MAKING it happen
Where do I start?
This is the most common question I hear from owners ready to initiate a major renovation or new construction project.
My answer? Start a conversation with an experienced professional.
The Process
My goal is to have clients feel comfortable and confident throughout the design and construction process. This involves, not only listening to their specific concerns at any given time, but also providing structured leadership for making aesthetic, cost-effective and timely decisions. That leadership process generally unfolds in the following sequence:
Information Gathering – where I listen to what a client wants, learn about their tastes and their lifestyle, become familiar with the specifics of their property (land and/or existing building), and determine applicable constraints (financial, regulatory, scheduling, etc.)
Schematic Design – where we determine how to fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together – so that spaces are of the right sizes, flow well from one to another, and result in an overall form or organization that expresses wholeness. By the end of this phase we know how big the house would be (area and height) and have a sense of an appropriate construction budget.
Design Development – where we focus in detail at the feel and aesthetic experiences we want to achieve in each space. In this phase we exchange ideas about materials and products, and where to apply them. We also refine layouts of built-ins and make preliminary selections of mechanical systems, plumbing fixtures and other building systems.
Construction/Bid Documentation – where we develop the overall drawings, details and technical specifications needed to obtain competitive bids from builders and the requisite municipal approvals for starting construction.
Construction Period – where I act as the owner’s representative to the builder – periodically monitoring on-site construction progress, reviewing progress payments and providing supplementary information to the builder as needed. Prior to Owner move-in I assure completion of “punch-list” deficiencies, turn-over of warranties and final certificates, and satisfaction of financial requirements.
The goal of every project is to develop new and lasting relationships, inspiring clients, colleagues and contractors along the way to work together to create something truly greater than the sum of its parts.