Structure

We start with an initial meeting that usually takes place at your home, where we establish the scope of work based on your preferences and the current starting-point. You tell us what you would like to change about your surroundings, what drives you crazy, and what you can’t live without. Any visuals are helpful: photos, examples of houses that excite you – anything that represents what you have in mind and that represents your style, are all helpful to us to understand your vision.

New development

We ask questions about your new home’s desired footprint/layout, approximate square footage, how many levels, how many bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. You may already have a collection of some documentation including site plan, site survey, pictures or sketches of your vision, which is excellent to share/discuss.

Comfortability

Once we clearly understand the work scope, we send you a proposal with a fixed fee for a full permit package and this way, you know upfront what you get and how much you pay for it.

At this stage, we can introduce subcontractors that may be involved in your project: site surveyors, geotechnical engineers, general contractors, electricians, plumbers, interior designers, landscape architects, etc. Even if you decide to work with someone else, regardless,we gladly connect you with some great subcontractors you may need, We recommend the same people that would hire for our own home during a remodel or expansion.

Depending on the scope - a site survey of your lot may be needed. If so, we recommend that you order/schedule one as soon as possible. This may affect some crucial decisions on the project, such as setbacks, view restrictions, and/or height restrictions regulated by your jurisdiction.

We are looking for an accurate location of a building/buildings on your lot concerning property lines, setbacks, topography lines, trees, wells, septic system, etc.

A Geotech report may be needed for structural engineering and often required by your jurisdiction. They are looking for any natural resources, for example, quality of the soil (bearing properties), any streams, wetlands, landslides, etc. situated on your property.

As-Built Drawings

If you decide to work with us, we originate your existing house’s layout in the form of as-built drawings. If you have any plans drawn by you or any original permit documents or old blueprints – they are always helpful. If you don’t have any records, no worries - we will measure your house and develop the as-built drawings.

After we have current floor layouts, roof plans and elevations, based on the scope and your guidelines, we begin transforming your home within the modeling software (Revit). You’ll start receiving files with layouts, elevations, and 3D views to determine the most appealing design solution.

There will be questions for you to help you decide on many aspects of your future space. For example, do you want a shower or a bathtub in your bathroom, how many and how large are the windows, gable or mono-sloped roof, are the beams going to be exposed or upset/flush (hidden) in the ceiling, etc.

This is a very interactive stage and it is up to you how quick or slow the project moves forward, based on how informative and swift you are with your responses. I’ll wait for your feedback and most likely ask more questions until we find the best solution that fits your style, needs, and requirements and, at the same time assures the final design to be functional and code compliant in every aspect to design.

Structural Engineering

Once you are satisfied with your new or transformed space's design, the set can be forwarded to structural engineering. You can use your own structural engineer or engage engineers that we work closely with on a weekly basis.

Keep in mind that anything can be built, although it always depends on how much you are willing to pay for it. Therefore, there may be some more design adjustments and tweaks associated with structural engineering, that often related to the budget. Nevertheless, we always communicate and affirm final modifications with you. We don’t provide construction quotes, but we can anticipate which solution is most likely to be more/less expensive.

Permit Documentation

What you receive from us is an architectural set with required calculations, and if you choose to, structural engineering drawings that are necessary for the permitting process. We leave submitting for a permit up to you or your general contractor, but our fixed fee includes city correspondence and updates as long as the original scope is still retained. 

With this permit documentation, you can get accurate quotes/bids from your contractor, builder or developer.

We understand that when working with the existing structure, there are elements that cannot be predicted and that there can be a surprise or two once the walls, ceilings, floors are opened up. No worries - we support you throughout the construction phase and have significant experience adjusting or designing solutions to site discoveries.