Our Design Process

The design of a custom home and the creation of construction drawings to describe the design to you and all the people that will have a part in building the home is a process that will involve YOU, an architect, a general contractor, a surveyor, a structural engineer, and perhaps an interior designer. The architect is the one who will help you bring your dream house ideas to life and coordinate all the other folks during the design process. Here is our typical progression:
Introduction and Proposal Phase:

• We’ll have a Get-To-Know-You meeting, usually by Zoom, where we’ll discuss your preliminary vision for your house including size, basic features and style preferences, budget range, and site opportunities and challenges.
• I’ll prepare a letter of proposal on my anticipated architectural fees and time frame and send a sample AIA contract for your review.
• If that looks good, we’ll execute the contract and move forward.

Programming Phase:

• We’ll get started with an in-person visit to your building site to learn more about why you selected this particular place for your new house. If you have already teamed up with a builder, it would be great if they could be at this meeting too.
• I can arrange for getting a survey and topographic mapping of your site as needed.
• I’ll send you a spreadsheet to get your input on features of typical house spaces that you’d like to have like a walk-in pantry or a large island for your kitchen.
• You can send me inspiration photos or images of exterior or interior styles or features that you like.

Schematic Design Phase:

• I’ll start with your site and sketch ideas of the layout of the house, garage, driveway and outdoor spaces as they relate to the views, slope, neighbors, solar access, and other site considerations.
• I’ll continue with sketches of ideas for the space planning and the relationships of spaces to each other and the site.
• I’ll develop the space planning into floor plans to show rooms, windows, doors, stairs, decks, porches, etc. with sizes to get to your target overall size.
• When you are comfortable with the overall floor plans, I’ll move on to the exterior look including rooflines and exterior materials. I’ll be building the 3D computer model to be able to help you understand what things will look like and how the house fits your land.
• At each step above in the Schematic Design Phase, we’ll discuss and do options as needed. I can coordinate with your builder about preferred materials and systems as we move forward.
• The deliverable of the Schematic Design Phase is a PDF of the in-progress architectural drawings with the exterior look and materials, the site plan, the exterior elevations, floor plans, roof plan, and building sections that can typically be used for HOA/Architectural Review, and preliminary pricing by your builder.

Construction Drawings Phase:

• I’ll further develop the schematic drawing set to include the detailing needed to actually build the house.
• I’ll arrange for structural engineering and civil engineering as needed and coordinate with these folks.
• I can coordinate with your interior designer on cabinet layout, lighting, or plumbing fixture layouts as needed.
• The deliverable of the Construction Drawings Phase is a PDF and printed copies of the completed and stamped architectural and engineering drawing set.