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| What kinds of projects will Archisketch work for? Archisketch is appropriate for small residential and commercial projects. These include house renovations and additions, new houses, office renovations, and small commercial buildings. We have also used it successfully for custom cabinet design. |
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| What kinds of Owners does Archisketch work best for? Most of our Archisketch clients have a pretty good idea of what they are trying to accomplish, but don’t know a lot about design and/or construction. They may have discussed their project with a contractor or two and perhaps done some sketches on their own. They would like to make sure that their design solution is really the best one and they are particularly interested in knowing how things will look before they commit to the project. They are often people who have never worked with an architect before. |
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| How is it different from other architectural design services? The usual approach is for the architect to meet with his/her client and collect as much information as possible about the requirements for the project. After that, the architect goes back to the studio and works up a design proposal for presentation to the client, who critiques the design, which is then adjusted and re-presented. This happens as many times as it takes to develop an approved design. This approach works well on larger projects where the time needed for drawing, reworking designs, and presentations can be spread over a substantial budget. On small projects, the time (and fees) can get out of proportion to the value added. Archisketch is designed to minimize drawing and revision time by allowing the Owner to work alongside the designer and react immediately to the design layout and appearance. Archisketch is intended to make professional design accessible to people and for projects that would otherwise not have been able to afford it. It also allows our client's preferences to actively shape the design. |
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| If the charges are based on time, how do I know what my total design fees will be? |
Each project is a little different and so are the fees. However, we have done over one hundred projects using Archisketch and can usually give a fairly accurate estimate of the time needed based on the scope of the project and its level of complexity. In every project, you can stop the music any time that you think the value added is not matching the cost. The average total fee is around $1,200-$1500. |
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| Will you be able to tell me what the construction cost of the project will be? |
| We do not provide detailed estimates, but we do keep current on construction costs in the area and can usually give you an idea of the general level of cost based on the scope of your project. By far the best way to establish cost for most projects is to ask a builder to compile an estimate based on a plan. The more detailed the plan, the more precise the estimate will be. We do provide advice on the relative costs of various design solutions and materials that you might consider. |
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| Can I use the sketches for construction? What about for contractor bids? |
| That depends on your preferences, your builder and the requirements of the local code enforcement officials. About 70% of Archisketch clients take the sketches that we provide and pursue the project from there. Some builders will work directly from the sketches, some will have drafted plans developed by others and some clients ask us to draft construction plans as an additional service. Any construction project requires many decisions and a few unanticipated conditions. The more detailed your design work and drawings, the more control you will have over the outcome. Also, the more information that is on the drawings, the more precise and comparable bids will be. None of this will matter if you don’t have a good design to start with, which is what Archisketch is meant to provide. |
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| Do you ever visit the site before the design session? |
| We certainly do. If your existing building or site are unusual or difficult to represent accurately in pictures and sketches, a site visit by the designer is a very good idea. We bill hourly to do it. The visits usually add between $100 and $300 to the fee, depending on how far the site is from Concord, NH and how long the visit takes. |
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| What if I want more than just sketches? |
We can provide a full range of architectural and structural design drawings and construction phase inspection depending on your level of comfort and the amount you are willing to spend. Within the limits of responsible professional practice, we can adjust the scope of our services to your budget. The reason that we do not offer these services as part of the basic Archisketch package is that they are not inexpensive and much small scale construction is done without them. Our bias is that some level of drafted plans and structural review is always desirable and represents an excellent value to the Owner. Generally, we propose fees for these services when we have an approved design and you have an idea of how much precision you require in the plans. |
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| How many sessions will I need? |
Most small projects (a modest addition or renovation) can be laid out in one session. Many of our Archisketch clients ask us to do a little design development and lead a second session to allow them further refine the concept.This gives them (and us) a chance to think about the solution a little before completing the work. The average total fee is around $1,200-$1,500. |
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| There are some structural things that I am concerned about. Can you help with that? |
We will identify any noteworthy structural concerns in the design as we work with you. We can also provide structural engineering as an additional service if you need it. |
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| I want my project to be as "green" as possible. Will Archisketch address that? |
We believe that sustainability should be an integral part of any design. During the Archisketch process, we will suggest common sense design solutions that maximize energy efficiency and comfort and minimize waste. We will also explain why other solutions that might have appeal don’t contribute to those goals. |
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| I have some ideas and pictures of things that I like. Can we start with those? |
That is the best place to start. One of the jobs of the designer is to help you to see what works with what and which ideas make sense in your building and on your site and which need to be saved for the next project. |
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| Can I bring my builder to the design session? |
Certainly. If you have a builder with whom you want to work, we can all benefit from his insight into the cost and constructability of different design solutions. It will also help to have the builder understand why certain design choices were made to begin with. |
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| Can I bring my children to the design session? |
You will want to devote all of your attention to design during the session. Our experience is that the presence of small children makes that difficult and significantly reduces the amount of progress we make. |
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| Does the design session have to be in your office? |
No, but it is much easier to do well if it is at our office where all of our resources, including the computers, are available. |
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| I'm a contractor. How would Archisketch work for me? |
| Our first Archisketch client was a contractor and we have worked with many since. The process helps clients to define their ideas and give the contractor specific information for pricing and discussion. When your Client understands and makes design decisions in advance, construction is more efficient and predictable. |
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| Can you help me make sure that my design complies with code? |
| We are professional architects and consider it our responsibility to design in compliance with building and other applicable codes. Although code interpretations can vary, particularly for renovation work, we always strive to comply and to give advice based on a solid understanding of the model codes. |
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