Our Drawings

“…because when you’re talking about building a house, you’re talking about dreams.”

— Robert A. M. Stern

Pre-Design is the foundation for the rest of the design and documentation process. It’s our discovery phase where we gather and analyze information. We spend a considerable amount of time learning about you, your programmatic requirements, and what would make the project special to you. From this information, we craft a one-page project brief that gets to the essence of the project and guides us in all future decisions. Information gathering includes studying the context of the neighborhood, researching the zoning requirements, and measuring and photo-documenting the property and existing home to create base drawings for the rest of the project. We also spend a considerable amount of time investigating and discovering what makes the home unique, what gives it character, and what is historically, culturally, and economically valuable.
1-2 weeks

3-6 weeks
we focus on the big picture design moves. We focus on the experience of the home, the location and relationship between different functional areas, how the new design affects the existing site or home, passive sustainable design strategies, and ultimately, the overall design concept of the home. In this phase, we use the information gathered during the Existing Conditions with your project scope to design the floor plan and site plan and accompany them with 3D renderings to convey the shape, massing, and other big ideas. We meet with you to discuss these layouts and refine them until we create the best design solution. This is generally done in 2-3 meetings. At the end of this phase, we should have the entire scope defined.

Design Development is where we focus on the smaller details and “guts” of the home. Wall, roof, and floor assemblies for the building envelope including insulation strategies are defined, as is the structural system and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing strategies. During this phase, we also focus on the “look” of the home. Materials including siding, roofing, doors, windows, lighting, cabinetry, counters, hardware, fixtures, tile, flooring, color schemes, and all other finishing details are discussed. This is generally done in 1-2 exterior meetings and 2-3 interior meetings with drawings, mood boards, samples, and 3d views.
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In the Construction Documents phase, we draw highly detailed plans and specify everything in the project so that the General Contractor can price the design and build the project. Detailed drawings show various relationships between materials, aesthetic details, and coordination information for the various trades. Schedules and specifications document products, types, quantities, and performance criteria of various components of the project.
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Building and planning approval is typically required for additions and most major renovations. Building permits are issued when structures are designed in accordance with the building codes and all other applicable codes and ordinances, to ensure the safety of the structure. The time necessary for approvals is completely dependent on the local jurisdiction and varies greatly depending on which departments and commissions need to give approvals.
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Construction for renovations and additions typically takes 5-8 months but can take more time based on the size, complexity, and location of the project. Once the project is underway, we typically make site visits to ensure that the design intent of the drawings is being upheld. In addition, we are available by phone and email to troubleshoot any questions that arise during the construction process.
What should we know about the services you provide? Better descriptions result in more sales.