Our Process

In this foundational stage, we work to understand the goals of the buildings and the opportunities and constraints around them.

• Building Programming

  Based on discussions with you, we create a building-specific program based on your design objectives, desired uses, and the buildings’ required spaces.

• Site Investigation

  To better understand the context of the buildings, we analyze views, sun orientation, topography, and drainage, among other issues.

• Zoning & Development Analysis

  To better understand the context of the buildings, we analyze views, sun orientation, topography, and drainage, among other issues.

The design process has four steps, each with increasingly more detail. This process takes us from the ideas phase to detailed documents that help guide construction.

• Conceptual Design

  In this design phase, we get the main qualities of the project down on paper. We create drawings showing the site planning, massing studies, architectural character, and conceptual floor plans. We also draft a schedule and work with a contractor who prepares the budget estimate. At this point, the goal of the “order of magnitude” budget estimate is to better understand the feasibility of construction.

• Schematic Design

  We create a more detailed site plan, refine the architectural character of the building, and design more specific floorplans showing all spaces and their dimensions, circulation, and other issues.

• Design Development

  We determine if changes to engineering or design are necessary to respond to site issues such as environmental impact, drainage, or market demand issues.

• Construction Documents

  We create construction documents, which show what is to be built and that it can indeed be built. Architects, engineers, interior designers, and landscape architects, among others, work together to create a coordinated suite of documents.

This final step involves finding the specific contractors and subcontractors for construction, working with and obtaining permits from the local government for the project, and then…building the project!

• Permitting

  We facilitate the construction drawings through the governing agencies. This includes applying for the permits, attending design review and approval meetings, making requested revisions, and receiving the permits.

• Negotiating & Bidding (if required)

  Either the general contractor takes the final construction documents out to bid to generate a construction budget, or the project is first bid out to general contractors, who will in turn generate a construction budget. We help in this process by answering questions and providing further insights.

• Construction Administration

  We work with you and the general contractor to ensure that the original vision and intent shown on construction drawings are carried through construction. This includes advising you as the client during construction and visiting the site to observe progress and quality of work.