The client is responsible for hiring the architect and the builder. Clients bring their ideas and needs, and they are in charge of final decisions as the design progresses, while always monitoring the budget.

The architect remains as a guide throughout the entire process. The architect leads the design efforts and works with engineers as needed. It is preferred to hire engineers once the design is set so that their scope is clear.

The builder acts as a consultant to provide feedback and pricing. We prefer to bring a builder onboard as early as possible in the process.

First, we meet to discuss your ideas and requirements. From there, we head to the "drawing board" and develop multiple design alternatives (called "schemes") for you. We then host a collaborative design session where we present these schemes and can make live adjustments based on your feedback. This session can take place online, at our office, or on-site (with travel time billed separately). After the session, we guide you through the next steps. The best part? You’re always in control—you decide what direction to take.

Design is a collaborative process of discovery, both for us and for our clients. As we start presenting alternatives and solutions, we often uncover new possibilities that may not have been considered at the start.

Although design costs are a small fraction of construction costs, they offer the most value in the entire project. Often, clients find that with a well-thought-out design, they don't need as much space or as many changes as they originally thought—leading to construction savings that can offset the design costs.

Having worked on over 500 projects, we’ve found that the biggest factor affecting the design effort isn’t always the project’s size, but rather the preparation, personality, and decision-making ability of our clients. Do you know exactly what you want, or are you exploring different ideas? Are you able to make decisions and stick with them?

Most clients fall somewhere in between: You may have a good sense of what you want but need help getting it on paper. Or, you might want to first explore what's feasible and financially logical. In this case, we can provide rough preliminary schemes that cover a range of options at a low cost.

To help you budget your project, we’ve developed a design fees calculator. It factors in your project type, size, and scope to give you a solid starting point for estimating design costs.

We’re currently working on an expanded guide to further explain the variables involved in design and the work that goes into it. We are always happy to discuss your budget and see how we can help you.