction costs and to build the project. These drawings and specifications become part of the construction contract. When the construction documents are finished, the final drawings and finish selections are submitted to the Architectural Review Board for final approval. Once approved, the builder is ready to proceed with the permit process and prepare the site for the beginning of construction.

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Project Management

Up until now, your project has been confined to extensive discussion, planning, and two and three dimensional renderings. When construction begins, your project moves from an abstraction to a physical reality.

The architect’s work does not stop with the preparation of construction documents. MD Architect also provide construction administration services. These services include making site visits, discussing selections, reviewing and approving the contractor’s applications for payment and keeping you informed of the project’s progress.

The contractor supervises and directs the construction work on the project and is responsible for construction methods, techniques, schedules, and procedures.

There are literally hundreds of decisions to be made during the construction phase, decisions which have a strong impact on how the project looks and functions over time. The architect works diligently to ease the way by helping you avoid wrong turns, but also can direct you to solutions you may have never considered.

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