McCLELLAN ARCHITECTS - SEATTLE ARCHITECTURE FIRM

 

10 Ways an Architect Can Help  © 1996, AIA

  1. Determine if your building project makes sense
  2. Explore the potential of your site
  3. Determine if local zoning and other restrictions will affect your project
  4. Analyze your wants and needs
  5. Marry your wants with practicality
  6. Design for your future
  7. Visualize the design
  8. Help prepare construction documents and select a reputable contractor
  9. Visit the job site and administer construction
  10. Reduce costs

1. Determine if your building project makes sense:

The cost of building your custom home should be consistent with real estate values of the surrounding neighborhood. Is your primary objective to make the house more livable for yourself, or to make it more salable to the next owner? Do your needs warrant building a new home? Is an addition the most effective way to get that extra space you require? Should you add a floor or expand your house's footprint? An architect can help you decide.

2. Explore the potential of your site:

Your building site presents distinct design opportunities - perhaps a great view, or good sun exposure. Perhaps a distinctive tree that you want to save. It may also hold some hidden hazards - weak soil, poor drainage, or too steep of a slope. Your architect can analyze these factors to make the most of your site and avoid problems.  [ start of topic ] 

3. Determine if local zoning and other restrictions will affect your project:

Zoning ordinances and regulations may greatly effect what you are allowed to build on your property. Your building's height, how much of your property is covered by the building, and how far it must be set back from the property line are all dictated by zoning regulations. An architect will help you determine how these and other restrictions apply to your project, and can assist you in filing applications and obtaining the necessary permits.  [ start of topic ] 

4. Analyze your wants and needs:

Share everything you can with your architect: your thoughts, notes, sketches, photos from magazines - anything that illustrates what you like. What are your routines? How do you function in your current home? How many rooms will you need in your new place? How much time will you spend in the various living areas, such as the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms? How long do you plan to live in your new home? Are you building for yourselves or for future buyers? Your architect takes this information and outlines the scope of your project in detail, recognizing your priorities and ultimately controlling project costs.  [ start of topic ] 

5. Marry your wants with practicality:

Your architect can help you make smart decisions about your home's design that can serve and save you in surprising ways. It's critical to have a realistic understanding of the potential - and limitations - of your project's budget. By balancing your budget, square footage, and level of finishes, an architect helps you to prioritize your needs.  [ start of topic ] 

6. Design for your future:

Your architect can provide flexible design options to accommodate your changing family size, or reduced mobility as you grow older. Also, by proposing methods for lowering energy usage or maintenance, or by recommending certain amenities your architect can help you see the big picture and provide design solution that enhance your home's long-term value and resale.  [ start of topic ] 

7. Visualize the design:

Once you and your architect define what's to be built, the architect can help you visualize the design possibilities through a number of means, including rough sketches, computer renderings, or even physically staking out important dimensions directly on the site.  [ start of topic ] 

8. Help prepare construction documents and select a reputable contractor:

No handshake or letter of agreement is firm enough to cover all the roles, responsibilities and obligations that must be carried out in your building project. Your architect can prepare complete construction documents, detailed drawings and specifications that the contractor will use to establish construction costs and build the project.  [ start of topic ] 

9. Visit the job site and administer construction:

An architect's involvement doesn't end with preparing the drawings for construction work. As your advisor and agent, the architect will visit the site to protect you against work that is not according to the plans. With an architect observing construction, you get informed reports of the project's progress, a trained eye towards quality control, and a check on the contractor's monthly invoices.  [ start of topic ] 

10. Reduces costs:

An architect's services are a wise investment. A well conceived project can be built more efficiently and economically. Architects plan your project with you - as ideas evolve changes can be made on paper, much less expensively than later when construction is underway. Thorough drawings also make it easier for a contractor to get the most accurate and lowest cost. An architect works with you to make sure you get the most from your project budget by reviewing all the options, selecting appropriate materials, and providing the highest quality design.  [ start of topic ] 

 

The Six Phases of Our Design Process

  1. Programming
  2. Schematic Design
  3. Design Development
  4. Construction Documents
  5. Hiring a Contractor
  6. Construction

Phase 1 - Programming: Deciding What to Build

The programming meeting is where you discuss with us the requirements of your project. It is also a time for us to check the fit between what you want, what you need, and your budget.

Ideally, you will have a sense of what you want from the project, as well as an open mind to new ideas or solutions that we may develop. Many of our clients bring a scrap book of pictures of homes or details that they like, to help us get a sense of what they are looking for.

From your information, we will develop a program for your project, which is a written record of the project goals. During this phase, we will help to gather the following information on the existing conditions:

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Phase 2 - Schematic Design: Diagrams and Rough Sketches

Using the information gathered in the first phase we will develop 2-3 possible plan solutions for your project. These are intended to show a general layout of rooms and/or the site.

After your review of the initial floor plan options and selection of a preferred scheme, we will develop the project in 3 dimensions, looking at a simple computer model of your project in various perspective views. The model helps us to study how the building is placed on the site as well as different massing and roof schemes. These views are very useful for us to better understand the aesthetic issues of the design, and are extremely helpful in conveying the general feel of the building to you.

After we work with you to decide on a preferred design, a rough cost estimate for the construction is developed. Also during this phase we will research building and zoning codes for your site to verify the project's compliance with local regulations.  [ start of topic ] 

Phase 3 - Design Development: Refining the Design

Once we have established a general layout and look of your project, it is time to develop its various features in greater detail. The following information is typically developed during this phase:

Once this information is prepared, we will meet for your review of the design progress, at which point a detailed cost estimate is developed.

The goal of this phase is to make sure you are comfortable with the design by presenting a clear description through text and images of all the choices you have made. Your approval of the final design allows us to produce construction documents.  [ start of topic ] 

Phase 4 - Construction Documents

After you have had a chance to review and approve of the various aspects of the Design Development drawings, we will prepare construction documents for use by the contractor and the city building department. These drawings will become part of the construction contract.

As part of this process, we will coordinate our drawings with other consultants as necessary, such as the structural engineer, the landscape architect, and/or the mechanical engineer.

During this phase, we will also develop Construction Specifications, which are a written description of the quality of construction materials, a listing of equipment, and a general description of how the contractor will conduct the work.  [ start of topic ] 

Phase 5 - Hiring the Contractor

Your contractor will be a key to the success of your project. There are a number of ways to choose one. McClellan Architects can assist you in your search, and will discuss what type of contractor would be most appropriate for your specific project. You may already have someone you want to work with.

You might choose to negotiate directly with one general contractor from the start, having them on board early on in the design process, almost as an extra consultant to verify costing assumptions. This gives the contractor more time to become familiar with the subtleties of the project before any construction has begun. Alternatively, you may prefer to have a number of general contractors bid on your job to give you one extra level of confidence that you are being quoted a fair price.  [ start of topic ] 

Phase 6 - Construction

During the project's construction, McClellan Architects are available to provide construction administration services. These typically include the following:

At the close of construction we assist in a final walk through of the project to confirm that all the work is completed to your satisfaction.  [ start of topic ] 

 

Cost Strategies for Design and Construction

  1. Factors Affecting Project Cost
  2. Three Ways to Determine Design Fees
  3. Planning for the Total Project Cost

The Design Process and Factors Affecting Your Project's Cost

The following design items affect your project's cost. McClellan Architects will work with you to make these necessary decisions in a timely manner, which will allow you more control over your costs:

1. Project Program
The program for your house is a laundry list of everything you want your house to be. This is the starting point of your project.
2. Project Budget
The budget is what you are prepared to spend on your house. The budget and the program provide the context within which the remaining decisions are made.
3. Existing Site Conditions
The building site can affect your project cost in a number of ways. The strength of the soil or the slope of the land can affect the size and design of your foundation. In remodels and house additions, the condition and configuration of the existing house can be a major determinant of the new construction cost.
4. Project Size
The size of your project will be determined by balancing the needs and limitations of your program, your budget and your site.
5. Exterior Envelope
In addition to your project's size, its shape and configuration also affect its cost, primarily due to the amount of its exterior envelope. The exterior envelope of your house, its foundation, walls, windows and roof, comprises a significant part of your project's budget.
6. Finishes and Materials
One category presenting a great range of cost options is that of finish materials. Countertops, wall treatments, flooring, and the building's exterior skin are just a few of the elements that can be supplied in a variety of forms and styles, each with their own cost impacts.
7. Change Orders
Change orders are those changes which are made after construction has commenced. This is the most expensive time in the process to make changes, and minimizing change orders is a very effective way to keep costs within budget. McClellan Architects will work with you and the contractor to anticipate key decisions prior to construction.

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Three Typical Methods for Determining Design Fees:

1. Percentage of Construction Cost
The estimated cost of a project has proven to be a consistent indicator of how much effort is required in its design. The project's cost is a more accurate indicator than merely its size. A small condominium may have many more elements (special tile patterns in the bathroom, a wall of cabinetry in the living room, a specific arrangement of lights in the kitchen) that make it more expensive than a project that may cover a larger area, such as a multi-car garage.
2. Fixed Fee
In some projects, a fixed fee may be established. This is negotiated between the architect and client, and could be determined a number of ways. The architect gets paid the agreed amount over the course of the project.
3. Hourly with a Maximum Limit
In this option, the estimated construction cost is used as an indicator, as outlined in method 1. This cost is then used as a maximum limit to the fee, and the architect is paid hourly, not to exceed this maximum limit. This option establishes an upper limit to what the client will pay, and provides potential savings to the client should the process go more efficiently than anticipated.

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Planning for the Total Project Cost:

The following costs should be planned for in a typical residential project:

Construction Cost - The cost of building your project.

Tax on Construction Cost - All construction costs are subject to Washington State sales tax.

Contingency Costs - Unforeseen expenses which may occur during the course of a project.

Permit Fees - Building Department fees.

Professional Fees - Fees for architectural services, structural engineering, and a site survey.

Following our initial consultation, McClellan Architects provides a spreadsheet outlining these costs, establishing an initial project budget.  [ start of topic ] 

 
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