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What we doAre you interested in increasing your home's value with an updated look along with energy efficient treatments and healthy finishes? Or is your desire to build a new home that will be a personal and nurturing space? If you want to build a modest commercial or community space, are you interested in making it healthy for people and the planet? How about creating a small, sustainable cottage housing community that integrates with the natural surroundings? We have the right mix of passion, education, and experience to be your best choice for partnering with on these special types of projects. For most projects, the phases below cover our basic services. All projects are done on either an hourly basis, or based on a percent of contracted construction cost. That percent is established when we understand what level of service will best suit the needs of the project, and typically runs from 7 to 15 percent. We also offer Consultation services. If you have a small project, or would just like us to serve as consultants at any point of the design, we are happy to do that on an hourly basis as well - whatever it takes to meet your needs. Whatever direction, our services start with making an appointment for a time and place convenient for you. Please contact us for more information if you would like to explore how our team can help you realize your dream. Initial meetingThe first hour of consultation is free, and can be held at our place or yours. This is where we find out the basics of what is important to you - the project you are considering, what your special needs are, what styles appeal to you, and what your budget is. We discuss different levels of architectural service, and determine whether the chemistry is right. After all, we will be working closely over some time, as we translate what you tell us into an exceptional new place. To get started, you may download our initial questionnaire to bring with you to the meeting, or send it to us before we meet. Click here to access these questionnaires if you are ready to start now! After that, a simple Consultation Services Agreement is all we require to get started exploring options, establish a program and budget, and determine how to serve you in the best way possible. Design ProgramThe Design Program is a research and discovery phase, where we get down to the hard questions and answers. For Custom Homes and Remodel projects, we provide you a series of questionnaires, which can help you think about how you want to live, and guide us when we design your new space. For the larger Commercial and Community projects, a Master Planning process is a better programming tool. This usually includes a charette with your team of stakeholders, followed with a written outline that is used to help direct each phase of the project. We conduct pre-design research during this phase, so you will need legal information pertaining to the site, such as surveys and easements, ready for us to use. Photographs from books or magazines can be very helpful in conveying your individual tastes to us, so we take time to go over them with you. We visit the site to get familiar with its gifts and surroundings, and develop a few thumbnail sketches to get the spatial relationships determined. These discussions will help us decide together what options you would like to include that best fit your needs. We have found a team approach early in the process makes for a better project. If you have a building contractor selected, we like to bring them in to the conversation at this early stage. If needed, we can suggest contractors and sub-consultants to fill out the team. Preliminary DesignThe Preliminary Design is the first phase of the drawing-producing services. This includes a basic layout of all floor plans, the building located on a site plan, and outlines of the most prominent exterior elevations. These drawings are presented for your review and possible refinements are discussed. This is the easiest time to make changes, so you may want to take some additional time with the drawings. If there are major revisions, a second preliminary design will be done before completion of this phase. Architectural fees can now be established for "percent of construction" projects, and estimated for hourly projects. Fees are based on the complexity of the site, the code enforcement jurisdiction, and the level of service we all agree is best. A Construction Documents and Services Contract is prepared for you to sign, and we are set to continue! Design DevelopmentThe Design Development phase continues the refinement process. The floor plans, elevations, and sections, as needed to set the design parameters, are now developed in a digital format. The drawings are presented to you in a review meeting, where minor changes are often explored. If you have opted to include cabinetry and interior finishes in our services, outlining your needs for these details is also integrated into this phase. Construction DocumentsBlueprints, Permits, Action! We take care in preparing accurate plans to build from, so there are no surprises in the field. 35% to 50% of our time is spent in this phase. There are several levels of Construction Documentation, and we often customize our services for individual project needs. Our basic service level provides you with permit-ready documents when complete. However, permit documents do not address the finish details which pull a project together, or specify healthy or sustainable products. Some of our custom home clients also want to build their own place, which requires a higher level of documentation than for drawings used by a seasoned contractor. So, we offer a selection of expanded service items to create a custom fit. We will be happy to discuss what options best suit your needs, and their estimated fees, during the design program phase. Construction AdministrationAs with our Construction Documents services, this phase has different levels available. A pre-construction meeting with the entire team is required before anyone onsite sets a form or swings a hammer. We then remain available to answer questions from code officials and contractors throughout the project, with a combination of phone and site consultations. Regular onsite meetings can be added to ensure everything is going as planned. We often coordinate with clients during construction to help with finish details and alternate selections. And we offer a final walk-through service to ensure no detail is missed. WorkshopsWhat better way for people to feel a connection to their home than to participate in the building process. Each year we look for workshop opportunities on home sites where homeowners and workshop participants can learn the theory and practice of alternative construction methods. A wide range of topics is covered both in the orientation sessions and during the hands-on demonstration and construction. These workshops are suitable for homeowners, contractors, and anyone who has an interest in exploring the craft of home construction utilizing alternative materials and methods. Similar to an old-fashioned barn raising, workshops are a way to bring like-minded people together to accomplish a lot of work in the space of a few days. In the process, people develop skills and connections that extend beyond the workshop. We work with homeowners to coordinate all aspects of the workshops. Please contact us if you would like us to consider a workshop on your site. For more information about workshops or to see our current workshop schedule, click here.
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Initial meeting
Did we say we love the plans? We do! You really worked magic. Thanks a lot. We are REALLY happy. -- Judi & Scott Nicolai Many Thanks to all of you who helped make our dream of a Little House in the Woods a reality. We couldn't have done it without you! --Stephen and Christine Kahn
Terry needs to be commended on her diligence in helping us get our building permit. Many calculations, requirements and meetings were needed to receive permission to build our home on a flood plain site in regulation-laden King County. Terry was persistent and professional. We highly recommend her. -- Janet and Steve Keller 
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