How It Works
Growing out of your house? Need more space? Or maybe just better space? Dreaming of a new house? The first step is to contact Katrina for a consultation. Please note that consultations and meetings are scheduled during normal business hours, from 8:00AM to 5:00PM.
Katrina will evaluate your options based on your specific zoning requirements, property size, existing conditions and construction requirements. After the initial consultation Katrina will put together a proposal for the required architectural services. Once a signed proposal has been sent back, your project will be added to the project list. Please note that Katrina often books out 2 – 6 months at a time, depending on the time of year.
Plan ahead!!!! The overall process can take much longer than expected. Depending on the project size and scope, plan for 4 weeks to complete construction documents for small interior remodels and 12 to 16 weeks for pop tops and new home construction plans. The amount of time to obtain permits varies widely on the jurisdiction and how busy they are. Some jurisdictions will turn around plans in a few weeks, some will take up to 6 months!!!
New construction or projects that are adding new square footage will require a property survey to be prepared by a licensed surveyor and a soils report prepared by a geotechnical engineer. Katrina can provide references for both services that provide quality work at reasonable costs. Katrina will also help coordinate what is required to be included on the survey. It often varies slightly depending on jurisdiction and project type.
Before you invest in services and reports, talk to your bank! A construction loan cannot be issued without permit plans. However, your banker should be able to discuss your finances and general plans to help you determine an appropriate budget. Construction loans involve different paperwork, procedures and funding methods when compared to many other loan types. Preparing your documentation ahead of time will help maintain a smooth process. It is also helpful to talk with a contractor ahead of time. Construction costs have risen significantly in recent years. Understanding the current cost of construction is important before starting the design process.
We are ready to start the architectural work! If the project is a remodel or addition, the first step will be for Katrina to create a set of Record Documents. These will include floor plans and exterior elevations as required for the scope of work. These documents will then be used as a basis for starting design work. If the project is new construction, Katrina can start design work once the survey has been completed. For all projects there will be a design meeting where Katrina will review requirements for all new spaces to get a full understanding of your goals. It is also helpful to start collecting photos of completed projects and spaces that have elements that you like. Photos are an extremely helpful method of communicating your design aesthetic.
Katrina will start the design process by exploring various design options for your home. All design work will be done in 3D. Renderings and models will be presented for your review and to get a full understanding of what your finished spaces / home will look like. See the tab under In Design / Under Construction for an example of design renderings that will be provided.
Through a series of meetings and correspondence the design will be further developed until all goals have been achieved. At that time there will be a complete DD (Design Development) set of plans. These plans will include the 3D model, site plan, floor plans, roof plan and exterior elevations. The design will be complete but the plans are not yet detailed for construction or permit.
In addition to architecture plans, most projects will require structural plans. The structural engineer can prepare a fee proposal based on the DD set of plans. Katrina has several structural engineers to recommend.
At this time the project kicks into CDs (Construction Documents). The CDs will contain the information required to obtain a permit, for bidding the plans and for the contractor to build the project. The architect coordinates with the structural engineer at this time to create a more detailed set of plans.
A typical set of architectural CDs for a new home or pop top will have the following drawings:
* Site Pan with zoning analysis
* Building code study
* Detailed floor plans for each level with keynotes to provide further information
* Roof plan
* Exterior elevations of all sides
* Several building sections with construction requirements
*Construction notes
*Insulation specifications, energy details & requirements
* Details of any unique conditions or custom details
* Diagrammatic electrical lighting fixture and switching plan for each level
* Several building sections with construction requirements
* Details of any unique conditions or custom details
* Diagrammatic electrical lighting fixture and switching plan for each level
Different jurisdictions vary slightly on what is required for permit. Typical requirements include: architectural plans, structural plans, survey, soils report, mechanical design / calculations, a shoring plan (only for urban lots with new basements) and utility and / or civil plans. Katrina will coordinate with all the engineers and will provide guidance on the items that need to be prepared. Katrina will submit all items for permit for projects located with Denver. However, the contractor will submit for permit in most other jurisdictions.
There are two routes to go with selecting a contractor. The first is to select a contractor prior to starting the design process. The contractor can add value to the process by ensuring the design stays on budget. The second route is to select a contractor after the plans are complete. You can select a couple contractors to bid out the job. Once the bids have come in you can select your contractor, not only by cost but by also evaluating other aspects of the contractor. When construction is busy and contractors do not need to be competitive, it is difficult to have more than one contractor bid your plans. It is extremely time consuming to bid out a set of plans. During those times it is best to select a contractor ahead of time to get on their schedule. Once the permit has been issued and a contractor has been selected it is time to start construction.