While every project is different, the process is similar. There are a series of steps that start with developing a design (Schematic Design & Design Development), creating the drawings needed for the design to be built and permitted (Construction Documents), and ending with the completion of construction (Construction Observation).
There is also a hierarchy of decision-making in the process. Some decisions must be made before others, such as determining the kitchen's location before designing the kitchen cabinets. Not everything will be known right away, which makes some clients uncomfortable, but it can be a fun and creative experience if you trust the process.
How long does this usually take? Plan for a new home to take at least two years from the initial design meeting to the end of construction. Whole house remodels can take 18 months or as long as a new build.
During this phase, I develop drawings that illustrate your project’s spatial relationships, scale, and form. These drawings aren’t very detailed, so we can keep the focus on the overall design.
Before design begins, I interview clients and provide a survey to help determine their needs, goals, and dreams. This is also when I verify land-use issues, including zoning, height limits, setbacks, and easements.
I typically have several potential directions to show you at our first design meeting, and we will discuss the pros and cons of each one. I will have tracing paper so that we can sit together and sketch new ideas that come up. I then take your comments, make changes, and add more information, and we discuss the design again. Depending on the size of the project, we might repeat this process a few more times, or we might quickly nail down a design direction and be ready for the next step, design development.
Deliverables often include a preliminary site plan, floor plans, sections, and elevations. Computer modeling also plays a significant role throughout the design process.
At this time, I will discuss your project with one of the select contractors I work with to get preliminary pricing. It will be a rough order of magnitude estimate but should provide enough information so that the scope of the project can be adjusted as necessary. Getting a contractor involved early in the process as a team member allows us to benefit from their expertise in construction methods, materials, and controlling costs.
What clients need to do during this phase:
This phase builds on and refines the decisions made during schematic design. The drawings will be larger scale, and the plans and elevations will be more detailed. We will begin working with a structural engineer, and details of the essential elements of the design will be developed with their input. We will continue to work with the contractor to estimate the project cost.
As part of my services, I help you select lighting, plumbing fixtures, and materials such as tile, countertops, and paint. My curated list is based on years of experience and research. I also design custom cabinets for kitchens, bathrooms, closets, and home offices.
At this stage, the deliverables often include an outline specification, interior elevations showing cabinetry, reflected ceiling plans, finish schedules, and key details.
What clients need to do during this phase:
This phase involves adding technical detail and energy code compliance information and integrating the consultant’s work into the drawings. While the drawings establish the design and quality standards, the contractor is responsible for construction methods and means. The construction documents, along with structural drawings, calculations, and application forms, are part of the building permit submittal.
The deliverables at this stage include a set of construction documents and specifications.
What clients need to do during this phase:
This phase involves adding technical detail and energy code compliance information and integrating the consultant’s work into the drawings. While the drawings establish the design and quality standards, the contractor is responsible for construction methods and means. The construction documents, along with structural drawings, calculations, and application forms, are part of the building permit submittal.
The deliverables at this stage include a set of construction documents and specifications.
What clients need to do during this phase:
An architect can help you make intelligent decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and provide creative solutions. Determining factors can be how close the architect’s designs are to what you like and how comfortable you feel communicating with them. You will spend a lot of time together, and it helps if we trust, respect, and enjoy each other’s company. For more info, see How to Select an Architect in Resources.
To call yourself an architect in Washington, the state must register you to practice architecture. Most architects have an accredited architectural degree and three years of internship experience and must pass a rigorous licensing exam to get registered. In the US, becoming an architect usually takes over eight years.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization with over 90,000 members that adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct.
FAIA (Fellow of the American Institute of Architects) is the AIA’s highest membership honor given to architects who have made significant contributions to the profession and society and exemplify architectural excellence. The AIA elevated me to FAIA in 2004.
Typically, basic services are organized into the following phases:
It’s important to ask what is not included in the architects’ basic services. Part of my firm’s basic services is to help clients select everything attached to the house (including lighting, plumbing fixtures, finishes, and even the paint), but some architects expect clients to hire an interior designer to provide this information.
Both are key to a project’s success, but due to the personal nature of residential design, it is best to start by finding an architect with a design sensibility that aligns with yours and that you trust. The architect can then recommend contractors they know are a good fit for the design of your project.
It’s best if the client, architect, and contractor work as a team from the beginning of a project. This way, the contractor can provide information on pricing designs.
During construction, the architect is the client’s representative, periodically visiting the site, reviewing the contractor’s progress payments, and interpreting the drawings to ensure that the contractor understands the design intent.
Architect fees are traditionally a percentage of construction cost or hourly. That percentage amount can vary between architects and according to project type and size.
Some architects charge hourly, but the total fee is often in the same range as the percentage fee and, in some cases, can be more if clients are indecisive. It is mind-boggling to clients how many hours it takes to design, draw, and coordinate a project.
My firm uses a hybrid fee structure: Schematic Design is hourly until the project’s scope is determined and a percentage for the remainder of the project.
The answer depends on many factors, and it is a moving target thanks to labor costs, supply and demand, and project backlog. Custom homes and remodels are more expensive per square foot than builder homes that repeat the same design and construction details.
I work with recent data from projects to provide clients with a square-foot cost during the initial planning process. That cost is refined during Schematic Design with the help of a contractor before moving on to Construction Documents.
For a custom house, plan on at least two years from the beginning of design to construction completion. There are a lot of caveats (bank financing, contractor, availability, permitting), but that is a reasonable place to start.
For remodels, it depends on the size and complexity of the project, but plan on a year.
It’s better to bring an open mind and a wishlist than a rough floor plan sketch to our first meeting. Part of what an experienced architect does is help you determine what you want and need. We also bring an understanding of the building code, construction, and design to the process. It’s part of the fun of the creative process: working together to create an imaginative solution.
Look for examples of homes you like. Gather the names of architects. Look at their websites to get a feel for their designs and process. Schedule a call with a handful of them and be prepared to discuss the scope of your project (new four-bedroom home, second-floor addition, etc.), your budget, and your timeline. Meet in person with two to three architects and focus on their personality and how good of a fit they’d be to work with. Ask for a proposal to review, and if it looks good, sign it and get started!
For more detailed information, download the Start Here guide.