Over the course of my years of practicing residential architecture, I’ve been asked many times about contracts, construction and how the whole process works. Starting today, I’ll take the opportunity every month to address some of the questions I receive most frequently.
What exactly is schematic design and design development?
This phase begins as “brainstorming on paper”. It takes the client wish list and the possibilities in the existing house and begins to put the two together in a way that works. We start with the big picture: Which rooms need to be next to what? How big? What works that already exists? What needs to be fixed? We ask the client a lot of “What if…?” questions at this point, looking at fresh ideas, exploring many options and helping the client to prioritize their goals. Working with the client, we develop the design through increasing levels of detail: selecting window sizes and locations, arranging cabinet layouts, determining a lighting arrangement, connecting the design to the landscaping. We usually bring the structural engineer on board at this point as well, coordinating their work with the design goals.
All of the decisions made along the way are like pieces of a puzzle that become linked together in the final design. How long does the process take? Good question! We’ve had many cases where we strike gold with the first design idea. More often, though, it is a process that takes many weeks. It’s good to take the time at this point to consider the options carefully, making sure you understand the drawings and that you’re really getting what you want and need out of the project. Trust me; it is much easier to move a wall over on paper than it is in the field. Once all the design work has been done, the project is ready to move into the nest phase: Construction Documents.
Architects, Washington