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Having a new home designed, or deciding to remodel your existing home, can seem like an overwhelming project. So many decisions to make, so many questions! We understand that this is a process which most of our clients have never been through. We will help you through each phase step-by-step, giving you the information you need to make the best choices possible.

Our first meeting will be to discuss the scope of the project. Some clients come to us with their own design ideas substantially complete, while others have only their dreams. For all our clients, it is important during our initial meeting that we identify the following:

* The various spaces we need to create within the house, and how they will be used.

* The projected size of the house

* The configuration, viewsheds, general topography, and any restrictions of the building site.

* The preferred exterior style of the home

* The preferred building material for the basic structure

* The construction budget for the home.

For most custom home projects, our next step will be to visit the site. After this, we will distill all of our conversations, notes, and other information into a proposed floor plan. This plan will be to scale, and will usually include a diagram showing how the house will be situated on the site. We will have you take this plan and review it at your leisure, and then we will have a meeting to critique the design.

We expect you to have comments and revisions. Remember, Design is a process, not a product. By listening to your comments and discussing the factors involved, we can help you achieve a more livable home. The most important part of this initial process is to communicate to us why something may not work for you, rather than to try to figure out how to “fix” it.

After the floor plan has been substantially designed we will start to develop the exterior elevations. We will also finalize the site location and begin to look at any grading issues. When the floor plan, exterior elevations, and site layout are complete, the design phase is considered to be finished. If there is an active homeowners association in your neighborhood we will want to submit the designs to them for conceptual approval. We will also do a final design review where we discuss finish items such as ceiling treatments and floor coverings.

With the Design approved by you (and your homeowners association, if applicable), it’s time to start on the Working Drawings. These are all the technical documents it takes to obtain building permits, prepare a final construction bid, and to build the house.

After this your builder will take control of the project. We are committed to servicing our work and stand ready to answer any questions that may arise during the construction process. Our goal is for every set of plans to be complete, accurate, and to contain the information necessary to take you from “dreams to beams”.