Architectural Services

The first step in full architectural services includes gathering information about your vision for the project and all its site parameters (zoning, building code, HOA covenants, trees, topography, solar orientation, etc.). The industry name for this is Programming.

With this information, we explore initial ideas and options for addressing your requirements. These findings are presented as our Schematic Design with a recommended concept or two for the project. (See more details about Schematic Design on our FAQ page.)

A Feasibility Study would explore whether a particular idea can indeed be accomplished given the site and regulatory constraints, with the idea being to determine whether there are limiting factors that would prevent moving ahead.

Programming, Schematic Design and Feasibility Studies are billed hourly.

Usually, the Schematic Design is the starting point for moving forward into Full Architectural Services for one of the types of projects listed below, but it or a Feasibility Study can be a stand-alone service.

We take the approved Schematic Design forward into CAD drawings, adding information about the building, e.g. building systems, materials, exterior cladding, structure, and interior finishes. This is the Design Development Phase, and is billed hourly. We bring on any other consultants needed for the design, such as a structural engineer. We begin to coordinate the systems in the building. These decisions will be represented in drawings and in an outline specification.

It’s important to have you interview contractors so that budgeting discussions can begin as early as possible. We need to confirm that the budget is workable before moving forward. Once an estimate is available, we will assess if we must trim any scope to reduce costs, or if we can move forward.

Once most basic decisions have been made and we have an idea of budgeting, we then produce a set of permit drawings and specifications that are submitted for the municipality’s Building Review process (if applicable). This is the first deliverable of the Construction Documents Phase of work. We continue to produce even more detailed drawings and specifications that the Contractor will use for pricing and to build from during construction. These are published as the Construction Documents.

Interior finish selections: Full Architectural Services usually include the selection of items attached to the building (flooring, hardware, tile, cabinets, other millwork) during the Construction Documents Phase, but this work can be delegated to your independent interior designer if desired. We are available to help you through pricing negotiations with the Contractor, and once a final project budget is agreed upon and a permit is issued, construction begins. The cost of this phase is set as a percentage of the construction cost projection provided by the contractor and is billed monthly by percentage of completion.

Construction Phase Services. During construction we provide services such as shop drawing review and oversight of change orders. We are available to provide any additional information the contractor may require. We go to the site at regular intervals to observe construction progress and act as your representative to ensure the construction follows the intent of the design documents provided to the contractor. The cost of this phase is set as a fixed fee and billed as a percentage of completion.