Process
Beginning a remodeling or building project can seem overwhelming
at first.
Here is an overview of the process, step by step, to help
you get going.
Getting Started: Gathering Information
• Make a list of your “must haves” and your “would be nice”
items and keep it updated. Make a list of the “green goals”
that are important to you, if you have a sense of that. Gather
images and note what you like about them on the image itself.
• Get a sense of the construction costs for similar projects.
Factor in the “hard costs” of construction and the “soft costs”
(architect and consultant fees, building and planning permit
costs, storage costs, etc). Talk to friends and neighbors
and remember to add padding for inflation since building costs
go up every year.
• Consider hiring a contractor or an architect to help you
come up with some preliminary, “arm waving” numbers.
• Consider whether it would be better to move instead of
remodeling. Factor in any increase in property taxes incurred
by moving. Also consider the hassle factor of remodeling and
whether you have time and energy for it. Discuss the project
with a realtor or two to get their opinions on the improvement
value to a future buyer.
Next: Interviewing Professionals
• If you decide to proceed with a remodeling or design project,
the next step is to interview design professionals. Architects
are trained to design with the entire house in mind, even
if the area of work is merely one room. Our training is rigorous,
and the licensing exams demanding, including both written
and oral tests that would span four days, if taken all at
once. We must be artistic, technical, practical, attentive
to regulations, and highly communicative to do our job well.
• When interviewing architects look for a connection with
the person as well as with the spirit of their work. If you
are looking for a green building project, then it is best
to choose from the pool of green architects, as their expertise
in making the project a reality will be invaluable.
• A green architect will recommend green builders with whom
they have worked, and you may choose to interview those contractors
as well as others on your list. It is good to start interviewing
contractors early in the process; you’ll need their cost-estimating
input during the design process.
The Architectural Process By Phase
The architectural process is divided into phases as described
below:
Programming and Predesign Phase: Information Gathering
The architect nails down the basic elements of the project,
such as the owners’ goals and objectives, budget, regulatory
constraints, and information about the existing building.
This is also the stage at which we ask the surveyor for a
proposal, if a survey is needed.
Schematic Design Phase: Brainstorming
The architect creates a variety of alternative schemes to
solve the design puzzle. Working with the owner, one scheme
is chosen to develop further, often by piecing together elements
of the various alternatives. Commonly, we contact a structural
engineer at this point to prepare a preliminary design for
use in pricing. In our office, we pause here for a construction
cost estimate. The owner then has the opportunity to decide
how to proceed: to go forward as planned, or to re-evaluate
the project design by including new ideas or adding or removing
elements.
Design Development Phase: Finalizing the Design
We refine the chosen scheme and, if not previously done,
get the consultants to prepare their first drafts. We work
with the owners to make product and material selections, and
prepare a draft specification. We then get an updated construction
cost estimate. The owner again evaluates how to proceed. In
cases where the planning department requires a design review
or another planning permit, such as a variance, we apply for
that process during this phase.
The Construction Documents Phase: Preparing the Drawings
The term “construction documents” refers to the drawing and
specification package which serves as the basis of the contract
between the owner and the contractor.
In this phase we prepare additional drawings, and edit and
complete the ones we have started. We also update and add
to the specification, finalizing it. We do a lot of “behind
the scenes work” at this stage, in the sense that while the
drawings may not seem to change significantly to the owner,
they are in fact being refined and edited at great detail.
The Bidding and Permitting Phase: Last Steps before Construction
Two separate activities occur during this phase. The contractors
with whom the owner has been in communication prepare their
final bid, and, in our office, we apply for the building permit.
The project is reviewed by the plan checkers in the building
department. Owners can choose to start with the permit process
before the pricing begins, or to do them simultaneously.
The Building Department issues a “correction list” and asks
the architect and consultants to respond via notes or edits
to the drawings. It is almost impossible to avoid this process,
as each plan checker in a department is permitted to exercise
some discretion about what they want to see. The architect
and consultant issue their corrections, and upon review and
approval, the building permit is issued and acquired.
The Construction Phase
With the building permit in hand, the contractor can begin
work.
We feel strongly that our continuing involvement during construction
is crucial to the project’s success. A good contractor will
want to be sure he or she is interpreting the spirit of the
design properly, and will ask the architect for clarification
about the design, as well as input when something unexpected
comes up.
The owner’s job during construction is to be available to
participate in the ongoing flow of decisions, both small and
large, that are an integral part of any successful construction
project. The owner must also keep up with any deadlines to
supply items that they have agreed to purchase.
The end result is a home or workplace transformed as dreamed
about at the sketch stage and now realized in three dimensions.
The Typical Sequence of Construction
Here is a list of the typical sequence of events in a construction
project:
• Demolition and site work
• Foundation and grading for site drainage
• Rough framing
• Installation of windows and skylights and exterior
doors
• Rough electrical and rough plumbing
• Roof and gutters
• Insulation
• Sheet-rock or wall finish
• Cabinets and finish carpentry (trim)
• Countertops
• Finish electrical and plumbing
• Paint
• Punchlist: tying up the loose ends of small unfinished
items
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