Services
The word service literally means to be devoted to a Client's success through each project.
The beginning is conceptual design—the foundational studies, investigations, site evaluation, space programming, feasibility checks, code analysis, diagrams, modeling, and renderings through which a successful project begins.
Feasibility—testing if a concept will work—is a central part of initial design services. Development of the design sprouts out the conceptual framework into materials, details, and engineering as the bones of the project take shape.
Traditional architectural services conclude design phases with detailed documentation, specifications, and construction contracts. They bridge the contractor selection, pricing process, and construction contract administration from first shovel through move-in.
Where are you in the process?
Contact me to map your entire design and construction process according to your goals at no charge. We can meet at the site (if there is one), review existing information and determine needed surveys or analysis. We'll also tailor a path to establish the project scope, timeline, budget, design, and construction delivery. If you are interested in further design services, I'll provide a design proposal for services, as discussed in Hiring an Architect.
Residential projects are detailed on a dedicated The Process of Residential Architecture page.
Design teams are assembled directly based on what each endeavor needs. This often includes expertise in building code analysis, interior design, building science, modeling and renderings for presentations, and engineering for structural, plumbing, mechanical, fire protection, and electrical building systems.
Many projects require some additional design or construction expertise beyond the norm. Our agreements regularly provide this via in-house experience, such as for laboratory planning, or through consultants like civil engineers, landscape architects, contractors, construction managers, surveyors, cost estimators, commissioning agents, and even chemists and physicists for air quality, coatings, shielding, and imaging.
We excel in complex renovations!
Working in existing, occupied buildings is the most challenging but satisfying work we do. Examples include a pharmaceutical pilot plant in an office lobby, a clean room beside classrooms, exercise rooms in a clinic, a beer store in a tax office, a performance hall in bank records storage, a laboratory in a basement, a canopy over an industrial fueling platform, server farms, pedestrian bridges, an active airport terminal, and countless laboratories, restaurants, and offices.
Projects vary widely, but these four services are the most commonly requested:
- Architectural Building Survey — Measurement of an existing building to establish architectural base plan information for potential analysis and design work.
- Electronic Base Drawings — Drawings in an electronic CAD-compatible format reflecting the Architectural Building Survey. Scaled, hardcopy drawings are available from this format.
- Building Code Research and Analysis — Usually preceding a renovation, this preliminary effort tests the feasibility of a project. A report of the research and conclusions is provided.
- Life Safety Plan and Building Code Summary — Depending on the scope of work, commercial building permit applications often require the inclusion of the NC Appendix B Building Code Summary and an accompanying Life Safety Plan drawing that illustrates many of the building code parameters. These two documents are often submitted together and are based on the building floor plan, construction, use, and many other factors determined during code analysis.
A sample of investigations and reports available beyond the traditional architectural services available:
- Test Fit — Quick conceptual floor plan to test a commercial upfit program against the available space.
- Conceptual Design and Advance Planning — An initial design study to resolve aesthetic and programmatic project interests.
- BOMA Calculations — Real estate transactions often require precisely measured area take-offs to determine rentable areas and factors. We use the applicable Building Owners and Management Association (BOMA) standard depending on the type of real estate and standard for measurement.
- Property Condition Assessment and Report — Useful for pre-sale evaluations and often includes a walk-through by a team of building experts and a property condition report identifying deficiencies. This may be based on ASTM E2018-01 if the evaluation requires and can be extended for additional investigations or conceptual design exploration.
- Advanced Building Survey — Beyond the initial Architectural Building Survey above and may partner with engineers or other experts to document existing structures, PME systems, vertical facades, roof and wall envelope enclosure, and architectural details and features.
- Site Zoning Analysis and Report — A preliminary zoning analysis of the site to test the feasibility of the concept. Results of zoning analysis will be provided in a report.
- Reviews with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) — Further analysis and negotiations of the Building Code Analysis and Site Zoning Analysis with the local AHJ may be necessary to ensure the project conforms to its requirements.
- Consultation Meeting — Discussions with clients, consultants, manufacturers, designers, and contractors may be scheduled at hourly rates or by the meeting.
- Programming — Often a collaborative process with building occupants and users for the purpose of collecting information suitable to establish space needs and design.
- Cost Statements — A cost estimate based on areas and rule-of-thumb space types. This is a based on industry available cost data and serves as a good order of magnitude for typical buildings and renovations.
- Bid Services — A collection of services related to procurement of a project, including advertisement, notice to bidders, pre-bid meeting, requests for information and addenda, communications, bid opening, bid evaluations, and contract preparation.
- Construction Administration — Wide ranging services from occasional observations, special inspections, weekly and monthly meetings, change management, commissioning, move in coordination, and close out.
- Special Contracts — Integration of special contractual requirements within construction documentation related to State of North Carolina public construction contracts, institutional contractual arrangements for furnishings, and local or county AHJ particulars.
Full planning services are available for research laboratories and scientific spaces of all kinds.
Experience includes institutional, secondary school, graduate and undergraduate higher education, commercial R&D, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
We can assist with a vast range of space types, such as for biology, chemistry, physics, mammilian and aquatic vivariums, botany, clean rooms, bio-safety (BSL), environmental, teaching, controlled environments, imaging, computational, pharmaceutical and GMP, hazardous materials, radioisotopes, operating and procedure rooms, pathology, grossing, and microtomy.