SERVICES AVAILABLE
My goal is to offer a variety of construction services from a distinct perspective; that of a designer and builder. From this viewpoint I offer thirty years of practical building experience; knowledge of materials and structures combined with professional design expertise, resulting in an invaluable foresight of how to creatively assemble a building and communicate to the owner and builder.
Many decisions have to be made before a house, an addition, or a remodel project can be built. During the design and construction process, someone must take the time to think everything through in order for the house to meet the owners requirements, to be aesthetically pleasing, structurally sound, energy efficient and weather tight. In addition, other important conditions include the use of natural materials, efficient utilization of space, local resources, passive solar heating and daylighting and indoor air quality.
The basic premise in describing what I do as a designer and how to determine the extent of my services is based on the products of that service; construction drawings and construction administration, and how the drawings communicate to the owner and builder.
AS-BUILT DRAWINGS
As-built documentation assists in items as simple as verifying existing square footage and life safety conditions to more complex situations as accurately measuring and locating structure, partitions, openings and utilities. I am available for full on-site verification and measurement of any building and precisely recording in any cadd format and transferring to you electronically or in printed format.
CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS
Construction drawings are the culmination of the owners design conditions, site layout, structural coordination, material specifications and building and energy code requirements. This information is assembled in drawing format and is used by the builder and his contractors for pricing the job (bidding), obtaining a building permit and for construction. The greater amount of detail included in the drawings, the clearer the procedure for construction, and the more accurate the bid will be. Without detail, the builder may utilize standard practices and finishes to perform the work. If something is desired other than standard practice, it must be called out in detail in the drawings.
The drawings become the most important legal document in assuring that the house, renovation or addition is built the way the owner wants it, so the more detail contained in the drawings, the more control over the end product. This is important from a financial lenders point of view and to provide the most accurate price. The decisions of who to give responsibility of drawing the blueprints to, and how much detailing you request are important ones. Builder’s sets are available for contractors who are willing to coordinate most finish aspects of the design on their own.
As a builder, imagine drawings prepared for the construction sequence; foundation, framing, utilities and finishes. Dimensions placed for the framer to the edges of walls, showing wall thickness rather than centerlines, locating toilets, tub and shower drains, and indicating jack studs and headers on framing plans. Framing start points, accurate horizontal and vertical dimension strings that verify room and overall building sizes, and positioning windows by centerline to allow manufacturer substitutions are all a must. Let my building experience work for you, giving you the time for other aspects of the project and providing for fewer costly mistakes.
RENDERINGS
Computer generated renderings help in conveying the design idea to the owner from a realistic three dimensional view point. A rendering can also be used to show shade and shadows on a proposed design to determine daylighting, or to place the addition or remodel on your site to envision the finished product. I am available to transfer your ideas into a 3D model, allowing you to walk through your design prior to construction. Your model can be simple or detailed and multifaceted. Using the SketchUp viewer on the Links page, you can view your model from all angles.
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
Construction administration is the overseeing of the project to ensure that what is being constructed is actually what is expected by the owner and is as indicated on the drawings. If any problems occur or revisions are required, I am there to work things out or to provide additional information.
From the start, it is extremely important to identify a competent builder. If you do not have a builder in mind, I am available to recommend several high quality local contractors from builders to excavators, plumber’s, electricians, painters, etc. Then, designer, builder and client must develop a relationship of trust and respect for the expertise and knowledge each brings to the project.