You could probably live out your life in a planned residential community full of tract homes. Millions of people do exactly that.

But if your dream is to design your own space, in your own setting, then you will want a Custom Home. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to spend a fortune either! In many cases, the price of a custom home is very comparable to one of these “cookie cutters”, and often includes the use
of better materials. Keep in mind that the large building companies are out to make a profit – sometimes this means using cheaper materials, or inflating the price with no
relation to actual building costs. In a custom home, it’s all about the building costs!

For many, building a dream home is literally a once in a lifetime event. It is the single most important dream, and investment, they have ever contemplated. Contrary to what many believe, the architectural process will almost certainly SAVE you time and money. By managing costs, while listening to your desires, an architect will help balance between your Dream and your Budget.

I want to make the architectural process simple, straight forward, and exciting for you!

Programme -

The architect will first provide you with a House Programme or Questionair for you to complete as best as possible. This document will help you think about size, location, budget, and “finish” – which is the industry term for how fancy you want the finish work to be – for example, do you want granite counters, crown moldings, vaulted ceilings, etc.

There will probably be many questions that you can not answer right away - That’s ok! As you work through the process, you will gradually fill in all the blanks. And simply having a detailed document like the programme will help you understand the process without forgetting important aspects, or becoming overwhelmed.

Consultation –

Once the architect has had an opportunity to review your House Programme, you will have a meeting, and generally, there is no charge for this initial consultation. The architect will have an opportunity to clarify any questions he or she has about your goals, and you will have an opportunity to discuss the process, fees, and schedule.

Site Visit –

A visit to the construction site may be in order. An architect is able to anticipate any unique design considerations necessary to the topography of the site. This also gives you an opportunity to convey your vision to the architect – “I want a huge picture window looking out over this valley.”

Contract –

See an example of a Contract here.
Once you have had time to think about everything, the architect will provide you with an AIA approved contract, which outlines what the architect will and will not do. For example, some architects will monitor every aspect of the construction for you – locating a General Contractor, and monitoring the Budget.. In other cases, you might select your own General Contractor, who will simply work with the architect..

Once you have decided to go ahead, and have signed the contract, THE architect becomes YOUR Architect! This is part of the FUN! – When it’s time to select your kitchen cabinets, or talk to your bank, or even visit the hardware store, you get to say “My Architect is working on that…”

Preliminary Floor Plans –

Whether you are starting from scratch, or you have already done an initial set of drawings “on the back of an envelope”, your architect will take your ideas and put them into the computer. They will print off a set of preliminary plans, and provide them either in paper or PDF format. There will probably be many discussions and changes between you and your architect during this process, as you work through details such as the kitchen size, number of windows, stair locations, etc.

This process is broken up into two phases - the Schematic Design Phase, and the Design Development Phase.

During the Schematic Design Phase, Your Architect will work out the scale and relationship of the project components for you to approve.

During the Design Development Phase, Your Architect will create drawings and other documents to fix and describe the size and character of the entire project as to structural, mechanical, and electrical systems materials and such other essentials as may be appropriate.

It will also be during these phases that either you or Your Architect will arrange for any required surveys or soils testing.

While this process often happens before a builder is selected, this is a very good time to involve the builder if possible.

Elevations –

An Elevation is simply a drawing or rendering of what the project will look like from the outside. You will get to see where the windows are, and what the roof looks like, and what your neighbors might see!

Elevations will be provides as part of the Design Development Phase mentioned above.

Click here to view PDF

Builder –

Your Architect has probably worked with many builders in your area, and may be able to provide you with a list of names. Whether this is a remodel, or new construction, it is very important that the builder be experienced, reliable, and someone that you can communicate with easily.

Some builders will tell you that they don’t need an architect, or that they can do the construction documents themselves – saving thousands of dollars. In certain circumstances, this may be true – like if you are adding a deck, or a screened in porch, to the back of your house. But if you are doing any type of structural changes, such as foundation, adding a second floor, or changing your roof line – the oversight Your Architect will provide will help keep the builder on track, on time, and on budget.

Engineer –

A licensed Engineer may be consulted to determine factors such as the foundation requirements. Again, Your Architect generally knows several licensed engineers, and will be able to assist you with this. In fact, if Your Architect works with the engineer directly, this may not be something you even need to consider.

Construction Documents –

See an example here.
Before the structure can be submitted to your local City, Town, Council, or Municipality for approval, Your Architect will develop a full set of construction documents. Construction documents are the first set of “final” drawings. They’re called “final” drawings, even though they will generally be modified several times before the construction is completed. These drawings take the layout of the Preliminary Drawings and Elevations and precisely determine the other myriad of details such as heating and air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, and structural aspects of the design.

Once approved by Council, this is the set of plans that the builder will actually work from.

Submission to Council –

There are few places in America that you can do any type of construction without some sort of approval. This is one excellent reason for working with Your Architect in the first place. Each area will have their own set of codes, or rules, that must be adhered to. This is also the single biggest reason that you should consult an architect rather than purchasing a set of plans online, or through other means. Often these “Plans in a Box” include a clause stating that you may have to get the plans approved before use. Bare in mind that very few architects are willing to put their reputations on the line, or accept the liability involved with “rubber stamping” a set of plans that they did not create for you. And in any case, these plans rarely come EXACTLY in the configuration you want – so if modifications need to be made, you will want to consult an architect anyway.

Designers –

Faye Crowe has won several awards for her kitchen designs. Your Architect will be able to help you with design details such as the flow of your kitchen, or the layout of your private office. However, you may also wish to consult with designers that specialize in areas such as kitchens, interior décor, whole home audio/video, or lighting. You will want to be able to bring in these resources with the confidence that Your Architect will be ready to assist your designers. Each of these specialty designers will need precise measurements, which Your Architect can provide.

Construction –

The construction process will naturally span many months. During this time, it is important that Your Architect be available to oversee the details. Working with the builder, and the designers mentioned above, Your Architect will be able to spot important details and avoid any potential problem areas

Revisions –

Revisions are a very important part of the process. Often, as you see the construction process happen, you will want to make minor changes. Your Architect will be ready and willing to work you as you have new thoughts and ideas. There are generally fees associated with both design and building changes. By working with Your Architect – you can continue to balance between your dreams and your budget.

Interiors –

Incorporate the interior design with the overall architecture.