My Approach:
My approach and emphasis is simple:
A) My designs are a reflection of the Owners dreams, desires and needs set within the boundary established by their budget.
B) I work with the surroundings that the site provides us with. Careful attention is paid to natural views, sun angles, prevailing winds, privacy concerns, existing trees, landscape outcrops and any other pertinent issues and amenities.
C) Simplicity in construction practices are of the utmost importance to me. Using standard practices assists in keeping the construction costs within reasonable limits.
Site Planning:
The first step to any project is a visit to the Job Site. Careful attention is paid to verify the topography of the land - natural views that need to be captivated or those that need to be reduced. Sun angles, prevailing winds, natural run-off courses, trees and outcrops, all need to be documented for future design studies.
We must also verify that the City or County Planning and Zoning Ordinances are favorable for our project.
Architectural Design:
Any information that the Owner has is extremely important at this stage. The time to lay-out the dream is at hand.
Preliminary Design Schemes will be produced that takes in all the information that has been gathered. This process might take a few tries as we mold this house into a home.
After the floor plan has been "somewhat established" the exterior will begin to take emphasis until both the floor plan and the exterior become the home that the Client was looking for.
Construction Documents:
The Construction Documents are a roadmap for the Contractor. It is my responsibility to convey to the Contractor what the Owner's wishes are in a workable manner.
A wise investment in a good set of plans could save an Owner, not only time and money, but in frustration as well.
I enjoy making frequent visits to the Job Site to answer questions or just to see the progress with the Owners. It is extremely rare when I receive a call from a Contractor at the job.