Pre-design establishes the path for the rest of the design process. It includes information gathering and site documentation. We will research the development regulations to understand allowable uses, restrictions, and required permit processes. We will become familiar with the site to understand what makes it special. We spend time on-site to determine views, study nature patterns such as sunlight and wind exposure, and consider hazards such as earthquake fault distance, fire event potential, nuisance flooding, landslide concerns, and more. More importantly, our onboarding process includes a list of programming questions to pique your interest and help determine your preferences for your new home so we can understand you better for the next step together.

We will meet shortly afterward to review our findings and discuss your programming answers. The next phase will combine findings, answers, and pleasant surprises developed during the “big moves” phase called schematic design.

Schematic Design is where we explore opportunities. This is when you’ll first see where we propose the house and accessory buildings (if any) are on the property, the views to and from the buildings, and how the approach from the public roadway will enhance the arrival experience, for example. We will explain the home experience, the flow and relationship between different functional areas, and the home’s overall design concept. You will see your new home with a visual walk-through animation and 3-dimensional renderings to convey the shape, massing, and other big ideas. You’ll see how the sun travels through the sky and illuminates interior and exterior spaces or how a spring snowfall will dust the landscape. After a short time to digest all of this information, you’ll be ready for a follow-up meeting to begin an iterative process to discuss the design and refine it together until we create a plan we agree to move forward with into the next phase, Design Development. You will have a well-conceived home design in two to three meetings. This is a good time to engage builders for project interest, valuable input, and preliminary construction costs.

Design development is the next step in refining how the building looks, works, and functions. During this phase, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are discussed, exterior and interior materials are chosen, appliances and plumbing fixtures are selected, a lighting and power plan is created, and details are developed. With the added information, the selected builder can continue fine-tuning construction costs.

Construction Documents are the final deliverable you receive from us before construction. We add another layer of information by documenting and specifying the selections made during the preceding phases. This phase culminates with two distinct drawing sets: a Building Department review set for permits and a Construction set for the General Contractor, with added specifications and detail to provide final construction costs.

Building Department Review Set:

A drawing set is developed explicitly for the building department review process and has only the necessary information to demonstrate development and building code compliance. This method ensures a faster review schedule so you can begin construction sooner.

Construction Set:

We continue adding details and specifications to the building department review set during the permit review process. Once our work is complete, the builder can provide final construction costs simultaneously with building permit issuance. That ensures you’re ready to begin construction with minimal downtime.

With rare exceptions, a building permit is required for new construction. The time necessary for permitting completely depends on the local jurisdiction: Staffing, project load, and Holidays influence the schedule. You benefit from our experience as we reduce the time necessary to review the drawing set. We supply only the necessary information to meet building codes and other applicable regulations.

Watching your hard work come to life typically takes 12-24 months but can take longer, depending on the project’s size, complexity, and location. Your general contractor is responsible for the schedule and timeline of your project. Once the project is underway, we stay involved throughout the construction process to answer questions, help troubleshoot, and ensure your vision is followed until you move in.