7 Tips for Adding Effectiveness to the Design Workflow

The process of designing and documenting buildings can be cumbersome and involved. Here are a few things to consider in running a more efficient company, especially for those using BIM.

Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) is helpful to the Architect and by extension to the other stakeholders for a variety of reasons. Credit where credit is due... much of what I am summarizing in this post was communicated by David Haynes at an Autodesk Training Seminar via Autodesk University. I found David's presentation to be quite candid and informative. Here are a few highlights...

1. If the Architect is listening to the client, he is able to develop processes that will allow and facilitate the client's work being accomplished. BIM assists in automating that process.
2. By developing a 'Process Map' of the way that the building will be designed and documented, one is able to determine 'Pinch Points' in the process, which are described as ways that the process is impeded and workflow is slowed... such as a single person who must approve a certain aspect of the process. The goal is to eliminate the 'pinch points'.
3. Using BIM, there is the possibility of creating many details that directly relate to the construction. Firm practice, though, tends toward wanting to reuse typical construction details. Taking advantage of the use of BIM means that the details used directly relate to the project. You must insure that the details that are added to your project add value to the work. Irrelevant details subtract value.
4. The goal is to both start and end the process, to the degree possible, digitally. Much waste revolves around the use of paper.
5. Localize the systems that are used in a design and design to the agreed upon budget for those systems.
6. Examine the AIA document E202 for information on the use of BIM
7. The BIM should be available to all stakeholders, especially the General Contractor.

I thought that the points made were helpful. For more information on running a more efficient design firm, you may also want to check out the Lean Architecture website.

The Other Guy's Shoes - The Five T.I. Priorities Developers, Architects and Landlords Should Keep in Mind

Walking a mile in the other guy's shoes means that one is familiar and empathetic with the problems that a person may encounter in life. It is a dignifying characteristic to be able to see things from another's point of view. For those who may need Tenant Improvements, three others must work together in order for the final deliverable to be achieved. In today's post, we consider the point of view of the Lessee.

To start, a Tenant Improvement occurs whenever work is to be completed in a pre-existing space to accommodate a new tenant.

Ultimately, the lessee is the reason a Tenant Improvement is completed. Although it is true that the lessee would not have a place to go without the Landlord or the developer, both Landlord and developer have the goal of acquiring lessees that will pay the rent and thereby serve as the basis for funding the development. Making the lessee happy with the facility that he will inhabit is necessary and vital to the long term success of the endeavor. The ultimate goal is a "Win, Win, Win, Win" situation, where lessee, landlord, developer and Architect are all happy with the results of the project. For everyone to be happy with the end product requires patience, effort, communication and diligence... it doesn't happen by accident.

Therefore, understanding some of the critical needs of the lessee is critical for the Architect, Landlord and Developer.

Here are a few critical points that are necessary in order to comprehend the priorities of the lessee:

1. The location of the development as prioritized with his needs and revenue generating potential - Will the location generate sufficient traffic - foot or otherwise - to be able to generate a profit sufficient to maintain the enterprise?

2. The cash that he will pay over the life of his rental of the space - Both the short and long term costs of the space are the ultimate driving factors for the lessee. This amount includes the rent and all other operating costs relative to its location. Does he or his employees have to pay for parking as a component of the big picture of what it means to rent at a certain location? If so, this will impact his choice. The amount of cash spent over time is the critical driving factor for him; not merely the first cost.

3. The cash he will need to pay to initially construct the TI (also known as 'Build-Out') - Working closely with the architect and general contractor, he may be able to control the costs, but the finishing of the space in a manner that is consistent with both functional and aesthetic priorities is critical.

4. The date of completion of the project, and when he may thereby occupy the space - If his calculations are that he must be in the space by June, and the process is delayed until October, he has missed potential revenue for five months. Streamlining the process is critical for the owner to make a profit.

5. The tax depreciation of the construction over time; even if the lease expires - The requirement to account for deprecitation is necessary from a tax viewpoint.

6. The reinforcement of his image or brand - See our series on commercial architecture in order to understand the concepts of branding and image.

In order for everyone involved to treat each other as they would like to be treated, it is necessary for the tenant to have a list from the Landlord of all of the things that he will be responsible for in advance. This list will allow him to be able to plan in order to accommodate the needs of the landlord via the contractual agreement.

One of the overlooked items, for example, that a lessee may not have in mind when considering a space is parking. It is important that in the rental space selection process that the Tenant understands that parking is required in order to complete the design. Therefore, if he has the target number of occupants of his space, he would be able to assess and see if the space he wants to go into has the capacity to service his needs.

Finally, the most critical thing for the Tenant is his early negotiations with the Landlord. A part of this negotiation includes who pays for what... how the costs are amortized or not.

By keeping these areas in mind, the Landlord, Developer and Architect will be able to greatly serve the Tenant in pursuing his endeavors and thereby reach their goals as well.

Toolkit for Those Wanting to Hire an Architect

GRIZZLY BEAR ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
PROJECT TOOLKIT
Version 1.0, originated on 8/29/2011

The first time a person realizes that he or she has need of an architect, there are a number of reactions that a person can have, and a number of fears that may arise. Will the architect finish the job in a timely fashion? Will he exceed the costs that I have for this project? Will he be able to give me the outcome that I need? This toolkit is meant, not only to assist in overcoming those fears, but also providing a means of being able to be ready for the design and construction process.

So, below, you will find the most important things that you can do that will put you in the best possible position to insure that your time, financial and relational goals and aspirations are met. By answering the following questions, you will be able to prepare in advance so that the architect will be able to help you reach the highest aspirations for your work.

Budget:
1. What is the total overall amount of money that you have available to complete the project?
2. Will you need to obtain financing?
3. Is the financing in place, or will you need to go through the steps necessary in order to get it?
4. Does your banker require that you show evidence of what you are trying to achieve prior to funding the project?
5. Will you need the architect to establish a relationship with the banker in order to , throughout the life of the project, verify that payments should be made to the contractor?
6. What do you want the final finish level of the work to be…? (As an example, do you want to furnish your building with ‘off the shelf’ items, or do you want to have custom made items or a mixture of both? Do you want a sink made of gold or is a typical sink from Lowe’s OK? Typically, one may have low, mid and high end finishes. Each has a cost associated with them that, in order to avoid sticker shock, you should plan out in advance… prior to the Architect’s work beginning so that he can keep the scope of work within your price range.
7. How much will your contractor charge?
8. How much will the architect charge?
9. Do you need time to put together the finances or is everything ready?
10. Are there other fees and charges that may be associated with your work?
11. How much do you have as a contingency or buffer?
12. At what point would you need to walk away from the project?
13. What is the maximum monthly payment I am willing to or able to make?

Time Goals:
1. When must the project be absolutely completed by?
2. Is it reasonable for me to assume that the architect and contractor will be able and available to finish the work for me within that time frame?
3. Do I have contingency in case the project begins, new things are uncovered, and my expectations are not met?
4. Are there relationships I need to cultivate in the City Planning and Building and Safety Departments to insure that my project gets completed in a timely way?
5. Are the other project stakeholders and partners in agreement with the design and time frame?

Relationship and Functional Goals:
1. Do the stakeholders and I agree on the goals of the project?
2. Is the aesthetic vision (how the project looks) of the stakeholders in agreement?
3. Do I know which spaces need to be next to each other?
4. Are there specific medical or accessibility needs that any of the occupants have?
5. Is there a final decision maker?
6. Do I have specific functional needs?
7. Are there pieces of equipment that will need to be included?
8. How will my work affect property values in the area? Will it affect them? Will it increase my own property value? Will it be easier or more difficult to sell my house, if that is what I intend to do, if I make this move?
9. List 5 top items that the new construction must have:
10. List 5 top items I would like to have, but are not ‘deal killers’ if I am unable to have them:

In all of these items, it is most helpful to have these questions answered prior to beginning the project. Answering these questions will insure that you have the best possible possibility of completing your work with the fewest number of distractions and problems as possible. Answering all of these questions is not a guarantee that you will have no problems with your work, rather, they are a good starting point to insure that many bases are covered prior to your beginning the work.

Hiring an Architect in order to assist you in reaching your goals is fundamental to the success of any building project. You need an Architect in order to insure that the things you want are accomplished within both your budget and time considerations.

Foundations of Creating a Branded Experience, Part II

Our most recent article on the Foundations of Creating a Branded Experience dealt with more of the emotional undertones that undergird a Branded Experience. Today's article gets into a bit more practical matters...

Branding is the means that the business entity uses in order to manage the dynamic range of expectations that the potential customer has in order to both make the sell as well as to service the product should it prove to be deficient. It is a representation of quality in order to sell the product, and a promise of future support. Servicing the product after the sell is necessary in order to maintain the reputation, and the reputation is necessary in order to keep existing clients as well as a means of spreading the news in order to insure that new clients are added, thus increasing the profits of the business.

The creation of a Branded Experience concerns the quality, from entry to exit, of a person entering a space, experiencing the space, and leaving the space. Although the space is a three-dimensional construct, the experience that a person has of it is linear. The 'linearity' of the person's experience thereby takes the architect's mission merely from being the design of a building to the design of an experience, from beginning to ending. If you would like, we could compare designing Branded Experiences to designing levels in a Role Playing Immersive Video Game.


In a Video Game, a synthetic world has been created that defines a branded experience. In it, there are certain functions that the player must accomplish in order to progress. The overall story has a multitude of key points that are moving toward an ultimate conclusion, but those key points may or may not be experienced in a sequential order. However, in order to solve the game, each of the component parts must be solved according to a pre-determined plan, many times created as a story or script. We liken these individual parts as interchangeable modules in the experience of the player, and are similar in the way that a person encounters a space.


The narrative of the experience of the space is based on the story that the brand is seeking to communicate, from start to finish, with all of its highs, lows and eventual denouement. Each aspect of the 'story' should be agreed upon by the client in the process of working with the space designer... moving from emotions, to smells and colors, light and phenomenology, textures, and eventually forms and displays of the object or objects being sold. The product being sold is not, "the thing" - as much as the experience that one should have in the process of encountering "the thing".

So as far as branding goes, there is the design of the object that is the focus of the transaction. But, there is also an additional set of contextual factors that are involved which facilitate the transaction. These factors include but are not limited to the friendliness and knowledge ability of the staff of the products and services. The factors include the place or environment wherein the transaction is occurring. The place has an impact of the workers at the business, in that if it is orderly, clean upscale attractive, then the business worker is going to be able to be more focused in his or her job.

Likewise, if the environment is a fun, interesting, dynamic, or otherwise appropriate place for customers to conduct business, then there is a certain amount of oil or lubricant that is added to the inherent ‘resistance’ that may come from the customer in purchasing the product. This is where the architect or experience designer comes in.


We are seeking an accumulation of associative meanings that, due to sequence and intensity, combine to form a unique experience. More on how this happens in our next post.

Foundations of Creating a Branded Experience, Part I

One of the more exciting trends evocative of the growing regard for quality in the experience of people within environments is that seen in the design of the Apple stores. Upon approaching, entering and participating in the experience of the store, one 'gets it'. But how can we bring the same regard for innovation and quality into every day practice and the design of places and things on a daily basis? We are glad to have you along with us for this next series - the Foundations of Creating a Branded Experience.
As an architect, generally, one is applying a constant core of skills and processes to issues that vary from project to project. Although there are many types of projects that can be designed, there are typically two general types that most architects will be involved in during the course of their careers: they are residential and commercial designs. Residential architecture concerns the design of places where people live, such as houses, apartments, condominiums, townhouses and the like. Commercial architecture has to do with buildings and interiors of buildings that people occupy for specific uses related to buying and selling.

Commercial Architectural design exists in order to connect those who buy with those who sell, and includes sellers of merchandise in a retail environment with the customers who want to purchase the goods. It may also include the selling of an experience such as in a Theme Park Environment where those attending have the opportunity to experience fun things. Regardless of the cash transaction that is occurring, both buyers and sellers are connecting.

Most people could agree that, from an extremely narrow and minimal focus, the overall goal of any business entity is to make as much profit as is possible in the shortest amount of time within all legal means available. The overall goal of the customer is to get as much value as possible by the purchase of the item or items with as little money as possible. For both the business entity as well as the customer, the easier that the process is, the greater the value to each. The customer, as an example, wants to have a consistent expectation met regarding the things that he or she wants to purchase. The business, on the other hand, wants to provide the goods or services in as efficient and cost effective manner as is possible.

But, creating a branded experience considers more than the 'minimal' approach to business. The focus of creating a branded experience involves communicating the highest and best ideals that can be communicated about the company by way of materials... an awesome task, indeed. In the example of Apple, one may see innovation of the use of materials and the etherial nature of light communicating the experience.
If one examines any given transaction between the two, there is much communication that is happening in order to facilitate the transaction. This communication is a negotiation of sorts that either is building expectation of value and thereby increasing cost to the customer or is taking away from the perception of value and thereby decreasing the perceived value. This perception of value is more than the cost of goods sold or even the first cost of the construction of the space. The transaction is one of the heart and the mind of the user of the space with the Architect's imagination.

We must keep in mind that with the perception of value, there is the customer’s anticipated use of the object, service or activity and thereby the actual perception of value that the object or service has. There is also the perceived value that the customer communicates during the transaction. Many times, the object is communicated as being less valued by the customer in order to be able to negotiate to a lower price, if a lower price is possible. If not, then the value has to be overwhelmingly communicated to the user of the space. 

On the flip side, from the Business Entity’s viewpoint, there is not only the value of the object being sold, but also the establishing of a reputation so that others will be likely to come back and pay for more goods and services, or tell one’s friends so that they will be coming to the entity. The business entity also has a concern for its employees and meeting the needs that exist there, as well as positively responding to all applicable legal regulations. If the business is cutting short any of these, the perception of value by the workers and the customer begins to diminish. Bad design will result in a viscious downward spiral that will remove value.

But, the overall branded design experience addresses the creation of value by maintaining a rock solid focus on the emotions and experiences that the Architect wants to create in the mind of the user, as well as the use of all of the tools at his disposal to reach that goal.

How does Building Information Modeling Work? BIM Foundations

Every profession and occupation has a language that is its own… physicians have anatomical, drug and procedural language; lawyers have legalese. Architects speak the language of aesthetics, building materials and budgets. How then, as an Architect, does a person interface with a computer -especially when you get down to it – the computer only ultimately understands 1’s and 0’s.

BIM Software, such as Revit, speaks the construction oriented language of architects… that of doors, windows, walls and assemblies, and then does something really incredible. It keeps track of each of those entities in what is called a ‘database’ – essentially, a way for computer programs to categorize and organize information. Keeping watch over these various pieces like an unseen referee, the software insures that each element is in the place that it is put relative to the others. And, when asked to do so, can find conflicts based on the rules of reality.

How does all of this happen?

BIM works through the creation of a database which is IFC compatible. IFC refers to Industry Foundation Class, and is a non-proprietary system of referencing building and construction industry information. Since this system is neutral and not controlled by any vendor or set of vendors, latitude and flexibility enable a platform that is based on IFC to be consistent throughout a range of software and various companies. IFC is important because it helps maintain similarity between building models and software programs. Since the author has had experience primarily with REVIT from Autodesk, he will be explaining the capabilities of that software as the articles continue.

The Building Information Model used in Revit is managed by XML, which is also known as Extensible Markup Language… a computer scripting language that can be understood by both people and computers. It is appropriate due to its use and application in a wide variety of representative data structures, as would be seen in internet applications.

Due to a User Interface designed specifically for Architects and those who design buildings, the building model is created ‘behind the scenes’ while the designer is using and defining standard elements of construction, such as walls, windows and doors.

Since a database element is created each time a building element is used, lists of the building elements are very rapidly created… as easily as or even more easily than the drawings are created. A variety of attributes of the objects are also stored, and there is even the possibility of defining a number of attributes for each object.

The designer enters the location and type and quantity of pieces in the proper places and the software shows the relationship between these pieces from various views and a variety of points of emphasis. This 3D information is able to then be ‘transcribed’ into 2D information so that drawings may be printed for approval and construction.

For the client, this is important because it means that his or her drawings will be more accurate. For the Architect, his realistic liability is decreased and his confidence is increased because his drawings are more accurate. For both, if the Architect is directed to make a change by the client, and there are problems, the problems will become immediately evident to him. For the consultants, since they are working with a 3D model, they are immediately able to understand the implications of the variety of design decisions that they will need to make and readily assess their work to see if there are conflicts with the architecture.

(Charles and Stacey Matthews are the owners of 'Grizzly Bear Architecture and Design')

Can a BIMmer Help You?

Static on an AM or FM radio station is never a pleasant thing to hear. There are some things that come through, and other things that drop out. It can be nerve-racking to have to listen to a channel that isn’t ‘quite’ tuned in. In Architecture, the same type of static used to occur often prior to the advent of tools such as BIM.

As an Architect, one of the problems that has been most difficult to overcome has been that often, clients are not trained to be able to understand the floor plans, sections, and elevations of the work that will be completed for their house, building or tenant improvement. This inability is frustrating because the client is spending a lot of money on something that they may or may not be able to understand. Until recently, the only way for the Architect to be able to surpass the problems that this lack has caused is through meticulously spending hours on the creation of perspective drawings which would ‘place’ the client into a single rendered image of the building. This process could take hours, and was still limited by the skill of the architect in being able to communicate the information, until recently.

BIM allows the Architect the opportunity to not only instantaneously show a client the nature of his or her design. It also facilitates the Architect’s capabilities of being able to coordinate vast sums of information with those of other professionals, automatically generates take-off lists helpful in completing budgets, and greatly diminishes the possibility of errors in the generating of construction documents. For ‘green’ building, simulating climatic and environmental effects gives an added relevance to BIM.

So, what is BIM? BIM is an acronym that stands for Building Information Modeling. First, we start with the term ‘Building’ – we use the term building related to architecture, but the term can be a bit limiting, because the use of BIM can be for more than buildings. Essentially, anything that can be built can be designed using BIM. The ‘Information’ part of the acronym refers to any part of the building that may be constructed or relevant to the building’s realization, from materials to textures to a variety of features, including costs and website locations. Each aspect of any element that is in a building can be included. ‘Modeling’ refers to the creation of a prototype in three dimensions. Now, if we combine each of the terms, we can arrive at an understanding of the nature of what BIM is.

Essentially, it is the construction of a building virtually in the computer in such a way that any aspect of the building can be readily observed and changed in a way that corresponds to reality; since this is happening in real time in a computer, one has the advantage of being able to make lists, charts, and analyses of the building prior to it being built so that its function in a variety of simulated environments can be determined and assessed. If a material is used, it can be cataloged and added to an inventory list so that an almost instantaneous budget can be created and its use in the creation of the building assessed.

The implications for the use of this tool are enormous, as we will see in future articles. But here is a primary point of interest for the designer and his client – the client can easily see the product in three dimensions, and if changes need to be made in any view at any time, those changes are instantaneously coordinated with other views all at the same time.

The building model created in the process is actually a visualization of a database that contains each of the parts of a building. Therefore, as any part is added, its effects on the rest of the database can be known and shared. As you can imagine, this increases the possibility of creativity on the part of the client and the architect, because more combinations of alternatives can be communicated to the client at a greater speed and with an ease of communication that, has not been equaled. Collaboration is only one of the effects of BIM. As we proceed, even more benefits will become evident.

Six Things To Do When You Can't Do Anything...

Finding yourself in the unenviable position of having too many things and not enough space can be stressful. In the recent economic downturn where home values dropped to become less than what is owed combined with a job environment that insured you were living below your needs, many families have had to face situations that they never imagined they would be in. Today’s post is an architect’s view on what you can do to make life more livable in a situation that seems unbearable.

1.      Live a prioritized life: You have to determine the things that are truly valuable to you. Is it more important to keep the old college books or the family pictures? Is it more valuable to have things that may be helpful one day in the future, or things that you need for the day? By taking inventory in your life of the things that you truly find important, you will determine the basis for the following steps.

2.      Get rid of the clutter: With priorities in hand, go from room to room, asking the questions: do I need this to live for today? Does this item or object have a more sentimental rather than functional value? If I need to replace it, can I ever get it back again? There is a tier or hierarchy that you can use in order to divest yourself of the things that you have; that hierarchy is here: A. Sell the items online via ebay or some other Web based forum. Doing this will enable you to get the most cash for the things that you desire to be rid of. B. Sell the items at a garage sale or at a specialty outlet… bookstores have continued to purchase used books even in the downturn. C. Give to charity. If the organization is a 501c3, then you also obtain a tax deduction. D. Recycle – get some measure of value. E. Burn – at least you are getting the value of warmth from the things you had. Perhaps you could even cook food on the old magazines you don’t need and couldn’t sell. F. Trash – send it to the landfill.

3.      Assess your current needs: Your goal, after ridding yourself of clutter, is to use the things you have more efficiently. If you don’t have the space to do what you need to, but have a lot of things still around, start re-arranging how you have stored the things you have. For kids, it can become like the video game, Tetris… use your Tetris skills in order to determine better ways of storing the things you have left. Also, maybe you don’t need 20 dresses. Maybe you actually need five. Lose the rest of them, and enjoy the freedom that comes from having space to move.

4.      Change the positions of furniture to match the current situation that you are in: When you can’t move, if you have gotten rid of cluttery items, maybe you can reposition your furniture. Remember that clutter causes a lack of freedom to move. As living beings, we were designed to move. As Americans, our threshold for a comfort zone with people is much larger than those in other cultures… so the space needs we have may not be the same for everyone in the world. Furniture is only helpful to the extent that you can store the things you need AND recover them easily when they are needed.

5.      Go vertical: Much of the unused space that we have is actually on the walls. With a little thought, you can transform and hide the cluttery items by (gasp) purchasing a wall mounted cabinet to place them in. Be sure that you have a couple strong arms and a stud finder from which to hang the items you need. You will be surprised at the amount of space you save when you start seeking structural solutions to your organizational problems.

6.      Change the things you value – remember that even when you have a lot of things, your life doesn’t consist in those things. Value time spent with family doing free things like taking walks, swimming at the beach, etc. instead of doing things that require that you spend money.

7.      Emphasis on design, efficiency and quality of life over space – face it. You don’t have space. So, make up for the lack of space by focusing on bringing more quality into the space you have. It is amazing what painting walls can do to a room… color can actually be used to enhance the perception of depth in a space.

By taking a few steps back and re-examining why you are doing what you are doing, you will be able to shape your life so that although you are stuck in a certain situation, you don’t have to feel trapped.

Save a Boatload of Cash When Adding Onto or Building a New Home with These Six Tips

A veritable ocean liner of cash savings opportunities await if you consider these six helpful tips when designing a new home addition or a new house:

1.      The Location of the building on the site is the first place that the building can begin to take on characteristics that will affect the use of energy and thereby the cost of running the house. The characteristics of Northern versus Southern light have energy implications, and the building’s relationship to the sun’s location in the sky can assist in determining and affecting energy costs.

2.      The overall shape of the building. Though not necessarily fitting with the style of architecture of your neighborhood, there are shapes and forms of buildings that can accomplish greater energy savings through natural ventilation. We’re not just talking about opening a bunch of windows. What we are talking about is creating an overall wind effect through the careful placement and size of windows and other openings which contribute to the chimney effect of hot air rising. If enough openings are place at strategic locations, it is possible to create a house that is naturally ventilated without the cost of even fans. This method, however, requires a careful degree of study to insure and verify that the chimney effect is present.

3.      Insure that the Architect uses energy assessment tools in order to determine the effectiveness of his design decisions. At our firm, we use Building Information Modeling (BIM) in order to create a 3D model from which energy assessment calculations can be performed.

4.      Placement of landscaping can decrease energy costs. Deciduous trees placed on the southern face of the building allow cooling in the summer, by way of shade, and heating in the winter, by way of the sun shining through the branches of the trees.

5.      Wall design. The insulation or lack thereof in the walls of the building can provide a major source of cash savings. But did you know that the savings is not only related to insulation, but also thermal mass storage? The walls can be used, if designed properly, as a means of storing heat in the winter if their thermal mass efficiency is high enough… think ‘concrete’ verses wood. Did the architect specify a reflective coating for the roof sheathing? More money either saved or lost...

6.      Infiltration.  Typical sources of infiltration (meaning, unconditioned air getting into the building) are doors and windows, but given the entirety of the home, if the building is wrapped in a surface like Tyvek, water and air infiltration is greatly minimized.

By considering these Six money saving ideas, any home owner will be able to reap cash benefits after the construction is finished.

Don't Pay Yet! - Seven Things To Consider Before Making the Final Payment

The last nail has been driven. The last coat of paint has been added. All of the light switch plates are there. Or are they?

You have hired the professionals to get the job done that you want to do, and it appears as though everything is in place. Before making the final payment, here are a few things to consider:

1.      Go back to the original plan. Can you see evidence in the final construction that the top 5 things you wanted to accomplish have been performed? What about the 5 desirable but optional things… what is the status of those?

2.      Schedule a meeting with the Architect to perform what is commonly referred to as a ‘walk through’. He will be able to create what is called a ‘punch list’ of items that may still be remaining to be accomplished – things that you may overlook but that he may catch due to training and experience. Some things may obviously need repair or replacement. Other things may be not so obvious, but make a significant difference. Since the Architect is the creator of the drawn instructions for the work to be completed, he would be the objective set of eyes that would be able to scour the construction to make sure that the plans shown in the construction documents have been accomplished.

3.      Make sure that the performance of the ‘punch list’ items that you and the architect have created is the source of the General Contractor’s final payment. This final payment should be sizable enough so that finishing the performance of the job is an incentive for the General Contractor to be paid.

4.      You should have a contingency fund for various things that are not obvious consumables but that are necessary or even functionally important as supporting elements. As an example, you may now have a new washer and dryer upstairs, but do you have space or a need for a laundry hamper?

5.      Be sure to get any pamphlets or manuals from the contractor or sub for the new appliances you may have in place; now is the time to be determining maintenance schedules as well as having warranty information in place. Murphy’s law, as you have been able to find out by now, applies to buildings and construction as well.

6.      Should any difficulties arise, the first person to call will be the last person who had any direct interaction with the item or equipment in question. The Contractor’s warranty is for a year for all labor that was required to complete the job. Manufacturer’s warranties vary. The Architect’s statute of limitations is seven years related to design defects of the house or addition.

7.      Realize too that all parties involve, if reputable, want additional work. Positive references from clients cause the workers’ reputations to grow, thereby facilitating new jobs. If you are not happy with some aspect of the performance of any of your team, feel free to tell them so that they may have the opportunity to remedy the situation and insure that you are happy with the final product.

It is only BEFORE you make the final payment that you have any capability of insuring that the project is exactly what you want it to be. Following the above seven steps can insure that your dream doesn't become a nightmare.

5 Helpful Hints When Constructing Your House

In considering any major work being done on a house, it’s best if you don’t already live there. But, most people who are considering work to their existing house are, well, already there. Here are a few points to remember during the construction process:

1.      Consider the contract you will have with the General Contractor. The payments should be at regular enough intervals for him to be able to pay for the materials and labor, but at no point should you pay the entire amount in advance. The payments serve as an incentive to get the job done well, and if he has been paid all before the work has begun, there is no incentive for him to begin the work. People have been taken to the cleaners when they negect this simple rule.

2.      It is your house. You have employed professionals. You have done your homework. You have taken every possible step to insure that the work goes as smoothly as possible, and then the G.C.’s sub hits a gas main. Oops! Or, construction has started and you see that a wall is not where you thought it should be. What do you do? Well, what you shouldn’t do is assume that the professionals you have hired are all working according to the plan, will catch the mistake, and all will be well. Ask questions. It is possible for subs or contractors to misread plans. It is also possible for the architect to make a mistake on the drawings. And, cautiously enough, it is possible that you have made a mistake. Perhaps some of the things that the Building and Safety department plan checker required to change were mentioned to you. Perhaps they weren’t. The whole point is that you, the home owner, need to ask. If any of the parties, in realizing that a mistake was made, comes to that conclusion, the right thing would be for the person to admit what they did and to take steps to remedy the situation.

3.      Request that work be limited to working hours and that dust and noise is minimized. If you don’t want the workers to be using your toilets, you need to make sure that the Architect has added that into the plans so that you won’t have to correct the workers during their work. Additionally, if you do not want music blaring throughout the day, make sure that you have communicated that to the General Contractor.

4.      Have the right insurances. If a sub trips and falls and breaks something (an arm or a leg), did you realize that he could sue you? If you don’t have a general liability policy for your house during this time, prudence would require that you take a policy out so that your risk is minimized. Does the general contractor currently have in force the workers compensation insurance he is required to have? As the owner, you have the ultimate responsibility for the project.

5.      If at all possible, take a vacation or hire a responsible party to oversee the work, or add it to the Architect’s role as an additional service. Although the project is yours, you hired the professionals to do the things that you are not skilled to do. If you hire the Architect to also be your Construction Manager, you insure that the party who has been with you from the beginning is insuring that what he has drawn actually gets built. Take advantage of the opportunity to utilize the professional services available.

By keeping these things in mind, you will avoid at least five areas of potential headaches.

Seven Steps to House Construction: What You Must Know About The Design Process (Part 2)

(Continued from last post)...

5.      Should there be no major legal obstructions, your design kicks into overdrive. If structural work will need to be done, the architect will hire a structural engineer to perform calculations to insure that the new construction fits with the latest seismic codes and will hire mechanical, electrical and or plumbing engineers if your work warrants them.

All the while, he is busily at work researching aspects of the construction, seeing if there are ways to decrease cost, increase efficiency, creating details and coordinating the work of his consultants.

Your design will go through four distinct phases: Schematic design, Design Development, Construction Drawings and Contract Administration. At the end of the first three phases, the Architect will have meetings with you in order to insure that the three fundamental priorities are being met. However, as each phase progresses, there are increasing difficulties which surround changes to the overall design. These changes are more expensive later in the process than earlier; therefore it is critical that the time you spend in understanding the work the Architect has done on your behalf measures up to the reality of your aspirations. At the end of the first two phases, the Architect should submit your work to a licensed general contractor for constructability review and analysis of costs. At the end of the construction drawing phase, the architect should submit the drawings to not only a general contractor, but also a third party code compliance institution as well as peer review. Though adding to the time that the entire process will take, these submissions insure that the work is as much of a ‘slam dunk’ as possible. After Schematic Design and Before each phase begins, you need to ask the Architect to come back out to the jobsite and verify, for his own purposes, the dimensions that he has indicated and ask him to insure that his drawings match up. During the design process, things can get busy and decisions can be made that later require a lot of reconstructing of the circumstances in order to rediscover why decisions were made.

6.      You should document major decisions and alterations of the plan along the way, always looking back to the 5 original reasons why you wanted to start the work, as well as the 5 optional things that you want the work to possibly accomplish. Make sure that the Architect shows you where and how the design fulfills your criteria.

7.      Finally, the plans are finished and are submitted to the applicable governing agencies. Usually, there are some changes that are required in order to receive the building permit stamp, which allows the general contractor to begin the work. After those changes are made to the satisfaction of the governing agencies, the building permit is issued, and work may begin. However, if you are prudent, and before work begins, the wise thing would be for you to go over the approved drawings one more time with the architect. Your primary question at this point is, “What did you have to change in order for the building do be approved?”, because usually, some things have to change.

Seven Steps to House Construction: What You Must Know About The Design Process

When it comes to adding on to your house or building a new one, the greatest enemy you have is ignorance. Here are the first four of seven critical things you must know about the design process:

1.      You meet with the Architect or designer you have chosen and communicate the three big priorities to them: What you want, When you want it, and How Much you want to pay for it. Because you have completed the ‘Realize Your Dream’ section (See the previous post), you are able to clearly communicate to him the vision you have for your work. The architect will then be able to tell you by way of a generalized rough cost analysis if your project is feasible or not, and how you would need to change it to bring it back into the realm of possibilities. If you would like to see a rough 'not to exceed' Architectural Estimate Calculator, check out our link here.

2.      If generally determined to be feasible, the Architect will then get to work on the creation of the plans for your house or addition. He will do this by first of all creating a master list of the rooms that you want to change, the changes you want to make, and specific requirements for each room. This master list is called the Architectural Program. You may find out more about it here.

3.      If you do not have pre-existing plans of your house, the architect will need to complete them; often, this process of completing ‘as-built’ drawings is an ‘additional service’ which documents every relevant item that can be seen or accessed. These drawings then serve as the basis for the completion of the design work that will come afterward.

4.      The architect will check out the zoning and any special requirements that your lot may have imposed on it from city, county, state or federal agencies. At this point, there will be either major or minor surprises. These surprises may include the realization that you can’t complete the project in the way you wanted because you have to maintain a certain perimeter of yard space around your house. Your expansion options are thus limited, unless you want to challenge the ordinance. This process can become long and involved and thereby cost much money, but it is possible to get ordinances overturned so that you may be able to accomplish what you want to accomplish.

We will finish the remaining four phases in our next post.

Four Steps to Building Your Residential Design Team

Design is not a contact sport, but teamwork requires moving together in the right direction. Hiring your design team can be simple or complex, depending on the requirements you have. But, the guiding consideration should be the end product. Does your team have the experience and knowledge base to be able to compete the work you want to have done, in a timely way and for the budget you have determined?

It is critical that you assess each individual in light of your three primary objectives (above). So, let’s get started with these 4 tips to building your Residential Design Team:

1.      Get word of mouth referrals from friends, relatives, coworkers of those who you will consider. Make a master list of those people, get references, try to see examples of their work, and talk to others who have used their services in the past. Now is not the time to be timid about your job, because the team that you assemble can either make or break your project. Insure that each of the players on your team have the appropriate licenses (and that those licenses have not expired) and that there are no judgments pending against them from the state board of their respective professions.

2.      Examine websites and other references that may be available related to the work they have performed. If the designer is new, and you are willing to ‘go along for the ride’ of their gaining more experience with your work, insure that they cut you a deal on the price of their work. After all, you wouldn’t want an inexperienced surgeon performing brain surgery on you, right? It may be a helpful experience for the person you hire, but if the person is a novice, the experience may be more harrowing for you. It is our conviction that you shouldn’t hire someone fresh out of design school. You need to assemble a team of professionals who have the experience to pull off your work with the least frustrations possible. Because of the amount of money that is possibly involved, it is easy for frustrations to occur. You want to spend as little time as possible on the incompetence of others, and you therefore need to assess their competency from the start. After all, it is your project.

3.      Your team will most likely consist of at least the following persons: Architect, Interior Designer, Engineers as necessary, Landscape Architect, General Contractor, the general contractor’s supervisor or foreman for the job, and the General Contractor’s subs. There are some companies who have a ‘one stop shop’ – called ‘design - build’ – and although there is one point of responsibility, if the ‘one stop’ is inaccessible when there is a problem, then the problems can be magnified. Check out the company as much as possible in advance so that all of your bases are covered.

4.      Does the Architect communicate the design intent to you in a way that you understand? I have heard it many times, where a client expresses frustration because he or she doesn’t understand the floorplans and detail drawings that the architect has created, so it becomes impossible for them to be able to offer feedback until it is too late. You should insure that the Architect you go with has the latest in 3D imagery available for your work so that you can clearly understand what you will be getting prior to the first shovel of dirt being moved from the job site. If the Architect is up with the latest and greatest tools of the trade, he will be able to show you interior and exterior renderings of each of the rooms, and each of the rooms will meet your design criteria.

Transforming Ideas to Reality

Now that you have done the legwork in addressing ‘why’ you want to add to your existing house or design a new one, as well as considering the variety of feelings and impressions you want to create in the experience of the person entering the space, be sure that you have these ideas in a format that will be able to communicate to those who will be working on the design’s realization will be able to reference.

A scrapbook with removable pages can greatly assist in the planning of the house; having a few pages per room is helpful. On those pages, you will not only have images that you have saved or cut out of magazines; you will also include special notes about the performance of each room and the furnishings that you would like to have in it.

Believe it or not, it is not too early to be considering the costs of the items. And, if you have already selected the furnishings, fixtures and equipment of the rooms you are going to have, the designer can insure that each of the items has enough space in the room that you want it to go in. Believe me, it is much easier to plan for the objects and the space requirements that you want if the designer already has the measurements of those objects in mind. Logical arrangements of furniture and circulation paths add greatly to the function and use of each space; knowing the furniture you want in advance only makes the design better, and you realize the budget that you will need to have in order to make the house a home.

Before you consider who will help you realize your plans in your house or assist you in the creation of a new one, one of the key things you need to realize is that custom design is a dynamic process. Unlike going to a big box store or retail outlet, the work that you are trying to accomplish is not like buying a toaster. Very few things that are custom designed are a ‘slam dunk’. The process of designing takes a bit of ‘back and forth’ between you and the people who will realizing your dream with you. Each person who interacts with you in the process will have a degree of skill and experience that you do not have, and so you should strongly consider what they have to say, especially if they have reservations about the direction you want to go in. And, there will be ‘bumps’ in the road. In over 23 years of experience, I have never had a project or interacted with designers, builders or clients where there were not some type of issues to be resolved or frustrations along the way. This resistance is a normal part of the process of custom design.

When interviewing the designer who will be working with you, you need to insure that there is a comfortable fit between both of you… the designer should first of all realize that, since you are the one paying the bill, that your thoughts and considerations are of primary concern. I mention this because there are some designers who are such ‘experts’ that they will leave you in the dust, forget about or neglect what you have to say, and ‘do their own artistic thing’. If you do not want the designer to see your house as his or her own private ‘canvas’, then you need to be certain to select one who will listen to and take the time to understand your aspirations, dreams, ideas and concerns for the spaces that will be designed.

Part 2: Four (More) Steps Toward Realizing Residential Design Dreams in 2012

Do you understand that the property owner has problems?

Understanding the problems behind his perceived need for your services is the REAL issue. Ignore it at your peril. Answer it and fulfill a dream.

A leaky roof and children who need to play (while it is raining) is the problem. The solution may or may not be a new addition. How do you provide true value-added service to your service relationship, so that you become the 'DREAM' team for the client?

(1) For the client, the architect will need to seek out problems that the new work will eliminate. Does he (or his wife) hate bringing laundry upstairs / downstairs? Why not shuffle the rooms around to include an upstairs laundry? Do they need more storage? Plan to convert the attic. Need more social space but can’t expand? Consider adding outside rooms covered with a canopy or awning. Have a lot of clutter? Innovative storage solutions exist that can 'declutterfy' his living space. The possibilities are indeed endless and can add overwhelmingly to the enjoyment of his house. As the design professional, look around and see what type of problems are evident from the first visit and communicate how your solutions will meet the needs. As a client, explore alternatives to using cash to solve your problems.
(2) Bills will never completely go away, but now is the time for the client to also consider the amount of money that will be paid for the house to function into the future. Will the independence that comes from having a solar electrical system be worth the cost of installation amortized until the system pays for itself? What of replacing windows and doors with higher efficiency models? What about using greywater systems to utilize and irrigate a landscape? Now is the time for your client to consider how he wants to live for the future. It is the designer's responsibility to bring those questions to light.

(3) Rethink the possible – After reinventing the interior, have the client think about the exterior. As an architect, exteriors of buildings are extremely important, and having dramatic curve appeal can greatly enhance the value of the home. But, since the client is living there, think about it… they spend more time on the inside of the home than the outside, right? Encourage non-structural solutions as well as structural ones (as fitting) in order to provide the greatest value to your client. Regardless, make sure that they are relevant and address the big picture needs as well as those mentioned when contact was first established.

(4) It is true that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but the condition of a house’s exterior can tell a lot about the care and diligence that is applied to the living spaces on the inside. The exterior of the house is the first thing that people see, and is thereby the source of first impressions. Make the redesign count by insuring that the impression and external appearance to be created is rock solid in its impact, landscape architecture notwithstanding.

By addressing all of these considerations, the architect is working with the client to address the reasons ‘why’ the work should be accomplished in the first place. Again, comprehending and solving the problems behind the perceived need is the REAL issue. Ignore it at your peril. Answer it and dreams are fulfilled.

Four Steps Toward Realizing Residential Design Dreams in 2012, Part 1

It is exciting to consider the benefits that come from adding onto a home; even more when thinking about designing and building a new one. Here are four steps to consider when putting your plans together:

1.      Financial: Does your house addition make sense?

There are quite a number of things that could be done to add value to your home. The most direct and quick way of assessing whether you should proceed with a house addition is to have a realtor run comparable sales in the neighborhood, or even if you do a search on Zillow.com, you will be able to generally find out the price range of houses in your area.

Most of the time, the ranges are based on the size or area of the home, as well as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. If you were to sell your home, you would be able to get a higher asking price if you have the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms as the highest house in your vicinity or the nearest most similar neighborhood. Making a house addition allows you the opportunity to substantially increase the property value of your home should you need to sell.

2.      Feeling: Does it feel good?

As far as the design goes, consider the feeling or overall impression that you want the people to have who live there. The overall impression of the space is your first consideration. It is easy, when in the midst of purchasing furnishings or having to decide between ones you already have, to get confused or lose your focus. Having a clear understanding of how you want people to feel when they enter a space is a most important guiding consideration. Additionally, try to think beyond the ‘light and airy’. The average designer will inwardly groan when hearing this… what is ‘light and airy’ to you is not necessarily what is ‘light and airy’ to another person. Having specific concrete terms is more helpful. Here are a few: bold, dynamic, diverse, eclectic, etc. are all terms that are descriptive and meaningful.

3.      Functionally Fitting: Is it you?  Consider the narrative – what is the story you want to tell within the house? In your imagination, begin with the thoughts you would like the person who sees your house to have, and proceed from there. This simple exercise of going from room to room and imagining the activities that will be performed in the spaces will greatly assist you in coming up with a plan of attack on the design of your space. Additionally, think about the little things that you would need to acquire once the space is functional. Do you need an additional laundry basket to fit with the new washer and dryer? Plan for a contingency fund to acquire the small but often forgotten objects that will truly make the new construction a functional space.

4.      Framed:Does it look right?

Go back in time. Think about the style of the room. If you like a specific historical style and have examples of it from magazines, so much more the better. But, if you are unaware of the various types of interior designs available, feel free to check out magazines such as Architectural Digest, Sunset, or others. As always, the internet is a helpful tool in being able to assist your search. These sources will have a variety of images that may spark your imagination. But, beware! The pictures in these magazines are professionally tailored to be attractive. A certain photograph may be appealing, but the style may not be the style that would fit right with who you are and the feelings (see number 1 above) you would like to evoke. Collecting these images will assist any designer who will be hired to coordinate the visuals that you create.

As a designer beginning work with a potential client, having these points covered helps go a long way toward initiating the design process. Seeking out problems is to be sought rather than avoided. In our next post, we will examine the importance of seeking problems to solve with the final four steps toward Realizing Residential Dreams.

2012 in the Headlights

Impossible to know, the future is an elusive place to try to live. No matter how hard we try, seeking to understand the specifics of what will happen is impossible for mere mortals.

The reason we keep records is so that we can try to determine the risk behind the things we would like to do, in order to, “…head them (the risks) off at the pass’. Planning for a likely scenario helps one to be able to better insure a successful outcome. A variety of indicators from official sources gives us an ability to project the likely future of the architecture industry over the coming year.

Still trudging along, the national economic picture for 2012 is not too encouraging. The most recent information published from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis is from 2010. The information related to the economy and percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) may be seen at this link. Because the information included in the statistics is either pictures of the past or forecasts for the future, it is at best a ‘best guess’ of how things are going. Essentially, the information shows that the Construction “Value Added” category decreased by 3.7% for the sixth consecutive year and accounted for the lowest amount of the GDP (3.4%) since 1947. From 2007 to 2010, the amount of cash spent in construction projects has dropped $152 billion. Nationally, this information signifies (as we all already know) that the construction industry has been hurting.

National organizations can give more specific information. As an example, there has been an uptick nationally in the Architectural Billings Index (ABI) provided by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), but its effects won’t be felt until the middle to end of 2012 when the projects begin to be constructed; 2013 is supposed to have a better and more wide-spread positive economic picture.

How is the demand for construction statewide? In California, employees retained in a variety of jobs indicate how the employers feel things are going. From information from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, to be found here, from 2009 to 2010, there was a decrease of $31.9 million spent in construction. For Los Angeles County, the information shows that construction employment decreased by 6.6% comparing August of 2010 to August of 2011. This amount may be seasonally adjusted or an expectation for what is to come.  For Architects in California, employment in Architecture firms between 2010 and 2012 is supposed to increase by 5 percent. Clearly, design is supposed to increase into 2012, but construction will not likely increase until 2013.

California economic data projections of growth for the residential construction industry are expected to remain slow because of the excess inventory of houses due to foreclosures being worked off. Conversely, non-residential construction is expected to increase due to not having been ‘over-built’ during the slow times.

However, the light at the end of the tunnel may be seen in that, according to Steven Kim of Barclays, regardless of the number of distressed homes, and in the absence of government sponsored programs, the non-distressed property prices are stabilizing. Distressed properties are being seen as a higher risk for those wishing to purchase houses. And, home prices have risen above negative territory for the first time in the last six months.

2012 Being an election year, we keep in mind that the incumbent President, Barack Hussein Obama, wants to be re-elected, so look for positive information regarding the prospects of the economy to be spread. Correspondingly, government related agencies that control economic drivers, like the fed’s use of ‘tools’ such as quantitative easing, may be used to increase the debt of the US while insuring a short term rosy outlook – essentially borrowing money in order to make it ‘feel’ like the economy is getting better. Additionally, people will not want to invest in making major changes or additions to their payrolls unless concerns about rising health care costs and how related issues will work out is known. More jobs mean more people willing to make delayed purchases. Once the outcome of the election is known, people will be able to better enact plans for 2013.

Regardless of the macroeconomic and local trends, there are always people who want to get projects finished, and if they have the resources available and have the desire to complete the project, it will move forward regardless of the state of the economy. J