Process
This page in the first in a series of four pages: process, performance, program and pricing.
These pages are designed to help you ask focused questions and better understand the role of each project team member.
Our Approach
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by questions at the thought of a construction project - even a small one. Not knowing how to answer those questions can lead to doubt which can lead to inaction. This is easy to do since you have so many other issues competing for your attention.
We try to always have a calming influence on projects so we can direct focus to what matters. We use an iterative process where we build up our decision making in layers so we don’t have to consider everything at once. This creates order and allows us to tackle all the questions when it’s appropriate to do so.
Defining Your Scope of Work
Defining you needs and wants is the place to start. That sets the scope of work for the project that we use through design and construction. The project is a success if the finished work meets your needs and as many wants as possible.
We’ve dedicated a separate page to this because it’s so important - number three in this series. More details on that later.
A Flexible Process
Once we’ve worked with you to refine the scope of work, we start developing a design solution. We scale the following process to any size project:
Pre-Design: analyzing the project site and evaluating any existing buildings to determine their potential to meet the requirements of the new work
Design: developing the quantity of the design through floor plans and exterior views; developing the quality of the design through material and building systems selections; and developing the remaining detail to communicate the scope of work to any parties bidding on the project
Bidding: assisting you with identifying one or more potential bidders; conducting the pre-bid meeting to explain the work and respond to questions; administering the bid (there may be multiple bidders); assisting you in negotiating the scope of work within your budget; assisting you in negotiating the agreement with the contractor; assisting you with financial/appraisal support
Construction/Fabrication: assisting you/contractor in obtaining a permit (there can be significant paperwork to be prepared + submitted); assisting the contractor with inspections (can include giving a professional opinion that work meets the code requirements); conducting coordination meetings on behalf the owner’s behalf; conducting/coordinating performance testing on the work; administering the owner’s agreement with the contractor by addressing questions, processing pay applications, etc.; assisting the owner with close out of the construction phase by developing a punch list, collecting lien waivers, etc.
Maintenance: assisting the owner with any expected or unexpected maintenance/repair issues
You might have noticed this is a brief presentation of our traditional services. It’s the same process we use to complete anything from a small part of a house to an entire house.
In-Person and Virtual Meetings
A design is developed in layers starting with a high-level view and working into the details. Early meetings are typically in person since we’re sketching with you and capturing the big-picture needs and wants that should be incorporated.
As we get into refining the design and adding more detail, virtual meetings are often preferred by clients since they’re so much less disruptive - there’s no commute/travel time and you can be anywhere there’s a decent internet connection.
We often use virtual meetings during construction to review the progress and issues that arise with the project team. The contractors always seem to appreciate having these coordination meetings on a regular schedule so we’re always working toward our next meeting.
Consultants
We’ll build a project team for your project. We typically use a geotechnical engineer (to determine soil bearing capacity for the foundation) and a structural engineer. It’s also common to add an interior designer, preservation consultant or other team members to support the project. These consultants are contracted through us since we’re responsible for coordinating their work.
Working With a Contractor
We like working with contractors and strive to help them support their subcontractors and vendors. It’s our preference to have a contractor involved early in the design phase to complete preliminary pricing and offer guidance. This allows them to become intellectually and emotionally involved in the success of the project.
Don’t worry if you don’t know any contractors. We’ll help you find a contractor for a negotiated bid or contractors for a competitive bid. We provide more detail about this in the fourth page in this series.
Services During Bidding + Construction
Our services during bidding and construction are a continuation of our advocacy for you. The project team grows substantially in bidding and construction when the contractor is added and brings subcontractors and vendors onto the project - even on a small project.
They have questions about the work, they typically have submittals that need to be reviewed, they have supply issues, they have building/energy code issues, they make pay applications and they need coordination to help them anticipate problems so those problems may be avoided. We serve as your expert in addressing these issues so we can keep the project moving smoothly toward a successful conclusion.
In Conclusion
An architect doesn’t have a financial stake in what goes into a project like a contractor, subcontractor or vendor. We don’t charge a mark-up on anything - we only charge for professional service to you. That allows us to serve you as an impartial advocate from pre-design through the end of construction.
Thanks for learning about process.
The next step in this series is learning about performance.
This is the first page in a series of four pages: