Whether through the web, a referral or other contact, we begin typically with a phone call to gather basic information about the client and project and then we usually schedule a meeting. At that meeting we pose a series of questions and listen intently so we can fix the scope of work, understand the client’s expectations and outline a process tailored to the specific project. The primary goal in this step is for everyone to get comfortable with one another, the project and the process. The second goal is to develop a program.

At its core, the Architect to Client relationship is a business arrangement whereby the Architect’s education, experience, knowledge and talent are harnessed to serve the client and their project. The proposal is the document that lays out the work, its phases, timing and costs. And critically, it sets expectations based on what is known and the inevitable unknowns.

If the project involves an existing structure, the work begins with a survey of it so we have an accurate understanding of existing conditions. Some projects are sufficiently undefined and require a feasibility study to tighten up the program and determine options so a direction forward can be established. For the bulk of projects, the work begins with design of floor plans illustrating major spaces, their adjacencies, circulation, and relationship to fixed elements like the sun, good and bad views, parking, common spaces, and more. The phase is interactive, collaborative and often involves several meetings. This phase demands some heavy cognitive lifting to visualize and understand the complexities of yet to be built space. Depending on the size and scope of the project this phase may have several subphases.

This aptly named phase is where general ideas begin to converge towards a detailed understanding of the look, the feel and the life of the project’s spaces. The plan and elevations will be fixed and communicated as will some notion of materials, colors, textures, construction type and more. It will yield a recognition of the interdependencies of design (the creative) with construction (the practical.) At this point we often begin the Interior Design Process selecting finishes, fixtures, furniture, lighting and more.

Steps 1 – 4 culminate in an approved design which has been studied and communicated. Construction Documentation is the process of layering on details and specifications to provide sufficient information for bidding, to obtain building permits and guide construction. This may include the work of consulting engineers. There is a mountain of information, complexities, interdependencies and interferences that must be considered, managed and documented.

Every project is a prototype and depending on the size and complexity will require support once construction documents are released to contractors, vendors, and regulatory authorities. These may take the form of Requests for Information, clarifications, submittal reviews, site visits to inspect work, discuss and verify design intent, approve payment requests and more. It may also include work to redesign as the design takes on three dimensional reality.