You’ve gotten all your information together and you’ve selected an architect.  What’s next?  What are the stages in the home design process?

1. Documenting the Existing Conditions

What does it mean to document the existing conditions?  If the project is a new construction project, it means taking photographs of the existing site.  For a renovation, it means documenting the existing home by taking measurements and photographs.  In order for an architect to begin thinking about the best way to design something new, they will need to know what’s already there.  This is accomplished by putting together a set of existing plans and elevations.

2. Schematic Design

In the schematic design phase, an architect works with a homeowner to develop drawings that are thorough enough to get some ballpark bids back from contractors.  Using the existing drawings, the architect looks through the information gathered in an introductory meeting and begins to think through a possible design.  During the design process there will be some back and forth between architect and homeowner to answer any questions that come up and to review preliminary drawings.  Sometimes an architect will send pictures to show examples of design ideas to gauge a homeowner’s interest in going one way or another with the design.  Photographs are the easiest way to quickly convey ideas or conceptual designs.  Once a schematic design set has been completed, an architect will typically put things on hold at this point until a homeowner can get some preliminary contractor bids back.  Over the last several years, it has become increasingly difficult to estimate the cost of construction as there have been big swings in materials and labor costs.  One contractor’s price may be double the cost of another.  Unfortunately, most contractors will not bid on hypothetical designs, so a bid set must be completed first and pricing can be done after. This is also an opportunity for homeowners to interview potential contractors and nail down some potential contractor lead times and potential start dates.  After an introductory meeting, homeowners often have an idea about which contractor’s they feel the best about working with on the project.

3. Design Development

Once ballpark prices come back from contractors, we can start the design development phase.  This phase is the process of marrying the client’s budget with the contractor’s bid numbers. If the budget and bid numbers are close, this can be a very short phase.  If the budget and bid numbers are far apart, we may need to look into a change in scope.  Everything is on the table at this point.  Cuts can be anything from cutting square footage to changing materials.  The process typically involves taking feedback from the various contractors on big ticket cost items and finding creative ways to make adjustments to the design.  The goal is to make cuts in a way that doesn’t compromise the design or any fundamental goals of the project.

4. Construction Documents

The last phase of the project is the construction documents phase.  This phase involves completing framing plans, wall sections, details, and other items that are needed in order to submit for permit.  This phase may involve a structural engineer if needed.  In certain jurisdictions, it may also involve coordination with earth craft advisors as well.  It helps to have an architect and contractor that are familiar with the requirements relevant to the project.

5. Permit and Construction

The last phase of the project is permit review.  The contractor typically handles submitting for permit as the documents usually require cost estimation and other elements that are in the contractor’s scope of work.  There may be additional information or drawings required by the reviewers, so the architect may be involved.

The architect typically makes several site visits during construction to make sure that things are being built as planned.  If homeowners have questions about the quality of accuracy of the work compared to the drawings, the architect acts as an advocate for the homeowner.

You may also want to read Reasons to Hire an Architect at https://robertkochdesigns.com/reasons-to-hire-an-architect/

To see some of the exciting projects designed by Robert Koch Designs and to learn more about the home design process, please visit www.robertkochdesigns.com.  Here you’ll find many examples of both modern and traditional homes, created with an attention to detail and a love of design.