For those people who have never worked with an architect, the process can seem daunting. There are a few components to the process that are the same for almost every project:

Selecting an architect: In addition to having experience and good references, you should feel comfortable with your architect. The design and construction process is long and involved. You will work with your architect intimately and you need to feel that communication is clear and easy.

Phases of Work:

1. Programming: Bring as many of your ideas to the table as possible; magazine clippings, digital collections of buildings you like, sketches, and lists of needs are examples of useful Owner-provided information that we use to help define a program and direction for a project. DUring the PRogramming Phase we also gather information about the site or existing building, which could include helping the Owner to engage a land surveyor, or visiting an existing building to measure and draw the existing conditions - all the tasks involved in defining the starting point from which the actual design work begins.

2. Schematic Design: The Program crreated in the first phase is used as the basis for analyzing the possibilities of your project and creating initial sketches of one or more ideas for your review. Revisions are made until you feel comfortable with the design.

3. Design Development: The Schematic Design is often submitted to a contractor for initial costing. Sometimes an Owner already has one or more contractors they are interested in getting preliminary numbers from, but we often suggest Contractors for the Owner to meet and select. In this phase we also develop the design further, working closely with you to select colors, materials, fixtures, and other specific parts of the project. Based on the Contractor's preliminary estimate of construction cost, adjustments may be made to the design to make the scope match the budget.

4. Construction Documents: During this phase we create the drawings and specifications package that will be submitted to the City for a building permit and to the Contractor for a final bid. All the details are finalized in this phase, and we work with the contractor for continued feedback on construction cost.

5. Bidding or Negotiations Phase: If a contractor is selected through an open bidding process once the construction documents are complete (versus being pre-selected as described above), we will assist the Owner by answering contractor questions and making clarifications so that the bid is accurate. We then assist the OWner in negotiating a final number with the contractor.

6. Construction Administration: We visit the construction site at regular intervals or as needed by the contractor in order to answer questions, examine unforseen conditions, and monitor the general progress of the work. We also evaluate the conrtactor's requests for payment to help prevent the contractor from billing ahead of actual work complete or materials delivered to the job site. We handle all the paperwork and help to make this chaotic period easier for the Owner, and we are involved from groundbreaking through when the contractor turns over the keys and drives away at the end of the project.