Architect

Services

Design Process, Phases and Fees
Getting a project designed and constructed requires many decisions made in a process of collaboration between the architect and owner.  It is impossible to make every decision all at once at the beginning of a project.  Most projects proceed with broad ideas and goals that are honed into a finished design.  This decision-making process continues throughout the life of the project and ends with the owner’s occupation of the finished construction.

Over time, the architectural design industry has developed practice standards which I generally follow.  One such standard is a project-specific “design process” given order by separating the total work into phases.  Each phase has a purpose and each one comes to a close when you, the owner, is satisfied the work has met your level of expectations to that point.  The project moves forward based on the decisions made in each sequential design phase.  The phases and timeline vary depending on the complexity of your project, but generally follow this format:

Design Phases

  1. Pre-design and programming, gathering information from the client and learning about the project site
  2. Schematic design
  3. Design development
  4. Production of construction documents and obtaining a building permit
  5. Choosing a contractor through negotiation or bidding
  6. Construction phase services

Additional Services:  Obtaining approval from a planning commission, regulatory agency or design review board (see below).

Billing, Design Fees and Catering to a Client’s Needs
Design fees vary from project to project based on the factors of project complexity, type, location, size, quality level, schedule, budget and the scope of services requested of the architect by the owner.  The specific nature of a project determines whether a fixed fee or hourly fee is appropriate, and how the project will be phased.  The total fee is broken down into the individual phases listed above as a percentage of the total fixed fee, or as the estimated number of hours per phase for an hourly fee.

The design fees for specialty consultants for structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, lighting design, cost estimating, etc. that are included as part of my design services will generally be included within my total design fee.  The owner has the option to pay such consultants directly.

I generally require payment of design fees on a monthly basis as the project progresses, with each payment covering the portion of the work, or the portion of the phase, completed in that month.  Before the project starts, a fixed fee or an hourly fee (based on an estimated number of hours to complete the work) is set and agreed upon between architect and owner.  This provides everyone a complete understanding of the fee and billing expectations.

Occasionally, a combination of fixed and hourly fees may occur with an hourly fee applied to certain phases and fixed fee to others.  Understanding each client’s particular needs is extremely meaningful and I take care to cater my services and create a billing format to meet those needs.

Reimbursable Expenses
The following project-related costs are not included in either fixed or hourly fees for projects and will be invoiced on a monthly basis along with basic design fees.  These will be actual invoice costs with no mark-up.

  1. Printing of documents (excluding printing for my own internal office use) for owner, contractor or any agency use.
  2. Mailing and shipping costs for documents, models, samples, etc.
  3. Travel-related costs including airfare, lodging and rental car expenses.
  4. Application fees such as building permit plan review fees, planning action fees, etc.  I prefer that such fees be paid for directly by the owner, but when it is expedient I will pay the fee and be reimbursed.

Phase 1 – Pre-Design, Programming and Gathering Information
5-10% of the total fee
The complexity of a project, and sometimes the experience of the owner, has a lot to do with the level of professional service required at the Pre-Design Phase.  Sometimes a client has all the design requirements for a project figured out before I get involved, and sometimes we need to work together to determine the project requirements.  The Pre-Design Phase can include any or all of the following:

Programming – Establish detailed requirements for the overall design and project goals, determine the functional needs and relationships between spaces, determine space size and net area requirements, understand equipment and special system needs, and research site amenities and constraints (including landscaping, site access and parking requirements).

Budget Analysis – Reconcile the programming needs, project type and desired quality level with the owner’s actual budget.  Determine that the project’s hard costs (construction related costs) and soft costs (designer/consultant fees, city fees, bank fees, insurance and interest) match up with the owner’s project goals and budget expectations.

Determine How a Contractor is Selected – Will a contractor be chosen through negotiation or bidding?  See more about this in Phase 5 below.

Determine the Project Schedule – Analyze the following factors to create a project schedule:  Owner’s and design team’s schedule and workload, owner’s decision-making timeline, complexity of the project, timeline to acquire a building permit, timeline to complete planning and zoning actions, and a contractor’s availability, workload and schedule.  The schedule will be re-examined and updated as the project progresses.

Building Code and Planning Action Analysis – The design team will research building code and planning and zoning impacts on the project.  This must be happen early on to prevent unexpected changes to the design in later phases of the project.  Building codes and zoning regulations vary by location and the design team will determine the local requirements at this phase of the project.

Survey and Document an Existing Building – This applies to building addition and remodel projects where it is critical to examine and document the existing conditions and form an accurate record of what is there to start with.  This work can be performed by the design team or by a third party consultant hired by the owner.

Site Survey – Engage a surveying company (usually an expense paid for directly by the owner) to prepare a map of the project site showing at minimum, property lines, easements, existing structures and other important physical features, utilities, topography and vegetation.

Geotechnical Investigation and Soils Report – Obtain a soils analysis (usually an expense paid for directly by the owner) to understand the site’s soils characteristics and strength to optimize a building’s foundation system and understand all important sub-surface conditions.

Phase 2 – Schematic Design
10-15% of the total fee
Using the criteria determined and the information gathered in the Pre-Design Phase, design concepts for the project will be explored.  One or more ideas will be presented to the owner, but by the end of this phase one preferred design concept should be settled on.  Documents produced in this phase include a site plan, floor plans, building elevations, a 3D or physical model, and sometimes a preliminary cost estimate of construction.

Phase 3 – Design Development
10-15% of the total fee
The design is finalized in this phase of the work, and it is also the time where I begin to coordinate the work of specialized consultants that may be required.  All of the important design decisions, from pinning down the overall look of the project to selection of interior and exterior materials, resolving interior design issues, final selection of building systems, final organization of building spaces, and site design occur during this phase.  Design consultants for civil, landscape, structural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, and other specialties begin to get involved, producing their portion of the design under my coordination.

The following documents produced in this phase will evolve into finished construction documents in the next phase:  Site plan, floor plans, ceiling plans, building sections, key wall sections and other architectural details, exterior elevations, and key interior elevations and details.  The drawings produced by the consultants noted above will begin to take shape as well.  An outline specification (a written description of materials, systems and their quality requirements) will be produced for projects when required.  3D and physical modeling will be updated as needed in this phase.  The phase is complete when the owner approves the developed design produced up to this point.

Phase 4 – Construction Documents and Building Permit Approval
30-40% of the total fee
Construction Documents are the graphic and written technical documents that will be used in general construction of the project and used in obtaining bids and securing building permit approval.  This coordinated set of working drawings and written specifications (when required) are the instruction manual for building and site construction.  All the documents produced in Phases 2 and 3 are updated in full detail and expanded in this phase and structural, mechanical, plumbing, power, lighting and life safety systems are coordinated with the project’s architecture and site.

These detailed construction documents will clearly show the project’s design intent.  I am willing to, and often do, engage the expertise of contractors and construction specialists to improve the design and detailing, make construction more cost effective, or shorten the project schedule.  Project construction cost and timeline is best controlled when a general contractor is involved in Phases 2 through 4.

The completed set of construction documents is submitted to the local building department for review and approval of a building permit.  At the time of submittal, there is usually a plan review fee to be paid (separate from the building permit fee paid by the building contractor).  The plans will be reviewed for permit by several agencies and I will respond to any comments and make corrections needed until the plans are fully approved.

Phase 5 – Selection of a Contractor and Bidding
5% of the total fee
The construction documents prepared in Phase 4 become part of the “contract documents” that make up the contract for construction agreed upon between the owner and contractor.  There are generally two methods used in hiring a contractor:

  1. Negotiation:  Selecting a contractor based on qualifications, experience, capabilities and referrals.  The terms of the contract for construction will be negotiated between the owner and contractor and the construction contract price will be based on the architect’s construction documents.
  2. Bidding:  Providing the construction documents to two or more contractors who submit bids to the owner.  This is a competitive process between contractors, but the owner is not obligated to choose the lowest bid.

It is important to determine which method will be used at the Pre-Design or Schematic Design Phase of a project.  How the contractor is chosen influences the crafting of the construction documents and the overall design process.  Each project is different from the next, and I will assist clients in determining the type of contract to be used.

A contractor can be an integral part of the design process throughout the design phases, providing feedback to help control project costs.  This works best with a single general contractor’s involvement using the negotiated contract method.  The terms of the negotiated contract can require the general contractor to obtain competitive sub-bids for all aspects of the project.  When this method is used, the general contractor will apply a builder’s fee to the sub-bids total.

Competitive bidding may be preferred for some projects.  When this method is chosen, the bidding process is administered by the architect to ensure all bids are based on the same design criteria, documents and standards.  There are pros and cons to competitive bidding and publicly-funded projects generally require this method to be used.

Phase 6 – Construction Phase Services
10-15% of the total fee
It is extremely important to keep the architect involved in the project during construction to observe the progress and quality of the construction work, and to observe that the work conforms with the construction documents.  Depending on the project, the architect (and the relevant design consultants) will assist the owner with any or all of the following:

  1. Visit the site periodically to observe and document the project and report progress to the owner.
  2. Respond to contractor questions and clarify the design intent and detailing as needed throughout the construction phase.
  3. Administer the process of changes to the design initiated by owner, architect or contractor.
  4. Review shop drawings, product and finish samples and mock-ups, and product literature for conformance with the construction documents and design intent.
  5. Review testing agency and regulatory inspections results.
  6. Evaluate the contractor’s requests for payment to determine that the completeness of the work stated on the payment application matches the work actually performed.
  7. Assist the owner in the transition at the end of construction with the owner’s move-in of the project, including final construction observation, punchlist of construction to be corrected, and compilation of “record documents” reconciling the original construction documents with what is actually built.
  8. Mediate disputes between the owner and contractor as the first, and least expensive, means of project conflict resolution.

Obtaining Approval from a Planning Commission, Regulatory Agency or Design Review Board
Generally, these are “additional services” and are billed separately from the basic design services fee.  This work is considered an additional service since it is outside the standard scope of services traditionally provided in architectural design, and because the time involved in securing such approvals can often be impossible to determine up front.  A fixed fee or hourly fee based on an estimated number of hours will be negotiated to cover the following services:

  1. Prepare approval applications including written and graphic documents and models.
  2. Attend and make presentations to commissions, boards and regulatory agencies.
  3. Organize and attend design and neighborhood meetings.
  4. Generally keep tabs on the progress of the approvals.

The work involved in obtaining these approvals often occurs concurrently with the work performed in Phases 1, 2 or 3 above, since the site and/or building design must be developed before it is ready to be submitted for municipal or regulatory approval.  Some documents produced for such approvals will overlap with the design development site plan, floor plan, building elevations and modeling, however, these documents must be crafted in response to specific regulatory approval criteria.

The approval process is different for each project and local, and may involve many steps and varying timelines.  Sometimes when required, consultants for site surveying, landscaping, civil engineering, hydrology and traffic design must be included in the process.