Design - Build

From our experience, and in speaking with our industry-leading experts and fellow architects, we believe the story is as old as time; 'The project you designed is out of budget.' This situation occurs at least 95% of the time when a client embarks on a design build journey, starting and finishing their design and permit-ready plans without selecting and incorporating their contractor into the construction planning process. 

Architects can't fully confirm the costs to build, and often there are many additional elements that have yet to be detailed in the plans, which are essential for executing your project. 

For us, engaging early in the design and pre-construction planning process allows for more accurate project estimations. We are better positioned to explore the realities of building costs and expedite the timing for the start of construction by preemptively planning and estimating your project before the permit is issued. This proactive approach ultimately helps avoid in-field errors or issues that could lead to plan busts, alleviating the stress associated with feeling that you can't afford the plans you have.

Without a full Design Build team, you will not have "build-ready" plans and a clear scope of work to proceed successfully in the construction phase. Typically, an architect’s permit set of plans will lack the necessary details for completing the build. 

The more comprehensive the construction planning is, with details worked out before permit approval, the faster and more efficient the build will be. We will collaborate with your architect to confirm materials, refine design details, and delve deeper into engineering, building materials, and strategy.

We offer a variety of architectural services, and no single approach is superior to the others; it truly depends on where you are in the process and what your intended scope of work and project looks like.  

Already have an architect and moving forward with design planning? Excellent.  

We collaborate with all architects and enjoy meeting new ones! In this case, we would schedule a few meetings with your architect's team, learn their process if we aren't already familiar, and begin reviewing plans while offering assistance based on project needs. This will help get everyone to the point of design-build handoff.  

Don't have an architect? No problem.  

We will assess your project needs and scope, and guide you to our pool of architectural firms to find the right one that aligns with your project goals. Additionally, we will engage all necessary engineering and third-party professionals during the construction planning phase to ensure smooth communication, scope, and timeline progress.

We have in-house designers available for schematic planning and interior elevations, which is particularly beneficial when an architect is responsible for the build plans only. This allows us to offer essential architectural services and additional design planning elements, ensuring accuracy in the scope of work and aligning with client expectations.  

We also collaborate directly with clients and their architect teams throughout the design selection process; some architectural firms assist with this, while many do not. Regardless, we remain a vital part of the construction planning process, providing support in pricing, design ideas, and ensuring everything is managed in an organized manner, facilitating a thoughtful progression of your project through the design-build process.