Client: How do you approach the design process?

A:  Design is an exciting process and process is key to a well designed home and successful project.  We approach each of our custom designed projects with a pragmatic mindset for the clients interest and an eye for delivering maximum value for our clients in the form of carefully considered homes and spaces.

Client: how much does it cost?

A:  Each project varies in complexity and level of detail needed. Understanding this, we typically use a lump sum fee which includes our entire service from our initial meeting to the construction documents your contractor will use to build and pull permits. (For an official quote please contact.)   In short, the fee is based on the amount of time, effort, and level of experience needed to successfully deliver for our clients.

Client: Do my plans need to be structurally engineered?

A: Its always a good idea to have piece of mind. When our projects exceed local building codes we suggest our clients have their design reviewed and stamped by a professional structural engineer.

Client: Do you provide everything needed for construction and permitting?

A:  Yes, we provide construction documents for building professionals and contractors to build your home. Our documents are used to obtain building permits in your local municipality and receive estimates from contractors. Typically, our document set will include, site plan, foundation plan, floor plans, elevations, building sections and details, roof plan, electrical plans (optional), plus any documents from the structural engineer.  

Client: How do we find a builder?

A:  As an integral part of building a home, making sure our designs are executed with a reputable builder is the final key to a successful project.  We have relationships with several quality local builders we can recommend. 

Client: can you design "green"?

A:  Yes. There are many ways to approach sustainable home design from cost effective advanced framing techniques to capturing geo thermal and solar energy sources.  Solar orientation can play a role in placement of windows and especially when designing for passive solar.  For our clients who want to save on the energy bill and are not interested in the upfront investment of solar, geo or passive design we suggest investing in 2x6 exterior walls and quality insulation such as closed cell foam insulation.  Highly insulated windows and doors will save lots of energy also. 

Client: How long does it take?

A:   As a reference, a typical house design might take anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months to complete the design. There are many factors that come into play such as the time of year, complexity of design, and flow of communication between designer and client. We suggest planning ahead to allow appropriate time to complete well thought out design and plans for your home.