Our Process

Schematic (Preliminary) Design

The schematic design sketches will convey the overall design by illustrating the layout of spaces and placement on site.

Once we have decided what to build, we present the ideas in the form of sketches, drawings and three dimensional models, if required.  A basic exterior elevation is shown to grasp proportions of elements, slope of roofs, approximate location of doors and windows.  These drawings may be used to calculate square footage and to obtain preliminary cost figures.  These estimates are very general at this stage and in no way contain enough information or detail that is required for determining actual costs of construction.

There are still many details and solutions to be established about your project.  Some conditions that will affect cost are market conditions, availability of materials, regional costs, and other unforeseen circumstances that can arise during the entire design process.

For example, if you own a home in one area of the country and are building in another, costs can change dramatically based on region.  For instance, stucco in California is considered a low cost material where as in the Northwest, stucco is much more expensive.  Material and labor costs go up dramatically.  Comparing a home you had built in one region to a home you’re having built in another is not a practical thought process because costs can vary widely.

Before moving on to the next phase, it is vital that the entire team agree on the essence of what the project will be and the design direction.  Making changes later on in the design process will be much more difficult than it is now.  For instance, if you determine at the beginning stage that you’d like your home to be LEED certified or have LEED characteristics, making that decision now will be much easier to integrate those ideas into the project at this stage and in fact making that decision later could increase the cost of the project altogether.  Plan changes later on can have a negative cost effect in the amount of hourly changes made to plans or in worse case scenarios, foundations have been poured.