Most of my work to date is in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. But, if the fit is right, and I can bring value, I'm ready to work with you wherever you are!
Very few people know exactly what they want at the very outset of a project. Creating a new home from scratch is inherently more of a discovery process than ordering more of what you already know. You don’t have to have everything figured out. It's my job to bring you the best options after listening to what you have to say about your goals and constraints, as well as factoring in time, budget, code, zoning, structure, aesthetic and other considerations. I'm here to help you find the best fit for you and your lifestyle.
Absolutely. In fact, I insist upon them prior to preparing any proposal for my services. However, prior to meeting you and visiting your property, it's essential to have a detailed initial conversation to confirm that the project will potentially be a good fit in the first place.
Creating a wholeness dwelling isn't for everyone. If an owner doesn't possess a deep appreciation for contemporary design, a sense of reverence of place, and a healthy respect for sustainable design and holistic wellness, I know that my own passions for those qualities will be unsupported and remain unrealized. Accordingly, I place great value on finding the right people and situations to enable the best outcomes. Although my focus is on making completely new homes, I also do whole-house renovations and conversions of non-residential structures into single-family dwellings.
When you are asking for a unique, built from scratch home, you are looking at something typically more expensive than a ready-to-buy house. I generally advise clients to at least consider a construction budget of $400 -$650 per square foot under roof (including the garage). Obviously, there are any number of factors other than size which will impact costs, including: Site access and conditions, complexity of structure, durability of materials, fixtures and finishes, technologies, and sustainability goals. Throughout the design process, I take an owner's budget to heart and work with them to help assure that scope and budget are kept within balance.
Assuming that you already have the site that you're ready to build on, it will likely take about two years from when I start to when you move in. Of course, that could vary depending on how ambitious your goals are and how complex the project is. Generally speaking though, it takes about 7-9 months for design, 3-4 months for builder selection and municipal approvals, and 9-12 months for construction.
At larger firms you're left to wonder who will be involved with your project, and to what extent. But at Always by Design the answer is simple: Me, Ed Barnhart, AIA. From our initial meeting until you move into your finished home, I'll be working directly with you, applying over thirty years of experience as a registered architect to every step of the process. What's guaranteed is project continuity and accountability.
In cases where your project might require services outside of my expertise, for example landscape design or specialized engineering, I solicit professional proposals and, with your review and approval, will retain them as consultants under my direction. That enables me to effectively manage the project while still providing single-source accountability to you.
Yes. In fact, I insist on staying with projects until construction is completed. Why? There are a whole host of reasons. First, no matter how much detail is put into the construction drawings, inevitably questions arise that require clarification. Second, builders make mistakes or fail to understand things, but with my intimate project knowledge they can be more readily caught and corrected before they become even bigger problems. Finally, and this is my favorite reason, being on site as the project is constructed invariably lets me see things in a more nuanced way and suggest adjustments which will provide added refinement and value to your finished home.
Over 95% of my work is done on a fixed fee basis -- which I do because it offers owners the greatest peace of mind. How do I determine what that fee is? It starts with an initial site visit and free consultation with you. That usually enables me to get a pretty good picture of the scope we're looking at and how challenging it will be to achieve. If those things are too murky at the outset, then I will recommend a feasibility study to provide clarity before preparing a detailed fee proposal for you.
For every proposal, I itemize the tasks I'll be performing and what I'll be delivering to you at each stage of the project, from initial information-gathering through to completion of construction. Depending on project complexity, fees tend to fall between 8% and 12% of the cost of construction for site-specific, custom-designed homes. Most of my clients understand that taking time to care costs money but is an investment in their quality of life for which they will be rewarded in their day-to-day lives for years to come.
Identifying the right builder for your project is an integral part of my services. I have established relationships with many builders who share my values of honesty, excellence, teamwork, respect, love of their craft and a positive can-do approach. Since builders tend to work in tighter catchments than architects do, when a project of mine falls outside the reach of my 'go-to' builders, I will undertake a research and vetting process to find someone with the right experience and values to suit your project's needs.
The short answer is: with a conversation. Most of my clients have never created a new home before and haven’t previously worked with an architect. Having designed a house for my own family, I understand how daunting the process might at first appear. The step-by-step process that I've developed at Always by Design provides you with the confidence of knowing what is needed and when. Furthermore, it is structured to provide you with enough information at each stage to enable you to comfortably make the right decisions.