WORK WITH US

Renovating your home? Building a new addition? We can help.

First, here’s a little secret. Most people have no idea what architects do. Let alone why they would ever hire one.

So before we go further, allow us to explain ourselves. We’ll break it down into 3 simple steps:

STEP 1: DEFINE THE SCOPE

In this step, we meet with the homeowner and discuss big picture questions.

What are your home’s hidden possibilities?

Sometimes if a client isn’t sure the project is worth pursuing, we’ll enlist the help of a local contractor. We will walk them through the scope we have defined and request a rough estimate of construction costs.

.

STEP 2: DESIGN OPTIONS

Now the real fun begins. Our next step is to measure and draw your house as-is (we call this the existing conditions) and then show you what it could look like after renovating.

Generally, the information we collect in Step 1 can be applied several different ways. So we like to show 2-3 options. For example:

.

We do our best to paint a vivid picture. We’ll bring floor plans and 3-D views or a digital model (because we realize not everyone spends their formative years learning to read blueprints).

After a revision or two, the design is settled and we can move on to the next step.

STEP 3: CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS

By now, we’ve spent a lot of time imaging and revising possibilities to create your unique design solution. So, the last thing we want is for our ideas to be misinterpreted during construction. Enter Step 3 – Construction Drawings.

During this phase, we answer questions like:

What type of lights will we use in the closet and where is the switch located?
What’s the dimension of the tile and how does it center on the shower control?
What information is required for a permit and zoning review?
How far apart are the built-in shelves and how do we make sure they match the woodwork in the rest of the house?

Good to Know:

Sometimes clients pick a contractor early-on in the process (or they plan to do the work themselves). Others prefer to ask 2-3 contractors for bids or estimates.

In Step 3, we tailor what we draw to the builder’s needs.

We can help you decide which strategy is best for your job and create construction documents based on that decision.

The more we figure out on paper, the smoother the construction process goes. The good news is, most of this information is supplied by the architect (that’s what you’re paying us for).

Once the construction drawings are complete, we submit them to the contractor to develop a final price and start building.

If you don’t have a contractor selected, we’re happy to help you find one who’s a good fit for the project.

During the construction process, we’re available to translate drawings for the builders when they have questions.

That’s it!

We hope this helped answer some questions about the design process.

If you’ve always wanted to renovate an old house or make a new house your own, but had no clue where to start, or if you’ve found the perfect lot in a your neighborhood (surrounded by sidewalks and lovely front porches), we can help.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations!

On behalf of fixer-uppers, new home buyers and existing home owners everywhere, thank you for taking the time to learn what it takes to properly plan renovation and construction projects.

Now it’s time to take action. There are many beautiful, old houses out there waiting for you to turn them into your own comfortable, modern home or new houses waiting for you to fit them to your own needs.

You don’t have to be a DIY expert to make it happen. All you need is a vision and the right team to help you realize it.

What’s your project? Contact us today to get started.

.

Hagit Levy

ARCHITECTURE+DESIGN

WORK WITH US

Renovating your home? Building a new addition? We can help.

First, here’s a little secret. Most people have no idea what architects do. Let alone why they would ever hire one.

So before we go further, allow us to explain ourselves. We’ll break it down into 3 simple steps:

STEP 1: DEFINE THE SCOPE

In this step, we meet with the homeowner and discuss big picture questions.

What are your home’s hidden possibilities?

Sometimes if a client isn’t sure the project is worth pursuing, we’ll enlist the help of a local contractor. We will walk them through the scope we have defined and request a rough estimate of construction costs.

.

STEP 2: DESIGN OPTIONS

Now the real fun begins. Our next step is to measure and draw your house as-is (we call this the existing conditions) and then show you what it could look like after renovating.

Generally, the information we collect in Step 1 can be applied several different ways. So we like to show 2-3 options. For example:

.

We do our best to paint a vivid picture. We’ll bring floor plans and 3-D views or a digital model (because we realize not everyone spends their formative years learning to read blueprints).

After a revision or two, the design is settled and we can move on to the next step.

STEP 3: CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS

By now, we’ve spent a lot of time imaging and revising possibilities to create your unique design solution. So, the last thing we want is for our ideas to be misinterpreted during construction. Enter Step 3 – Construction Drawings.

During this phase, we answer questions like:

What type of lights will we use in the closet and where is the switch located?

What’s the dimension of the tile and how does it center on the shower control?

What information is required for a permit and zoning review?

How far apart are the built-in shelves and how do we make sure they match the woodwork in the rest of the house?

Good to Know:

Sometimes clients pick a contractor early-on in the process (or they plan to do the work themselves). Others prefer to ask 2-3 contractors for bids or estimates.

The more we figure out on paper, the smoother the construction process goes. The good news is, most of this information is supplied by the architect (that’s what you’re paying us for).

Once the construction drawings are complete, we submit them to the contractor to develop a final price and start building.

If you don’t have a contractor selected, we’re happy to help you find one who’s a good fit for the project.

During the construction process, we’re available to translate drawings for the builders when they have questions.

That’s it!

We hope this helped answer some questions about the design process.

If you’ve always wanted to renovate an old house or make a new house your own, but had no clue where to start, or if you’ve found the perfect lot in a your neighborhood (surrounded by sidewalks and lovely front porches), we can help.

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations!

On behalf of fixer-uppers, new home buyers and existing home owners everywhere, thank you for taking the time to learn what it takes to properly plan renovation and construction projects.

Now it’s time to take action. There are many beautiful, old houses out there waiting for you to turn them into your own comfortable, modern home or new houses waiting for you to fit them to your own needs.

You don’t have to be a DIY expert to make it happen. All you need is a vision and the right team to help you realize it.

What’s your project? Contact us today to get started.

.